Shadow Ranch by Rebecca Carey Lyles

Author:Rebecca Carey Lyles [Rebecca Carey Lyles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rebecca Carey Lyles
Published: 2022-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter seventeen

“Please,” Kasenia whispered, “would you…like before?” She held out the rings.

At first, she feared he’d refuse. But then, he took the rings from her, rubbed them on his jeans, and slid them one at a time onto her finger. Still holding her hand in his quivering hand, he murmured, “Promise me you’ll never remove these again.” His probing gaze never left hers.

“I promise.”

He polished the necklace with the tissue and handed the tissue to her. “Wipe your face and turn around.”

Without speaking, she obeyed, like a horse accepting a bridle.

Before he clasped the necklace, he pulled it tight on her throat, cutting off her airway. “This necklace must never be removed by anyone but me. That includes you. Understand?”

She nodded.

“Say it.”

A garbled “understand” was all she could manage.

He released the chain from her throat and clasped it behind her neck.

Kasenia sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. She’d heard that prayer in her babushka’s church. I have lied, over and over. For Sam, for the boys. For them I have to say the words Brewster wants to hear. She made the sign of the cross over her heart.

Brewster spun her around. “What did you just do?”

“I, I was confirming my promise to you and to God.”

His iron gaze softened, and he held her by her arms. “You have much to learn regarding my family’s beliefs, my love. Spirit Father finds the sign of the cross repugnant.”

“He does?”

“Of course. It’s a foul, bitter taste in his mouth. A terrible memory of how his son died. He wants it erased from the history books, but that takes time.”

“I had no idea.”

“That’s why Spirit Father gave me new scriptures for our family. Churches get it wrong. His son’s death is to be pitied and reviled, not worshiped or revered. In obedience, I’ve deleted every reference to the son from our doctrine and covenants. The document isn’t quite finished but will be ready for you to proofread soon.”

“I see.” Kasenia swallowed a disparaging retort. Of course, he hadn’t finished it, like he hadn’t finished his other writing projects. But that was good. The fewer of his warped ideas to infiltrate the world, the better.

“Lorraine assigns you to a variety of duties because you need to learn the ropes here before you take up your proofing duties again. And before we launch the Shadow Ranch modeling agency. You must be available to serve the family as needed. You won’t be modeling or proofreading every day.”

Modeling. She’d forgotten he stole her dream. An on-site job elsewhere with Sam might be their ticket out of Shadow Ranch.

His cell phone buzzed. He released her, lifted the phone from his belt and listened a moment. “Let him through.”

The compound’s front gate clanked.

Kasenia turned to see who was coming. Visitors were few and far between at Shadow Ranch, except during the weekend markets.

“Off with you.” Brewster swatted her rear. “Time to get busy, Kasenia Wiley. This is a ranch. Everyone works here.

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