Page 19 of Dyana (Love in the Apocalypse #3)

“You didn’t give me a fucking chance, did you?” Jack replied. “You made up your mind about what you saw and never let me explain a fucking thing. So I left you alone. I watched from a distance and waited.”

“Waited for what?”

“You. I waited for you. Because I still loved you. I never stopped loving you. And if you needed to go your own way, I was willing to wait for you, but I’m done waiting. I love you, Dyana, and I know you still love me.”

“Love me? You don’t even know me anymore,” I spat, sidestepping his claims that I loved him. I did. That wasn’t important.

“Then let me get to know you. Talk to me, Doll. I’m here.” Jack dropped to his knees. “Right here in front of you, begging you to give me a chance. Whatever you’ve done, whatever has happened to you, it won’t change my feelings for you.”

“No?” I scoffed. He was breaking my heart because I knew he truly believed what he was saying, but it wasn’t true.

What I did, who I’ve become, that person wasn’t lovable.

I didn’t deserve to be loved. “So if I told you that I was a whore for an entire police department, that wouldn’t make you look at me differently?

Or that I seduced a married preacher and then left him for dead when my past caught up with me? ”

I saw the shock in his eyes, and when he didn’t say anything, I nodded.

“That’s what I thought.”

I turned and walked away from him before he could see the tears falling from my eyes.

Past

Three weeks later, I was sleeping with two other men besides Drew and Pastor Jeff.

Complicated wasn’t even the word to describe my life at the moment.

I was having more sex now than when I was a guest of Sheriff Finley’s, but it was because I wanted to.

That’s what I told myself, anyway. Not that it wasn’t true, but it also felt a bit like a necessity.

All that mattered was that my place within this community was set in stone.

With me, the men could live out their wildest fantasies that their prim and proper wives wouldn’t dream of doing.

Ironically, despite fucking their husbands, most of the women had accepted my presence, and I had even become friendly with Marta.

We had also begun regular patrols around the property, which I was now on.

It was the only time I got any peace these days.

As I walked the well-worn path through the tall grass behind the church, I considered how long I could keep all of this going.

Eventually, I’d get caught with someone, and then the shit would hit the fan.

I would need an exit strategy, which was unfortunate because I enjoyed living here. I liked the people.

The sound of an engine reached my ears, and I looked toward the road to see a cloud of dust coming toward us. It wasn’t until the vehicle crested the hill that I saw it was a police cruiser.

A very familiar-looking police cruiser.

Fuck!

I ran back to the church and straight to Pastor Jeff’s office through the back door. He jumped to his feet when I exploded into his office.

“What’s wrong?”

“They’re here. The cops. They’re here for me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I saw them coming down the road!” Muffled screams reached us, and Pastor Jeff’s eyes widened as the blood drained from his face.

“Stay here. I’ll get rid of them. I won’t let them take you, Dyana. You’re safe here.” He left the room, and I crouched down with the door cracked and watched as everyone was ushered into the sanctuary at gunpoint by Harris and Tommy.

“What’s going on here?” Pastor Jeff asked.

“We aren’t here to hurt anyone as long as you do what you’re told,” Harris told him. “All we want is Dyana. She caused the downfall of our entire town, and it’s past time she paid for her crimes. Before you try to lie and say she isn’t here, we saw her truck out front.”

“She’s out on patrol,” Pastor Jeff replied. “But I’m afraid she won’t be going anywhere with you. She told us what you did to her. I’ll ask you to leave. This is a church and a safe haven for all who seek refuge within its walls.”

Harris and Tommy laughed. “I bet she told you a shocking story about us keeping her hostage and raping her. She chose to stay with us; she liked it, like the good little whore she is.” Harris looked around at everyone and laughed again. “I bet she’s fucking half of you.”

“She isn’t a whore,” Pastor Jeff replied angrily. “Don’t make me ask you to leave again.”

“She got you, too, huh, Preach?” Tommy chuckled. “Got hooked on that sweet pussy? I’ve been there, I get it.”

“Trust me,” Harris said, “That pussy isn’t worth a bullet in the head.”

“Just hand her over, Jeff,” Marta hissed. “Your little whore isn’t worth our lives.”

Some of the other women murmured in agreement.

“We aren’t handing Dyana over to her rapists,” Drew snarled. The other men nodded in agreement, even the ones I wasn’t sleeping with.

“Dyana!” Harris shouted. “Show yourself, or I’ll start killing people, starting with your lovers! And once the men are gone, you know what I’ll do to the women.”

This was going to get ugly. I snuck out of the office and down the hall.

When I reached the sanctuary doors, I saw that the far one was propped open.

As long as I continued crawling, they wouldn’t be able to see me through the window of the other door.

I quickly went to my room and gathered my things.

Most of the weapons were still in my truck.

That was one of the big rules I established when I came here: the weapons were stored there when not in use.

I heard a whimper from behind one of the couches and found Amber hiding there. Shit! I pressed my finger to my lips before she could talk and give us away. “Don’t move or make a sound,” I whispered. “Once I leave, so will the bad men.”

“You promised you wouldn’t go,” Amber whispered back.

“Things have changed. I don’t have a choice.”

“Then take me with you!” Amber pleaded.

“I can’t, Amber. I’m sorry. Stay here, you’ll be ok.” I turned away from her before I could change my mind. God, please let her be ok, I prayed. She was safer here than on the road with me.

I crawled back toward the sanctuary to assess the situation again before leaving. As I peeked around the door, Harris pointed his gun at Pastor Jeff’s head. Pastor Jeff, the only one facing me, met my eyes.

“Last chance, Dyana,” Harris yelled.

The plea in Pastor Jeff’s eyes was plain.

He didn’t want me to leave. He wanted me to save him.

He wanted me to trust them to protect me and keep me safe, but I couldn’t do that.

I had to do what was best for myself. I wouldn’t be captured again.

With an apologetic look, I darted past the open door to the exit and left without a sound.

As I reached my truck, I heard the gunshots start and prayed it was the group fighting back, and not the sound of their slaughter.

I sped away from the church, anxious to put as much distance between myself and Harris and Tommy as possible.

As sad as I was about what happened, I couldn’t focus on that now.

Harris and Tommy would realize I was gone soon and chase after me.

I needed to find somewhere to lie low. I also needed to find a new ride.

A new name wouldn’t be a bad idea either.