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“This Saturday. We’re even going to televise the wedding,” My father says triumphantly. “That part was Thaddeus’s idea,” He adds, cocking his head.
“No, Dad. You can’t make me!”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Marigold. You’re a woman and inherently sinful. You belong to me until you belong to your husband. Thad wants you, consider yourself lucky.” My father looks down his long nose at me in disgust, but I stare back at him.
I’m emboldened, because I know I have three men who care for me, but my father’s gritting his teeth. He squints his eyes at me and suddenly grabs me by the hair at the nape of my neck. He pulls, forcing my face close to his, as he recites one of his favorite verses.
“A priest’s daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death,” The Reverend hisses, but he releases his hold on me and my head jerks backward.
“I’m showing you mercy, even though I should kill you myself,” My father says. His blue eyes are cold and devoid of any emotion other than his rage. I see no love for me there.
“You were a slut for some bikers. A toy. Their plaything,” My father laughs, throwing his head back. “They forgot about you as soon as you left.”
I flinch. I can’t help it. My father snickers again.
“You don’t see them coming after you, do you?”
I look out the window instead of answering him. That is exactly what I was hoping for.
“They won’t,” He says, smiling smugly. My dad pulls his cell phone out of his back pocket and begins swiping the screen.
I try to ignore him and keep staring out the window, but he shoves his cell phone under my nose.
“Look,” The Reverend insists and I watch, with increasing horror, a news clip announcing the imminent wedding of the daughter of a local televangelist. “Reverend Bennetts Daughter To Marry Protégé” runs on a ticker at the bottom of the screen.
I feel all the color drain from my face and a wave of nausea crashes over me. I left the guys, seemingly without a word. When they see this on TV, what will they think?
“It’s set to air on the eleven o’clock news tonight,” Dad says, before tucking his cell phone back into his pocket. His face is smug, satisfied with his sabotage.
“You will be a good wife to him. Do you understand?”
I force myself to nod. I don’t want to be hit again.
“You will love, honor, and, most importantly,obey.” My father’s deep baritone voice booms and then he strolls out of my bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Chapter 33
Rex
I take the crumpled piece of paper from Hacker, our most tech-savvy member. At eighteen years old, he’s also our youngest.
“That’s the only number your girl’s phone dialed in the last twenty-four hours,” Hacker says. He nods his chin at me and his neon green Mohawk bobs along, though on a slight delay. It looks like the height of his hair spans eight inches.
“Thanks, brother,” I reply, tucking the paper into the inside pocket of my jacket. It rests right on top of my broken heart.
I slap Hacker on the shoulder before striding back over to the bar where Gunner and Zeke are sitting.
We came back to the clubhouse to regroup. On the ride home, I came up with one last idea: Why not call Goldie’s friend, Bianca?
It only took Hacker ten minutes with his laptop to produce the call records from the burner phone.
Now, I have Bianca’s phone number in my hands. We could have some answers.
“Well, call her!” Zeke demands, as soon as I pull the crumpled paper from my pocket.
“What are you waiting for?” Gunner grumbles.
My fingers tremble as I press the buttons.
