Page 52 of Burning Hearts

He stared at her. “My business is mine. I didn’t need you to come up here thinking I need to be rescued.” He leaned forward a little. “Look where it got you.”

Jamie sniffed. Tears burned her eyes. “I can’t believe I thought you were worth helping.”

“Guess you were wrong.”

She turned away from him, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She’d elevated herself to the role of savior in others’ lives as much as she’d tried to make Logan hers. She needed to get back to basics. Jesus was her Savior. Him alone and no one else. She couldn’t fulfil that role for her brother. He had to trust in God for himself. Tristan needed Him as much as she did.

And right now, alone with her broken heart, she needed Him a whole lot.

What was it she’d read this morning? The first time she’d opened her Bible app in so long.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him. “For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

“Maybe He could reward us by getting us out of here.”

Jamie turned to her brother. “That would mean you believe.” But still, she didn’t think those were the rewards the verse was talking about.

“I’m working on it,” Tristan said. “How do you ‘come to God’?”

“By asking Him for help. It’s a prayer.”

“Sounds like one that fits right now.”

Jamie pressed her lips together. “Maybe you could untie me and we could try to get out of here.” Otherwise they’d achieve nothing. They would still be sitting here when those guys came back.

Tristan scooted across the floor, holding his breath…until he groaned. “Pretty sure they cracked a couple ribs.” He grabbed the ropes.

Jamie winced. Out in the hall, or whatever was beyond the door, she heard a thump. “Someone’s coming.”

Tristan froze.

The door handle turned, and a man stuck his head in—the guy from the compound. The one Logan had hit over the head. Oh great. He wasn’t going to be happy about that. He might even take it out on her.

The guy stepped in. “I’ve got a knife. Get her loose and let’s get out of here. We don’t have much time.”

“What’s going on?” She tried to look at her brother but couldn’t turn around that far.

Tristan took the knife from the new guy and cut her loose. “Thanks, Crew.” To her, he said, “I told you not to worry about it, remember?” He helped her up by her elbow. “Let’s go.”

“Why didn’t you tell me we were going to be rescued by your…friend?”

“Because you needed to act like you had no idea, just in case someone else came in.” Tristan led her to the door. “And he’s not coming with us.”

She’d done that before, and Tristan was beaten for it. She’d left him behind.

She looked at Crew. “You should come with us.”

Tristan’s friend looked out into the hallway as if she’d said nothing. “It’s clear. They’re outside waiting for the others, so you only have seconds. Go.”

Tristan didn’t give her a choice but to go with him. “Don’t worry about him. Just run.”

Jamie wanted to argue. She wasn’t trying to be this man’s savior. She just didn’t want an innocent guy to suffer because she went free. Her head swam. Her wrists hurt, and her legs felt far too unsteady for her to run anywhere.

The structure was a cabin, or had been once. At the end of the hall was a door, the top half consisting of two vertical rectangular windows—frosted glass. She scrambled for the handle and stepped into a smaller room. Old boots lay on the floor, coats on hooks on the sides. Tennis shoes. An umbrella leaned against the corner by the door, a cobweb on the handle.

Tristan eased past her. “I’ll go first. In case anyone is outside.”

“Your friend. Crew. He’s going to get in trouble when they realize we’re gone, right?”

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