Page 294 of Redeemed

Isaiah nods. “Your parents had twins.”

“Did Mom…”

I’m too afraid to put the question into words. My mom’s last pregnancy was already hard on her. I was worried when I found out my parents were trying for another baby. She was getting older, and I overheard some of the medical staff saying she might not survive another pregnancy.

“What?” Isaiah asks impatiently.

“Is she still alive?”

“Of course she is. You women can handle more than you think you can.”

I clench my fists as we step into our house. Not much has changed. The furniture is still laid out the same way, the curtains are the same ones I picked out, and the floorboards on the other side of the threshold still creak under our weight.

“Upstairs,” Isaiah commands.

With shaking hands, I slowly make my way up the steps. Our wedding picture is still hanging in the upstairs hallway, and it makes me cringe. I look so young, and even though I’m smiling, I can see the dread in my eyes.

Isaiah comes up a minute later and meets me in the bedroom. As he moves toward me, I feel myself retreating even though I don’t move. The scared little girl inside me hides herself away, and she takes all my emotions with her.

He slips his finger under the thin straps of my dress. “We’ll burn this tomorrow.”

Silently, I nod.

“I want to give you a chance, Heaven. You were young when that woman took you. You were impressionable, and she took advantage of that and poisoned you against God. I’m going to bring you back to him.”

“You… You’re not going to kill me?”

“I said I want to give you achance,”he says, voice harsh. “It’s what God would do.”

I bow my head. “Thank you.”

My hopes soar. If he’s not going to kill me, then that means there’s time for Colton, Lucas, and Xander to find me. I don’t know if they’d even be able to get me out of here, but I know what they’ve done for me in the past. They’ll come up with something, even if they have to burn the whole compound down to get to me.

“I missed you,” Isaiah says softly. “I want to be a better husband to you, Heaven. When you were questioning your faith, I should’ve listened to you more instead of scolding you. I should’ve tried to help you. That’s what I’m going to do now.”

I gulp. His version of help is all punishments and violence. The only thing it actually does is cause more harm.

He strokes his thumb across my cheek, his touch gentle for the first time since he found me. It makes my blood run cold.

The only time Isaiah was ever affectionate toward me was when he wanted to fuck me. When we first got married, he didn’t even bother with that. And when I fought him—screaming, crying, kicking—he only pushed me harder.

After a while, he figured out that if he was nicer about it, I was more compliant. I’d still cry, and I’d still be stiff as a board, but he wouldn’t have to deal with me trying to claw his skin off.

I steel myself, refusing to shy away from Isaiah’s touch. If I’ve learned one thing since I left Cornerstone, it’s that I can’t show weakness to predators.

“It’s my job to protect you and guide you on the path to God,” he continues. “I should’ve banned you from speaking with that woman earlier. I should’ve protected your mind and your heart.”

The only thing I need protection from is you.

But I can’t say that. If I’m going to survive here until I can find another way out, I’ll have to go along with whatever Isaiah wants from me.

Isaiah’s focus lands on my hair, and he twists one of the purple streaks around his fingers. “We need to get rid of this.”

“W-what?”

Isaiah sighs as he pulls me into the bathroom. The wallpaper is still the same—red roses on a cream background. It’s like this house has been frozen in time, right down to my hairbrush still sitting on the counter.

“You know better than to color your hair, and you were taught how to wear makeup. It’s meant to accentuate your features, and only for special occasions, not to do… that.” With a disgusted look, Isaiah gestures to my eyes—to the sparkly purple eyeshadow and my winged eyeliner. “You look like a whore. Although… well, that’s not new to you, is it?”

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