Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 37824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37824 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
“You don’t have to apologize. You did nothing wrong.” I nod, knowing he’s right, but I still feel bad that I might have hurt his feelings.
“I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Ace.”
“Ace,” I repeat. I’ve never heard that one before.
“And you know that I’m Libby.”
“Your sister told me.”
“You talked to her?”
“Well, my twin brother told me. She told him.”
“Will you tell me how your brother found my sister?”
“Think she more found him,” he says with a soft chuckle. “My brother tends to stick to his cabin. He doesn’t venture out. Winter seems to have ended up on his doorstep.”
“Oh wow.” That must have been so scary for her. It doesn’t surprise me that she had the courage to knock on a stranger's door. And if it’s Ace’s twin, I’m guessing they’re built the same. That would have been double-scary. Winter always does what needs to be done. She is brave in a way I wish I could be.
“Will you tell me more? I’ve been so worried about her. She went to get help.” I smile. “She did it.”
“She did,” Ace agrees. He gives me a bit more of the story or the parts he knows. I guess his brother hasn’t filled him in on everything.
“Wait, you think they’re like a couple?” Whoa. “She was engaged a few days ago.”
“Do not say that to my brother.” Ace shakes his head. “He is rather possessive of her. Protective too. He didn’t even want to show me a picture of her.”
That makes me smile bigger. I really hope this is all true. It sounds kind of sweet, but I know I’m likely being naïve. I’ll feel better when I can speak to her.
“I didn’t mean it like it’s bad because she was just engaged. It was more of a wow because we’ve been plotting to get her out of that engagement. She was supposed to be getting married like right now. It’s why she had to take off when the storm started. I think she would have rather died in the woods than marry Joseph.”
I would have felt the same.
“They just hand you off to random men? How old are you?” He glances over at me.
“Eighteen.”
Ace lets out another string of curses. I don’t know why it’s hot when he does that. Is it because it's so different than I'm used to? He doesn't worry that something or someone might smite him. He says whatever he wants whenever he wants.
“You have to be at least eighteen to get married. Not to mention if they touched you girls, what that would mean.”
“Yeah, that’s not a rule there. We’re taught a different set to abide by.”
"It doesn't matter what their rules are. It’s against the law. Those fuckers belong in prison.” I can see that Ace is trying to keep it together. He probably doesn’t want to scare me, but little does he know, his reactions do the exact opposite.
“You know, that’s what they always tell us. That the outsiders"—I motion to him—"you guys just want to live in sin and rip our families apart. It’s why we shouldn’t speak to you. Trust any of you.”
“Of course that’s what they would fucking say.”
“You say the F word a lot.”
“You can say it too, babe.”
"Maybe." I shrug.
“They tell you all that bullshit to control you.”
“I know. They use fear, but even knowing that, it is still kind of real. Isn’t it? People out here can hurt you too.”
Ace lets out a long breath. “Yeah, there are a lot of fucked-up people in the world, but you don’t have to live trapped on a compound where all of them are predators.”
“Not all of them. I think some don’t know better, and some of the boys have it bad too. They often get kicked out. They just toss them away.” I’m guessing they don’t want the older men to have to compete when it comes to the women. I think about the last two boys who were only seventeen when they’d been kicked out. Noah and John had been nice. “I always had mixed feelings when it would happen. Happy that they might be free but sad because I wasn’t sure what they might be facing. Alone.”
“Heaven’s Temple's days are now numbered.”
I snort a laugh. “Oh my gosh. I didn’t mean to laugh at that.”
“It needs to come to an end.”
“It does. It’s just kind of funny they are always talking about the rapture and end of days. The date is always changing. To see that day really come, but not in the way they’re thinking—” I shake my head and can’t help but smile.
"They'll be praying for the rapture by the time I finish with them." Ace’s words linger in the air. I believe every one of them.
5
ACE
“Home sweet home,” I tell her when we pull up to the back of the bar. She peers out the window of the truck. Now I’m kicking myself in the ass for not having gotten a house. I could fix that, but first impressions can mean a lot. I don’t want her thinking I’m some player who hangs out at a bar all night for fun.