stumble into the church, shoved by a man
who had to be another of Abram’s sons. The man took in the situation with a
quick glance and grabbed Beth, pulling her back against his chest. She
struggled against him and the sight made rage roar inside Tanner. He shoved
Abram backwards, sending him crashing off the altar and onto the floor. Beth’s
mother screamed again, although none of her panic seemed to be on Beth’s
behalf. She stared at Abram, hands clasped to her mouth. Tanner dismissed her
there and then. Parents who didn’t fight for their kids—worse
than useless.
He spun on the guy holding Beth,
storming past Wolf. “Let her go.”
Beth's face was a mask of horror as
she stared past Tanner to her family. "What are you doing to them?"
she screamed at Abram, fighting harder against the guy holding her. "Let
them go!"
Abram pulled himself to his feet,
clinging to the altar. "They are here waiting for you, Bethany. Just for
you to return. They've been worried about you—we all have. Tell her,
Samuel."
Samuel opened his mouth but before
he could speak, Beth stomped hard on her captor's foot. He muffled a curse and
she pulled free, throwing herself into Tanner's arms.
Tanner crushed her to his chest,
shocked at how hard his heart was hammering. "I've got you. I've got
you," he murmured into her hair.
She wasn't listening. She yelled
over his shoulder at Abram. "You let them go! If you hurt them—"
"Bethany." Her oldest
sister broke rank, running from the pews where her family huddled and joining
Beth and Tanner. She clung to Beth's arm, imploring her with big, tear-filled
blue eyes. "Bethany, he said you were kidnapped, he said you could be dead
... "
Beth released Tanner to hug her
sister tightly. "I left, Hannah," she said, defiance in her voice as
she held Abram's gaze. "I left because I'd rather be dead than married to
him."
"Bethany!" her mother
gasped.
"You don't know what you're
saying," Abram said. "You can still repent, Bethany, and be welcome back
to your home. Your family." He flicked his
fingers at her parents, expression smug. He was so fucking sure he'd get his
way. Tanner wanted to claw that smile off his face.
Beth was ahead of him again and he
felt a surge of pride as she snapped at Abram. "This isn't my home. I'm
not coming back. If you threaten my family, I'll go to the police. I'll tell
them about all the people you've buried after testing their faith. I'll tell
them how you beat your wife, and how you assaulted me. I'll make sure you burn,
Abram."
"Bethany!" Her mother all
but wailed her name this time.
Abram slammed his fist down on the
altar. "Peter!"
Tanner glanced back at the man
who'd brought Beth in. Peter pulled a gun from inside his jacket, aiming it
squarely at Tanner. He stepped in front of Beth quickly, fury rising in him
again.
"Try me, asshole," Tanner
challenged. Peter looked confident with the gun, but Tanner was willing to make
a dive at him. He could probably slam him to the floor before he got a shot
off. And Wolf was closer to the guy still, looking poised for action. Peter's
focus was all on Tanner. Amateur.
"Tanner,
no." Beth grabbed his
arm, fear in her voice now.
"You think I'm scared of
him?" Tanner sneered at Peter. "I bet he's never fired a fucking gun
in his life."
“Nathaniel,” Abram said, sounding
almost cheerful now. “Perhaps you would take Samuel and his family back to
their home. Now that Bethany is here, I’m sure we can resolve everything
peacefully.”
He put a nasty emphasis on the last
word. Tanner guessed having a bunch of gun-toting fanatics at your beck and
call would warp a man. He kept himself between Beth and Peter as Beth’s family
shuffled out meekly, not even trying to make eye contact with Beth. Only Hannah
protested, clinging to Beth.
“I’m not leaving you!”
“Hannah, please.” Beth sounded
close to tears as she pried her sister’s fingers from her arm. “Everything’s
going to be fine.”
Tanner made careful note
who had to be another of Abram’s sons. The man took in the situation with a
quick glance and grabbed Beth, pulling her back against his chest. She
struggled against him and the sight made rage roar inside Tanner. He shoved
Abram backwards, sending him crashing off the altar and onto the floor. Beth’s
mother screamed again, although none of her panic seemed to be on Beth’s
behalf. She stared at Abram, hands clasped to her mouth. Tanner dismissed her
there and then. Parents who didn’t fight for their kids—worse
than useless.
He spun on the guy holding Beth,
storming past Wolf. “Let her go.”
Beth's face was a mask of horror as
she stared past Tanner to her family. "What are you doing to them?"
she screamed at Abram, fighting harder against the guy holding her. "Let
them go!"
Abram pulled himself to his feet,
clinging to the altar. "They are here waiting for you, Bethany. Just for
you to return. They've been worried about you—we all have. Tell her,
Samuel."
Samuel opened his mouth but before
he could speak, Beth stomped hard on her captor's foot. He muffled a curse and
she pulled free, throwing herself into Tanner's arms.
Tanner crushed her to his chest,
shocked at how hard his heart was hammering. "I've got you. I've got
you," he murmured into her hair.
She wasn't listening. She yelled
over his shoulder at Abram. "You let them go! If you hurt them—"
"Bethany." Her oldest
sister broke rank, running from the pews where her family huddled and joining
Beth and Tanner. She clung to Beth's arm, imploring her with big, tear-filled
blue eyes. "Bethany, he said you were kidnapped, he said you could be dead
... "
Beth released Tanner to hug her
sister tightly. "I left, Hannah," she said, defiance in her voice as
she held Abram's gaze. "I left because I'd rather be dead than married to
him."
"Bethany!" her mother
gasped.
"You don't know what you're
saying," Abram said. "You can still repent, Bethany, and be welcome back
to your home. Your family." He flicked his
fingers at her parents, expression smug. He was so fucking sure he'd get his
way. Tanner wanted to claw that smile off his face.
Beth was ahead of him again and he
felt a surge of pride as she snapped at Abram. "This isn't my home. I'm
not coming back. If you threaten my family, I'll go to the police. I'll tell
them about all the people you've buried after testing their faith. I'll tell
them how you beat your wife, and how you assaulted me. I'll make sure you burn,
Abram."
"Bethany!" Her mother all
but wailed her name this time.
Abram slammed his fist down on the
altar. "Peter!"
Tanner glanced back at the man
who'd brought Beth in. Peter pulled a gun from inside his jacket, aiming it
squarely at Tanner. He stepped in front of Beth quickly, fury rising in him
again.
"Try me, asshole," Tanner
challenged. Peter looked confident with the gun, but Tanner was willing to make
a dive at him. He could probably slam him to the floor before he got a shot
off. And Wolf was closer to the guy still, looking poised for action. Peter's
focus was all on Tanner. Amateur.
"Tanner,
no." Beth grabbed his
arm, fear in her voice now.
"You think I'm scared of
him?" Tanner sneered at Peter. "I bet he's never fired a fucking gun
in his life."
“Nathaniel,” Abram said, sounding
almost cheerful now. “Perhaps you would take Samuel and his family back to
their home. Now that Bethany is here, I’m sure we can resolve everything
peacefully.”
He put a nasty emphasis on the last
word. Tanner guessed having a bunch of gun-toting fanatics at your beck and
call would warp a man. He kept himself between Beth and Peter as Beth’s family
shuffled out meekly, not even trying to make eye contact with Beth. Only Hannah
protested, clinging to Beth.
“I’m not leaving you!”
“Hannah, please.” Beth sounded
close to tears as she pried her sister’s fingers from her arm. “Everything’s
going to be fine.”
Tanner made careful note
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