In need of redemption, a Wyoming rogue must free a woman from a deadly cult

Private investigator Jack Moreno lives and breathes for the riskiest missions. But not even his elite training can prepare him for his latest operation: going undercover to rescue a child from a cult. In the process, he meets Sophia Hannah, a young, vulnerable nurse, who is days away from a forced marriage to the cult leader.

Sophia doesn’t know life beyond the invisible walls around her—or that her searing attraction to a handsome stranger is built on lies. Desperate to escape her fate as the next wife to be used and discarded, she turns to Jack. But as they chase freedom, they’ll confront an even more dangerous threat: the truth.

“Did I frighten you?” Jack asked gently, cursing himself and his odd, compelling need to be near her.

“It’s okay.” She touched his arm—a quick, light touch, but it was enough to send a jolt through him. Just like before.

Staring at her, he wondered if she’d felt it, too.

“I saw you were out for a walk. Since I am, too, I thought I’d ask if you minded if I joined you.” He smiled at her, wondering why she didn’t smile back. They’d agreed to be friends, after all.

“We can’t hold hands,” she blurted, her face turning a becoming shade of pink. “I have to apologize for that before. I don’t know what I was thinking. I never should have...”

“It’s okay.” Interrupting her before he did something even worse, like kiss her, he hid his smile. “You’re a good person, Sophia Hannah. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

If anything, his praise made her blush even harder.

She muttered something under her breath that sounded like “If you only knew.”

Dear Reader,

For whatever reason, I’ve always been fascinated by cults. And one day, as writers do, I got to thinking, “What if?” What if a woman had been raised in a cult and knew nothing else? To her, that would be her reality, her life, her world. And then to have that world turned upside down, both by actions inside the only home she’d ever known, as well as by a handsome outsider...

The story was fun to write. I grew to love the characters, too, and exploring the various pathways to logic. When I’d finished writing the story, I wanted to go back in a year or two and see how the people of the cult were, what choices they’d made and how they’d continued on with their lives. Yes, I’d grown attached to many of them. But the one thing I know beyond a shadow of a doubt was that Jack and Sophia had found true love in each other. I’m quite confident the others would have found their own paths to happiness, as well.

I hope you enjoy this unusual story!

Happy reading!

Karen Whiddon

Wyoming Undercover

Karen Whiddon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at the age of eleven. Amid the gorgeous Catskill Mountains, then the majestic Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen now lives in north Texas, writes full-time and volunteers for a boxer dog rescue. She shares her life with her hero of a husband and four to five dogs, depending on if she is fostering. You can email Karen at kwhiddon1@aol.com. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com.

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

As always, to my family and friends.

Love you all so much!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

Sophia Hannah loved her job working as an assistant in the Children of Eternity, or COE, medical clinic. They worked hard at matching their young adults with the perfect job. Sometimes there were false starts, but not in Sophia’s case. She’d truly found her niche assisting Dr. Drew, its main physician.

As COE grew, the medical needs of its members multiplied, and a few years ago Dr. Drew had finally brought in someone else to help Sophia. An older woman named Ana. She didn’t like to work too hard, using her age as an excuse to sit back and watch while Sophia bustled around. But Sophia didn’t really mind. Staying busy made the day go by fast. And since she hadn’t yet married or started a family, she wasn’t in a huge hurry to go home after the clinic closed, so she used that time to catch up.

Right now, Ana had disappeared again. A few times Sophia had seen her outside chatting with one of her friends. She figured Ana’s lack of a strong work ethic, something highly prized within COE, might be the reason why she kept getting moved between jobs. Ana had once boasted that she’d worked at ten different things.

The front door opened and Ana came in. Her normally pale skin looked pink and her faded blue eyes sparkled.

“Sophia, you’re not going to believe this! I have great news!” she exclaimed. Though she kept her wiry gray hair pulled back in a bun, some pieces had escaped here and there, giving her a slightly disheveled appearance. She wore COE’s typical golden band around her throat, a choker-like piece of jewelry that indicated she was married. Here in the COE compound, these necklaces were preferred over a wedding ring. Sometimes late at night, Sophia ached with the desire to wear one. But so far, no man had even showed interest in her, never mind claiming her as his wife.

“Sophia?” Ana prodded. “Don’t you want to know?”

Ana had clearly been gossiping, an activity that was frowned upon.

“Aren’t you even curious?” Ana asked. “You should be, because this concerns you.”

For whatever reason, possibly her innate stubbornness, Sophia didn’t want to give Ana the satisfaction of showing interest. Instead she tilted her head, eyed the other woman and waited.

“You’ve been claimed!” Ana exclaimed. “Great honor and prestige has been heaped upon you, lucky girl.”

“Claimed?” All Sophia could do was repeat the word. “But I haven’t even been courted by anyone.”

“Pfffft.” Ana waved away her concern. “This situation is different. You’ll need to begin preparations immediately, as your new husband-to-be is impatient. I was told that your wedding is to be in one month.”

One month? Sophia stared, her heart racing. “Are you playing a joke on me?” she asked. “Because if you are, this isn’t the slightest bit funny.”

“I’m not, I swear,” Ana said.

“Where did you get this information?” Sophia asked as she tried to figure out who among the many unmarried young men might have claimed her. The situation seemed strange, wrong somehow. She wanted to be courted, to fall in love. But this...

“Well?” Ana demanded, clearly annoyed at Sophia’s lack of outward reaction. “Aren’t you curious? Along with excited, ecstatic, thrilled? All perfectly reasonable reactions to news such as this.”

“Of course I am.” Sophia kept her voice calm as she spoke the lie. Truth be told, her insides were now a twisted mess of nerves. While she had been impatiently waiting to be claimed for six years, ever since she’d turned eighteen, the way it was happening had her sick with dread.

This was not routine or normal. COE was all about both of those things.

“Girl, you sure don’t act like it,” Ana grumbled. “You haven’t even asked who he is.”

Mentally, Sophia listed and discarded the names of any man who might be about to become her new husband, and came up empty. She’d rarely dated, and she couldn’t imagine anyone having the gall to announce a marriage that she hadn’t even agreed to.

“Tell me,” she demanded, partly ashamed and partly worried. “Who is he?”

“Okay, okay.” Grinning, Ana actually made a show of looking around as if to ensure no one else might be listening. “You’ve somehow managed to catch the eye of our leader, Ezekiel. That’s why the announcement is being made without your consent. You’re lucky, because you will be honored above all other women.” Her smile turned a touch malicious. “Well, except for all his other wives.”

Ezekiel. Dumbfounded, Sophia stared, hoping against hope that the other woman would poke her and admit she had only been joking. Ezekiel must be at least eighty years old and she’d never even met him. Alone among the people he led, he was permitted to marry more than once. Many of his wives were old enough to be Sophia’s grandmother.

Instead, Ana cocked her head. “You should be celebrating,” she prompted. “Yet you don’t even look happy, never mind thrilled.”

“Thrilled? But I don’t want to marry him!” Sophia heard herself protest, shocked that she’d even dared.

Ana reared back, her eyes wide. “Don’t say that,” she admonished. “You know him choosing you is the highest honor.”

She shuddered. “I just can’t do it.” This protest came out weaker. They both knew she had no choice whatsoever. Not in this. And after her wedding, not in anything.

Hurriedly, Sophia dropped into a chair before her legs gave out. “When did he even see me?” she wondered. “I assume he must have. Otherwise why would he have singled me out? I’m just one of many.”

Making a face at her, Ana shook her head. “I’m sure he must have caught a glimpse of you somewhere. I know you don’t realize it, but you’re actually really pretty.”

“Right.” If she truly had real beauty, the other young men would have been vying to become her husband the instant she’d turned eighteen. Instead she’d turned twenty-four, still single, without ever truly being courted.

“You should get ready for when they send someone for you,” Ana said.

Sophia winced, smoothing her hands down her long, cotton skirt nervously. Part of her still balked, though pragmatically she knew she had no choice. The people of COE knew to bow to the wise and gifted will of their leader. And if Ezekiel, a man so powerful he’d been chosen to be the mouthpiece of the Cosmos, wanted her for one of his wives, then she had no place wishing otherwise.

Except she did. She really, really did.

* * *

Jack Moreno sauntered into the dimly lit room. Without making eye contact with anyone, he chose a folding metal chair close to the back—and the door, which meant he could beat a quick exit once the meeting had ended. Since he’d only arrived in Wyoming yesterday, all the people inside were strangers, but they shared one thing in common. They might come from vastly different backgrounds and their ages varied from teenager to elderly, but they’d all once been addicted to some sort of narcotic. Meetings like this had probably saved more than one of them from dying.

For him, he believed this to be an unavoidable truth. The first time he’d walked into a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, having no real hope of it helping, he’d felt welcomed and, more important, accepted. Now, no matter where he went or how rough his life might become, he actively sought out the local chapter of NA. And even though it made him a bit nervous, he’d left his wallet with his ID, cash and credit cards back in the safe in his hotel room. His phone, too. More than once he’d been hit up by an addict more interested in scoring than recovering.

Funny thing about life. Each time he’d been actually convinced he’d hit rock bottom, something happened to turn his life around.

Like the job that had brought him to this little town in the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming. Since he’d started his own private investigation firm, any kind of work had been few and far between. He’d begun to despair, wondering how he was going to pay his rent, when the Bartlett family had showed up on his doorstep wanting to hire him.

Wanting, hell. They’d begged him to take their case.

After listening to their story, Jack had agreed to help. Even if he’d been drowning in work—which he definitely wasn’t—their case had intrigued him. Of course, anything involving a missing child and a huge cult called the Children of Eternity would. Their compound was located about ten miles from the town of Landon, Wyoming, which was why he’d traveled here.

The first thing he’d done was locate the local NA chapter.

Now that he was seated, Jack allowed himself to check out the others in the room. The group was small, which was to be expected due to the size of the town. But wherever he was, addiction didn’t discriminate. Young and old, several races and all types of people were represented here. He counted maybe twenty-five souls in various stages of recovery.

Good. Maybe here, someone would let down their guard enough to talk to him about COE. So far, despite numerous inquiries around town, he’d learned exactly zero about the cult. Wait, scratch that. He’d learned the good townspeople of Landon distrusted and disliked the cult members. Despite that, they weren’t willing to discuss their reasons why. Of course, it didn’t help that they were suspicious of any outsiders.

A tall, heavyset woman went to the podium at the front of the room. It appeared the meeting was about to start.

She cleared her throat and waited for the cluster of stragglers hanging out at the coffeepot to disperse and take their seats. While they shuffled into chairs, the back door opened and another man hurried in. Head down, he had the furtive sort of movements Jack so well remembered from the first days’ attempt at getting clean. He knew desperation and despair would be in the man’s face, if he would lift his gaze from the floor.

Since all of the chairs in Jack’s row were unoccupied, the new arrival sat in the one next to Jack.

“Hey,” Jack said quietly. “Welcome.”

Though the man nodded in response, he didn’t look up.

As usual, Jack barely heard the speaker’s first words. Though there was no set speech, the message would be one of welcome, encouraging people to share and offer each other support. Accountability played a big role in the journey toward recovery and that was the reason they advised attending meetings as often as possible.

Though Jack had been clean six months, he still feared a relapse. Especially when his leg and back injuries started hurting and he found himself craving relief with the pain meds that had gotten him hooked in the first place. Prescribed by his doctor, he’d initially begun taking them to help with the loss of his leg and then later while he’d healed. But he’d quickly built a tolerance and had to take more and more to get any sort of relief. Soon, he’d found himself taking them like candy. In NA, he’d learned his story was an all too familiar one.

The man next to him shifted in his chair. When he eventually raised his head, he focused all his attention on the speaker. The tense line of his shoulders and the way he kept jiggling his left leg spoke of his nervousness.

When the call went out for people to come up and share their stories, Jack thought the newcomer might bolt.

“Don’t worry,” he said, touching the man’s arm and keeping his voice low. “No one will make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“Thanks,” the guy muttered. After a moment, he stuck out his hand. “I’m Thomas.”

“Jack.” It was common at these kinds of meetings to only use first names.

One at a time, a few different people went to the front and told their stories. Thomas listened intently. Jack did, too, but since he had no intention of sharing anything personal at the first meeting, he felt relaxed.

Finally, after the last person had gone up and talked—and there were many who, like Jack and Thomas, did not—the meeting was adjourned. Coffee and refreshments were in the back.

Thomas eyed the group once again congregating near the coffeepot and remained seated. Since Jack figured he had a few minutes before he’d head back that way to try got get information from one or two of the others, he did, also.

“Are you from around here?” Thomas asked, putting his arm along the back of the metal chair.

“Nope.” Eyeing the other man, Jack gave a casual shrug. “Just passing through. I always try to make an NA meeting if I can. It really helps.”

“Any family in the area?”

Jack shook his head. “I lost all my family and close friends while I was battling my addiction. I’ve tried to reach out and make amends, but none of them want anything to do with me.”

“That’s a shame.” Thomas sounded sincere. “Have you heard anything about the Children of Eternity?”

Just like that, every nerve ending went on full alert. “I have heard they’re nearby,” Jack said carefully. “I find the concept fascinating, to be honest. But when I asked around town, no one would tell me anything about them.”

Thomas regarded him curiously. “What do you want to know?”

“Quite honestly? I’m thinking their way of life might be exactly what I need.” Jack swallowed hard, glad he’d rehearsed this speech on the off chance someone connected would talk to him. “Simple and clean. Letting someone else call all the shots.”

Bracing himself for the other man’s reaction, Jack was surprised when Thomas flashed an approving smile. “Really?” Thomas shrugged. “That’s refreshing and unusual. As it happens, I know quite a bit about COE. But if you want to discuss them, we’ll need to go outside. I won’t talk about them here.”

Which sounded both perfectly reasonable and a little bit suspicious. Still, Thomas was offering more than Jack had been able to glean from multiple queries around town.

“Sure.” Jack pushed to his feet. “Lead the way.”

He followed Thomas outside. The sun had set, but full darkness had not yet fallen. “I’m parked over there.” Thomas pointed to a mostly empty lot behind a deserted building. “We can sit in my car and talk.”

Instinct urged Jack to decline. Instead he heard himself agree.

As they approached Thomas’s car—an older, nondescript black vehicle that seemed almost government-issue—Jack had second thoughts. “Hey, wait.” He grabbed the other man’s arm. “How about we just talk here, outside? It’s a nice night and I really enjoy the fresh air.”

Thomas gave him a look full of disgust. “I’m not going to come on to you or assault you, if that’s what you think. Never mind. I’ll just leave. I really thought you were interested in learning about COE.” He shook his head and strode for his car, using the key fob to unlock the doors.

Damn. “Wait.” Jack hurried to catch up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give that impression. But you know, strange things have happened. One can’t be too careful.”

“I agree.” Opening the driver’s-side door, Thomas got in. “Are you coming or not?”

Taking a deep breath and hoping he wasn’t making a colossal mistake, Jack got in on the passenger side. Turning to face Thomas, he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say a single word, someone clubbed him hard in the back of the head.

* * *

For the rest of the day Ana left Sophia alone. Each worked independent of the other, taking turns assisting as their doctor saw patients. All were for routine things—a pregnancy check, a sore throat and someone who’d pulled a muscle while working in the fields. Every time Sophia thought about her impending marriage, tears threatened, so she decided it would be easier to push it to the back of her mind.

But that didn’t mean she could make it go away.

Ezekiel. The Anointed One. Since she’d never even spoken to him, Sophia wondered if she’d be considered out of line if she asked for a face-to-face meeting, just to see if they’d be even remotely compatible. Unfortunately, she already knew the answer to that. Ezekiel got what Ezekiel wanted. Her feelings would have no effect on the outcome.

“Sophia! Ana!” Dr. Drew hurried into the workroom, calling their names as he came. “We have an injured man coming in.”

The two women exchanged a glance. “From where?” Sophia asked, hoping it wasn’t the husband of one of her friends. “Was he hurt farming or in the repair shop?”

“Neither,” the doctor answered. “All I know is that Thomas is bringing this man in himself. Our patient has a head injury and is currently unconscious. Get a bed prepared in the infirmary. I’ll let you know once he arrives.”

Immediately, Sophia hurried off to do as her boss ordered. For once, Ana was right on her heels.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that Thomas himself is bringing him in?” Ana asked, wide-eyed. She had a valid point. After all, Thomas was Ezekiel’s right-hand man and, as such, the second most powerful person in COE. If he himself was delivering the injured patient, the man must be someone very important indeed.

Barely twenty minutes passed before Dr. Drew hurried back, leading the way for two workers carrying a clearly unconscious man on a stretcher. Thomas followed along behind, his expression revealing absolutely nothing. If the patient was someone close to him or Ezekiel, they had no way of knowing.

Dr. Drew began barking out orders. As the more experienced nurse, Sophia fulfilled them, relegating Ana to handing over necessary instruments. Meanwhile, Thomas remained in the corner of the room, watching them all.

A large bloody gash at the back of the patient’s head told them why he was in such condition. While Ana hooked him up to an IV, as well as the blood pressure cuff and the finger heartbeat monitor, Sophia cleaned the wound. “This will need stitches,” she said, getting everything ready.

Dr. Drew took care of the stitching quickly, his movements competent and efficient. Once he’d finished, Sophia dressed and bandaged it. Despite being unconscious, with his dark shaggy hair and rugged features, the patient looked handsome. Sexy even. To her surprise, she felt an immediate visceral tug of attraction. This was so incredibly rare, she nearly gasped out loud. Wrong place, wrong time and definitely the wrong person. She wondered what was wrong with her. It had to be shock due to her impending wedding.

“His vitals are good,” she announced.

Dr. Drew nodded. “He’s taken a nasty blow on the head. We’ll keep him under observation until he wakes. Once he does, Thomas wants to be notified immediately.”

Again Sophia eyed Ezekiel’s top assistant. Did Thomas know she was to become his boss’s newest bride? “Of course,” she murmured.

“Sophia, I don’t want you to leave his side,” the doctor ordered. “Ana, you can assist me in seeing the remainder of the patients. Sophia, beep me the instant this man opens his eyes.” He pointed to the buzzer on the wall. It corresponded to the walkie-talkie he wore on his belt. “Understood?”

Both women nodded.

“Good. Ana, come with me,” he barked, turning to hurry away. As Sophia watched them go, she realized Thomas and his two assistants had already disappeared.

Aware she might be stuck here awhile, even after her shift had technically ended, she pulled up the visitor’s chair and planted herself in it. While she wasn’t allowed any reading material at work, she did keep a pad of paper and a good pen. Sometimes she drew, sometimes she wrote poetry or amusing short stories. When she’d finished, she always destroyed whatever she’d created, fearful that someone would see.

The stranger in the bed stirred. Not a full move, just a jerky shifting of his position and a hitch in his breath. She put her untouched paper and pen aside to study him. His thick, dark hair was nearly black. Wondering if it would feel as silky as it looked, she glanced around once before she reached out and drew a few strands of it through her fingers. Yep. Exactly as she’d thought.

Her touch apparently made the man restless. He began tossing his head from side to side, muttering under his breath. When he gave a loud groan, she stood, eyeing the machines that monitored his heartbeat and blood pressure. While they’d climbed a little, the numbers remained well within the realm of normal.

When, after a moment, he didn’t move again, she sat back down. She felt confident he’d wake soon and, when he did, no doubt he’d have a lot of questions. She suspected this was why Dr. Drew had requested immediate notification. He wanted to be the one to give the answers.

But she wouldn’t press that buzzer until the patient had regained full consciousness. She’d learned the hard way that one of the worst things she could do was waste the doctor’s precious time.

Sighing, she debated reaching for her pad of paper again. Her fingers itched to sketch the chiseled planes of this man’s face. But such a drawing would take time and she didn’t want to be caught with it, so she remained empty-handed, simply watching. And waiting.

When he opened his eyes and focused on her, she caught her breath. They were blue, a peculiar light shade that almost appeared gray.

“Where am I?” he rasped, wincing as he tried to lift his head.

Now she knew she had to call the doctor. “Just a minute,” she told him, trying to sound soothing. “I need to—” Her words cut off as he shot out his hand and gripped her wrist. Hard.

“Don’t lie. Tell me where in the hell I am.”

Shocked, she tried to pull free. His grip was surprisingly strong for one so recently injured. Finally she succeeded in yanking out of his grasp and rushed to press the buzzer. Once she’d accomplished this, she spun around, chest heaving. “The doctor will be right in.” Of course, she was short of breath.

He didn’t respond. With his eyes narrowed and his jaw hardened, he looked dangerous. A jagged thrill shot through her, again making her question her sanity.

Then Dr. Drew arrived, Ana close on his heel.

“Here’s our patient,” the doc exclaimed. His tone and expression both were far too jovial—completely unlike him. Sophia and Ana exchanged a quick glance. More proof that this patient, whoever he might be, had some stature.

“You have quite the nasty wound on the back of your head, but we’ve got you fixed up. You’ll soon be as good as new.”

“Thomas has been notified,” Ana put in. “He is on his way here.”

At her words, the patient swung his head toward her. “Thomas?” The name came out a snarl. “That’s exactly who I want to see. He’s sure as hell got some explaining to do.” Crossing his muscular arms, he glared at Ana, then Sophia and lastly Dr. Drew.

No one said anything. Even Dr. Drew didn’t dare cross someone who mattered to Thomas and, by extension, Ezekiel.

The silence felt incredibly awkward. To everyone except, apparently, the patient.

“Well?” he demanded. “What’s the holdup? Where’s Thomas? One minute I’m getting into his car and the next—”

“You’re here. Very good.” Thomas strode into the room, cutting him off. “I’ll need a few moments alone with Jack,” he said. “Everyone clear out.”

Of course they did exactly that, without hesitation or question. Prompt adherence to rules was one of the reasons COE ran so smoothly. No petty differences or spite or hate. Everyone knew their place and what they had to do and they did it. Sophia had always found that very comforting.

Until now, she realized. Now that she was facing a forced marriage to a powerful but elderly man, she felt a seed of resentment sprouting.

As she exited the room, she noted that Thomas’s two bodyguards had remained. For protection? Or assistance?

One thing was for sure, she’d never know. She wasn’t at a high enough level. Yet. She couldn’t help but wonder if that would change once she was married. No doubt it probably would. Even the lowest of Ezekiel’s numerous wives had a more elevated status than everyone else. One of the few benefits, as far as Sophia could tell.

Chapter 2

“Well?” Head throbbing, Jack glared at Thomas. “You need to explain. Immediately. And whatever reason you have for what you did damn well better be a good one.”

Thomas smiled coldly. “It’s actually quite simple. You wanted to join COE. Now you can.”

At first Jack didn’t understand. “What?”

“Children of Eternity. COE. I apologize for knocking you out, but it was necessary.”

“You hit me in the head so I could join a cult?” The instant he finished speaking, he realized his mistake.

“We are not a cult.” Thomas eyed Jack with the same type of expression one might use to pick up a dead slug. “Perhaps I was too hasty bringing you inside.”

Inside? Damn. Now he had to backpedal. By a strange quirk of fate, he’d somehow landed exactly where he’d wanted to be. Inside the compound. Remembering Thomas’s earlier questions, he thought he understood. Of course they’d want someone with little or no ties to the outside world. Jack fit that criteria perfectly.

“Sorry.” Still frowning, Jack made a show of rubbing his temples. “My head hurts, so it’s hard to think clearly. I’m not sure what exactly you prefer to be called. Why don’t you fill me in?”

The answer came instantly. “We call ourselves The Chosen. All Children of Eternity are so blessed.”

Of course. Jack nodded, as if he completely understood. Unfortunately the movement made his head pound even worse, making him wince. “Explain again why you had to knock me unconscious?”

“So you would awaken in your new life. Consider yourself privileged. Outsiders are rarely allowed here. You have truly been chosen.”

“Sounds good,” he allowed, even though privately he thought it was one of the craziest things he’d ever heard. “But what if I decide not to stay?”

At the question, the other man’s expression hardened. “No one does that. You see, it’s simply not possible. No one ever leaves. No one wants to.”

The phrase reminded Jack of the old Eagles’ song “Hotel California.” The sinister implication behind Thomas’s words didn’t escape him. What the hell did they do if someone decided he wanted out? Kill them?

“I get it.” Jack forced a smile. “Why would anyone want to leave paradise, right?”

“Exactly.” Sounding pleased, Thomas walked to the window and peered out.

“But why did you have to slam me in the back of the head?” Jack persisted. “I would have gone willingly if you’d only asked.”

“Because,” Thomas answered without turning around. “There is a certain ceremony to everything. This was how I wanted you to enter your new life.”

Crazy. Were all the cult members this nuts? Jack knew he had to go along, at least until he found out what he needed to know. Chiefly, whether or not the Bartletts’ son had been abducted by COE five years ago.

When Jack didn’t respond, Thomas turned and studied him. “I’ll let you get some rest. Once the doctor has released you, we’ll talk about where you will be assigned.” He turned and gestured to his guards to follow as he walked out.

Assigned. Sounded like a prison detail, actually. Oh, well. None of that mattered. He was on the inside, where he needed to be. He simply had to keep his head down and do as he was told. At least until he could gather some information on whether or not COE abducted children as well as adults. After what Thomas had done to him, he wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn they did.

Head still aching, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

When he woke, the small room seemed flooded with light. Stretching, he gingerly moved his head. Good, the pain had gone. He pushed himself up on his elbows, looking around. The IV had been taken out and he was no longer hooked up to any machines. That must mean they felt he’d recovered enough to be sent to his assignment, whatever that might be.

A strange sensation filled him. Anticipation, something he hadn’t felt in a really long time. This job had not only saved his business, but was proving to be a hundred times more interesting than anything he could ever have imagined.

Someone entered the room. Slowly he turned his head and met the wary brown eyes of one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. He’d noticed her before, but in his confused and painful state, he’d figured she might have been only a figment of his imagination.

“Hello,” she said softly. “I’m glad you’re finally awake. How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” he answered honestly. “Just trying to figure out my place in all of this.”

The strangest expression crossed her face. Only for a second and then the placid calmness came back. “You’ll be fine,” she said, her tone full of certainty. “What happened to you before? I saw your scars.”

Shocked, he didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “How do you...?”

“I work here as a medical assistant.” Her simple answer came without pretense. “I assisted when the doctor examined you.”

He decided he might as well be blunt. “Does that matter?”

“I don’t understand. Does what matter?”

“My scars. Does the fact that I have a disfigured body impact my ability to join COE?”

Her lovely brown eyes were clear and guileless. “No. Why would it?”

This time, he had to work to keep his shrug casual. “I wasn’t sure if you allowed people to join who weren’t whole.”

Instead of answering, she continued to regard him, her perfectly arched brows slightly lowered. He actually began to feel foolish, as if his statement had been ridiculous.

But it wasn’t. He’d been rebuffed by enough women who’d been put off by either the fact that he was missing a limb or that the limb had been replaced by a man-made one.

And then she smiled. He felt the sensual power of that smile like a slow flame igniting his gut. “To be honest with you, I have no idea about that. It’s very rare we even bring anyone in from outside. Thomas must think you very special indeed to have allowed you to join us.”

Managing to smile back, he refrained from letting her know just how wrong he found her statement. After answering a few pointed questions at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and following Thomas to his car, Jack had apparently qualified.

When she turned as if to leave, Jack asked her to wait. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have to let our doctor know you’re awake again.”

“First, tell me your name.”

His question appeared to startle her. “I’m Sophia Hannah,” she said. He found the way her full lips quirked as if on the verge of a smile unbelievably sexy. His entire body stirred. Of course, he ignored this. The last thing he needed right now was to get his insides all tangled up because of a woman.

And then, before he could ask her anything else, she spun on her heel and left.

Part of him wanted to go after her. Instead he hunted around for his clothes. Might as well get dressed while he waited to see what would happen next.

He located his shirt and jeans in a beige metal locker. They were neatly folded, with his briefs tucked in between. His socks and boots had been placed on a shelf nearby. Everything appeared to be in good condition, which meant whoever had undressed him had done so carefully. He wondered if the pretty little nurse had helped.

Glancing back once at the doorway, he dressed hurriedly, using the hospital gown as a sort of impromptu curtain. Just seconds after he’d finished, he heard voices coming closer. Male voices, so most likely the doctor or maybe Thomas and his bodyguards.

Three men stepped into the room. They all had a wholesome sort of look. Short hair cut the same way—one light, two dark—and identical expressions of earnest friendliness on their clean-scrubbed faces. Jack didn’t recognize any of them. But then, why would he?

“Welcome,” one of them said, stepping forward and offering his hand. He stood at least six-four, with an impressive girth. When they shook, Jack took note of the rough calluses on his fingers.

“I’m Phillip.” He smiled, less of an aw-shucks grin than Jack had expected. “You’ll be staying with me. We single guys all room together. Also, you can tag along with me when I go to work tomorrow. I’ll keep you busy, at least until they assign you to your job.”

“Assign?” That word again. Asking might be the wrong move, but Jack did anyway. “I don’t get to choose?”

All three of the men exchanged glances before breaking out into laughter. Though Jack listened, he couldn’t detect anything but humor in the sound. No uneasiness or fear.

“Nope,” one of the other men answered easily. “I’m Randy and this is my brother, Jeff. In case you can’t tell, we’re twins. Not identical, though. But I think we still look a lot alike.”

Glancing from Randy to Jeff, Jack had to wonder how he’d missed the resemblance. Same eyes, chin, skin tone and nose. There were a few differences—all minor—but enough to be the difference that would enable anyone to tell them apart.

“We work with Phillip,” Jeff chimed in. He smiled with the same open friendliness as the other two men. “If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get to work with us. Ever done any carpentry work?”

Regretfully, Jack shook his head.

“Ah, well.” Phillip clapped Jack on the shoulder. “I’m sure you have your own set of skills. Come on. We’ll show you where you’re going to be living.”

* * *

After the three men had shepherded the handsome newcomer out of the medical facility, Sophia sat and tried to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure what it was about the man, but she’d felt the strangest sort of anticipation whenever she’d been anywhere near him. A kind of thrumming in her veins that made it difficult to think straight never mind breathe. Though she recognized her attraction to him, she didn’t pretend to understand why. Most likely because she’d just become newly engaged to a man she hadn’t even met.

As if she’d read Sophia’s thoughts, Ana hurried into the room. “Here,” she said, shoving a sealed white envelope at Sophia. “Thomas left this for you on the front desk. It’s probably the official notification of your engagement.”

Accepting it, Sophia turned the envelope over and over in her hand. Part of her didn’t want to open it, as if by not doing so, she could wish away her new future.

“Read it,” Ana demanded. “If you’re not going to, I’ll be happy to do it for you.”

“No.” Using her fingernail, Sophia slit the seal. Inside she found an embossed white card. The front read Congratulations! Inside, the specifics of her upcoming nuptials were spelled out. Upcoming wedding between Ezekiel and Sophia Hannah, and then the date and time and place.

“That’s it?” Sophia said. “Nothing more? I find this cold and rude and, quite frankly, insulting.” Her anger surprised her. And Ana, too, whose eyes had gone huge and round.

“Well, at least it’s official.” Briskly, Ana changed the subject. “What’s the story on him? The guy who just left?”

Sophia considered. “He’s new,” she said carefully. “Apparently, Thomas brought him in from the outside. I have no idea why.”

Pursing her lips, Ana swallowed as she digested Sophia’s words. Though Sophia could tell the older woman wasn’t enamored of the possibility, she also knew Ana would never dare express disapproval about anything Thomas did. After all, Thomas only acted at their leader’s discretion. And everyone knew that everything Ezekiel did was always, without question, for the best of his Chosen children.

“Well—” Ana dusted her hands on the front of her shift “—we’ve got more important things to worry about. We have a wedding to plan.”

Sophia stared. While she didn’t want to hurt Ana’s feelings, she had always figured she and her best girlfriends would plan her wedding. After all, she’d certainly helped with all of theirs. Sophia knew they’d all be over-the-top excited once she gave them the news. Until they found out her intended husband was an old, old man.

She sighed. “Of course we do,” she said softly. “But first I have to let my friends and the rest of the family in on the news. I’m pretty sure I’ll have lots of help getting everything set up.”

Narrowing her eyes, Ana nodded. “You do understand that this can’t be just any wedding, right? You’re going to be marrying our leader. Think back to his last wedding, if you’re old enough to remember. Now that was a spectacle. You’ve got to think big, flashy and showy. You know Ezekiel will finance whatever you want.”

All three of the adjectives Ana had just used were the antithesis of what Sophia had wanted. When she’d dreamed of her wedding, she’d planned more along the lines of classic, understated elegance. A quiet ceremony and later a joyous celebration of the love she and her new husband shared.

She didn’t have that, either. There would be no love, no joy and certainly no celebration. At least on her part, though she knew she’d have to put on a show.

Did Ezekiel still even celebrate? After at least twenty-five or thirty marriages, she figured this would be old hat to him now. Since she didn’t know him, she had no idea how Ezekiel felt. Though as far as she and everyone else was concerned, his feelings were everything. All that mattered was keeping Ezekiel happy.

What Ezekiel wanted, he got. And right now, he apparently wanted her.

Later, after arriving home to the house she shared with her best friend Rachel and two other single girls, she tried to summon up the appropriate excitement to deliver the news. Luckily, all the others were younger than her and had enough abundant glee to cover her lack.

“You’ve been chosen by our leader?” Rachel squealed, wrapping Sophia in a tight hug before spinning her around the room. “What an honor! I can say I knew you before!”

Her best friend’s unbridled happiness finally coaxed a smile from Sophia. “It’s kind of weird, though. He’s never even spoken to me. I don’t even know how he came to know of me.”

One of the other girls, a quiet, mousy brunette named Cheryl, snorted. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

The others giggled.

“I’m sure he must have seen you somewhere.” Heather, who shared a room with Cheryl, smiled. “He probably took one look at you and knew you were the one he wanted for his next wife. You’re so lucky.”

She did look in the mirror—every single morning when she got ready for her shift at the medical clinic. She knew some might consider her features pleasing if not ordinary. Brown hair, brown eyes. Definitely nothing extraordinary enough to draw any man’s attention—witness her lack of marriage offers. And really, if one considered the fact that the only man even remotely interested in becoming her husband was nearly four times her age, the “struck by her beauty” explanation didn’t work.

Cheryl, who was always up for a good party—hurried into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of homemade red wine. “We need to have a toast!”

“Yes, we do,” Rachel agreed, going for the juice glasses. She brought six—all mismatched—out on a round tray. “I hope it turned out good.”

Heather, who made the wine in secret, grinned. “Oh, it’s good. Believe me. I tried some last weekend. Even Danny liked it.” As usual, she blushed after saying her boyfriend’s name. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Danny petitioned to become her husband. Some girls got lucky that way.

In fact, every single one of Sophia’s married friends had been ecstatic over the man they’d been joined with in matrimony. Leave it to Sophia to be the lone exception.

“Hey.” Rachel sidled up to her, handing her half a juice glass of wine. “You seem lost in thought. What’s wrong?”

Sophia blinked, suddenly aware that everyone had stopped talking and now watched her intently.

“Are you all right?” Rachel asked, her low voice radiating genuine concern.

Wondering what would happen if she blurted out the truth, Sophia swallowed hard and tried to summon up a smile. She didn’t know how they’d react if she shared with them her concerns. Later, she knew she could confide in Rachel. And she would, as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

For now, she needed to laugh and pretend to celebrate with her roommates.

Of course everyone wanted to offer their ideas on decorating for the wedding. Sophia made a face and relayed to them what Ana had said.

“You know what? She’s right,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “This won’t be an ordinary wedding.”

“I wonder if Ezekiel will assign some of his staff to plan the ceremony. Provide the decorations and everything?” Heather put in.

The other women murmured their agreement. None of them had ever been a part of something so big before. Speculations ranged from the outlandish to the ridiculously expensive.

“I’m thinking Sophia will want classic elegance,” Rachel insisted. Since she knew Sophia better than anyone else, no one argued.

Classic elegance. Sophia wasn’t even sure if such a thing could be applied in this situation. Glumly, she realized she didn’t even care. For most of her life, she’d spent a lot of time imagining how her wedding would be. The colors, the dresses, the flowers. Where, when and the poignant reactions of the guests to her and her groom’s individual, self-written vows.

None of that mattered now. She wished she could find something positive in all of this, but she only felt numb. And she tried hard not to picture her wedding night.

After the entire bottle of homemade wine had been emptied, everyone drifted to separate parts of the house. Relieved, Sophia escaped to her bedroom and plopped down on her bed. Earlier she’d thought she would welcome a good cry, but the initial numbness had seeped through her veins and now all she could do was stare up at the ceiling, dry-eyed and sick to her stomach.

Rachel came in quietly. Since they shared the room, she didn’t knock. She sat next to Sophia on the edge of the bed and waited, aware her silence was its own form of support.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Sophia finally blurted out. “I had so many hopes, so many dreams. Now they’re nothing. How can I marry him? I just can’t, Rachel.”

Instead of overreacting to her desperate plea, Rachel simply nodded. “You don’t care that it’s a great honor, do you? Of course not,” she answered her own question. “You’ve always been a romantic. This development calls for you to become a realist.”

The words calmed Sophia, exactly as Rachel had known they would. In reality, there was nothing Sophia could do about her impending marriage, so she might as well resign herself to it.

“Status,” Rachel said, poking her. “I know you’re looking for something good and right now that’s the only thing I can think of. Right now, you’re just a regular person. Sure, you’re one of the Chosen, but so is everyone else. Once you’re married to Ezekiel, you won’t be regular any longer. Your status will be hugely elevated.”

“As if I care about that.” Sophia’s laugh verged on the edge of hysterical. “All I ever wanted was someone to love who would love me back.”

“Well, maybe Ezekiel will love you. And you never know, you might come to grow fond of him, too.”

Sophia stared at her friend in disbelief. “Talk about rose-colored glasses,” she said.

This made Rachel laugh. “I learned from the best, you know. You can’t let your shock kill your positive outlook. After all, it isn’t like you have a choice.”

While her words might be harsh, she was right. Again. Because Sophia had no choice. She needed to figure out a way to come to grips with the turn her life had taken.

“I just need time,” she said, her tone firm as her confidence returned. “Time to get used to the idea.”

Rachel nodded and hugged her. “That’s the spirit. Now, come help prepare dinner. You know it’s our turn to cook.”

Sophia jumped to her feet. “Good. That’s exactly what I need. Busywork, to keep from dwelling on this mess.”

“That’s the spirit.” Rachel grinned. “Much more like the Sophia I know.” She linked her arm through Sophia’s. “Come on. Let’s make something delicious for our dinner.”

Sophia let Rachel drag her to the kitchen. Reminding herself that she had time made it much easier to breathe. Maybe she could even figure out a way to extend the time and make her upcoming wedding date even further away than the one month Ana had mentioned earlier.

She couldn’t help but hope she’d have some wiggle room on the date.

Chapter 3

Following his new pals outside, Jack looked around carefully, squinting in the bright daylight. The sun, warm for spring, sat high in a bright, blue, cloudless sky. It wasn’t humid, though, but a dry heat, and not nearly as hard to take as spring in Texas. The air felt different here, purer somehow. Must be the higher altitude. Surrounding the compound as well as within, there were lots of trees, evergreens along with hardwoods. His first impression was wilderness. The cult’s encampment appeared to be in an isolated area, far from any other dwellings, towns or people. All around the settlement he saw nothing but undeveloped terrain.

The building they’d left, the hospital, looked identical to several other cinder-block buildings loosely grouped around what appeared to be some sort of central square. Everything had been painted a pale shade of dried mud. Boring, yet soothing, too. There didn’t appear to be any external individualization—no colors or decorative accents adorned anything. He couldn’t even tell which structures were residences and which were businesses—assuming they had any. He’d venture a guess that any type of monetary capitalization was frowned upon here—no doubt the leadership dispensed what was needed to the residents. That way they were dependent on the organization for everything in every aspect of their lives.

It definitely seemed slower paced, more evenly regulated than the competitive world he was used to. And as far as he could tell, none of his companions seemed to be suffering. As they walked, the other men joked with each other, jostling elbows and laughing easily in a way that reminded Jack of college kids. He supposed these guys weren’t much older than that, which made him feel sort of ancient. But, no matter. He hadn’t come here to make friends. Though being pleasant wouldn’t hurt. More flies with honey and all that.

The paths were all gravel or cobblestone; nothing as efficient or modern as pavement.

His companions stopped in front of a single-story, unassuming building, one of many in a neat row. These were slightly smaller than some of the others, their rectangular shapes and placement reminiscent of row houses.

“Here we are,” Phillip said, beaming with pride. “Home. Thomas wants you to room with me. Here, single people all live together, two to a bedroom. I have an empty bed since Prescott got married.”

Jack nodded. “Sounds good.”

Phillip opened the front door with a flourish. “Come on in. I’ll show you where you’ll be living.”

Stepping inside, Jack looked around. After the outside, he’d expected a seriously Spartan interior, with scant decoration and functional furniture. He saw he’d been correct about the furniture—the small living room contained a boxy, two-cushion couch, one chair, a plain, rectangular coffee table and a matching end table. But the real surprise hung on the walls.

Paintings—splashes of lush color—hung on the walls. A landscape here, a floral there. An abstract, and a portrait. All of those in one room. Intrigued, Jack strolled over to inspect the landscape, which appeared to be inspired by the local forests surrounding the compound.

Now, Jack was no judge of art, but he knew what he liked and this—clean lines, bold brushstrokes of color—was it. “That’s amazing,” he said. “Who’s the artist?”

“Me,” Phillip responded, pleasure warming his voice. Jack turned to see his new roommate beaming with pride. “When I was in school, I demonstrated this talent, so I was permitted to keep it as my hobby.”

“Permitted?” The word slipped out, but Jack felt it was reasonable.

“Everyone is allowed to have one hobby, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their work and study of the Volumes of Choice.”

Though Jack hadn’t heard of the Volumes of Choice, it seemed pretty self-explanatory. It must be COE’s religious tenet.

Instead of commenting, he moved on to inspect the next painting. A single flower, painted in five different shades of the same color. Beautiful, in a completely different way than the first painting, though the artist’s style remained the same.

He moved onto the third and then the fourth. “You’re really talented, Phillip.”

Clearly pleased, the other man ducked his head. Eyeing him, with his large, beefy frame and thick, callused hands, Jack couldn’t picture his fingers holding a paintbrush. Just goes to show, once again, Jack thought, that one couldn’t judge people by their exterior.

“Come on,” Phillip said. “Let me show you the rest of the place.”

In addition to a cozy kitchenette, there were two small, identical bedrooms and one bathroom. If not for the brightness of the paintings hung everywhere, it would have been a very dull, even depressing, place.

“I sure am glad you paint,” Jack said as he inspected his bedroom. A huge painting of a lake under a full moon hung at the head of the twin bed.

“Are you?” Phillip chuckled. “I was about to ask you if you wanted me to remove that painting.”

“No. Please don’t. I really like it.”

“Great.” Phillip backed out of the room. “Listen, Thomas wants you to go to work with me tomorrow. I start work at eight, so please be ready to leave by around seven thirty or so.”

Surprised, Jack nodded. “Sure. Can I ask what I’ll be doing?”

“Whatever I need you to.” Phillip’s easy smile seemed reassuring. “I work in construction, doing mostly interior finishing work on new buildings. You’ll tag along with me and we’ll see what you might be good at. Does that sound okay to you?”

Wondering what the other man would do if he said no, Jack nodded.

“Great. We eat supper at six. I’ll cook tonight and then we’ll work out a schedule for chores.”

Before Jack could respond, Phillip closed the door and left him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The next day Sophia reported to work, unable to keep from wishing her handsome former patient was still there. She needed a distraction, and she told herself it was only because she liked having someone to look after. The clinic had no current patients at all, and she didn’t expect any to show up today. Dr. Drew spent one day every two or three weeks visiting each family groups’ assortment of children and this was that day.

Often, Sophia went along with him. She had fond memories of her childhood family group and of all her parents. In COE the close connection between mother and child was severed once the child was a week or two old, when the infant was passed among a small group of nursing mothers so the child didn’t bond to any one in particular. Despite this, Sophia often dreamed of the day when she, too, would have her own baby. The thought had always filled her with so much longing and joy. Of course, that dream, like so many others, didn’t seem destined to come to fruition now.

For the first time she wondered about Ezekiel’s children. He had many, she knew. Grandchildren, too. He paraded them all in front of everyone when the Chosen had celebrations. Ezekiel took pride in his offspring, along with his numerous wives. Of course, some of his children were actually twice as many years older than Sophia, of an age to be her own birth parents. And while she knew Ezekiel had a lot of wives, she knew nothing about them as he tended to keep them hidden away from the general populace.

While she loved the way her COE family raised children as a group rather than with only a small, singular couple, she wasn’t sure how she felt about being one of many women married to one man.

Check that. Okay, she knew how she felt. She didn’t like it. At all. Or wouldn’t have, had her new spouse been anyone other than Ezekiel. On the plus side, maybe being one of many would mean once the newness wore off, he would let her disappear into the crowd and forget she existed.

The prospect of a loveless, unfulfilled life made her feel even worse. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes and she let herself wallow in self-pity.

“Girl, you’re not going to believe this!” Ana rushed into the room, waving her arms in excitement. She skidded to a stop, eyeing Sophia askance. “Are you crying?”

“No,” Sophia lied, wiping at her eyes. “My allergies are bad today.”

“Oh.” Ana accepted her explanation with a shrug. “Listen. Deirdre has asked to see you.” Ana spoke the words as if giving Sophia a great and unexpected gift. “You’ve got to get yourself cleaned up pronto. She wants you at the main house in thirty minutes and you know it’s at least a five-minute walk.”

The main house. Sophia swallowed hard. Deirdre was Ezekiel’s first wife. As the first and the eldest, she was in charge of all the others. Sophia had never met her, though she’d certainly heard of her and seen her at her husband’s side.

Generally, Deirdre was regarded as a woman of importance, second only to her husband, Ezekiel, and his assistants.

Though she suspected she knew, Sophia asked anyway. “Why?”

Ana frowned. “No doubt to give you all the rules you’ll have to follow once you’re a member of the Anointed One’s household.”

Rules. Sophia winced. When she’d dreamed of her life as a married woman, not once had she thought it would be upended so completely. Usually, the married couple chose which household to join—some became part of the wife’s and others chose the husband’s. Clearly, wedding someone of Ezekiel’s stature meant Sophia would move into the big house and become part of what she’d always privately thought of as the harem.

“Sophia?” Ana’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Are you there?”

“Yes. Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Well, you can think later. Right now, you’d better run home and change,” Ana urged. “You can’t go meet Deirdre dressed like that.”

Sophia looked down at her work dress. “Since she sent for me while I’m at work, I’m thinking she probably knows what I do. I think this will be just fine.”

Though Ana actually gasped, she didn’t argue. “At least wash your face and take your hair down.”

Actually, Sophia thought the opposite. The less attractive she could make herself look, the better. If she looked at things from an aging first wife’s viewpoint, she imagined the older woman would be extremely tired of dealing with an influx of younger women. Therefore, Sophia wanted to appear as insignificant as she could possibly make herself.

Once in the clinic’s small bathroom, she splashed water on her face and redid her bun, making it as tight and severe as possible.

Glad she’d chosen to wear the dull gray work dress that morning, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and marched back into the clinic area to let Ana know she was leaving.

But someone sick had come in and Ana was doing her best to tend to him without Dr. Drew on staff, so Sophia slipped out without saying goodbye.

She took her time on the walk to the big house, nervous despite her resolution not to be. She hadn’t asked for any of this, so perhaps Deirdre would cut her a break.

All of the dwellings inside the encampment were the same, except for Ezekiel’s home, a structure befitting that of the leader, which had been built with an outer courtyard and a tall, stucco wall surrounding that, and the homes for his entourage. Native landscape—firs and oaks—had either been brought in or left in place when the structure had been built years before Sophia’s time.

The wrought-iron gate was locked. Heart pounding, Sophia pressed the call button, giving her name to the man who answered. With a buzz and a click, the gate was unlocked.

Hoping someone would show up to direct her, Sophia stepped inside. She clasped her hands together to keep the trembling from being noticeable. She wasn’t afraid, not exactly. More like uncertain and uncomfortable. She hated being put in a situation where she didn’t know what was expected of her.

She let the gate clang closed behind her, not surprised when it locked. Standing just inside the courtyard, she took in the stone bench and the large water fountain crowned with a massive cement angel.

And still no one came to fetch her. She had to stifle the urge to shake her head. Seriously, she really wanted to turn around and go back home. And she would have, except one did not ignore a summons from someone like Deirdre.

Fine. Following the stone path, she made her way toward an elaborate wood-and-iron door. First she knocked and, after waiting for a response, she tried the handle. Not sure if she should be surprised to find it unlocked, she pulled the heavy door open and entered.

Just inside, she found herself in a large, two-story foyer. Her shoes squeaked a bit on the glossy marble floor. Turning slowly, she took in the luxurious surroundings—so unlike those she knew.

She cleared her throat loudly and waited. While she could see how someone might expect her to find her way through the gate to the front door and even inside, no way in heck did she intend to start wandering around the house alone. As a matter of fact, if someone didn’t come for her soon, she planned to take it as bad-mannered rudeness and go back home.

“There you are!” a cultured, feminine voice exclaimed. “I apologize for not being there to greet you, but I had to discipline one of the younger women. Welcome, darling.”

Registering the word discipline, Sophia looked up. The white-haired woman making her way down the stairs so gracefully she appeared to float smiled warmly.

Automatically, Sophia held out her hand. “I’m Sophia Hannah,” she began.

“We’re not formal here,” Deirdre said, ignoring the outstretched fingers and going in for a hug instead. She wrapped her surprisingly sturdy arms around Sophia and held on. Sophia tried to hug back, but Deirdre had pinned her arms at her sides. Her perfume—some floral mishmash with heavy musky undertones—had been liberally applied. Sophia couldn’t help herself, though she ducked her head and tried to be as quiet as possible. She sneezed.

Immediately, Deirdre released Sophia and stepped back. “You’re not sick, are you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“No, ma’am. Just allergies.”

“Don’t call me ma’am,” Deirdre snapped. Then, as Sophia tensed, her expression softened. “Sorry. That’s just one of my pet peeves.”

Sophia nodded as if she understood and waited to hear why Deirdre wanted to see her.

“Follow me,” the older woman abruptly declared, turning on her heel and marching off. Her long gown trailed behind her like a frothy cape.

Reluctantly, Sophia followed. To her surprise, Deirdre led her into a sunny and bright kitchen. Shiny stainless-steel appliances reflected the light. The counters were made of some sort of natural rock and the oak cabinets appeared sturdy and well made. The entire effect was modern and pleasing. And surprising, when Sophia considered what her kitchen looked like.

“Sit.” Deirdre indicated a chair at the round table.

She waited until Sophia had taken a seat before speaking. “You’re about to become a member of my household, and as such there are a few things we need to discuss.”

Sophia nodded. She figured she had a pretty good idea of what was coming. Rules and regulations, and words to make sure she understood how lowly her place would be in this home. Sadly, she couldn’t really blame Deirdre. She could only imagine how much it would hurt to be the first wife forced to watch while your husband took younger and younger women and made them somewhat equal.

Watching her, Deirdre’s hard expression softened. “You have no idea what you’re in for, do you?”

“No.” Sophia decided to be blunt. “I’ve never even met your husband. I have no idea why he chose me.”

Deidre gave a snort. “Child, have you looked at yourself? Ezekiel has never been able to resist a pretty face.”

Sophia wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she said nothing.

After a moment Deidre continued, “Things here are going to be a lot different from what you’re used to. How many people are in your family group?”

“Thirty-three total,” Sophia answered proudly, feeling a rush of love when she thought of them. “Twenty-four adults besides me, and eight children, though most of them live at the school now.”

Deidre raised her brows. “All paired adults, except for you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s about to change,” Deirdre said, her tone brisk. “Here, you will be one of many, but that can be a good thing. At first, Ezekiel is always obsessed with his latest woman, but eventually he’ll get distracted by someone else and will leave you alone.”

The words and their meaning made an involuntary shudder snake up Sophia’s spine. While objectively she knew she’d have to let her husband touch her, the actual thought made her want to gag.

Deirdre’s sharp gaze missed nothing. “It won’t be so bad,” she said. “We can give you a pill or drinks beforehand to blunt the experience. Are you untouched?”

“If I say no, will he call off the wedding?” Sophia couldn’t keep the hope from her voice.

“I doubt you’ll get out of this that easily.” Deidre chuckled. “Do you know how many new wives-to-be I’ve had to have this discussion with?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “Too many to count. In the early days, when Ezekiel was young, they were eager. Bent on becoming his favorite, thinking they could wrest my power from me.”

Her laugh relayed how impossible she believed such a thing to be. “Over the years, despite his penchant for taking more and more wives, things have changed. The women have gone from eager and calculating to resigned and terrified.”

Terrified? Sophia struggled to process that.

“Lately,” Deirdre continued, “the last few have been like you. Frightened, maybe even repulsed.”

Aware that Deirdre might be testing her, Sophia hurriedly shook her head. “Oh, not repulsed,” she said. “Never that. How could one be, when such a great honor has been bestowed?”

A hint of wickedness flashed in Deidre’s gray eyes. “Honor, eh? Maybe so, since he is the Anointed One who will lead us into eternity. But as far as the earthier things, well... We’ll talk again on the morning after your wedding night.”

Oh, no. Again, Sophia shuddered.

“At least you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant,” Deirdre continued thoughtfully. “His seed are too old now to be fertile. Though if you could manage to get with child somehow, your status would instantly be elevated.”

Then, while Sophia pondered a statement that on the surface made no sense, Deirdre winked. “I tell you this just in case you’re one of those women who’ve always wanted children. The time to do that is before you marry.”

Embarrassment warred with horror as Sophia realized what Deirdre meant. She mumbled some sort of response, hoping it didn’t sound too much like agreement. Was this some sort of test? It had to be, because there was no way Deirdre could be serious.

Something of her thoughts must have showed on her face. Deirdre chuckled again before patting her on the head the way one would a wayward child. “Go on back home now,” Deirdre said. “We’ll talk again closer to the ceremony.”

Sophia felt another flash of panic. “About that...” she began.

“You don’t need to even worry about that,” Deirdre said. “It will all be handled by our staff, including our dress. All you have to do is show up.”

One more dream dashed. Of course everything about this marriage-to-be was the opposite of her hopes and expectations.

Somehow she managed to respond with a thank-you before turning and heading back the way she’d come.

Chapter 4

Jack couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful nurse. He knew he needed to focus. A feminine distraction could only be potentially catastrophic. So he went to work with his roommate Phillip, who seemed hopeful he could teach Jack how to become a skilled carpenter. While Jack had his doubts, he was game. Anything to help him blend in with the group. At least being new, he could ask a lot of questions. And despite his resolve, he lasted three days before he found himself casually asking about the nurse he’d briefly met in the medical clinic.

“Sophia Hannah?” Phillip’s incredulous expression was comical. “You don’t want a woman like her.”

“‘A woman like her’?” Repeating the words, Jack waited for the other man to elaborate. “What do you mean?”

“Clearly you’ve seen her.”

Jack nodded. “Yes. She’s gorgeous.”

“Oh, stunning. And that’s the problem. Everyone knows women who look like her are nothing but trouble.”

Unsure how to respond to that, Jack simply shrugged. Maybe it was a cult thing.

“Anyway,” Phillip continued, “it doesn’t matter. Sophia is claimed already. And by none other than our illustrious leader. A man as powerful as him is the only one who could handle a woman like that.”

“Ezekiel?” Jack had done his research. The cult leader was at least eighty. “Isn’t he a little...old for her?”

“He’s Chosen,” Phillip said, as if that explained everything. “He has more wives than I can count. And some of them are younger than his own children—heck, his own grandchildren.” And then he laughed, as if that was the greatest thing he’d ever heard.

Nothing new there. Men in power often went in search of women many years younger. But Jack would bet Sophia was in her mid-to late twenties or, at most, early thirties. That would make Ezekiel forty or fifty years too old for her. He couldn’t help but wonder how she felt about that.

“So.” Phillip clapped him on the back, still grinning. “She’s off-limits. But I know plenty of other girls still looking for a husband or fun. Once you get settled in here, I’ll take you around to meet some of them.”

Though Jack wasn’t even the slightest bit interested—he hoped he wasn’t around long enough to have to deal with any of that—he nodded. “Sounds good. Now, how about you show me what you want me to do with those cinder blocks?”

They were building more dwellings. Phillip had explained that all residence buildings were built from the exact same blueprints. No one’s home was better than any other’s. The only ones that were different were those built to house Ezekiel’s family members.

While Jack had never worked on a construction job site before, this one ran like clockwork. Everyone went about their chores with dedicated efficiency if not outright happiness. Lots of whistling and good-natured joking.

“All the workers seem to really enjoy their jobs,” Jack commented. “I haven’t heard a single complaint. Observing, they all seem focused.”

“Oh, they are,” Phillip said confidently. “Since childhood, we know we have to find what we do best, so by the time we’re adults, we can excel.”

“I’m guessing everyone is well paid.”

“Paid?” Phillip laughed. “Oh, we’re paid, all right. We have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and direction to help us strive to reach a higher level of consciousness.”

Jack stared. On the surface, everything inside the compound seemed ordinary. But he sensed there was more, lurking.

“The system here is simple,” Phillip continued, the earnestness in his expression letting Jack know this was important. “If you do well, you’re rewarded. If you don’t...”

Jack waited for his new friend to finish.

Instead, Phillip shook his head and asked a question, “You say you’ve been in the military, correct?”

“Yes.” Jack nodded. “The army. Afghanistan.” Which had also been where he’d suffered his injuries and nearly lost his life, though he didn’t say that out loud.

Again he thought back to the pretty little nurse. Sophia Hannah, promised to a man old enough to be her grandfather. He gave a mental shrug, aware he didn’t need to be thinking about her.

Suddenly aware Phillip watched him, he grimaced. “Why? What does my having been in the service have to do with any of this?”

“I just figured you’d understand our system more quickly, that’s all.” Phillip shrugged. “From what I understand, they use a similar system of punishment and reward. Helps you become the best soldier. Here, we think it assists you in becoming the best you can be.”

Jack nodded. “I understand.” Even though he really didn’t.

Phillip smiled and they went back to work.

The next day, Phillip told Jack he planned to train him on a new task. Jack was agreeable since, as of yet, he hadn’t seemed to be a good fit for any of the others he’d tried. Though he kind of sucked as a construction worker, now that he had the routine down, Jack thought he might improve with practice.

After he’d been injured and once he’d gotten out of the hospital and dealt with his addiction, he’d been adrift.

He’d tried to work as a police officer in a small town southwest of Fort Worth, but soon realized he was too jumpy. PTSD, they’d called it, but he’d never actually bought into the idea. For one thing, most of the time he’d felt fine. Sure, the occasional loud noise had him throwing himself to the ground, but that was to be expected of a man who’d nearly lost his life in an IED explosion. He’d been damn lucky to come out of it with only the scars.

He knew his refusal to get treatment had been part of the reason they’d politely asked him to leave. The other part? He didn’t like to think too much about that. He’d pulled over a robbery suspect and the guy had jumped out of the car and taken off. Jack had given chase and adrenaline—along with maybe something else—had kicked in. The backup officer who’d arrived had pulled Jack off the other man before he’d hurt him, sat him down in the back of his squad car and called their superior officer.

Ultimately, Jack had reluctantly agreed it’d be better for everyone if he left law enforcement.

Since then, he’d been drifting, working odd jobs to stay afloat until he figured out what to do. He’d decided to start up his own private investigation firm. The few small jobs that had come his way hadn’t been nearly enough to keep him afloat, and he’d begun to contemplate doing something else.

Until the Bartlett family came along, desperate to find someone—anyone—who’d listen to them and help them. They’d exhausted every other avenue and claimed the authorities had grown tired of hearing them ask questions.

They didn’t know it, but when they’d hired him, they’d given him a chance to make a go of the PI business. Plus, he liked them. They were genuinely nice people. If anyone deserved to find their son, they did.

So lost in thought was he, that he accidentally continued using the nail gun on a section of beam that didn’t need it, nearly getting his own hand in the process. Luckily, he jumped back in time.

Taking a deep breath, he stopped and looked up, only to find Phillip and one of the other workers eyeing him. Since he routinely made weird mistakes like this, he supposed they weren’t really surprised, but he found it embarrassing just the same. Some people just weren’t cut out for this kind of work. Apparently he was one of them. He wondered what the process would be to ask if he could switch jobs.

“Hey, you got a minute?” Phillip asked. “We need to talk.”

Here it came. Jack nodded. He followed his roommate over to the road, away from everyone else.

“It’s not working out.” Phillip sounded both nervous and regretful. “I just don’t think you’re cut out for this type of work.”

In all fairness, Jack had to agree. He could do the work, but he made mistakes, mostly because he found it boring. Yet being fired yet again rankled.

“I agree,” he said. “I was just wondering what the process would be to ask to be assigned somewhere else.”

“We don’t have a process like that.” Phillip’s tone came out flat.

“So, what now?” Jack asked, keeping his voice light. Part of him actually wondered if there would be some sort of punishment, since that had been brought up earlier.

“You tried but didn’t excel.” Now Phillip appeared miserable. “I really like you, Jack, and I’m sorry but I had to report this. Thomas has requested you be sent to him immediately.”

“Immediately? When exactly did you make your report?”

“A few minutes ago. Things like poor job performance are taken very seriously. That’s why Thomas wants to see you.”

Concerned, Jack nodded. “Friend to friend, Phillip. Tell me. You speak of punishment. What’s he going to do to me?”

“Probably nothing.” But Phillip’s answer came too quickly. “You’d better hurry and get up there. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Jack didn’t move. “Up where? I have no idea where I need to go.”

Eyes wide, Phillip shook his head. “Come on, I’ll show you.” He took off at a jog without looking back to see if Jack followed.

Of course, Jack did. Phillip led him past the residential area and into what Jack privately thought of as the upscale part of the compound. The houses were larger, more ornate. And the closer they got to the massive structure where Ezekiel dwelled, the more elaborate they became.

“Here we are.” Phillip stopped in front of a huge place right next to Ezekiel’s walled-in fortress. “Good luck. I’ll hopefully see you later on tonight.”

And he took off.

Hopefully, huh? Jack took a deep breath and pushed the buzzer. After he gave his name, the person on the other end remotely unlocked the door and let him inside.

Security measures, eh? Maybe things weren’t always so great here in paradise.

He barely had time to process the thought when Thomas strode into the large, octagon-shaped foyer. “Greetings,” he said, sounding neither angry nor friendly.

Considering what he’d said earlier about punishment and rewards, Jack braced himself.

“I understand you’ve been struggling with construction.”

Slowly, Jack nodded, resisting the urge to defend himself.

“That’s okay,” Thomas continued, surprising him. “You’re new here. With the others, we’ve had years to discover where their aptitude lies. So I’ve decided I’m going to reassign you.”

Surprised, Jack thanked him. Then mentally berated himself for allowing the other man to make him feel as if he’d been given a gift. Though in the end, maybe he had.

“Have you ever worked in the medical field?” Thomas asked. “Maybe when you were in the service?” He eyed Jack expectantly.

Though the closest Jack had come to anything even remotely medically related had been when he’d briefly dated one of the military doctors, he nodded. “A little bit,” he allowed, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “Nothing major. More like an aide or a therapist than anything else.”

“Perfect.” Thomas beamed. “Right now we only have two women to assist our doctor at the clinic. We’ve been thinking about having someone stronger to do the heavy lifting and whatever else is needed. I think this might be a good fit for you.”

The clinic. Where the nurse with the amazing caramel eyes worked. Maybe working there wouldn’t be as boring as construction work. Swallowing, he gave a slow nod. “Thank you.”

“Report to work there at seven tomorrow morning.” Waving his hand, Thomas dismissed him.

Jack half expected a couple of goons in suits to appear to escort him from the premises. When they didn’t, he turned and went back the way he’d come.

Only when he once again stood outside the gates did he allow himself to think—really think—about what had just happened. For whatever reason, Thomas had decided to show him leniency, at least if the punishment/reward system was to be believed. This time, at least.

Surely he could manage to do okay working as an orderly in the medical clinic. Lifting boxes and mattresses, maybe helping to move supplies. He’d done similar work before in the military.

However, he’d have to be careful. Considering the strength of the attraction he felt for Sophia Hannah, he’d need to take care to keep his distance. Especially since she was promised to the head of the entire organization. Even the most casual flirting could be misconstrued and the last thing he needed was to get that kind of reprimand.

Thoughtful, he headed back to the house he shared with Phillip.

* * *

After meeting with Deirdre, Sophia found herself a mess of nerves with what felt like a forty-pound weight nestled snuggly around her shoulders. She went back to work, but Ana had surprisingly already done everything needed to close out their shift, so she went on home.

Rachel was already there when Sophia arrived. She’d started the evening meal—chicken, rice and vegetables—which smelled heavenly. Sophia stood for a moment in the doorway to their small kitchen, breathing in the scent of curry, and tried to regain her feeling of normalcy.

“Oh, good!” Rachel exclaimed, looking up from the pot she’d been stirring. “I was hoping you’d get done early. Once we eat, do you want to sit down and start planning your wedding? I brought home one of the sketch pads from work.” Rachel taught art and music to the children.

Shaking her head, Sophia relayed what Deirdre had told her. “Basically, everything is being handled by Ezekiel’s people.”

“You don’t get to have a say in anything?” Clearly disbelieving, Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Anyone who knows you is aware of how long you’ve waited to get to plan your wedding. This is every young woman’s dream and right. Why are they taking that away from you?”

All Sophia could do was shrug. She knew if she spoke, she’d break down crying. The last thing she wanted to do was to reveal the depths of her unhappiness. That wouldn’t be worthy of a Child of Eternity. Not in the slightest.

The other two girls had met friends for a picnic, so it was just the two of them. Rachel continued to pepper her with questions all through dinner, most of which Sophia was glad to answer. She described what little she’d seen of Ezekiel’s house, the outside gardens and what Deirdre had been wearing. Whenever Rachel circled around to the wedding, Sophia changed the subject. Finally, Rachel appeared to get the hint and began chattering away about things her students had done that day at school.

Listening to her friend, Sophia reflected on Deirdre’s words. Unless she did something dishonorable and completely contrary to the laws of COE, Sophia would never have children of her own. Never have the experience of carrying a child inside her body for nine months or holding her son or daughter close to her breast for the first time.

Part of her—the rebellious, secretive part she’d long kept deeply buried—wanted to go find a man, someone like the mysterious stranger Thomas had brought from outside, and have wild sex with him. Enough times as it took to make a baby.

The other part of her—the rule-abiding, good Child of Eternity—was appalled. Ezekiel had been Anointed and he’d chosen his Children. He only did what was best for each and every one of them. If he wanted Sophia to be his wife and remain childless, who was she to question?

She went to sleep that night with her heart heavy and her throat aching from unshed tears.

The next morning, though the sun had not yet risen, the overcast sky and warmish temperatures promised thunderstorms. After her shower and breakfast, she walked to work like she always did, arriving early. She liked to get to the clinic first and turn on the lights, get a pot of coffee going and have everything in order and ready so the doctor could start the day off right. Ana always wandered in right before her assigned start time, acting surprised and grateful at all the work Sophia had already done.

And Sophia found the familiar routine calming. She’d begun to discover that if she kept busy, she could forget about the wedding looming in one month.

As she approached the medical clinic, a figure detached itself from the wall. She jumped back, startled, glad the sky had lightened enough so the man, whoever he might be, wasn’t hidden in complete shadows.

Assuming he was either sick or injured, she hurried over. Then she realized he was the handsome man from outside. Jack. Despite herself, her heart skipped a beat.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at her. “I’m here to report for work.”

“What?” All she could do was stare at him.

“Yes. I’ve been reassigned to the clinic. I’m to be an aide or intern or something. Thomas said you need someone to do the heavy lifting.”

Her flush heated her entire body. “I apologize for my surprise. No one told me,” she said quietly. Digging her keys from her pocket, she unlocked the back door. “Follow me inside. There’s a lot to do before this place is ready to open in the morning.”

Though he did exactly as she’d asked, staying close behind her, his silence and size made her very conscious of his presence. And she was unsettled. She and Ana had gotten along fine for years. As far as Sophia knew, Dr. Drew had never complained.

Of course, being second in command under Ezekiel, Thomas’s orders were law. What he wanted, he got. If he said Jack was to work in the medical clinic, then they’d make room for him no matter what they had to do.

It seemed, once again, she wouldn’t be given a choice. Again, she had to struggle with resentment, which wasn’t at all like her.

Putting her mood down to stress about her upcoming life change, she summoned up a smile as she showed Jack around the clinic.

“Funny, I was a patient here first and now I’ll be working here,” he mused. “This place was the first part of the compound I ever saw.”

“It’s a good place to start.” While her reply might not be as certain as usual, it would have to suffice. “Dr. Drew is the physician on call.”

He nodded, giving her a curious glance. “Is the other woman who works with you very strong?”

Strange question, but okay. “She and I are about the same, though she’s a bit taller. Why?”

“I was told that I’m needed to help lift patients and heavy supplies. I guess I assumed she was doing that previously since you’re so tiny.”

His comment made her smile. “I might be small, but I’m pretty strong. And anyway, together Ana and I manage. We always have.”

“How long have you worked here?”

She actually had to think. “Since I was eighteen. So that would make it six years now.”

His gaze darkened. “That would make you twenty-four.”

“Great math skills,” she shot back. “How old are you?”

“Older than that.” And then he laughed, the masculine sound making her mouth curl up in response.

Something about this man... Just being around him for a few minutes made her feel energized. Exhilarated. She took another look at him, with his dark hair and startling blue eyes, trying to decide what it was about him that drew her. Handsome, true. But there were many good-looking men here at COE and none of them had made her wonder how it would feel if he put his mouth on hers.

Heat suffused her. That thought had come out of nowhere. Luckily, she was saved from making a fool of herself by Ana arriving.

“Hi, Sophia.” Ana’s gaze slid past her to Jack. “Hi, uh...?”

“Jack,” he said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. “Jack Moreno.”

Gingerly, Ana shook it. “You look familiar. Weren’t you a patient?”

“No,” Sophia answered for him. “Jack’s been assigned to work with us here.”

Ana choked. “What? Why? Who assigned him? Dr. Drew?”

“Thomas,” Jack said smoothly. “You seem surprised. Why?”

“I, uh...” Ana looked at Sophia for help.

“We’re just not that hectic here,” Sophia said. “But I’m sure we can find enough work to keep you busy.” She pretended to think, snapping her fingers as if the idea had just come to her. “As a matter of fact, we’ve been talking about reorganizing the storeroom. How about I show you where that is and you can get started on that?”

Though she tried for a calm, unruffled exterior, inside Sophia was a quivering mess of nerves. Around him, she felt a mishmash of unfamiliar sensations. She felt overly sensitive to his every movement, so much so that she could swear she heard every breath he took. Her pulse jumped, making her wonder if even her heart beat in time with his. Foolish, she knew. But something about this man lured her, as powerful as the spring sunshine guided a field flower to open toward it.

She’d need to be careful around him. Just his presence could turn out to be dangerous to her peace of mind.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.