Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
Shiloh
I couldn’t take it anymore. If I had to force another smile, the next person I saw was going to get throat punched. It didn’t help that this place forced you to spend your day completing job applications and attending group seminars on financial planning and constructive outlets for emotions.
There was no fucking way I was going to willingly choose to color in some butterfly mandala the next time I was itching to carve someone’s eyes out with my fingernails.
This was complete fucking bullshit. And there was nowhere to fucking hide.
Not when you were in a room of only nine women, and you were the shiny new toy they got to stare at and analyze.
For fuck’s sake, I was considering offing myself in the bathroom to get out of going to this church dinner. I took one last look at myself in the mirror before punching the light switch off and leaving my shared room.
I had told the staff I was attending a church meeting, and they gave me a pass to get into the facility past curfew tonight.
I wasn’t going to tell Theo that, though.
I wanted the excuse of needing to leave if things got weird.
I hadn’t gotten any weird vibes from any of them, except for with his mom, who made it seem like outsiders weren’t allowed wherever it was he was taking me.
Adrian had texted me yesterday that Theo was most likely taking me to their huge compound they owned.
Apparently, there wasn't any cell service out in the boonies where they lived. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but I wanted my phone just in case.
Even without cell service, it was my only lifeline to the outside world.
The real world. The one where Enoch and Jae were probably hanging out right now, enjoying being teenagers.
I shook the thoughts of my friends from my brain as the doors opened in front of me.
I stood, straightening out my clothes as Theodore walked inside, his gaze immediately scanning my body. It wasn’t inherently sexual, his stare, but it didn’t make me feel comfortable either.
The suit and tie from the last time I saw him were replaced by a pair of burnt sienna chinos, white sneakers, a knit gray sweater and a black jacket. It didn’t escape my attention that he was way better dressed than my simple jeans and sweater, but he clearly didn’t mind.
“Hi,” he smiled, giving me another once over as he stopped just a foot in front of me. He was entirely too close to me for a stranger, but I resisted the instinct to step back.
“Ready?”
I nodded and followed him, his stride matching mine and his hand landing on the middle of my back as we walked into the parking lot.
He picked up his pace, reaching his parked vehicle, a sleek black car, and opening the passenger door for me.
I was relieved when his hand left my back and quickly ducked under his arm and into the front seat.
I buckled in, taking in the clean interior and smokey scent of the air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror.
I took a deep breath, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans before he slipped into the driver’s seat.
“So, Olivia,” he started as the car rumbled to life, “tell me more about yourself. Did you grow up here in San Antonio?”
“Uh, yeah. In the suburbs. You?”
“No, I grew up on our family land. It’s about two thousand acres of property that houses any of our church members that choose to live in our private community. It’s about an hour away.”
I watched the road signs as we drove. An hour away? Why didn’t they tell me how remote this place was when they briefed me on these people? It’s starting to sound a little bit like a cult.
“And we’re going there now? To your brother’s house?”
“Correct. There’s honestly no place on earth like it.
It’s stunning and just so free. It doesn’t feel crowded, despite the number of families we house.
I can’t imagine growing up anywhere else.
Your neighbors are your family in Christ, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters.
It’s just like living in Heaven. All of us together, all living the same values, all seeking the same fulfillment to know God and to carry out his teachings. ”
Okay, so, like a Christian utopia. Doesn’t sound that bad to be honest.
“Wow, that sounds like a dream. I can’t even picture what that must look like. I’m excited to see.”
Theo removed his eyes from the road to flash me with a smile, his eyes bright like a promise I was about to be amazed.
“I hope you’re hungry. When I told my family you were coming, they might have overprepared a feast. I think they’re trying to impress you.”
“Oh gosh,” I sighed. “I hope they didn’t go through too much trouble. I really don’t need any special treatment.”
He hummed, giving me a pleased smile. I swallowed the disgust at his praise and prayed he would let us sit in silence for the alleged hour drive we had.
Unfortunately, God didn’t answer my prayers.
“Does it hurt? Your eyes?”
“Usually only when I cry. It irritates the scar tissue.”
“Gosh, that’s awful. And does that impact your eyesight at all?”
“A little, but it’s not a handicap or anything,” I explained, keeping my gaze on the highway, the last signs of the city slowly fading as we crept farther out of its limits.
“I’m happy to hear that. Praise God for sparing you your sight as well as your life.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Your father, he’s the head of the church, right?
“Yes. But he’s moving into politics.”
I nodded. “Why is he interested in politics? I wouldn’t want to leave that little slice of heaven you were raised on.”
“Well, the Bible calls us to be the deliverers of His Word, and we can’t do that if we stay secluded to ourselves.
He believes that the Holy Spirit is leading him to run for senator to try and make changes, a revival of sorts in our value system as a society.
We’ve strayed so far from God, and my father, our church and our community, aim to be a guiding light. ”
We sat in silence as I digested his words. Nothing about it seemed inherently evil. They were just devout Christians.
“And what was it like growing up with such a man as your role model?”
“Hmm. It was hard. Knowing the shoes I would be expected to fill was stressful, but God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. I know this is what I was called to do.”
“You mean, you’ll take your father’s place one day?”
“Eventually. I need to get married first, prove my ability as a leader to my father. And that starts with leading my wife.”
I internally cringed at the picture he painted. It sounded strange to hear someone speak about women like that when culture today was so feminist.
“Well, I think you’ll make a great leader. I mean, I’ve only known you for a day and I can already tell.”
He smiled to himself, adjusting his hands on the steering wheel.
The rest of the ride was spent talking about the hosts, Henry and Beth, and a handful of other people that might be attending tonight. I was grateful I got to save my energy for the meeting because I knew they were going to be curious and asking questions.
I didn’t know what I expected when we passed through a set of high security gates, but it certainly wasn’t a massive expanse of modern tract homes and tree-lined streets.
There were playgrounds, a school, a general store, and other essentials like a clinic, a pharmacy and a post office.
It was literally an entire city surrounded by acres of rolling hills and fields.
Children played in front yards; people sat on their porches enjoying the cool fall evening. It was so…normal.
Theodore’s chuckling brought me out of stupor.
“I told you,” he smirked. “Welcome to Eden.”
I didn’t think they would be living so luxuriously, but nice cars were scattered in various driveways and the impeccable landscaping really spoke to the shared wealth of these people. It was almost enough of a fairytale to make me forget why I was questioning this being anything but a good future.
“How many people live here?”
“About a thousand,” he shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “There were more when I was growing up, but a large portion of the population has moved away for college or careers that couldn’t withstand the commute.”
“Wow.”
The car slowed to a stop in front of one of the houses and I noticed that there didn’t seem to be any additional cars parked in the driveway or on the road.
It dawned on me as I exited the car that these people were probably all neighbors and could just walk for any social events.
I shakily adjusted my clothing and smoothed out my hair before catching Theo staring at me.
“You look beautiful.”
I managed to make a shy smile. Theo held out his arm for me to take, and I slipped my hand through his elbow, feeling his muscles tense as my fingers curled around his forearm.
Theo rang the doorbell, and my pulse pounded hard in my ears.
A young woman swung the door open, and I quickly took in her long dress and bright smile that stood out against her brown skin and dark hair.
“Hello, Elder Theo!” I was taken aback. When they mentioned a conservative Christian group, I wrongly assumed it’d be a bunch of white people.
“And you must be Miss Olivia. My name is Beth. Pleasure to meet you,” she stepped aside gesturing for us to enter and she offered to take Theodore’s jacket.
He shrugged it off and she quickly placed it on a row of hooks by the door filled with other coats and purses.
Theodore guided me with a hand on the middle of my back down the hallway into a large living space where there were several people seated around a long table talking.
I noticed it was only men at the table, and I glanced around trying to find another woman.
My stomach tightened into a knot as fear spiked.