Page 54 of Kiss for My Kraken
So much for thou shalt not steal.
The irony might have made her smile under different circumstances.
The lock clicked. The door swung open, and she flicked on the lamp on the table next to her.
Jed stood framed in the doorway, tall and lean, his face half-shadowed in the dim light. Behind him stood two other men from Haven—she recognized her cousin Matthew and Elder Thomas’s son, David. All three wore identical expressions of righteous determination.
“Nina,” Jed repeated, stepping uninvited into her home. “It’s time to come home.”
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze directly—something women in Haven were discouraged from doing.
“This is my home.”
Jed’s thin lips tightened. “This…” he gestured dismissively at the modest shack, “is a temporary aberration. The Chosen have prayed for your return.”
“I’m not going back,” she said, her voice surprisingly steady despite the rapid thudding of her heart. “Please leave now.”
Jed ignored her, moving towards her as Matthew and David flanked him, their stances widening slightly, blocking the exit.
“You don’t understand what you’re saying,” Jed continued, his tone shifting to the condescending patience he’d always used when “instructing” her. “This town… it’s infected with unnatural creatures. With abominations.”
“Others,” she said firmly. “They’re called Others. And they’ve shown me more kindness and acceptance than The Chosen ever did.”
Jed’s eyes flashed with anger, the first crack in his calm facade. “They’ve poisoned your mind. Turned you against your own kind.”
“My own kind?” A bitter laugh escaped her. “My ‘kind’ is anyone who respects me as a person, not a possession. Who sees me as an equal, not a servant.”
She heard a faint splash from the direction of the river—almost imperceptible, but she knew what it meant. Sam was positioning himself. She just needed to keep them talking a little longer.
“The devil speaks through you,” Jed said, shaking his head sadly. “Just as Elder Matthias feared.”
“No, I’m speaking for myself. For the first time in my life.”
Matthew stepped forward, his round face pinched with concern. “Nina, please. Think of your mother. She’s sick with worry.”
A pang of guilt shot through her. Her mother, weak and compliant after years under her father’s thumb, had never stood up for herself or her daughter. But she was still her mother.
“Tell her I’m safe,” she said, softening slightly. “Tell her I’m happy.”
“Happy?” Jed spat the word like a curse. “Living amongst demons and monsters? Betraying everything you were raised to believe?”
“Yes, because I’ve found the truth—not fear dressed up as religion.”
Jed’s control snapped. He strode forward, grabbing her arm with bruising force. “Enough! You’re coming with us tonight. We’ll cleanse whatever influence these creatures have over you.”
Ozzie lunged, teeth bared, but David was faster, catching the dog’s collar and yanking him away. Ozzie yelped in pain.
“Let him go!” she shouted, struggling against Jed’s grip.
“The dog stays,” Jed said coldly. “It’s been contaminated too.”
Fury surged through her, and she twisted violently, bringing her heel down hard on Jed’s instep. He grunted in pain but didn’t release her.
“Matthew, get her things,” he ordered. “David, start the van.”
“No!” She fought harder, clawing at Jed’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
Jed’s face darkened. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small vial. “We prepared for this,” he said grimly. “For your rebellion.”
