Wyoming Undercover

Both women nodded.

“Good. Ana, come with me,” he barked, turning to hurry away. As Sophia watched them go, she realized Thomas and his two assistants had already disappeared.

Aware she might be stuck here awhile, even after her shift had technically ended, she pulled up the visitor’s chair and planted herself in it. While she wasn’t allowed any reading material at work, she did keep a pad of paper and a good pen. Sometimes she drew, sometimes she wrote poetry or amusing short stories. When she’d finished, she always destroyed whatever she’d created, fearful that someone would see.

The stranger in the bed stirred. Not a full move, just a jerky shifting of his position and a hitch in his breath. She put her untouched paper and pen aside to study him. His thick, dark hair was nearly black. Wondering if it would feel as silky as it looked, she glanced around once before she reached out and drew a few strands of it through her fingers. Yep. Exactly as she’d thought.

Her touch apparently made the man restless. He began tossing his head from side to side, muttering under his breath. When he gave a loud groan, she stood, eyeing the machines that monitored his heartbeat and blood pressure. While they’d climbed a little, the numbers remained well within the realm of normal.

When, after a moment, he didn’t move again, she sat back down. She felt confident he’d wake soon and, when he did, no doubt he’d have a lot of questions. She suspected this was why Dr. Drew had requested immediate notification. He wanted to be the one to give the answers.

But she wouldn’t press that buzzer until the patient had regained full consciousness. She’d learned the hard way that one of the worst things she could do was waste the doctor’s precious time.

Sighing, she debated reaching for her pad of paper again. Her fingers itched to sketch the chiseled planes of this man’s face. But such a drawing would take time and she didn’t want to be caught with it, so she remained empty-handed, simply watching. And waiting.

When he opened his eyes and focused on her, she caught her breath. They were blue, a peculiar light shade that almost appeared gray.

“Where am I?” he rasped, wincing as he tried to lift his head.

Now she knew she had to call the doctor. “Just a minute,” she told him, trying to sound soothing. “I need to—” Her words cut off as he shot out his hand and gripped her wrist. Hard.

“Don’t lie. Tell me where in the hell I am.”

Shocked, she tried to pull free. His grip was surprisingly strong for one so recently injured. Finally she succeeded in yanking out of his grasp and rushed to press the buzzer. Once she’d accomplished this, she spun around, chest heaving. “The doctor will be right in.” Of course, she was short of breath.

He didn’t respond. With his eyes narrowed and his jaw hardened, he looked dangerous. A jagged thrill shot through her, again making her question her sanity.

Then Dr. Drew arrived, Ana close on his heel.

“Here’s our patient,” the doc exclaimed. His tone and expression both were far too jovial—completely unlike him. Sophia and Ana exchanged a quick glance. More proof that this patient, whoever he might be, had some stature.

“You have quite the nasty wound on the back of your head, but we’ve got you fixed up. You’ll soon be as good as new.”

“Thomas has been notified,” Ana put in. “He is on his way here.”

At her words, the patient swung his head toward her. “Thomas?” The name came out a snarl. “That’s exactly who I want to see. He’s sure as hell got some explaining to do.” Crossing his muscular arms, he glared at Ana, then Sophia and lastly Dr. Drew.

No one said anything. Even Dr. Drew didn’t dare cross someone who mattered to Thomas and, by extension, Ezekiel.

The silence felt incredibly awkward. To everyone except, apparently, the patient.

“Well?” he demanded. “What’s the holdup? Where’s Thomas? One minute I’m getting into his car and the next—”

“You’re here. Very good.” Thomas strode into the room, cutting him off. “I’ll need a few moments alone with Jack,” he said. “Everyone clear out.”

Of course they did exactly that, without hesitation or question. Prompt adherence to rules was one of the reasons COE ran so smoothly. No petty differences or spite or hate. Everyone knew their place and what they had to do and they did it. Sophia had always found that very comforting.

Until now, she realized. Now that she was facing a forced marriage to a powerful but elderly man, she felt a seed of resentment sprouting.

As she exited the room, she noted that Thomas’s two bodyguards had remained. For protection? Or assistance?

One thing was for sure, she’d never know. She wasn’t at a high enough level. Yet. She couldn’t help but wonder if that would change once she was married. No doubt it probably would. Even the lowest of Ezekiel’s numerous wives had a more elevated status than everyone else. One of the few benefits, as far as Sophia could tell.

Chapter 2

“Well?” Head throbbing, Jack glared at Thomas. “You need to explain. Immediately. And whatever reason you have for what you did damn well better be a good one.”

Thomas smiled coldly. “It’s actually quite simple. You wanted to join COE. Now you can.”

At first Jack didn’t understand. “What?”

“Children of Eternity. COE. I apologize for knocking you out, but it was necessary.”

“You hit me in the head so I could join a cult?” The instant he finished speaking, he realized his mistake.

“We are not a cult.” Thomas eyed Jack with the same type of expression one might use to pick up a dead slug. “Perhaps I was too hasty bringing you inside.”

Inside? Damn. Now he had to backpedal. By a strange quirk of fate, he’d somehow landed exactly where he’d wanted to be. Inside the compound. Remembering Thomas’s earlier questions, he thought he understood. Of course they’d want someone with little or no ties to the outside world. Jack fit that criteria perfectly.

“Sorry.” Still frowning, Jack made a show of rubbing his temples. “My head hurts, so it’s hard to think clearly. I’m not sure what exactly you prefer to be called. Why don’t you fill me in?”

The answer came instantly. “We call ourselves The Chosen. All Children of Eternity are so blessed.”

Of course. Jack nodded, as if he completely understood. Unfortunately the movement made his head pound even worse, making him wince. “Explain again why you had to knock me unconscious?”

“So you would awaken in your new life. Consider yourself privileged. Outsiders are rarely allowed here. You have truly been chosen.”

“Sounds good,” he allowed, even though privately he thought it was one of the craziest things he’d ever heard. “But what if I decide not to stay?”

At the question, the other man’s expression hardened. “No one does that. You see, it’s simply not possible. No one ever leaves. No one wants to.”

The phrase reminded Jack of the old Eagles’ song “Hotel California.” The sinister implication behind Thomas’s words didn’t escape him. What the hell did they do if someone decided he wanted out? Kill them?

“I get it.” Jack forced a smile. “Why would anyone want to leave paradise, right?”

“Exactly.” Sounding pleased, Thomas walked to the window and peered out.

“But why did you have to slam me in the back of the head?” Jack persisted. “I would have gone willingly if you’d only asked.”

“Because,” Thomas answered without turning around. “There is a certain ceremony to everything. This was how I wanted you to enter your new life.”

Crazy. Were all the cult members this nuts? Jack knew he had to go along, at least until he found out what he needed to know. Chiefly, whether or not the Bartletts’ son had been abducted by COE five years ago.

When Jack didn’t respond, Thomas turned and studied him. “I’ll let you get some rest. Once the doctor has released you, we’ll talk about where you will be assigned.” He turned and gestured to his guards to follow as he walked out.

Assigned. Sounded like a prison detail, actually. Oh, well. None of that mattered. He was on the inside, where he needed to be. He simply had to keep his head down and do as he was told. At least until he could gather some information on whether or not COE abducted children as well as adults. After what Thomas had done to him, he wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn they did.

Head still aching, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

When he woke, the small room seemed flooded with light. Stretching, he gingerly moved his head. Good, the pain had gone. He pushed himself up on his elbows, looking around. The IV had been taken out and he was no longer hooked up to any machines. That must mean they felt he’d recovered enough to be sent to his assignment, whatever that might be.

A strange sensation filled him. Anticipation, something he hadn’t felt in a really long time. This job had not only saved his business, but was proving to be a hundred times more interesting than anything he could ever have imagined.

Someone entered the room. Slowly he turned his head and met the wary brown eyes of one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. He’d noticed her before, but in his confused and painful state, he’d figured she might have been only a figment of his imagination.

“Hello,” she said softly. “I’m glad you’re finally awake. How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” he answered honestly. “Just trying to figure out my place in all of this.”

The strangest expression crossed her face. Only for a second and then the placid calmness came back. “You’ll be fine,” she said, her tone full of certainty. “What happened to you before? I saw your scars.”

Shocked, he didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “How do you...?”

“I work here as a medical assistant.” Her simple answer came without pretense. “I assisted when the doctor examined you.”

He decided he might as well be blunt. “Does that matter?”

“I don’t understand. Does what matter?”

“My scars. Does the fact that I have a disfigured body impact my ability to join COE?”

Her lovely brown eyes were clear and guileless. “No. Why would it?”

This time, he had to work to keep his shrug casual. “I wasn’t sure if you allowed people to join who weren’t whole.”

Instead of answering, she continued to regard him, her perfectly arched brows slightly lowered. He actually began to feel foolish, as if his statement had been ridiculous.

But it wasn’t. He’d been rebuffed by enough women who’d been put off by either the fact that he was missing a limb or that the limb had been replaced by a man-made one.

And then she smiled. He felt the sensual power of that smile like a slow flame igniting his gut. “To be honest with you, I have no idea about that. It’s very rare we even bring anyone in from outside. Thomas must think you very special indeed to have allowed you to join us.”

Managing to smile back, he refrained from letting her know just how wrong he found her statement. After answering a few pointed questions at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and following Thomas to his car, Jack had apparently qualified.

When she turned as if to leave, Jack asked her to wait. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“I have to let our doctor know you’re awake again.”

“First, tell me your name.”

His question appeared to startle her. “I’m Sophia Hannah,” she said. He found the way her full lips quirked as if on the verge of a smile unbelievably sexy. His entire body stirred. Of course, he ignored this. The last thing he needed right now was to get his insides all tangled up because of a woman.

And then, before he could ask her anything else, she spun on her heel and left.

Part of him wanted to go after her. Instead he hunted around for his clothes. Might as well get dressed while he waited to see what would happen next.

He located his shirt and jeans in a beige metal locker. They were neatly folded, with his briefs tucked in between. His socks and boots had been placed on a shelf nearby. Everything appeared to be in good condition, which meant whoever had undressed him had done so carefully. He wondered if the pretty little nurse had helped.

Glancing back once at the doorway, he dressed hurriedly, using the hospital gown as a sort of impromptu curtain. Just seconds after he’d finished, he heard voices coming closer. Male voices, so most likely the doctor or maybe Thomas and his bodyguards.

Three men stepped into the room. They all had a wholesome sort of look. Short hair cut the same way—one light, two dark—and identical expressions of earnest friendliness on their clean-scrubbed faces. Jack didn’t recognize any of them. But then, why would he?

“Welcome,” one of them said, stepping forward and offering his hand. He stood at least six-four, with an impressive girth. When they shook, Jack took note of the rough calluses on his fingers.

“I’m Phillip.” He smiled, less of an aw-shucks grin than Jack had expected. “You’ll be staying with me. We single guys all room together. Also, you can tag along with me when I go to work tomorrow. I’ll keep you busy, at least until they assign you to your job.”

“Assign?” That word again. Asking might be the wrong move, but Jack did anyway. “I don’t get to choose?”

All three of the men exchanged glances before breaking out into laughter. Though Jack listened, he couldn’t detect anything but humor in the sound. No uneasiness or fear.

“Nope,” one of the other men answered easily. “I’m Randy and this is my brother, Jeff. In case you can’t tell, we’re twins. Not identical, though. But I think we still look a lot alike.”

Glancing from Randy to Jeff, Jack had to wonder how he’d missed the resemblance. Same eyes, chin, skin tone and nose. There were a few differences—all minor—but enough to be the difference that would enable anyone to tell them apart.

“We work with Phillip,” Jeff chimed in. He smiled with the same open friendliness as the other two men. “If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get to work with us. Ever done any carpentry work?”

Regretfully, Jack shook his head.

“Ah, well.” Phillip clapped Jack on the shoulder. “I’m sure you have your own set of skills. Come on. We’ll show you where you’re going to be living.”

* * *

After the three men had shepherded the handsome newcomer out of the medical facility, Sophia sat and tried to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure what it was about the man, but she’d felt the strangest sort of anticipation whenever she’d been anywhere near him. A kind of thrumming in her veins that made it difficult to think straight never mind breathe. Though she recognized her attraction to him, she didn’t pretend to understand why. Most likely because she’d just become newly engaged to a man she hadn’t even met.

As if she’d read Sophia’s thoughts, Ana hurried into the room. “Here,” she said, shoving a sealed white envelope at Sophia. “Thomas left this for you on the front desk. It’s probably the official notification of your engagement.”

Accepting it, Sophia turned the envelope over and over in her hand. Part of her didn’t want to open it, as if by not doing so, she could wish away her new future.

“Read it,” Ana demanded. “If you’re not going to, I’ll be happy to do it for you.”

“No.” Using her fingernail, Sophia slit the seal. Inside she found an embossed white card. The front read Congratulations! Inside, the specifics of her upcoming nuptials were spelled out. Upcoming wedding between Ezekiel and Sophia Hannah, and then the date and time and place.

“That’s it?” Sophia said. “Nothing more? I find this cold and rude and, quite frankly, insulting.” Her anger surprised her. And Ana, too, whose eyes had gone huge and round.

“Well, at least it’s official.” Briskly, Ana changed the subject. “What’s the story on him? The guy who just left?”

Sophia considered. “He’s new,” she said carefully. “Apparently, Thomas brought him in from the outside. I have no idea why.”

Pursing her lips, Ana swallowed as she digested Sophia’s words. Though Sophia could tell the older woman wasn’t enamored of the possibility, she also knew Ana would never dare express disapproval about anything Thomas did. After all, Thomas only acted at their leader’s discretion. And everyone knew that everything Ezekiel did was always, without question, for the best of his Chosen children.

“Well—” Ana dusted her hands on the front of her shift “—we’ve got more important things to worry about. We have a wedding to plan.”

Sophia stared. While she didn’t want to hurt Ana’s feelings, she had always figured she and her best girlfriends would plan her wedding. After all, she’d certainly helped with all of theirs. Sophia knew they’d all be over-the-top excited once she gave them the news. Until they found out her intended husband was an old, old man.

She sighed. “Of course we do,” she said softly. “But first I have to let my friends and the rest of the family in on the news. I’m pretty sure I’ll have lots of help getting everything set up.”

Narrowing her eyes, Ana nodded. “You do understand that this can’t be just any wedding, right? You’re going to be marrying our leader. Think back to his last wedding, if you’re old enough to remember. Now that was a spectacle. You’ve got to think big, flashy and showy. You know Ezekiel will finance whatever you want.”

All three of the adjectives Ana had just used were the antithesis of what Sophia had wanted. When she’d dreamed of her wedding, she’d planned more along the lines of classic, understated elegance. A quiet ceremony and later a joyous celebration of the love she and her new husband shared.

She didn’t have that, either. There would be no love, no joy and certainly no celebration. At least on her part, though she knew she’d have to put on a show.

Did Ezekiel still even celebrate? After at least twenty-five or thirty marriages, she figured this would be old hat to him now. Since she didn’t know him, she had no idea how Ezekiel felt. Though as far as she and everyone else was concerned, his feelings were everything. All that mattered was keeping Ezekiel happy.

What Ezekiel wanted, he got. And right now, he apparently wanted her.

Later, after arriving home to the house she shared with her best friend Rachel and two other single girls, she tried to summon up the appropriate excitement to deliver the news. Luckily, all the others were younger than her and had enough abundant glee to cover her lack.

“You’ve been chosen by our leader?” Rachel squealed, wrapping Sophia in a tight hug before spinning her around the room. “What an honor! I can say I knew you before!”

Her best friend’s unbridled happiness finally coaxed a smile from Sophia. “It’s kind of weird, though. He’s never even spoken to me. I don’t even know how he came to know of me.”

One of the other girls, a quiet, mousy brunette named Cheryl, snorted. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

The others giggled.

“I’m sure he must have seen you somewhere.” Heather, who shared a room with Cheryl, smiled. “He probably took one look at you and knew you were the one he wanted for his next wife. You’re so lucky.”

She did look in the mirror—every single morning when she got ready for her shift at the medical clinic. She knew some might consider her features pleasing if not ordinary. Brown hair, brown eyes. Definitely nothing extraordinary enough to draw any man’s attention—witness her lack of marriage offers. And really, if one considered the fact that the only man even remotely interested in becoming her husband was nearly four times her age, the “struck by her beauty” explanation didn’t work.

Cheryl, who was always up for a good party—hurried into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of homemade red wine. “We need to have a toast!”

“Yes, we do,” Rachel agreed, going for the juice glasses. She brought six—all mismatched—out on a round tray. “I hope it turned out good.”

Heather, who made the wine in secret, grinned. “Oh, it’s good. Believe me. I tried some last weekend. Even Danny liked it.” As usual, she blushed after saying her boyfriend’s name. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Danny petitioned to become her husband. Some girls got lucky that way.

In fact, every single one of Sophia’s married friends had been ecstatic over the man they’d been joined with in matrimony. Leave it to Sophia to be the lone exception.

“Hey.” Rachel sidled up to her, handing her half a juice glass of wine. “You seem lost in thought. What’s wrong?”

Sophia blinked, suddenly aware that everyone had stopped talking and now watched her intently.

“Are you all right?” Rachel asked, her low voice radiating genuine concern.

Wondering what would happen if she blurted out the truth, Sophia swallowed hard and tried to summon up a smile. She didn’t know how they’d react if she shared with them her concerns. Later, she knew she could confide in Rachel. And she would, as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

For now, she needed to laugh and pretend to celebrate with her roommates.

Of course everyone wanted to offer their ideas on decorating for the wedding. Sophia made a face and relayed to them what Ana had said.

“You know what? She’s right,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “This won’t be an ordinary wedding.”

“I wonder if Ezekiel will assign some of his staff to plan the ceremony. Provide the decorations and everything?” Heather put in.

The other women murmured their agreement. None of them had ever been a part of something so big before. Speculations ranged from the outlandish to the ridiculously expensive.

“I’m thinking Sophia will want classic elegance,” Rachel insisted. Since she knew Sophia better than anyone else, no one argued.

Classic elegance. Sophia wasn’t even sure if such a thing could be applied in this situation. Glumly, she realized she didn’t even care. For most of her life, she’d spent a lot of time imagining how her wedding would be. The colors, the dresses, the flowers. Where, when and the poignant reactions of the guests to her and her groom’s individual, self-written vows.

None of that mattered now. She wished she could find something positive in all of this, but she only felt numb. And she tried hard not to picture her wedding night.

After the entire bottle of homemade wine had been emptied, everyone drifted to separate parts of the house. Relieved, Sophia escaped to her bedroom and plopped down on her bed. Earlier she’d thought she would welcome a good cry, but the initial numbness had seeped through her veins and now all she could do was stare up at the ceiling, dry-eyed and sick to her stomach.

Rachel came in quietly. Since they shared the room, she didn’t knock. She sat next to Sophia on the edge of the bed and waited, aware her silence was its own form of support.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Sophia finally blurted out. “I had so many hopes, so many dreams. Now they’re nothing. How can I marry him? I just can’t, Rachel.”

Instead of overreacting to her desperate plea, Rachel simply nodded. “You don’t care that it’s a great honor, do you? Of course not,” she answered her own question. “You’ve always been a romantic. This development calls for you to become a realist.”

The words calmed Sophia, exactly as Rachel had known they would. In reality, there was nothing Sophia could do about her impending marriage, so she might as well resign herself to it.

“Status,” Rachel said, poking her. “I know you’re looking for something good and right now that’s the only thing I can think of. Right now, you’re just a regular person. Sure, you’re one of the Chosen, but so is everyone else. Once you’re married to Ezekiel, you won’t be regular any longer. Your status will be hugely elevated.”

“As if I care about that.” Sophia’s laugh verged on the edge of hysterical. “All I ever wanted was someone to love who would love me back.”

“Well, maybe Ezekiel will love you. And you never know, you might come to grow fond of him, too.”