Chapter 19
Riptide
The time Lock had allotted me was passing too quickly. Irritation and worry were my constant companions. It’d already been two weeks since I’d seen my brothers and while I was making some headway on my list of names, it wasn’t enough.
All of the men I’d spoken to were already on the ‘can’t save’ side—not a surprise since most of them paid to be in here—but some were born into this and I had to do my due diligence. If they didn’t want to be in this life any more than the women or children, we’d do what we could to help them.
I had a feeling most of the names on the ‘can save’ portion of my list were going to be women and young children.
That was fine by me, but the problem was I couldn’t get any of them to speak to me long enough to gauge how they felt about living under Ethan’s rule.
Most of them saw me coming and either turned and went the other direction, or flat out slammed doors in my face.
It wasn’t all that surprising. The men here didn’t exactly treat them well. Suspicion of new men coming into The Order probably kept them safe. Still, I had to try. And in a way that wouldn’t raise any suspicion.
Ultimately, I was going to need Sloane’s help. She knew everyone here. I was convinced more and more each day that she didn’t want to be here, that she didn’t buy into this. I just needed to know for sure.
Needed to know she really loved me. Not being brainwashed by a cult would be a plus, but ultimately, I needed to know that this was real.
I stepped out of the house. My work was completed for the day and ready for Rat to step in and work his magic with, leaving me to get back to why I was really here. I considered stopping in to see Sloane.
We were growing closer each day and no matter how many times I tried to talk sense into myself and keep my hands to myself, I ended up fucking her until we were both seeing stars. Leaving her alone wasn’t something I could do. I was ready to just throw in the towel.
Not only was she beautiful, but she was smart, caring, and funny.
She’d told me a joke last night that’d had me laughing for a solid ten minutes.
I enjoyed seeing her laugh. She got to the point where she couldn’t breathe and tears would run down her cheeks.
It was my mission in life to bring her to that point at least once a week, if not more.
I paused as two people went running by. Cocking my head, I followed behind at a slower pace. Jacob’s truck was parked in front of one of the houses and he was carrying a woman out.
People were circled around, watching. “What’s going on?” I asked one of the men standing nearby. I thought his name might be Mitch, but I didn’t bother to address him by name just in case it wasn’t.
“Darren beat Sarah almost to death.” The soft voice came from slightly behind me, but I’d know it anywhere. Mitch just nodded in agreement.
I held up my arm and Sloane ducked underneath and pressed against my side.
Pleasure curled around me. Knowing that she came to me for safety and comfort was everything I wanted.
Wrapping my arm around her was the most natural thing in the world now.
We’d grown so close in such a short amount of time.
A fucked up place like this helped you bond.
“Is Ethan going to let that stand?” I asked, glancing over to make sure Mitch wasn’t listening. He’d already pressed forward along with the rest of the crowd to see everything they could. Sloane and I stayed where we were.
“No. He’ll have Darren beaten to the same degree Sarah was.”
I smiled. “Good. He deserves it.” There’d been a few times while I’d been living within The Order that I’d actually agreed with some of their crazy rules…and the punishments handed down for them. “No man should beat a woman.”
“Oh… No. I mean, no they shouldn’t, but that’s not the problem.”
I cast her a confused look. The sad expression on her face made my gut twist. I didn’t need her to explain to know this would get worse. She did anyway.
“Husbands are allowed to beat their wives.” My jaw clenched in anger, but I didn’t interrupt her.
“The problem is that Jacob is going to have to take Sarah to the hospital if she’s going to live.
It casts too much attention on The Order.
” She gave me a grimace that passed for a wry smile. “That’s unacceptable.”
I sighed and scrubbed a hand over my face. Darren still deserved the punishment that he’d get, but hearing that the husbands had free rein to abuse their wives made me wish my brothers were coming to bail us all out tomorrow, whether I was ready or not.
“What will they do to him?”
“They’re going to beat him nearly to death.”
“Won’t that mean two people in the hospital?” I shook my head. “These rules rarely make sense.”
“It doesn’t matter. Ethan handed them down and he enforces compliance,” she said, her voice lowered. “Darren won’t be given a hospital. If he lives, things will go back to normal. If he dies…so be it…according to Ethan.”
No wonder the people here walked around like drones. If they so much as look sideways at one of Ethan’s contradictory laws, they’re beaten or killed. There wasn’t anyone they could go to for help. Except maybe Sloane.
Over the last month, I’d heard more and more stories about what made my wife a trouble maker. She’d been helping anyone she could and taking the punishments for years. It explained all the scars on her beautiful body.
We followed the crowd as they made their way to the stage. I watched with a clenched jaw and fists as men doled out Ethan’s punishment for Darren. Looking down, I studied Sloane’s face as she watched. There was zero doubt about it, I needed to get her out of here, one way or another.
After the spectacle was over, I asked Sloane, “What now?”
“They’ll dump him in his house and it’s up to him whether he wants to fight to survive.”
“Will you help him?” I asked, remembering the way she’d tended me after my initiation.
“No,” she said, voice hard as stone. “This isn’t the first time Darren has seriously harmed Sarah. It’s just the first time she’s had to go to a hospital.” She peeked up at me. “Would you be disappointed if I told you that I hope he dies?” The guilt flashed over her face as she said the words.
“No,” I replied, tugging her into a full on embrace. “I’d say we were thinking the same thing.”
The tension melted out of her body. It was time.
She’d confessed her secrets to me. It was time to tell her the truth.
Doing so had worry clawing at my insides.
I didn’t want to lose her, but she deserved to know who I really was.
On top of that, I needed her help to finish finding out who was salvageable here.
She’d be instrumental in getting these people out of here when my club came.
We’d rain down destruction and death and we’d need someone we could trust to get the women and children to safety until we could take them from this Godforsaken shithole.
“I have another class,” Sloane said, leaning up onto her tip-toes to give me a kiss. “I’ll see you tonight.” She tossed me a smile over her shoulder as she walked away.
Following her to the schoolhouse was an everyday occurrence, though she didn’t know it.
I blended in with the crowd and watched her walk along.
Women and children called out and spoke with her as she went.
She was the one ray of light in this gloomy life.
No wonder the men hated her the way they did.
She opposed everything they stood for. She was pure goodness and selflessness.
I hadn’t heard a mean word come from her mouth unless it was for the abusers who hurt her friends here.
I waited until she went back inside the building she conducted her classes in, then headed home. Speaking with her should help me gain ground on my list. I just hoped it didn’t set me back too far with her.
There wasn’t much choice. I needed to tell her everything. Even if I didn’t need her help, I would do the same thing. That didn’t mean I was looking forward to it. Maybe if I hadn’t been a dumbass who’d fallen in love with his wife this would be easier.
I froze, hand on the doorknob to my home, as that realization struck me. This wasn’t lust—though there was plenty of that—or infatuation. I’d fallen head over boots in love with Sloane.
“How is that even possible?” I muttered as I walked into my house. “It’s been a month.”
She’d pulled me in much like I’d seen her do with so many others here.
Her caring and kindness were infectious and I couldn’t fight against it.
Every time she’d smiled up at me in that shy way, my footing had slipped a little more.
When she’d started trusting me, knowing I’d take care of her, protect her, I’d stumbled a little more.
In a place like this it didn’t take long for feelings to grow roots and flourish because we’d been leaning on each other. Whether we realized it or not, it was what we’d been doing. Feelings were elevated at a quicker rate because at any moment either of us could have been found out and killed.
I wondered if she felt the same for me. The only way to find out would be to tell her. It all circled back around to admitting the truth to my wife.
Tonight. I’d admit to her who I was and why I was here. I’d appeal for her help. And I’d let her know that I loved her. Hopefully, she’d forgive me for deceiving her and trust me when I told her that my love for her was real.
Shaking my head, I sat down at the desk and began checking over Rat’s work. I shoved all thoughts and feelings out of my mind and focused on the numbers on the screen.