“Thank you, Sully.” She sniffles. “It means a lot coming from you.”
I don’t know why she puts so much faith in me, but I’ll be damned if I let anything undermine it. Especially not those assholes from where she grew up. “Do you think they’ll try to take you?”
She thinks for a minute, then nods. “Yes. Just because where I’m from, the women don’t get a say. It’s normal for fathers to marry off their daughters, and even if the girl cries and begs, the father will just hand her over to her new husband. They’ll do the same to me. They don’t see me as a person, really. I’m just something Jeremiah can own. And there’s more to it, I think.”
“What sort of more?”
“My father is the Prophet, but I think he’s grooming Jeremiah to be the next Prophet.”
I’m not sure what that means, and I don’t like the sound of it. “Is the Prophet the leader there?”
“Yes. My father is in charge, but Jeremiah has been very ambitious from the start. I think that’s part of why he wants to marry me. To strengthen his tie to my father’s line.” She shudders. “But I’ve never liked him. Not even a little bit. He’s a creep. Going to town on the weekends and engaging in all sorts of supposedly sinful behavior, then coming back to the land and forcing the women to be pious, perfect, obedient, and always on their best behavior for the men. It makes me sick just thinking about it. It’s why I could never stand to be near him, no matter how many times he tried to get me alone.”
I have to pull my hands back lest I crush hers in my grip. That anger, that burning rage that I don’t remember ever feeling before, is starting to bubble over. I want to tear that motherfucker apart with my bare hands for thinking he could manhandle Orchid into being his wife.
But I need to think clearly, and my burning desire to pummel Jeremiah isn’t helping. Orchid needs me now more than ever.
“So you were going to skip town and trade your ring for my truck?” I pull Orchid’s necklace from my pocket.
“Sorry.” She tucks her hair behind her ears. “I just needed to get out of here, and I don’t have a car. I thought it would be a fair trade.”
I hold up the ring and look at it in the light. It’s a beautiful diamond band with some opals around the edges. “This belonged to your grandmother?”
“Yes. It was her wedding ring. She gave it to me for when I found the one.”
“Then there’s no way it’s a fair trade for my truck.” I tuck it inside my shirt. “I’ll hang onto it, Orchid, until you find a man worthy of you, though I don’t know if that’s possible.”
Her face falls a little.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she says quickly. “I’m good. I’m just sorry I came over here and tried to steal your truck right out from under you. I guess Orion and I should be going.”
“No.” Abso-fucking-lutely not.
“You’ll sleep here tonight. I’ll head over and get his litter box and food and whatnot, and you’ll bed down here. In the morning, we’ll make a plan together, okay?”
She looks around at my kitchen, her face brightening. “Really? You’ll let us stay?”
“Of course.” I rise and take her empty cup to the sink. “Go ahead to my bedroom and get settled in. I’ll get Orion’s necessities and come right back.”
She walks over to me. “I don’t want to put you out.”
I turn and cup her cheek with my hand, then lean down so I can look right into her beautiful eyes. “It’s my pleasure, Petal. I want you to be safe.”
She glances at my lips, then back at my eyes. “All right.” She’s breathless, her skin warm under my touch.
I want to kiss her, the urge like the pull of the moon on the sea. But I have to fight it. She’s scared, and I need to be here for her. Not kissing her–and not bending her over the table until she forgets about her troubles–like I’d like to.
“Back soon.” I turn and walk out the back door, then lock it behind me.
The crickets and tree frogs sing as I pass through the gate between our houses, then walk up to her small patio.
That’s when I see a shadow at her back window. There’s a man peering into her bedroom.
I grab her gardening trowel as I pass it, then sprint to the shadow, and grab the man by the scruff of the neck.
He screams as I raise the trowel and start to bring it down on his head.
8
ORCHID
My heart drops at the sound of a soft scream. I know it can’t be Sully, but still I can’t stop myself from running to check to make sure.