When he didn’t respond right away, I angled my chin. “You look tired, Garrett,” I commented. He did look tired, but more than that, he looked like a man who was at war with himself. Did the sudden loss of his future pussy push him to reevaluate who he was as a person?
It didn’t matter to me if he truly found God now, he had participated in this far too long to earnmyforgiveness.
He looked towards the stage, towards his podium, something troubling in his eyes. After a few seconds, he shook his headand turned back. “I’ve heard rumors from the other Pastors that some of the Leaders and their sons are wanting to petition the Elders to go after The Family.”
How interesting. “And you worry,” I stated evenly.
He nodded, glancing at his slowly entering congregation. “Of course, I worry. I tried to warn them not to do something so…so…” but he struggled with the words.
Idiotic.
Stupid.
Daft.
There were plentyIcould use.
“You don’t think they should try and fight against them?”
“I think it was irresponsible of Charles to release his daughter so he could ‘have fun’ with her before he killed her,” he responded in a hushed tone. “Had he not done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Louis dead, the branch in the woods gone, our church in Russia devastated.”
“Rebuilding, I thought,” I put in.
“Slowly but surely,” he agreed, his shoulders losing a bit of their tension.
Unfortunate, but the fact that he admitted that Louis’ death was due to their negligence was something he had yet to admit to anyone.
“They’ve proved to be an eager opponent, injuring us at every turn, but since that fire, they’ve been quiet.”
An entire three months. Success comes in small doses, I suppose. Was it that success that was causing Thomas to go to a judge to open up this non-profit or was it his anger at what I had taken from him? What was the goal, I still wondered.
“A blessing, but even God warns not to test Him in things such as these.”
On the contrary, in the original text, God encourages people to test Him. Malachi 3:10, although he wouldn’t know that with how often he’s studied their Good Book.
“And now they’ve grown.”
Something I already knew they knew, or else why specifically send out people to harm the rose or the mouse? They saw the women of the sons as weaknesses, still unaware that we had none.
“I’m sure the Elders won’t allow it,” I purred. “They, after all, have the last vote. It doesn’t matter how many Leaders petition for them to allow us to go after The Family, if they say no, we have to respect that. Is that not the hierarchy of this church?”
Garrett released a breath. “You’re right. I’m just getting too old for this job.” He glanced at Scarlett, his eyes traveling over her. “She does look good in that dress,” he sighed, causing my skin to tighten. “I do wish Thomas hadn’t spent so many years keeping her in those ugly pencil skirts. It would have been nice to have something pretty to look at during service.”
My smile widened. “Yes, well, perhaps he did it so as not to distract you.”
“Perhaps.” He chuckled. “A blessing and a curse.”
“No cursing in church, dear Pastor,” I sang.
His shoulders fell as if my words had eased him. It was all part of the game, but not a part I enjoyed. “You are a breath of fresh air, Azrael, sometimes I wonder why you don’t want your praise from the Elders.”
Having a fake birth certificate made up with my ‘real name’ was something I knew would come in handy. I had several, actually, although the others didn’t think it was right, taking the identities of the unsuspecting—the dead, usually—to use for my own personal gain. Yet here I was, benefiting from it.
Azrael Thorin was the name the people in this church knew me by, but my ‘real name’ on the documents for the church andwhen talked about to the Elders was ‘Kaz Reese’. Just another layer of protection.
“Good morning, Pastor,” someone greeted before I could reply.
I bid my farewell and led Scarlett to my seat.
