by Nicole Casey
I didn’t hear a peep from him or the dogs and I wondered if they were still in the house.
Only the sounds of crickets and frogs winding down for the night should have acted like a lullaby but my mind was on the definition of Harding’s arms as he tossed aside the concrete mix.
Without realizing it, my hand slipped beneath the blanket, under the too loose waistband of Harding’s pants and I allowed my fingers to make their way between the cleft in my thighs.
Closing my eyes, I was in the bathroom with him again, his grey-green eyes boring into me, the heat of his gaze setting me aflame.
My fingertips explored the pulsating button as shivers of pleasure shot through my body, a gush of dampness soaking me.
Up and down I stroked myself while in my mind’s eye, I slipped from the tub, sashaying toward him, drops of water littering my path toward him until my arms slipped around his neck and I drew him toward me, my nude body wedged against his growing shaft.
“You’re so beautiful, Eloise,” he mumbled but I silenced him, my tongue jutting into his mouth.
I could taste wine and he could stand no more, his arms encircling my waist, bending me backward until was sure I was going to break.
My fingers clung to his belt buckle, undoing him while his mouth trailed along my windpipe, falling to nibble my nipples.
Small bolts of lightning illuminated my body, another stream of wet sliding down my leg as he spun me around, his pants falling to his ankles again.
In the bed, my hand was sopping, one finger gliding up and down along the opening as I let out a sigh.
Harding danced me back, landing me against the wall between the bathroom and bedroom, his member engorged and throbbing between my thighs.
“I need you to take me this time,” I gasped as his lips suctioned against my breasts, a combination of pain and pleasure erupting through me as his teeth gnashed down on the tender skin.
“What did you say?”
My hand whipped upward from beneath the blanket as Harding stood in the doorway of his bedroom, his huge form illuminated by the dim light of the hallway.
“Nothing!” I squeaked, grateful for the blackness of the room.
I was glad he could not see how purple my face had gone in those two seconds. He had caught me in the middle of such a compromising position and yet I wish I had let him see me.
What would he have done?
I would never know now.
Disappointment made me lightheaded as I shifted my eyes to watch him with narrowed brown eyes.
He stepped inside and walked toward the bed, my heart thudding so loudly, it was impossible he did not hear it as he slipped toward a nightstand closest to me.
He opened the top drawer and removed something from inside before perching on the edge of the bed, opening a small case.
“Earplugs,” he offered. “Put them in so you don’t get kept awake while I’m working.”
I didn’t know how he couldn’t smell my pheromones sucking the air out of the room.
I nodded and turned my head away.
“Thanks,” I muttered but I didn’t mean it. I fought against every muscle in my body which wanted to jump onto his lap.
He shocked me by leaning in and gently kissing my cheek.
“Good night, Eloise. Tomorrow things will seem much easier,” he promised and I felt my heart swell at the vote of confidence.
He looked at the bump on my head, brushing aside my damp waves to examine the swelling.
“That looks like it’s going down also. I don’t think you have a concussion or it would have manifested by now.”
I nodded in agreement, gulping back the lump in my throat.
“Good night,” I whispered, hoping he was right about the next day being easier. That had been the longest twenty-four hours of my life. I felt like I had been tested in every possible way.
I did not risk touching myself again, even after I heard him pattering around on the new addition above my head. The desire to do it was overwhelming but I’d had enough excitement for one day.
It was obviously a sign that I wasn’t meant to be doing such wicked things.
It’s like he said; tomorrow is another day.
I fell into a dreamless sleep in seconds, the earplugs firmly in my ears. If Harding had been hammering or drilling, I heard nothing at all.
When I woke up the next morning, I stretched, smiling as I saw the sun shining through the windows.
“Harding?” I called, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. Rufus and Clayton ambled in toward me, sniffing at me curiously as if they had forgotten who I was.
“Hello?”
I wandered through the kitchen, my ears honing for sounds of life in the cabin but I heard nothing at all.
Harding was gone.
The day was not starting well.
7
Harding
Even after I given up working on the extension the previous night, well into the wee hours of the morning, I found it impossible to sleep.
How could I be knowing that Eloise was in my bed, only a few feet away?
I should have fallen into a deep slumber after the day I’d had but my mind was a whirlwind, unwilling to let me go down.
The woman had slipped into my home seemed to fit there as if she had always been and the realization was difficult to grasp.
Never had there been anyone else in my life, outside of my parents.
Even the few women I had entertained in moments of intoxicated loneliness had quickly worn on my nerves.
No one had lasted twelve hours, let alone an entire day and here was Eloise Danzer softly curled on my mattress, unspoiled and seeming to call out to me no matter where I was in the house.
I was meant to be solitary, like a wolf, tucked away in my cave, away from the world.
And yet Eloise was making me question that, even after a few short hours.
Eventually, I made it to sleep but I woke early, deciding to head into Cedar City before Eloise could notice I was gone.
If I went early enough, I might avoid a crowd and get a chance to speak to Cane alone for a few minutes.
I wanted to see what I could learn about my houseguest and where she had come from.
Before I went, I checked in on her.
I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her asleep on her side, her chest rising and falling evenly in the depth of sleep.
She was the embodiment of innocence and I felt like I was staring at a picture, not a living, breathing person in my midst.
I found myself wondering what she was dreaming about because she seemed so peaceful, so untouched by whatever seemed to be haunting her outside.
What would she do if I slipped into the bed beside her, if I stroked her hair and touched her cheeks?
Would she wake up and panic? Scream?
Or would she look at me with those innocent brown eyes and allow me to kiss her rosebud mouth like I had been imagining?
I couldn’t help but think of the night before, staring at her in the bath.
She seemed to be begging me to touch her but I had no way of knowing if that was my own building lust or a reality.
The last thing I wanted was to freak her out any more than she’d already been. If she was running from a bad husband, I didn’t want her to feel like she’d run into the same situation.
But that didn’t mean that resisting was not killing me. I wanted to touch her very, very badly.
I quietly pulled an outfit out of the drawers, careful not to wake her and hurried to dress in the living room before the dying fire at the hearth.
I hoped to be back before she woke up but I assumed she would figure out where everything was.
She was more adept that ninety percent of the men I worked with. I wasn’t worried about her in the least.
Before I hopped in my truck, I fed the dogs and gave them instructions to watch over Eloise in my absence.
They wagged their tails in unison and I took that as
an affirmation.
The drive to town was uneventful and given the early morning hour, it was quieter than usual.
What would have normally taken me an hour got me to Able Cane’s in forty-five minutes, just as the store was opening.
Truth be told, I was speeding like a maniac. I wanted to get back to Eloise as fast as possible.
To my chagrin, it was Stephen manning the fort when I entered, his surly face already firmly rooted in his iPad.
He didn’t even look up to acknowledge me when I entered, even after I subtly cleared my throat.
I tried again, leaning across the counter to stare at him.
Exasperated, he looked up at me as if I had interrupted some earth shattering experience and grunted.
“Yeah?”
It was hard to believe Stephen was my age.
He reeked of entitlement although how the son of a general store owner could feel so superior to other people was beyond me.
“Cane’s not around today?”
He scowled at me as if I had asked the dumbest question imaginable and I wanted to reach across the counter and grab him by the collar, forcing the answers I required from his too-thin lips.
“It’s Sunday,” he replied in a tone which suggested I was an idiot. “There’s church today.”
Church. Of course.
Stephen didn’t strike me as the religious type.
He didn’t strike me as any type. He was mundane, nondescript.
He would have made good mountain folk; no one would notice when he dropped dead either.
“I have some questions for you,” I told him flatly, waiting for him to reluctantly put the tablet on the counter as he realized I wasn’t done asking what I needed to know.
He eyed me in expectant annoyance.
“There is a man named Rudolph – Randolph who was here looking for his step-sister. Do you know him?”
I thought I saw a spark of interest in his eyes but he shrugged.
“Yeah,” Stephen replied simply. “What about him?”
“Where do they live?”
A sardonic smirk formed on his lips and he nodded.
“But you can’t go over there,” he informed me. “Their compound is completely blocked off. No one even knows how many of them live there.”
My brow furrowed and a spark of apprehension shot through my body.
“How many of who?” I demanded.
Stephen eyed me contemptuously.
“You really do live under a rock, don’t you, Jackson,” he snickered.
This time I didn’t hold back, springing across the scarred countertop to snatch the lapels of his plaid button-down in my huge hands.
Panic colored his face and he opened his mouth to protest.
“I don’t have a lot of time, Stephen,” I growled sinisterly. “Who are they and where do they live?”
“Okay! Alright, let go of me!” Stephen squealed like the little pig he was. “I’ll tell you, Jesus!”
You don’t have to call me Jesus when we’re alone, I thought sarcastically.
I slowly released him, my gaze still boring into him.
“They’re just another one of the polygamist colonies in these parts, Jackson. They live off Route 14, just on the edge of Dixie National Forest.”
I studied his face, my mind whirling at what I had learned.
Eloise had grown up with people like that? Or had she found her way there as an adult?
I didn’t know much about the woman safe in my bed but I could be certain that she was running away.
There was no way she had been brought there by choice.
“Does Rudol – Randolph run the colony?” I demanded, trying to understand who she was running from.
Stephen leered but seemed to think better of it after reading the expression on my face.
“No,” he replied slowly. “He’s just one of the errand boys. The place is run by Denton Crowe but he doesn’t show himself much. That’s why he keeps the men around. There’s no other need for them if you know what I mean.”
Stephen snorted at his twisted jibe and I felt my blood run cold.
I let the information sink in, my heart beginning to pound at the thought of Eloise being brainwashed by some fanatical cult leader.
I was removed from the world, yes, but not so far removed that I didn’t know what happened in places like that.
After all, I still had the internet.
And Netflix.
Slowly, I turned away from Stephen who seemed visibly relieved that my attention had shifted elsewhere.
I shuffled down the aisles and not a moment too soon as other patrons began to enter the store.
I picked up a box of tea for Eloise and a toothbrush as well as some other toiletries she might. I tried to find her an outfit but everything Cane carried was far too large for her slender form. I would take her shopping for proper clothes later.
Meanwhile, my mind raced.
Should I go to the colony and see what was going on there or would that only cause problems for Eloise?
Stephen said I would not be granted entry but minimally I could see where she had come from.
It dawned on me that she had run far the night she had left, making it to my part of Black Mountain from the edge of the forest.
She had been desperate to get away.
What had Denton Crowe done to her? What was he doing to the other women inside the camp?
I remembered that Eloise had mentioned her sister and a jolt of anger coursed through me.
If Eloise was being kept there against her will, maybe Jillian had been too.
There was only one way to find out what was going on if Eloise wouldn’t talk to me.
I had to go there myself.
I drove up and down Route 14 three times before I finally found what I assumed was the polygamist camp.
High chain-linked fences secured a barren block of land and it wasn’t until I pulled my powder blue truck aside that I realized that beyond the field were buildings beyond.
It was meticulously hidden, the community and as I approached the locked gate, I noted the barbed wire atop the fence.
Anger flooded me.
It wasn’t designed to keep people out; it was meant to keep those inside locked away.
How had Eloise managed to escape?
I paced the perimeter, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, anyone who could give me some answers.
Who were these people? What was happening inside?
I’m not sure how long I walked along the line, craning my neck, trying to understand what I was seeing but eventually, I heard the rumble of a vehicle approaching and I whirled to see a beat-up Chevy arriving.
Inside, two men stared at me balefully.
One was Rud – Randolph. Why could I not stop associating him with the red-nosed reindeer?
“Hello, friend,” Randolph called to me, rolling down the window to the driver’s side. “Are you lost?”
I smiled coldly.
“No,” I replied. “Just admiring your community. Could I come inside?”
The both seemed taken aback by my blunt question.
“I’m afraid that some of our members don’t take well to strangers,” the other man replied quickly.
I had been expecting an answer like that but it didn’t stop me from continuing my line of questioning.
“What if I wanted to join your community?” I insisted. “How would I know unless I saw what it was like?”
“You were at Cane’s yesterday, weren’t you?” Randolph asked suddenly and I instantly regretted pushing my hand.
I offered him a blank stare but acting was not my strong suit. I didn’t have nearly enough experience to hone my talents.
“Were you there?” I asked innocently. “I don’t remember seeing you.”
The men exchanged a look and Randolph slipped out of the truck toward me.
He was at least six inches shorter and no match for my physique but I still did not want
to get into an altercation with him.
“We’re looking for my sister,” he told me quietly. “Do you happen to know where she is?”
I scoffed but my eyes darted away from his face.
“I have no idea who you are, buddy,” I replied, hoping my voice mimicked the bravado was I was trying to conjure. “So I can’t imagine why I would know your sister.”
“Her name is Eloise Danzer,” Randolph explained. There was something in his tone which told me I had done a very bad thing by showing up there.
What the fuck was I thinking? Acting so rashly was not like me. I should have thought the plan through more thoroughly before showing my face there.
Eloise had done something to me by avoiding my questions, the desire I had to learn about her consuming me blindly.
But now it was time to go.
I shrugged, turning away toward my truck.
“Sorry,” I replied. “Don’t know her.”
To my surprise, Randolph reached out and grabbed my arm.
“If you see her, please let us know. We’re very worried about her. She is to be married soon and I fear she has cold feet. She’ll come around but I just want to ensure she doesn’t hurt herself before she comes to her senses. As I’m sure you know, it can be dangerous in these parts.”
My blood sprouted ice chips at the words and I gaped at him despite my resolve to act cool.
“Married?” I choked. “To who?”
Randolph’s eyes sparkled and I wished I could take back the words.
It was obvious now that I knew who she was.
What the fuck was I thinking?
I wished I could stop asking myself the same idiotic question over and over.
“Our leader, Sir,” he replied smoothly. “He is a very powerful man who would not take kindly to having his wife being kidnapped.”
I snorted.
Eloise ran from you! I wanted to scream but I held my tongue for the first time, wrenching my arm from Randolph’s.
“If you see her, you will let us know, won’t you?” Randolph called. “Sir can be a very good friend but he makes a fearsome enemy.”
It took me a minute to understand that they called their leader “Sir.”
I didn’t respond even though I wanted to tell them that “Sir” was a fucking stupid name for their fearsome leader.
