Page 20 of Hope Between Us (Shattered Cove 8)

“Hush, before your father hears you. You know it’s a woman’s duty to marry and provide her husband with children. It’s our only calling besides serving our husband,” their mother sternly reminded them.

“But Mr. Livingston is so old,” Brynna pointed out, as if this would make any difference to their mother.

“He’s younger than your father was when we married, and I was thirteen. Miriam is already fifteen. It’s time she did what she was put on earth for.”

“But, Mother—”

“Enough! Miriam will marry the son of our most holy leader and bring honor to our family. She will serve him in her wifely duties and bear his children so that we may continue the kingdom of heaven. And she will obey him in all things as we are commanded by the holy prophet to do. A woman’s place is to be silent and serving, for this will bring honor and blessings upon her and her husband’s household.” Their mother quoted the same declaration that she’d repeated their whole life.

Brynna cast Miriam a sympathetic look as her eyes filled with tears.

Miriam placed her hand over her sister’s. “I’ll be okay. We’ll still be able to see each other. And soon we’ll have a little baby to play with too.”

“Mom?” Danielle’s voice brought her back to the present.

Brynn’s stomach twisted as bile rose in her throat. The horror that followed that same evening was the first time she’d questioned anything she’d been taught.

“Brynn? Are you okay, honey?” Pippa asked, taking her hand.

She flinched.

“You’re shaking.” Charli moved to her front, blocking her reflection in the mirror.

Brynn forced a smile. “Sorry, just overwhelmed with everything for a moment. It’s just hit me all at once that I’m getting married.”

She turned to Dani, smoothing her blond hair out of her face, and staring into the blue eyes that reminded her so much of Paul’s. She would do whatever it took to make sure her daughter never experienced the kind of pain and degradation Brynn had endured. She escaped a prison of hell on earth, and would take the necessary actions so that her child could live as who she was, out and proud in the sunshine.

But what if Aaron changed after the vows were said? What if he demanded more from her? Would she do what she had to in order to keep Dani safe? Even if that meant Brynn had to sell her body to the devil himself?

Not that Aaron was a devil. He’d managed to earn a scrap of her trust. Maybe a little more seeing as she’d agreed to marry the man. Only time would tell.

Brynn reached out and pulled Danielle into her arms, hugging her tight and breathing in the cotton candy smell of her daughter’s new perfume. Strength filled her bones from the contact. Paul, her family, and everyone else back at the compound had tried to break Brynn and control her by using her love for her child.

In her experience, love was used to control.

So, she certainly wouldn’t be falling in love with her new husband.

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