Chapter Thirty
Eden
Despite the lack of personal profiles for my brother or his wife, the Church of Eternal Light itself was all over social media these days.
I stared at the website, with links to multiple platforms for each of their half dozen churches throughout the state of New York.
Though I hoped to recognize even a single person in any of the dozens of photos plastered across the different pages, aside from my parents and my brother, no one looked familiar.
“Why are you in Spruce Hill?” I whispered at my laptop screen.
Simon Baumgartner was probably close to my father’s age, but he appeared to be the youngest of the pastors from the various branches, aside from Isaiah.
And not a single one of them looked particularly capable of throwing a brick through a plate glass window, nevermind setting a car on fire in the street.
Old, older, frail, frailer. It was like a lineup of grandfathers with age spots and wrinkles.
They could have managed the envelope left in the mailbox, sure, if one of them happened to be in town, but the rest? It seemed unlikely, at best.
But if that was the case, who the hell was behind these things?
“Eden? Babe, you here?”
Addie poked her head through the doorway just as I closed the laptop. Her eyes narrowed on my face.
“Watching porn?”
“No, I am not,” I muttered.
“Researching romantic getaways?”
I glared and asked, “Do you need something, Adelaide?”
“Yes, actually. Arnaud is here to see the room, but there’s a couple shoppers out front ogling the remaining Valentine’s collection. Which do you want to take?”
“Oh, right.” I stood and slid my laptop back into the messenger bag on the table. “I’ll show Arnaud around. Thanks, Addie.”
I followed her out of the breakroom to where Arnaud stood at the counter, looking completely at ease as he studied a rack of nightgowns.
However I’d expected a martial arts instructor to dress outside of classes, it wasn’t anything like Arnaud’s wardrobe.
Today he was in a slim-cut suit made out of a purple fabric so dark it was almost black.
Only a faint shimmer when the light hit him betrayed the color.
“Arnaud, hi. Thanks for coming by,” I said, offering my hand.
He clasped it, flashed a brilliant white smile, and replied, “The pleasure is mine. Do you gift wrap?”
“Theoretically, yes. I’m not amazing at it, but if you catch us while Addie is here, she can take care of you with a bit more style.”
We reached the back of the store and I showed him both room options. “This one has more square footage, but it’s narrower. The other is smaller overall but more square in shape. I don’t know what will work best for you, but both rooms will be available.”
“Perfect. Adelaide said the roster is almost full for this month already. And you don’t mind us signing participants up for our regular program, if any are interested?”
I grinned at him. “Not at all. I’d love to see a few new faces in my class.”
“The seminar will be a good introduction to our style of teaching, I think. Our female instructors will be there to help with the workshop, but if you’re willing and comfortable with it, I’d love to have another person to demonstrate as we go through the moves.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised by the invitation. “I’m not sure how graceful I’ll be, especially in front of an audience. I haven’t been doing it very long.”
“You’re clever, Eden, and fierce. My wife would call you a spitfire,” he teased. “Besides, your teachers speak very highly of you.”
Flattered by both assessments, I replied, “Well, then. I’m in.”
Once Arnaud decided on a room for the class, he left the store. Addie, the customers, and I all stared after him as he strolled down the sidewalk, admiring the way his suit gleamed in the sunlight.
“There’s this meme that says, ‘I’m bi, which means I’m attracted to all women and one man,’” Addie muttered under her breath. “I think he’s that one man.”
I snorted a laugh. “He’s married, Addie.”
“Yeah. And I’ve got a hot date tonight with Olivia.”
“I love you,” I said out of the blue.
Addie turned to look at me, moving cautiously, like she was afraid I might burst into tears or something. “And I love you, babe. Always.”
I tossed one arm around her shoulders. “Right, that’s settled. Now, tell me about your plans for tonight.”
Though I didn’t want Addie to know I was looking further into my brother’s church, it wasn’t something I could keep from Milo. We talked it over that night on his couch, with him lying on his back, me draped over him, and Jiji curled up behind my knees.
“I looked at their website, too,” he admitted, fingers toying with my hair. “I didn’t see anyone in any of their photos that I recognized from town, though.”
“Why you? Why would you get that phone call? My number hasn’t changed since my brother called me years ago, not that my parents ever used it—but what was the point of calling your phone with the warning? Why not me?”
Milo’s hand stopped moving for a second, then he said, “I don’t know. We’re living in sin, basically, right? Maybe they shifted their sights to me because I let you lead me astray?”
His tone was teasing, but the words hit me like a blow. I knew the instant he felt my reaction, because he shifted suddenly and cupped my jaw with one hand.
“No,” he said sharply. “No way, Eden. I was just kidding. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said quickly, but my muscles remained tense.
“You are not taking responsibility for this. No matter what messed up rhetoric somebody is using to justify any of what’s happened, it is not your fault. Not. Your. Fault.”
My body relaxed again, melting into him. “I know.”
“Good. What do you think about the Chief’s suggestion that we hire a security guard to keep an eye on the stores?”
“No.”
He grimaced. “That was very definitive.”
Sighing, I propped my hands under my chin. “I want you to be safe, so if you want to call him and have him over at Dueling Dragons, I’m in full support.”
“But?”
“But Garden of Delights is a safe space for people. The thought of some guy hovering, even if he stays outside the store, makes me uncomfortable. And if I feel that way, I imagine a lot of my customers might also feel the same, and then I’m setting myself up to lose business right as I’m just getting into a groove. ”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” he admitted, “but I see your point. Okay, we’ll hold off on that. Can we agree to leave the stores together when it’s dark out? I’ll come over after I close up and walk you out?”
“That I can absolutely agree to,” I said, smiling down at him.
“So, tell me what’s on tap this week.”
I rattled off the schedule—game night on Tuesday, Addie’s support group Wednesday, self-defense seminar on Thursday evening.
Though I didn’t sit in on Addie’s groups, Milo felt uncomfortable even being in the store to keep me company in the break room, given the nature of the meetings.
For this week, the same would go for self-defense, though I wished he could be there to see me do some ass-kicking.
“I might have to show you my moves at home,” I warned him.
Milo laughed. “I look forward to seeing what you know. I’ll stay over at Dueling Dragons until you’re done, but text me so I can come walk out with you.”
It wasn’t strictly necessary, but as February wore on, it was still pitch black outside by the time I closed up even on a regular day. The reminder that it might not be safe for either of us to wander around alone after dark was sobering.
“Hey,” he whispered against my ear. “Everything is okay. We’re taking care of each other. Besides, you’re a certified badass, so we’ll be even safer, right?”
“Certified, huh?”
“Absolutely. The baddest badass in town by my side, what could go wrong?”
A lot.
I didn’t speak the words aloud, just burrowed deeper into Milo’s chest. Neither of us paid any attention to the movie playing across the room.
Between the slow stroke of his fingertips through my hair and Jiji purring against my spine, my body relaxed, but my mind kept going back to that one question.
Why was that warning directed at Milo?