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“You know what he said.” Tears trailed down the girl’s cheeks. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
Teagan wrapped her hand around Jillian’s uninjured one. “Tell Seth everything. We’ll help if you trust us.”
“I don’t know where to start.”
“How did you get involved with The Brotherhood?” Seth prompted.
“I went to school with Jessie Knight, a cousin of Jace’s. Jessie knew I was having trouble at home so she told her cousin. Jace introduced me to Mr. Peters and Mr. Richardson.” Her faceflushed. “Mr. Richardson didn’t want to allow me in the militia. He said I didn’t have any skills to offer.”
“What about Mr. Peters?”
“He said I was a smart girl and would learn fast, that I’d be good for morale. I wanted to escape from my home so I agreed to join. Mr. Peters assigned me a job in the kitchen and dining hall.”
“He expected you to do more than that, didn’t he?” Teagan asked.
Jillian nodded. She slid a glance toward Rubin before refocusing on Teagan. “Mr. Peters said if I wanted to stay, I had to keep him company in the evenings.” More tears flowed. “I thought that was strange, but I agreed. I swear I didn’t know what he wanted, Rubin.”
“I know, baby. I believe you.”
“Peters forced you to have sex with him?” Seth asked bluntly.
“Yes, sir.”
“How old are you, Jillian?”
She stiffened. “S-s-seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in two months.”
“Do you want help?”
“Only if helping me won’t cause Rubin trouble.”
“You mentioned you were afraid ‘he’ would hurt Rubin. You’re talking about Peters?”
She nodded.
“What did he threaten to do to Rubin?”
“He said if I didn’t do what he told me he would take Rubin to the punishment room and discipline him instead of me. I won’t let him do that.” Her voice rose. “It’s not right.”
“No one will punish either of you.” Teagan looked at Seth. “Right?”
“We won’t allow Peters or Richardson to touch you or Rubin.”
“How, sir?” Rubin shook his head. “You’re new here. You don’t understand how much power they have.”
“Why did you join The Brotherhood, Rubin?”
“To protect my country.”
“To take that oath means you’re also vowing to protect its citizens. Jillian is a vulnerable young woman. How far will you go to protect her?”
Grim determination settled on Rubin’s face. “I’ll do anything necessary to keep her safe, even submit to punishment.”
Jillian shook her head. “No. You know what will happen. Mr. Peters doesn’t like that we’re together. He wants an excuse to separate us. He’ll hurt you, then kick you out. What will I do then?”
“There’s only one way to keep you safe,” Seth said. “Are you willing to do what we tell you?”
“Anything.” Rubin gathered Jillian close to his side. “We don’t care what it is. We’ll do it.”