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While Smoke checked into him, I gestured for Terror and several of the guys to follow me. We walked far enough away that we couldn’t be heard.
“Shit, I don’t know what to do. My gut is starting to say the brother is telling the truth. He was trying to protect her. She didn’t seem to be scared of him or upset to see him when we rescued her. As for his buddy, him, I don’t like, but it may be the fact he’s lusting after my woman. If we torture them and they’re innocent, Cassia will hate me. What the hell do I do?”
“You let Smoke finish his research. He’ll know their underwear sizes soon. If what he finds shows they’re legit, then we let them go. If they hang around here, we keep an eye on them. If they go back to Colorado, I know some guys who can check up on them. I have an old Army buddy out there. Regardless, I think we should look into going to Utah and taking out those two. If her brother can find her, then there’s a chance so can her dad and her fake husband,” Terror said calmly.
My gut was churning because if we got it wrong, they might try to take her again. As we stood and waited to see what else Smoke could discover, I mulled the issue over in my head.
Cassia:
I paced the common room waiting to find out what was happening out in that building I found out from the ladies was called the Hole. Nothing calmed me. They tried distracting me with conversation. When that didn’t work, they tried to get me involved with the babies, which usually would’ve worked. After that, they asked me to tell them the whole tale of my kidnapping. They said I should have a drink before starting my story. Of course, I had to say no to that. I couldn’t due to the baby and I knew my secret might just get outed to them. Neriah was pushing me to have just one.
“Come on, one won’t hurt you and it might help you to relax. I know you’re concerned about your brother. I get it, but the guys won’t hurt them unless they give them a reason. Don’t you want to be sure he’s here for the reasons he gave you? All those years of thinking he was dead and having no contact. Why? His explanation sounds plausible, but what if it’s not? What if he’s just like your dad and the others? He knew nothing else from birth.”
“I knew nothing else since birth either, but I got away and don’t believe the crap they preach. Why can’t he be like me? As for staying away, you were young when you left. You might not know or remember how tightly isolated we were kept. Even the days we went to town to shop or go to the farmers’ market, we had men standing around keeping an eye on us. At the compound, we had no access to phones or computers. He wouldn’t have been able to get close to me without getting caught. I don’t blame him for not risking it.”
“Well I do. I think it’s shitty he left you behind like that. The others were grown and married. They wouldn’t leave, but he didn’t try to talk to you. You were a kid, but that didn’t make you stupid,” Neriah argued back.
“You’re right, it didn’t, but that didn’t mean I would’ve listened or fully understood. I didn’t really start to figure out that our way of life was totally wrong until I was a bit older. I rebelled against things all the time, but I didn’t outright speak against the learnings until I was twelve or thirteen. I got very vocal after that and drove my dad crazy. I lost track of the times he punished me. I was locked in my room, starved, and beaten. I thought it couldn’t get worse. I found out I was wrong when he gave me to Reuben. I’d take all those punishments gladly over his rapes.”
I shivered thinking of them. Remorse came over Neriah’s face and I saw sympathy from the others. However, it was the growl that got my attention. Swinging around, I saw Blade standing in the doorway. Right behind him were my brother and Heath. The three of them were looking angry and like they wanted to murder someone. Blade didn’t waste time getting to me and hugging me.
“Baby, you never have to worry about that happening again. You know me and my club will protect you with our last dying breath.”
I kissed him then answered him. It felt so good to be in his strong arms. Even though Heath had explained why he kidnapped me, it had been stressful. “I know you would. I try not to think about it, but sometimes it just pops up. I think it always will. Let’s not talk about that. Tell me, did you guys get everything settled? I take it since they’re not tied up that you believe them.”
“We’ve decided to give them the benefit of thinking they’re friendly. However, they know they’ll still have to keep proving it. You won’t be left alone with them or go anywhere with them until I feel it’s safe. That means you’re back to having a guard while off the compound. And when you’re at work, that guard will sit in the bakery not outside. Lance is kicking himself that you got taken when he was on guard duty.”
I glanced over at Lance who was busy at the bar. He didn’t look at me. He’d been quiet since he and Jake went to get the truck they left behind. Easing out of Blade’s arms, I walked over to him. It wasn’t until I was standing practically in his face, did he look at me. I saw his misery.
“Lance, I want you to wipe that look off your face. You had no way of knowing Heath would take me. Everyone except Blade always stays outside. It could’ve happened to any of them. It was pure bad luck that it was your turn. No one in the bakery even realized he was forcing me to leave. I didn’t call out. I thought he had a gun in his pocket.”
“Did you have a gun on my woman?” Blade snarled at Heath.
“I didn’t have one on me then. I did let her think I did. I wasn’t going to risk a bunch of innocent people getting hurt if you and your guys surprised me in there. Remember, I thought you’re an outlaw club. I’m still deciding if I’m wrong or not.”
“Blade and his brothers would never hurt innocent people, so you can forget that. They do everything in their power to help and protect people. I might not have known them for long, but I know that. Just like I know they don’t treat their women and children like the Converts did. They love and treasure them. I have that. Blade loves me and I love him. I’m happy that I found you Benedict and we’ve reconnected, but I’m not going anywhere. My place is here with Blade. I’m finally happy.” I wanted him to understand that and be happy for me.
“Are you happy or are you just marrying him because you’re pregnant?” Heath asked. He had a hard look on his face.
All the women gasped and looked at me. I guess the secret was out to everyone. Blade gave me an apologetic look. It must have come out during their talk. Oh well, I shouldn’t be hiding it. If the unthinkable happened, I’d need them to help me through it.
“No, it doesn’t. Blade has talked about me being his wife well before I found out that I’m pregnant. We didn’t tell anyone since I’m scared I’ll lose it. I was pregnant three years ago and when Reuben found out I’d been using plants and herbs to prevent prior pregnancies for almost three years, he beat me until I miscarried. That’s when I found a way to leave. I don’t know if that damaged my ability to get pregnant and carry a baby to term or not. I wanted to wait until I was past the first trimester to tell everyone.”
“He beat you while you were pregnant with his kid?” Benedict snarled.
“Yes, he did. Reuben doesn’t believe in sparing you a beating even if you are pregnant. Although he went particularly crazy on me. I hadn’t seen him do that with his other wives. Maybe because they rarely defied him. They believed the crap about them being subservient to their husband. I didn’t want to bring a child into that miserable world. That’s why I took the herbs.”
“Why did they fail after all that time?” Benedict asked. He came over to stand closer to me. I think it was to give me moral support. Blade was back to holding me.
“I’d pissed him off royally when he found out I was taking the herbs. He locked me up for a week. I wasn’t allowed out and I had no access to the herbs. Most of the time, he confined me to the house and I had them hidden there. That time, he locked me in the basement in a little room that was used as a root cellar. When he let me out, he immediately decided he should claim his husbandly rights, as he called them. I started the herbs right after that, but it was too late. That one time was enough.”
My brother growled like an animal and his face looked like he was about to explode. Heath didn’t look much better, but neither did the Warriors. Even Blade, who’d heard this story before, looked livid. Suddenly, Savage clapped my brother on the shoulder.
“I think we should have a drink. I know that shit makes you want to kill. Believe me, more than one of us has experienced something similar with someone hurting our women like this. Come over here,” he led him to the bar. Heath and a few others followed them. The tension in Blade slowly started to leak out.
“I’m sorry I told our secret. It kind of slipped out when I was telling your brother you wouldn’t be leaving me.”
“It’s okay. I realized it was silly to keep it from everyone. I almost told the ladies when they were trying to get me to have a drink to relax.”
