Page 28 of Now and Forever

The detective locked eyes with him. “You weren’t. But others were. Many families came forward once this story broke in the news. Kids and adults who were held, like you, at that disgusting place. Beaten, tortured, mentally abused. The prosecutors spoke with two parents who wanted to leave the church, but the leaders wouldn’t allow them to bring their children unless they paid a ‘fee.’”

Daddy growled, “The fuck? Whatfee?”

The detective smirked. “In order to get their children returned to their custody, the parents had to compensate the church for counseling, room and board. The amount required would vary, but was always in the thousands of dollars.”

Daddy slammed his fist on the table, Seth’s bottle knocking over, the paper cups of coffee, teetering on the edge of spilling. Seth retrieved his bottle before it could roll away, and as he straightened, he clasped Daddy’s arm. He no longer gave a shit whether they touched in public or not.

Fuck ‘em.

“How did these psychos getawaywith this for so long?” Daddy rubbed his forehead. “It defies reason.”

The detective took a sip of his coffee that he’d rescued before it could dump over, then seemed to determine it was safe to set it down again. “The things I’ve witnessed over the years would make you wonder how we survive as a human race. There’s more ugliness then you can imagine.”

Daddy sat back in his chair again and ran his palms over his head in what appeared to be an attempt to gather himself. “I apologize for that outburst.” He regarded Seth and covered his hand with his own. “I hope I didn’t upset you.”

“No, it’s not you. It’s everything else. Talking about death makes me queasy.”

Daddy stared at him, his features filled with compassion. “We’ll wrap this up. But I think we both want to know what to expect now, right?”

Seth nodded with resolve. He was ready to let it all go. “Right. I’m done with this place. With them.”

Daddy gave him a soft smile then returned his attention to Detective Smith. “So, in conclusion?”

“There’s not much more to say. Their defense team realized the prosecutors had too good of a case, too many witnesses and evidence. The prosecutors made it clear they’d be asking for the death penalty, so everyone took a deal.” The detective directed his remarks to Seth. “They’ll have one more appearance in front of the judge where they’ll plead guilty then that will be the end of it. You won’t ever have to testify or see them again. The church is finished. Even if some of the disbanded members, the few that there are, tried to start something up again, they’d be under the scrutiny of the local authorities. We don’t plan on allowing something like this to ever happen again.”

“Good.” He turned to Daddy. “Is there a plane going back to Portland that we can get on now?”

Daddy took his hand. “I don’t know, but we’re not staying here a second longer than we have to.”

Seth held Daddy’s gaze, a moment of silent understanding. This chapter of Seth’s life was over.

He was free.

Chapter Seven

“Wow, Daddy. The view is amazing!”

Seth stood on the second-floor balcony of the oceanfront hotel room in Cannon Beach, admiring the crashing waves. Within a week of returning from Idaho, they’d left home to slowly make their way up the coast and now they were at the final stop of their vacation. Along the way they’d seen the Sea Lion Caves, been to a cheese factory and, best of all, they’d visited the famous sea aquarium in Newport.

He wanted to go back again and again.

“Daddy?” Seth stepped back through the glass sliding doors and noted that the bathroom door was closed. He rapped his knuckles on the oak wood barrier. “Are you taking a shower before dinner?”

If he was, Seth would be bummed. Upon inspecting the room when they’d arrived, Seth had been in awe of the extra-large, glass enclosed tiled stall that had plenty of room for two. He also loved that there was a ledge for sitting and an impressive shower head that would rain down water high above their heads. He’d been hoping to convince Daddy to play with him in there after they ate.

“Hold on! I’ll be out in a sec!”

Not that Daddy didn’t deserve privacy when he needed it, but he’d sounded a bit frantic. Seth hadn’t even noticed Daddy slipping in there when he’d decided to check out the view. Daddy had been busy fussing with a duffel bag he’d been keeping in the closet of every room they’d stayed in on their trip. Seth had just assumed he’d finish what he was doing then join him on the balcony.

While Seth waited, he checked his hair in the mirror to make sure it was still presentable. He didn’t wear it as short as Daddy, plus he had bangs, so his hair required a bit more maintenance. Since the reservations Daddy had made at the Wayfarer were in about thirty minutes, he wouldn’t have time to iron a dress shirt.

Seth had discovered that even though it was still mid-summer, the beaches in Oregon were usually chilly anyway—especially at night. So, he’d opted instead for a forest green polo and pair of black khakis instead that he could throw his summer jacket over.

Daddy emerged from the bathroom, tugging the door closed behind him. “Well, I’m ready.” Daddy seemed flustered as he hastily grabbed both of their jackets. “Why don’t we get going? The restaurant only has three booths next to the window, and I want us to have a view of Haystack Rock.”

“Yeah, okay. But maybe I should brush my teeth before we go. I’ll be fast.”

Seth didn’t make it two steps toward the bathroom before Daddy grabbed his arm and tugged him in the opposite direction.

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