I felt my pulse quicken. “Is that true, Toby?Youkilled Polly and Rishi?”
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,”he replied, quoting another fucking Bible verse and confirming my worst fear.
“Reprove?” I shouted as anger shot through me. “You murdered them in cold blood! That’s a bit more extreme than reproving them.”
“Foryou!” He shouted back. “Can’t you see that? I did it to saveyoursoul. And how do you repay me? You come into my home and pleasure yourself tohispictures inmybathtub!”
Hound’s eyebrows rose. If I hadn’t been so afraid for my life, I would have been embarrassed.
“How could you possibly know that?” I asked. “Were you spying on me?”
“I monitor what happens inside my house. Speaking of which, I can’t believe that filth you were watching this afternoon. You have no shame whatsoever, do you? I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
Apparently nobody knew who I was. “Why are you doing this? Why couldn’t you just leave me alone to live my life?”
“Because you’re my key. The way to get back in.‘Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.’Don’t you see? The reverend sent me to retrieve you so we can rejoin the flock together. But you didn’t hold up your end of the bargain.‘Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.’’You embraced evil, Amelia.”
The reverend wanted me back. Suddenly everything made sense. The bastard who’d fucked up my childhood was behind this, pulling Toby’s strings like he always had. Well, if Toby wanted to put the fear of God in me, he had. Even the mention of the reverend made me tremble. Closing my eyes, I saw the heavy wooden door that led to his chambers, a door I swore I’d never walk through again.
“You might as well kill me now,” I said, my voice quiet, but as calm and sincere as it had ever been, “because I’m not going back.”
Hound
If I had any doubts at all that Mila had been sexually abused at the compound, the fear in her eyes erased them. She would die before she returned, but I wasn’t about to let that happen.
“If you hurt her, I will kill you,” I warned, struggling to keep a lid on my anger as I scanned the area for a weapon. There had to be something here I could use to take him out before he hurt Mila.
“You’re just a cripple,” he spat.
Mila watched me like I was a lifeline she was trying to figure out how to grab onto. The red marks circling her neck made me want to gut the son-of-a-bitch. I needed to get her out of there and away from him before he did more damage.
“Why don’t you let her go, and you and me can work this out,” I suggested.
He chuckled. “You think I’m stupid?”
“No. I think you’re a goddamn coward.”
“Do not take the name of the Lord in vain!” he shouted.
Whoa. Mr. Perfect had a temper and I was pushing his buttons. Good to know.
“So… is that a yes to being a coward?”
“I’m not a coward. Nor am I stupid.”
“You sure? As you so graciously pointed out, I’m nothin’ but a fuckin’ cripple. Why are you afraid of me, coward?”
His jaw ticked. “Watch your mouth.”
“Why don’t you come over here and make me?” I fired back.
He’d loosened his grip around Mila’s neck. The cocky bastard was actually considering it. “What’s wrong you little pussy?” I asked. “Afraid of a cripple?”
He fisted his hands on either side of her neck, like he was imagining pounding them into my flesh, but in doing so, he was no longer holding her in place. I let my gaze dart toward the door, hoping she’d get the hint, and get out of there.
Mila gave me a nod.
I sprung across the table.
