Page 128 of Forgive Me Father

"She was at your house this morning at 2 a.m.," I whisper, my eyes locking with Aiden’s. "Her phone hasn’t been on since, and my Glock is missing."

Setting down his cereal bowl, Aiden’s face hardens, all traces of playfulness erased.

“Why the hell would she go there?” Aiden’s voice trembles with unease.

“I don’t fucking know,” I growl, pulling on a hoodie and securing one of my pocket knives into my waistband. “But I’m not about to sit around and wait for answers.”

I wrench open the front door, my breath catching at the sight of the visitor.

Echo stands there, his hand poised to knock, a large coffee in the other. Despite the years, his golden brown hair and rich dark eyes remain unchanged, though a deep scar runs like a river down his cheek—his only flaw.

“Jesus, if you were this excited to see me, I might have put on some ChapStick and given you a kiss—”

“Get the fuck out of my way, Echo,” I snap, shoving past my old friend with a raw edge of desperation.

Echo’s grip tightens on my arm, his eyes flashing with concern. “You and your girl are the ones who called me out here, Roman—”

“She’s gone,” I bite out, my tone hard as steel. “The last place she was is the last place she needs to be. Move aside, or I’ll break your arm.”

Aiden’s voice cuts through the tension. “Roman, it’s my dad,” He says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I whip around to see David’s name lighting up Aiden’s phone screen, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Give that to me!” I bark, snatching the phone from Aiden’s hand.

“David—”

“Put me on speaker, Roman. I’m assuming my son is there if you have his phone.”

With a reluctant swipe, I hit the speaker button, allowing Echo to step inside, his presence a grim shadow in the doorway.

“Am I on speaker?” David’s voice crackles through the line.

“Where the hell is she, David—”

“Watch your tone with me, Roman. I’d hate for anyone to get hurt because of your disrespect.”

A piercing scream rends the air, Eden’s cries distorted by muffling, her anguish slashing through me like a blade. My heart constricts with every sob, the raw pain palpable even through the phone.

“Eden—”

“Ready to listen?” David’s voice is cold, detached, as Eden’s sobs recede into the background.

“David, if you lay another hand on her—”

“You’ll what?” His voice is a sneer, untroubled.

Echo, ever the professional, records the conversation, his gaze steely and focused.

“Here’s the deal, Roman,” David’s voice purrs. “We play this game by my rules. You cooperate, and everyone gets what they want.”

“What do you need from me?” My voice is a taut wire, every word laced with desperation.

My sole focus is keeping Eden alive, no matter the cost.

“What I need you to do is quite simple. Attend the bidding. Swear your oath to the church. Vow to keep its secrets buried deep, and then find your way out of Idlewood. Only when you leave town will Eden be free from the confines in which I’ve ensnared her.”

I slam the mute button on the screen, my gaze snapping to Echo.