Chapter Twelve
Shiloh moved her body with Jade’s as he drove down a winding road, just outside of town.
She loved when the sun warmed her skin. Loved how the air wrapped around them as they carefully leaned together into each curve.
The motorcycle gave her a sense of freedom, maybe because there weren’t any doors and windows separating her from the feel and scent of the outdoors.
The first thing that warned her that something wasn’t right was to feel his body tense.
Then the bike started slowing down. She blinked and brought her attention back to the road, and that’s when she looked over his shoulder to see a van parked sideways in the middle of the road.
Jade lowered his feet to the asphalt as the bike came to a stop about a hundred yards away.
Jade’s hands flexed on the handlebars, so he was clearly expecting something to happen.
Obviously. Vans didn’t park in the middle of the road for no reason.
Suddenly, a car screeched behind them. Jade reached for his gun, but it was too late.
Bullets flew, and one struck Jade in the arm.
The bike fell, and she let out a little scream, managing at the last second to pull her leg to safety.
Jade wasn’t so lucky. The bike pinned him, and he let out a pain-filled grunt.
“Run,” he told her, his voice thick with warning.
“I’m not leaving you,” she said, trying to lift the bike. Movement caught her attention.
A man emerged from the car and walked toward them. This time there was no doubt who it was. Lawrence. Dread filled her. Her self-preservation tried to kick in, but she ignored it. She wouldn’t leave Jade. No matter what.
She stood and watched him approach. A tsunami without an evacuation plan. Two men followed her stepfather and pulled the bike off Jade, then jerked him to his feet. His face was a cold mask, not giving Lawrence any satisfaction, but she saw the pain bracketing around his mouth. He was hurt.
“I’m disappointed in you, daughter,” her stepfather said. He tsked and shook his head. “You ran away from me. Your messiah.”
“You’re not God. I don’t want to be in your cult. Can’t you just let me live my own life?”
“You were destined to be my second wife!”
That shocked the hell out of her. “What?”
“The prophecy was always you. You belong to me.”
Shiloh shook her head. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that? How my mother puts up with you, I’ll never know. But you can take your prophecy and your whole God-damn cult and fuck off.”
He backhanded her, and she stumbled back as fire lit up her face.
“Watch your heathen language. You’ve debased yourself by fornicating with bikers.” He pointed to Jade. Fear sluiced through her. Not for herself but for him. “He needs Penance.”
Shiloh shook her head. “No. Let him go.”
“You are not the one making demands here. Your friend will have a very unfortunate accident—”
“No! No, please. Please let him go. I’ll ... convince him to keep quiet. And I—I won’t escape again. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Her stepfather stared at her in that eerily calm way that always slithered over her skin. “Anything?”
Fear clenched her stomach, but did she have a choice? No. Slowly, she nodded.
“No, Shiloh!” Jade yelled.
One of Lawrence’s men punched him in the jaw, and blood ran down from his mouth. Then he grabbed a piece of rope and stuck it in Jade’s mouth, tying it behind his head and preventing him from talking.
“Let me make your bargain very clear. In exchange for his life, you will partake of the Penance. You will have the evil of mankind whipped and burned from your soul.”
She knew what that meant. Just like she knew she probably wouldn’t survive it.
If by some miracle she did, then her soul would be redeemed and she’d be able to be a fully functioning member of the Sect.
And, apparently, forced to be her stepfather’s second bride.
She glanced at Jade, who watched her with narrowed eyes.
Blood coated his shirt from a wound she couldn’t see.
He shook his head at her, but right now they didn’t have any option.
They were outnumbered, and she couldn’t take the chance Lawrence wouldn’t kill Jade.
“Well?” Lawrence demanded.
“I agree,” she whispered.
“Very well,” Lawrence said. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. He clicked his fingers, and they dragged Jade toward the van.”
“You said you’d let him go!” she yelled.
“And I will,” Lawrence replied. “Right now, he’s collateral for your obedience.”
All she could do was watch Jade be forced into the van, and then the side door shut and they took off. Lawrence grabbed her arm, squeezed until she winced, then dragged her to the car.
****
It took them eight hours to make it back to the compound.
Lawrence had refused to stop for a bathroom break, so by the time they made it, she had to pee badly.
Her mother waited on the porch and stared at her without any emotion whatsoever.
Shiloh didn’t greet her as she marched into the communal house and headed directly to the bathroom.
After relieving her bladder and washing her hands, she stared at her reflection for a moment. She’d been happy in Cheyenne. Had finally found her forever home and a new family. Now, she’d never see it again. Lawrence wouldn’t allow her to leave, and he guaranteed that by holding Jade hostage.
When she left the bathroom, several cult members were there to greet her.
She ignored them. Women were nothing but cattle, and she despised all of them.
They led her through the house to the back deck where Lawrence waited.
Her mother stood behind him, like she always did.
Subservient in everything her husband did.
“I’m here,” Shiloh told Lawrence. “Let Jade go.”
He cocked his head. “He stays.”
“If he stays, I won’t do the penance by my own free will. How will you spin that to your brain-dead worshipers?”
She was happy to see a flash of annoyance in his beady eyes.
“Very well,” Lawrence snapped. “In fact, I’ll even allow you to say good-bye, then I’ll have Brother Malicai drive him back to Wyoming.”
“I want proof he survived,” she persisted.
Irritation curled his lip. “Of course.”
He curled his finger in a follow-me motion.
Shiloh trailed after him, knowing this was it.
The last time she’d see Jade. Stare into his beautiful green eyes and taste his lips.
Was she strong enough to do this? The broken shards that had been slowly mending together were shattering once again, and she couldn’t understand how the world could go on.
How could time keep marching forward when all she wanted was for it to stop? She wished she could close her eyes and be back in Cheyenne. With Jade. With Vette and Kira. With the whole club. They might be dangerous men, but there were lines they wouldn’t cross. Ethics that her stepfather lacked.
Gathering her courage, she paused at the shed where Jade was tied up and bleeding from the gunshot.
Lawrence gave her a warning look and then unlocked it before stepping back.
Shiloh took a deep breath before entering.
Jade rested on his knees, zip ties constraining his wrists.
His head hung down. Blood coated the sides of his mouth where the rope cut into the tender flesh.
Blood also ran from the bullet wound in his upper right arm.
He looked weak and in pain, but as he lifted his head, his gaze took all of her in with one glance, then flickered over her shoulder.
The door slammed behind her, and he shifted his gaze back to her.
She ran forward and quickly removed the rope.
“What’s happening?” he rasped.
She could hear the pain in his voice.
“You’re to be driven back to Wyoming,” she answered, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “You’re going home.”
“And you’re coming with me, Shiloh.”
She didn’t respond because her chin began to quiver.
“I’m not leaving you here!” he barked, causing her to jump. “This is the twenty-first God-damned century, and you’re an adult. You’re coming with me.”
How could she make him understand?
“Lawrence can make you have an accident,” she whispered.
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“If you don’t go, they will make you have an accident. So, you need to leave and be safe.”
“Not. Without. You.”
She fell to her knees in front of him and touched his lips with her fingertips. Memories of his kisses played through her mind, and her heart broke. For the time she had left, she would miss him.
“I love you,” she said, and his eyes widened.
If this was all she was to have, she needed him to know.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was scared.
I was scared so much that it prevented me from being honest. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love you so much that I would do anything to make sure you live. ”
Jade shook his head. “Not like this. Get me free, Shiloh, so I can kill that fucking dick of a stepfather you have.”
“You’re bleeding, and I know you’re weak. Too weak to fight. If you don’t get medical attention soon, it’ll be a problem.”
“Stop talking and untie me. We’ll figure a way out of here.”
“They won’t leave me alone again.” The tears wouldn’t be contained anymore and streamed down her face. “I made a deal with him. My life for yours.”
“Hell no!” he snapped. “I am not fucking losing you. Find something to cut these ties.”
“You’ll have to forget about me. Live a happy life. Find a woman not as fucked-up as me.”
“No!” he yelled, struggling, but she could tell he was weakened. His wound started bleeding again.
“Please, Jade,” her voice cracked. “Don’t give him an excuse to hurt you more. I—I can’t live in a world where you’re not in it. If something were to happen to you, I would never survive it.”
She didn’t tell him her chances of surviving were slim to none. After all, what good was penance if it wasn’t brutal?