The Guardian Agreement by Beatty Lorraine

Author:Beatty, Lorraine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Ben made it midway up the stairs before he stopped. His therapist had constantly encouraged him to share his experience with others. It was the reason he had found a group as soon as he’d settled in Blessing. He’d also been encouraged to talk to people close to him, those who cared for him and had a right to know.

But was he ready to tell Olivia what he’d been through? What would she think? Would it change the way she saw him?

Right or wrong, he had a strong need to talk to her. He headed back to the kitchen and met Olivia in the doorway. “If you’re willing to listen, I have a story to tell you.”

Olivia met his gaze, her dark eyes warm with compassion. “I’m willing.”

They sat at the table; she sat close enough to touch him. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Her touch could either send him into hiding or open a dam of emotions he wasn’t sure he could control.

“I told you I traveled. I went to Europe to take photographs. I was seriously thinking about being a professional. I met a guy in Berlin who shared my interest and we decided to explore the mountains and perfect our nature photography skills. His name was Davey Wong.”

He met Olivia’s eyes, relieved to see she was listening intently. “We wandered around the Ural Mountains for months. Then one day we were shooting pictures of the landscape and suddenly soldiers came out of nowhere and arrested us. They said we’d crossed their border illegally. Though we weren’t aware of any borders in the area.”

Olivia inhaled softly. “Oh, Ben.”

“We tried to explain we were just taking pictures—we produced our passports and other documents, but it was no use. They took us to a small town and locked us up. They interrogated us relentlessly. Davey got the worst of it. They accused us of being spies because of all our camera equipment. But they found a Bible in Davey’s backpack and that really angered them.”

“Wasn’t there someone you could call? The embassy or something?”

Ben shook his head. “Over there, you’re guilty until proven innocent. There’s no one phone call. It was a very small, very isolated village. Looking back I think the mayor was trying to use us to move himself up the political ladder.”

“How long were you there?”

“Nine months. It seemed longer. They kept us isolated. I didn’t see Davey for two months except in the small interrogation room once in a while. They’d bring us together and grill us about why we were invading their town. There was only one guy who spoke English but not well and we were never sure about what he asked and I don’t think he fully understood our responses.”

“And this went on for nine months?”

Ben ran his hands along his thighs. “No. I guess they got tired of asking the same questions, so they changed tactics. One morning they put us in a big truck and hauled us out into the hills.

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