Page 34 of Tusk's Fury

Earlier, Tex told me to watch her closely because danger was near. That, to my mind, means someone might be trying to get to either her or the baby she’s caring for.

I know I’m on the right trail when a long, high-pitched scream spills out into the night as we hit the pavement. We run in the direction of the sound.

What I see infuriates me. Two men are trying to wrestle Brittany into a pickup truck. They’re both wearing some kind of weird black, homespun clothing—pants and jackets. It looks dressy but also extremely worn, like work clothing.

I barrel forward and yank one of them off her, and Tex goes for the second man. They both look like they’re in their early twenties. And neither of them is a strong fighter.

We quickly subdue them as Brittany walks away from the truck with the baby grasped tightly in her arms. When she approaches us, she’s still scared. I can tell by the look on her pretty face.

“Do you know these men?” I intentionally don’t use her name. If they don’t have it already, I want to keep it that way.”

“No, but I can guess.” Turning to them, she asks, “Did Silas Harper send you?”

Both of the young men gaze up at her, looking awestruck.

“All of us were supposed to seek you out and rescue you if we could.”

“Who the fuck is Silas Harper?” I ask.

No one pays any attention to me. Instead, Brittany frowns down at the two men. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Bishop Harper has decreed that you are his Eve. We are to protect you at all costs. You are important to the church.”

Skipping over his bizarre words, she asks, “How did he know where to find me?”

One of them lifts his chin, bringing his finger to his eye. “It was me. I was the one who spotted you one day while you were shopping. You look just like the fliers he sent out five years ago.”

I pick up in something in his tone. “Wait. Are you saying that this Harper guy didn’t talk to you directly? You’re doing this because of a flyer?”

When they both seal their lips shut, Brittany speaks up. “You might as well answer him. I want to know as well.”

“Our own Bishop wanted to present you to Bishop Harper himself. He gave us the gifts that were supposed to lure you back into the fold. When that didn’t work, he said you needed a sterner message.”

Brittany clutches the baby tighter to her chest. “It’s a shame they gave an unhinged old fool like Silas Harper his own church. Tell your bishop that I’m not some prize he can use to curry favor with a fellow bishop. If and when I want to come back to the church, I will. Until that time, he can leave me the fuck alone.”

Both of the young men go pale, wearing twin expressions of shock.

One lowers his eyes and stammers, “But you are Bishop Harper’s Eve. He waits for you.”

The other adds, “You must cleave to him.”

I squat down and mean-mug both of them. “Correction. She’s my Eve, and I don’t share. Tell that to your bishop.”

Tex says, “Get the hell outta here before we forget that you’re just confused kids.”

I come to my feet. “You think it’s a good idea to let the two of them go? They tried to abduct Brittany.”

Tex shrugs as they run back to the truck and peel out. “What are we gonna do, give them dirt naps?”

Disgusted, I turn to Brittany and realize why the boys were lowering their eyes. The thin gown she’s wearing is clinging to her legs, leaving nothing to the imagination. When she doesn’t say anything, I do.

“Let me guess, we can talk about all this tomorrow too?”

She barely nods her head. “Do you think we can go back to our rooms now?”

Tex is the one who answers. He has his phone out already and is reading a text from his old lady. “No. Clara says the Fire Marshal has temporarily closed it down because of water damage from the sprinklers. She just got with some other guests and booked us a private twin-engine plane back to the mainland. They’re willing to do a red-eye, but it costs a mint. Looks like three couples chipped in.”

Looking up at Brittany, he adds, “She says you can wear some of her dry clothing. Tusk got the diaper bags out, so the baby has dry things. But it’s pretty clear we no longer have a choice about getting the fuck out of this area.”

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