Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
THE HEATHEN
“Is she his daughter?” Carter asks as I cling to Knox, feeling safe in his arms.
“No, she’s my sister Abigail’s daughter. Her father is John, a man that the Prophet met in prison. It’s a long story, but he’s the one that put this shit into Jedediah’s head. Without him, I don’t think any of this would’ve happened.”
Knox runs a hand through my hair, and watches me while he asks, “He’s still alive?”
I nod before sitting up to explain.
“Yes, he’s hiding with the Prophet. I’m sure when we find one of them, the other won’t be too far behind.
” I stare at the floor as I pick at my nails.
None of this is making sense. “I don’t understand this.
Jedediah only has sex with the girls he marries.
He said God told him only when a girl reaches menstruation is she ready.
Delilah cannot have had a period already.
It’s getting worse. I have to go, and I have to go now. ”
“No,” Killian growls loud enough to make me jump.
“Tell me, Killer, what will they do to protect the Prophet?”
“Anything,” I answer.
He folds his arms over his chest and glares at me with an annoyed expression.
“Who will they kill to protect him?”
“Anyone,” I answer quietly, as I try to wrap my head around why Killian would care.
Opening the refrigerator beside him, he grabs a beer, opens it, and takes a long swig before he continues.
“Exactly, which is why all three of us will be with you. This will be well planned out. You’re not running over there tonight on a fucking whim. That’s an emotional reaction. Emotional reactions get people killed."
I’m completely lost hearing Killian’s response. I heard what he said, but I don’t understand why he suddenly cares. This man hates me, and now he’s concerned about me dying?
“Like you care,” I snort, just barely holding back my laughter.
“Killer,” he warns, and I meet his glare with one of my own.
“Killian.”
Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he groans in obvious frustration.
“Do you always have to be so fucking difficult?”
Knox places his hand on my thigh, and holds me tight on his lap.
“She’s a good girl for us. This may be a ‘you’ problem, brother.”
Killian rubs his temples on either side as he blows out a long exaggerated breath.
“I have a fight in a few hours. I want Killer there, for no reason other than making sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. She’ll ride with me.”
I move to get up, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but Knox wraps his arm around my waist and holds me against his chest.
I struggle against his hold and bite out, “I won’t wait. There are children being hurt.”
Killian rises to his feet, the earlier frustration turning into anger.
“You think I don’t know that, Killer? You think seeing a disgusting picture like that has no effect on me?
You’re wrong, little girl. The fact is, we also have dangerous things going on in our world.
I know you think I’m an asshole just for the sake of being an asshole, but there’s more to it.
Maybe you can’t see it, but I’m trying to keep everyone here alive.
” He leans down to grip my jaw, his touch somewhere between a caress and a threat.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you. Do as you’re fucking told, or I’ll lock you up. Either way, at least you’ll be safe.”
I ball my hands into fists, and Knox tries to calm me by stroking his fingers down my arms.
Killian releases me, turning to walk out of the room, and I scream at his back.
“You are such a fucking dick, and I hope you get your ass kicked tonight.”
Looking over his shoulder at me, he smirks, “I know I am, Killer. And no, you don’t. Be ready in an hour.”
I take my shoe off and hurl it at him. It narrowly misses his head, hitting the doorframe instead. He chuckles as he walks away.
“You throw like a girl, Killer.”
I take a deep breath, glancing between the two of them and shoot my shot.
“I need your help. You understand why this can’t wait.”
I focus my gaze on Carter.
“I know you do.”
“Please,” I beg, as he shakes his head no.
“Not a chance, Little Heathen. Killian is right. And you should know I’ll never put you at risk.”
Climbing onto my knees, I hold my hands together, as I continue to beg.
“Please, Carter. I promise I’ll be careful.”
His eyes darken with anger, reminding me far too much of his brother as he growls.
“Enough. I said no. I won’t live without you. End of fucking discussion.”
Turning to Knox, I whisper his name, and he presses his hand to my face.
“No, Tesoro. I’m not going to let you get yourself killed either. Tomorrow we will put together a game plan. Until then, you’re going to behave and do as Killian says. No matter what you think about him, he knows what he’s doing.”
I hang my head in defeat, because it feels like I’m the only one that truly understands what was happening in the picture.
The distraught look on her face.
The tears streaming down her cheeks.
She’s now a broken girl. Something I know all too well.
“Delilah is a little girl. Why don’t you care? He was fucking her. A little girl. She’s five years old.”
Carter motions for me to come over to him. I move and kneel between his legs, with my hands behind my back.
He reaches up, touches the back of my head, and strokes my hair gently.
“Little Heathen, we saw. Of course I care about a little girl being hurt, but something happening to you? I can’t fucking live with it.
If you go get yourself killed, you don’t save her, and she keeps being abused.
We have to do this the right way. Getting rid of a man or two at a time has only alerted them.
They know exactly how you’ll proceed. Trust Knox and I.
Don’t we always give you everything you need? ”
I nod in agreement.
“This will not be any different. Go get ready. Killian wasn’t kidding. If you don’t behave, he will lock you up. I don’t think either one of us wants that.”
“Okay,” I sigh, and move to place a kiss on his cheek, but Carter grabs my face and plants a rough kiss on my lips. I pull back and smile briefly, before heading to Carter’s room to get ready for another fight night, secretly hoping it doesn’t end the way the last one did.