Chapter 21
Qwas ready for Flora to be home. He knew it was the right decision to send her to a place where she could think and heal, maybe get a different perspective on life, and learn to be herself.
He didn’t want her to walk away from him, but she needed to know her mind, not what she’d been told to feel or think.
Coming to live with him needed to be what she wanted, not what she felt she had to do because he’d saved her.
He had just arrived home when he heard Remi’s car pulled up out front. He went to the door and opened it as Flora stepped out. He couldn’t stay still and moved to grab her bag.
His lips spread into a broad smile as he noticed her hair had been cut. “It’s good to see you.”
“I’m glad to be home.”
“Remi, thank you for going to pick her up.”
“Of course. We had a great talk on the way home.”
“That’s good. I’m happy to hear it.”
“It looks like Kevlar is home, so I’m headed that way.”
Flora hugged Remi before she took off. He took her bag, and when she slid her hand into his, he glanced down and smiled at her, feeling hope since she was holding his hand.
“You seem rested, refreshed.”
“I am. Henley helped me. She’s the therapist at The Refuge.
She helped me see that I wasn’t at fault and that I could make decisions and change my mind later.
It was freeing and refreshing. The guys there were great, too.
Explaining everything was weird at first, but they’ve seen a lot and were nice about how bad it had been for me.
I also met Jasna, Henley and Tonka’s daughter.
I have her email address and we’ve communicated a few times, though it’s weird typing stuff out in an email and waiting for a response. It’s not like texting but it is.”
Q chuckled and nodded. “That’s email for you. I’m glad going to The Refuge was good for you.”
“It was. And we talked about the future, and it helped me figure out what I wanted.”
They were inside, and he set her bag down in the hallway before joining her on the couch.
“What do you want?”
“I was thinking about my future, and I know it may not be forever, but I want to spend it with you if you still feel the same way about me.”
His heart swelled and he wanted to pull her close and show her, but he needed to go slow with her.
“I do feel the same way and I’ve missed you.
I’ve been waiting for you to come home just so I could look into your eyes.
You’re beautiful, but it’s more than just that.
I like how you make me feel, the way you look at me, all of it. ”
“I don’t have any experience in dating, though Henley taught me about sex, which was horribly embarrassing at first. I couldn’t even look at her the first time she brought it up. Then we discussed it more, and she gave me some reading. I’m not saying I’m ready for sex.”
Q chuckled. “That would be moving fast. I think we need time to get to know each other and date.”
Flora nodded. “Yes, dating. I know it will be weird since I live here, but I think we will be okay. The weeks we spent together before I left showed me that you’re kind and patient. You never once pressured me into doing anything, and I appreciate it.”
He cupped her cheeks and then gently brushed his lips over her mouth. “We’ll go slow and take things one step at a time.”
Flora hadn’t really wanted to leave Q, but going to The Refuge and learning more about herself and what she really wanted had been the best thing for her. She reached up and touched his face, loving the feel of his beard under her fingertips.
“I grew up learning that I was put on earth to serve a man. That was the only thing I was destined for. But I know now that’s not the case. There is so much more to life and to this world. I don’t know if we’ll last, but hiding from my feelings won’t help.”
“It never does.”
She unloaded her clothes and started the washer before going back into the den. “What are we doing for dinner tonight?”
“I was thinking about grilling steaks. Would you like that?”
“Yes, steaks would be great. Thank you. I’ll heat up some vegetables and potatoes.”
“That would be good. We can go for a walk after dinner.”
“Sure. I’d like that.”
After eating, she checked her email, which was weird for her, and found a short note from Jasna, telling her that someone at her school had brought a goat to the campus and let it loose inside the administration office.
That she and one other guy had to get it out.
The email made Flora laugh. Then she saw a note from the social services woman, stating that the police had a lead on the compound where she’d grown up.
They were going to check it out in the morning.
Q stepped behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Everything okay?”
“The police believe they found the compound where I grew up. They are going in tomorrow.”
“Are you okay with that?”
She didn’t know. “Maybe. I don’t know. I fear my father will come for me.”
“They won’t tell him where you are. You’ll be okay.”
“Maybe, but I’m still afraid he will come after me.”
He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. It was funny how his arms around her body made her feel better. She could accomplish anything with him in her life. Being at The Refuge had shown her that Q was a good man and she needed him.
The next morning, she kept checking her email, wondering if she would hear back about her family and what happened. No emails came through, but Q called close to two that afternoon. She answered, happy to hear from him.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Have you seen the news?” Q asked.
“No, I haven’t. What happened?”
“I’m fairly certain the raid happened. There’s something on the news about a raid, and two FBI agents were shot.”
“Oh no. Is that because of me?”
“No, honey. You’re not at fault. The person who shot them is at fault.”
“Let me see if I can get it on.” She moved to the couch and clicked the remote, turning the TV on. She found the news station and waited for a commercial to end. Then it was on the screen. She gasped.
“What is it?” Q asked.
“It’s them. I know those buildings. I recognize those women. That’s where I grew up. Oh God, that’s Jessica and Amy. I know them, and they look miserable.”
“Hey, I’ll be home soon, and you can tell me everything. Don’t answer your phone unless it’s one of us, okay? Just let it go to voicemail.”
“Okay. You don’t think they know where I am?”
“No, they don’t. There is no way. They were just raided, and they won’t know what any of this is about.”
She squeezed her hands as fear spread. “I’m scared.”
“I know, but it will all be okay. I promise. I’ve got a friend looking in on what the police know.”
“Who?”
“His name is Thario. I should have taken you to meet him before. He’s great with computers and tracking people. He will call both of us if there is any indication someone from the cult is headed your way.”
“They are going to be so mad they were arrested. The women and children are going to be so confused.”
“It will be okay. I’ll be there soon.”
A knock sounded on the door. “Someone is here.”
“It might be Remi. I ran into Kevlar before I called and told him about the raid.”
She checked the peephole and saw Remi standing outside. She opened the door, relieved to see a friendly face.
“I’m going to let you go,” Q said. “I’ll text you when I leave the base.”
“Thank you.” She ended the call, and Remi pulled her into a hug.
“Kevlar called. I flipped on the TV long enough to see what they were doing.”
“I have it on. Come in. Do you want anything to drink? I have fresh coffee, though it’s cut with half decaf.”
“Sure, I’ll take some. Do you recognize the place?”
“Yes. It’s where I grew up. I know the people. I feel bad, but I don’t think there is anything I can do.”
“No, I don’t think there is. The men will be held, and the women will go to a shelter.”
A shiver slid through her. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“I’m sure it’s scary, but those women are being held prisoner. Some of them will want to go back to their prisons, but they should be allowed to make that decision on their own.”
Flora nodded. “I get that. I wonder if they know it was me.”
“Maybe, but I wouldn’t worry about that right now. They don’t know where you are. You didn’t go anywhere predictable. It won’t be easy to find you.”
She nodded as she stared at the screen, seeing the community where she’d grown up.
When Q arrived home, Remi took off. She was sitting on the couch, watching the coverage, learning things like the history of the community.
The land had been purchased by a wealthy man forty years ago, and the leaders of the community cut off contact with family.
By the time she’d been born, the community was twenty years old, and they no longer allowed discussions about the past. The community was supposed to be a self-sustaining, self-governed community that would inspire others to abandon new technology and embrace traditional livelihoods.
Flora turned to Q, shaking her head. “So it was all just some experiment by some rich dude?”
“It sounds like it. So the older adults knew the lies they told you were lies.”
“I can’t believe it. I mean, I can because I lived it, but the community was only started forty years ago. How is that even possible?”
He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know. The people who ran the community did a great disservice to you all.”
She blew out a breath. “I’m sure glad you had me go to The Refuge for two weeks. I gained tools I can use to help me deal with this. I probably need to find a therapist here, but I’m okay right now. If this had happened before I gained those tools, I would be crying in a ball.”
“I’m proud of you. You did the work and have the tools necessary to deal with this. It might get worse before it gets better.”
“How so?”
“If they have the FBI there, they probably found something illegal, and they’ll want to talk to you. You might have to answer questions about the place.”