Exquisite Danger Read Free Page B

her.”
    She closed her eyes, and without a second thought, I pulled her into a hug, holding her tight as the tension and anguish poured out of her. Lyric very rarely talked about the negative parts of her life, and I wanted to do everything I could to give her the courage to speak up. Thanks to Smoke’s unconditional love, I knew how healing and cathartic it could be to share the burdens from the past.
    Lyric took a deep breath and rested her head on my shoulder. “Things at my church started to go wrong. First the measles then a bad case of whooping cough swept through our compound. Over a dozen children died, and it was like the joy had gone out of people’s hearts. Everyone felt like each child in the congregation was their own, so every family suffered profound grief. Many lost their faith. They were...they are good people, but that anguish has smothered their souls. And now…now I’m afraid it’s made them vulnerable to a man who cares more about wealth and control than about God. We have a curfew now. There are whispers about Pastor Middleton receiving messages from God about who the single women on the compound are meant to marry. Funny how all the attractive women get paired up with his most ardent followers.”
    My gut tightened, and I exchanged a heavy look with Smoke. “Has he tried to marry you off to anyone yet?”
    “No.” She made a sour face. “But his son has sure expressed his interest. That’s who my chaperone is tonight, Clint.”
    “He’s here with you?” I quickly looked around, ready to go pound some hypocritical ass for scaring my friend. With Smoke at my back I was pretty sure we’d make enough of an impression to buy Lyric some safety. “Where?”
    “I ditched him with Shelly, Adam and Karen. They promised to keep him busy so I could talk with you.”
    Smoke growled behind me and Lyric shivered. “Honey, tell me where he is, and I’ll make sure he never bothers you again.”
    She shook her head quickly. “No, please. I can handle him. No violence.”
    Protective feelings of love and worry swamped me. Lyric was a terrible fighter. In spite of my dad’s attempts to train her, she was crippled by her fear of hurting someone. While I loved her compassionate nature, I also knew that it made her prey, a plump little baby kitten that was a tempting target to the predators of the world.
    “What about your Mom?” I was almost going to argue that some kind of maternal instinct would motivate her mother on some level, but then I thought about my own birth mother and sighed.
    “She couldn’t care less.” Lyric took a step back and looked me in the eye. “My mother gets jealous of anyone who takes Pastor Middleton’s attention away from her, including me. I avoid him and her as much as possible outside of church. I spend a lot of time in the fields and orchard working, but at least I have peace out there. Pastor Middleton’s men don’t like physical labor so they leave me alone. Plus, I’m staying with my grandmother and caring for her while my mother lives in the new mansion.”
    “New mansion? What fucking mansion?”
    “You don’t even want to know. They call it a meeting hall because the basement is the new gathering place for the congregation, but the top three floors of this building house Pastor Middelton and a few of his cronies, including his son.”
    “Lyric, honey,” I gently held her face between my hands and met her confused and hurting gaze. “Please consider leaving.”
    “I want to, but I can’t. Not while grandma is alive. I can’t leave her with them, Swan. I just know they’ll neglect her and won’t care for her like I do. I can’t bear the thought of her being mistreated.”
    “Fuck. Look, I know your grandmother wouldn’t want you living like this.”
    “I can help you leave right now,” Smoke replied in a thoughtful voice. “Got some people that owe me favors and we’ll help you get a new identity, a new life. Could probably get your grandma