“You must be our new sister, Seraphine.”
“I- I am,” I stuttered.
“I’m Tabitha.” She moved toward me and embraced me, leaving space between us, as if mindful of my brand. I could only assume she had one, too. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“You…are?” I asked.
“Of course. Father will protect you now. You were chosen.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes bright with excitement.
I stared at her, trying to understand. Trying to figure out what her angle was.
“You seem very happy here,” I remarked cautiously.
“What’s there to be unhappy about here? The outside world is cruel.” Her expression fell. “They hurt people out there. But inside these walls… Father protects us.” She reached for my hand and grasped it in hers. “He’ll protect you. Are you ready?”
I blinked, rendered speechless by everything she was saying. If she had been abducted like me, why the hell was she singing Josiah’s praises as if he were God himself? Unless that was his goal. To fuck with our heads until we willingly complied with his every demand.
Well, that wouldn’t be me.
“Seraphine?” Tabitha said, grabbing my attention.
“Of course.” I forced a smile. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Henry
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Blake asked as I checked the magazine one final time before sliding my gun into its holster. “I really think I should?—”
“Absolutely not.” I snapped my eyes toward him. “And I’m not saying that because I have control issues.”
One corner of his mouth twitched up in the ghost of a smile. “Although let’s be honest. You kind of do.”
“True.” I chuckled. “But you’re still recovering. The last thing I need is to worry about whether you’ll dislocate your shoulder again or crack a rib.”
He sighed, resting his hand on the steering wheel as he drove toward the compound where Ariana was hopefully being kept.
While I would have loved for Blake to join me, he was still a liability. I didn’t want to worry about him while trying to break Ariana out of this place, especially with what I now knew. There was a strong possibility I wouldn’t only have Josiah to contend with, but also everyone he successfully brainwashed into believing the shit he spewed.
But I’d faced worse situations during my time in the military.
Josiah may have been strengthened by his beliefs.
But I was strengthened by something even more powerful.
Love.
And I’d be damned if I let anything happen to Ariana. Or Sarah.
I just prayed it wasn’t too late for Sarah. Prayed her grit and determination kept her mind clear and strong.
“I understand,” he exhaled, pulling the SUV onto the shoulder of the deserted road and killing the headlights.
Darkness swallowed us immediately. No streetlights. No traffic. No distant city glow.
Just miles of wilderness stretching in every direction.
“But fair warning. If you don’t check in every hour on the hour, I’m coming in, and I don’t care how many ribs get broken in the process.”