“God was with me,” she said softly, surprising Isaac with her mention of God. He would have thought that with the twisted aberration the cult presented God as, she would have lost any and all faith in a higher being.
“One of the elders had a heart attack. He was dying and I was called to heal him. Everyone knew how grave his condition was, and until him and then . . . you . . . I had never healed someone so close to death. So I did just enough that he wouldn’t die and pretended to be completely incapacitated, drained and exhausted. I told them I had to rest and then I would need to do a second session to completely heal him, but that he wouldn’t die. And that after the second time it would be as if the heart attack had never happened and he hadn’t been at death’s door.”
She looked down in shame and his brow furrowed as he looked at her in question, waiting for her to continue.
“I wanted to kill him, to let him die,” she whispered. “It was only because I knew this would be my only opportunity to finally escape that I helped him.”
“He deserved to die,” Isaac bit out. “Don’t waste one minute feeling shame for wanting him to die, baby. After all they put you through, it’s only human to feel the way you did. Not even God could blame you if you had let him die.”
His reassurance seemed to mollify her and she sucked in a deep breath.
“They dragged me to my room and tossed me in, and then they all went back to pray for the elder. To pray,” she said scornfully. “How does one pray to God to save the very face of evil? They didn’t spare a single thought to my escaping because they’d witnessed how weak I was so many times before after I’d healed. And though I had greatly exaggerated my condition, I was very weak, and it took me a while to gain the strength to crawl to the door and drag myself up so I could escape.
“I had found maps in one of the elders’ offices before, so I knew the layout of the compound and which direction was the shortest route through the dense woods surrounding the place. I managed to slip out quietly and then I ran. It was so dark and I was terrified. I couldn’t see where I was going, and just prayed that I was running a straight line through the woods and not going in circles.”
Isaac’s stomach churned, imagining how helpless she was running through God only knew what in the woods, still weak from the forced healing session. He’d never craved someone’s blood more than he craved the blood of those bastards for all they’d done to his angel. Never had he entertained killing anyone in cold blood, but in this minute, he knew if he ever caught any of them he’d take them apart with his bare hands.
“Not long after I entered the woods, I knew my escape had been discovered, because I heard them turn out the dogs.”
She shivered, her small body quaking as she moved even closer into his body, almost as if trying to crawl right inside of him where she could feel warm and safe.
“I knew I had very little time before they caught up to me, so I ran faster and prayed for mercy. And for help. Just when I thought I had no hope, I stumbled out of the woods and fell flat on my face onto a gravel road. It was just beginning to get light enough that I could see into the distance and there was an old gas station down the road. I fled, praying the entire way to find a way into the city. I knew it was the last place they’d expect me to go because I’d never even seen the outside of the compound, so what were my odds of surviving five minutes in a city the size of Houston? I snuck into the bed of a truck that was hauling produce into the city and when the driver stopped after what seemed like forever, I slipped out and ran.”
Her mouth twisted against his chest, her next words muffled by his skin.
“I guess it was fate that I was so close to the parking lot where your vehicle was parked unlocked.”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “Thank God I’m forever leaving my keys in the ignition.”
She pulled slightly away, and he could see her frown and the fact that her eyes had turned fearful once more.
“What’s wrong, Jenna?” he asked sharply.
“Isaac, the elders don’t have guns, and certainly nothing that could have shot you from such a long range.”
She grabbed his hand, clutching it to her chest, and he felt her heart racing wildly beneath his palm.
“How could they have known?” she whispered. “How could they have possibly found me so quickly? They weren’t supposed to come for me for two more days.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed as he considered her words.
“They had to have been watching the compound the entire time just in case you did exactly what you did. Then they followed you, tracking your every move. If I hadn’t found you and interrupted you stealing my vehicle, they would have either taken you right there in the parking lot or followed you and either forced you off the road or abducted you as soon as you stopped.”
“Then how was it that you and your men found me before they did after I’d pulled off the road?”
Isaac sighed. “They were distracted and forced to defend themselves when my backup arrived and began shooting back. I doubt they were expecting any resistance. They likely thought taking you would be effortless. I have a tracking device on my SUV that led us right to you. Unfortunately, I also led them right to you, which is how they found my house and shot Shadow as we were leaving to come here.”
She shot upward in the bed, the T-shirt she was wearing stretching tightly over the lush ripeness of her breasts.
“Then we aren’t safe here either,” she said, panicked.
“Shhh, baby, I need you to calm down,” he soothed. “We would know if they were anywhere close to this house, but you’re right. We can’t stay here. I’ll have to make some phone calls while we figure out our next move.”
She licked her lips nervously and Isaac nearly groaned at the innocent, sexy gesture.
“Will you be safe?” she asked hesitantly. “Will your men be safe?”
His expression went dark and anger was a fierce battle within him. She was only concerned about him and his team. Not one word about her own safety or whether they could keep her safe. Did she think she had so little value?
Of course she thought just that. When had she ever been shown anything to the contrary? Disgust filled him. She’d spent a lifetime being beaten down, devalued, told time and time again that she was nothing, not important, when in the space of a day she’d become his entire world.
Unable to resist and passing only a moment’s worry over spooking her, he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her to him, delving one hand into the silky pale curls of her hair as he lowered his mouth to hers.