Luke leaps through the window after me and doesn’t waste any time before he picks me back up. He holds me tight as he runs toward the back of the church and I burrow into him, glad to be in his arms.
So many questions come to the front of my mind: Is he really here? Where was he the last few days? Why is he saving me—again? But all that comes out of my mouth is, “Thank you.”
He grunts in answer before lights flash and then he’s opening up a door and placing me in his SUV.
His hands cup both sides of my face. “Where’s the hiding place?” I frown, wondering why he’s asking me that right now. Does he not understand we need to get away and escape
the evil that surrounds this place? Before I manage to get anything out, he continues, “I’m gonna fix this, darlin’, but I need to know where your I.D. is.”
“I erm… I…” My gaze flicks back toward the house, only I can’t see it now. His palm strokes my cheek and it brings me back to the here and now, my attention fully on him. “Closet in my room. I carved out a section on the left.” I blow out a breath. “The bag is in there.”
He nods before pulling back and the loss of his hands on my skin has my soul calling out for him, but instead of saying anything, I stare at him.
“Stay here. I’m locking the doors.” He hands me a cell. “I’ll be five minutes. Anything happens, you call this number.” He clicks on a name called Evan. “You tell him this.” He stares at me, making sure I’m focused on him. “Alert four-nine. Location.”
“What does that—”
“Alert four-nine. Location. Got it?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then call nine-one-one.”
“Okay,” I whisper as he moves another step back.
“I’ll be back.”
He closes the door and locks the car before running back the way he just came. What is he doing? He can’t go back there!
I try the handle but it won’t open, no matter how much I keep trying to push it. I have to go with him, he doesn’t understand what they’re like—what they’ll do.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins the more I try to escape the confines of the car. I slap my palms off the windows and try to shout his name even though it only comes out as a croak.
“Lily?!” My eyes widen at the sound of Jonah’s voice.
Hide. I need to hide. My muscles scream at me as I push down and try my hardest to get into the small footwell space.
I hold my breath when the gravel crunching underfoot gets louder and closer.
“Lily?!”
My heart thumps so hard in my chest I’m almost sure he can hear it. I look up, a scream trapped in my throat when I see his face. His gaze connects with mine with evil promises in their depths seconds before they roll into the back of his head and he sways to the left.
I hear the thump of his body on the ground, and when I get up enough courage to lift slightly, I see Luke standing over him, his hands clenched at his sides.
“Luke?” I whisper, almost sure he won’t be able to hear me, but when his head whips up, I know he has.
He watches me for a beat, his chest rising and falling before he closes his eyes, opening them a second later and walking around the front of the car and jumping inside.
Placing my palms on the floor, I try to push myself up but my energy is waning and the pain is rushing back—the adrenaline disappearing.
His hands come under my arms and he lifts me without effort before he places me back in the seat and leans over, pulling the belt around me. I want to tell him I can do it myself, but I can’t bring myself to say a word so instead I watch as he starts the engine and peels out of the small lot. Gravel kicks up against the side of his SUV but he doesn’t flinch at the sound.
He places something on my lap and when I look down, I see my license and my birth certificate. “What’s this?”
His low breath sounds in the car but he stays silent until we’re just outside of town. He pulls over but keeps the engine running as he turns to face me before lifting up and switching the interior light on.
“I want to keep you safe. Protect you.” He takes hold of my hand, his thumb stroking on the soft skin between my thumb and first finger.