Page 130 of Forgive Me Father
“It’s all we can do for now, Roman,” Echo’s voice is a soft plea.
Shaking my head, I grab my coat and head for the front door, ignoring the barrage of questions from the group.
“Roman—”
“I still have a job,” I snap. “Or are we all pretending that everything is fine?”
The room falls silent, the weight of my words heavy.
“If anything happens to Eden, I will burn that church to the ground with everyone inside.”
With that, I slam the door behind me, my hand gripping the knife in my pocket.
They want to wait? Fine.
No one said I had to follow along.
Given the afternoon light, it’s far too early for anyone to be at the church on a Friday. As I touch my hand to fidget with my ring, a wave of nausea overtakes me when I realize its absence.
It’s around Eden’s neck.
I tuck my hands into my pockets, trying to steady my thoughts.
Approaching the office, I know the files within might be critical for Echo’s efforts to expose this place sooner. Inside, the roomappears unnervingly pristine, as though someone had recently swept through and tidied up.
I search for anything useful, but all the drawers are bare. The only item remaining on the shelf is a solitary Bible.
Sliding into the office chair, I attempt to power on the computer, only to find its wires severed.
They’ve already swept through here.
“Trying to find her?” Kevin’s voice oozes from the doorway, his smugness palpable.
I turn slowly to face him. He stands there with a self-satisfied grin.
“I really thought you would have figured out where she was by now, given your military background in land navigation.”
Land nav? That’s all about paths and maps—maps.
The new construction plans. The renovations.
“Where did you put the blueprints?” I demand, my hand still clenched around the knife.
Kevin rises, a sneer playing on his lips. “You’re putting it together too late, Roman. If I wanted you to see the blueprints, I would have left them where you could find them.”
“She’s in this church,” I growl.
“Maybe. We had to transport all the items here for the big day on Sunday. Closing the church for a private event isn’t simple. Everything must be perfect—”
I move swiftly, grabbing his collar. “Where is she, Kevin?” I narrow my eyes, my voice thick with anger.
“I would assume right now they’re preparing her for the highest bidder. Though, she’s quite a fighter. They’ll need a lot of makeup to hide her bruises once we’re done—”
I strike him hard, sending him crashing to the ground. I climb on top of him, drawing the knife from my pocket. Pressing it to his throat, he grins with a sickening delight.
“Where is my girl? Final fucking chance.”
Coughing, Kevin shakes his head defiantly. “You think I fear death, Roman? There will always be another ready to take my place. God is watching you, and He’s judging. Killing me won’t solve anything—”
