Page 74

Haven

It feels like time slows as Isaiah’s knife nears my neck. The ache of regret hits me first, followed by a sense of peace. Because if this is what my life is going to be—trying to claw my way out of Cornerstone’s grip but always getting dragged back—then death isn’t scary anymore. It’s a sweet mercy.

But the feeling of the knife slicing my skin doesn’t come. I open my eyes, confused.

And then everything happens at once.

Jeremiah has rushed forward, and he grabs Isaiah’s wrist just in time. The knife stops inches from throat, but I barely have time to process that fact before three gunshots sound behind me.

My ears ring as screams fill the church. Isaiah is looking past me, his face slack with shock.

It’s them. They made it in time.

Jeremiah takes advantage of the distraction and shoves his body into Isaiah’s. They both topple to the floor, and I’m knocked over in the process. I fall right at Beckham’s feet, and when I realize he’s reaching for me, I scramble away.

“Get back here, you—”

“Don’t fucking touch her,” a deep, commanding voice says.

Colton.

There’s another gunshot, and Beckham crashes to the floor. I stare in shock for a half-second until a shadow crosses over me.

“Angel.” Colton drags me to my feet.

“Colt,” I gasp.

He keeps an arm locked around my waist as he captures my mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss. His free hand comes up to cup the back of my head while I slip my arms around his neck.

The sounds of gunfire and shouting fade as he takes up all my brain space. It’s just me and him, and for the first time since Isaiah took me, I feel completely safe.

“Colt,” Lucas yells. “This is not the time.”

At that, Colton pulls back, but I grab him. I don’t know what tonight has in store for us, and I can’t risk waiting a second longer.

“I love you.” I caress his cheek. “ I love you, Colton.”

“And I love you, angel.” Leaning down, he gives me one last kiss. “Now get behind me.”

I’m still lost in a daze as I follow his command. Isaiah is on his feet again, and based on the rage in his expression, it looks like he saw the kiss. His face is smeared with blood from what looks like a broken nose, and his left eye is rapidly swelling shut. Still, he looks just as terrifying as he always does, but I’m not afraid.

Silently, Colton raises his gun. There’s no need for threats or warnings. They both know where this is headed.

Isaiah advances toward us, his glare fixed on Colton. “Only a coward would shoot an unarmed man.”

“Says the man who beats the woman he claims is his wife,” Colton spits out.

Isaiah’s face contorts with fury. “She is my wife.”

“No.” Colton nods to my left hand, where I’ve replaced Isaiah’s ring with the only one that will ever belong there. “She’s mine.”

At that, Colton squeezes the trigger. Isaiah’s head snaps back a split second later, and then his lifeless body falls on top of Beckham’s.

Relief rushes through me, but there’s no time to celebrate. The chaos around us finally breaks through our little bubble. Lucas is fighting off two men who’re trying to get to Beckham, and Jeremiah is on the floor wrestling our father.

Most people have vacated the building, but there’s another man I don’t recognize fighting off one of my dad’s friends.

Wait. No, I do know him. It’s Jeremiah’s childhood best friend, Matthew, all grown up. The boy who used to tie my shoelaces together and pull at my hair is fighting to give me a chance to escape.

“We have to go,” Colton tells me. “I’m not giving them another chance to take you away from me.”

“No—no. You have to help him, Colton. Please help my brother.”

He follows my gaze to where Jeremiah and Dad are still on the floor. It looks like Hezekiah is slowly gaining the upper hand, and I can’t let my brother die for me. He has too much to live for.

Colton swears, shoving his gun into my hand. “There’s already a bullet in the chamber. If you need to use it, just aim and shoot.”

He yanks my father off Jeremiah and throws him into a pew. Before Dad can get up, Colton kicks his ribcage hard, and I hear a crack that sends a shiver through me.

Jeremiah jumps to his feet and bolts to Naomi, who’s paralyzed with her back against the wall. Matthew reaches her at the same time.

My brother shoves Naomi into Matthew’s arms. “Get her out of here. Take the side door, hide in the bushes behind the parsonage. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Naomi cries, but Matthew is already dragging her away. “No—no! Jeremiah! Miah, please!”

But my brother is already sprinting toward Lucas, who’s taken down the two men he was fighting only for three more to replace them. That’s the thing about Cornerstone—the men will protect this place no matter what.

Colton follows Jeremiah, thank god. I don’t want him getting hurt because of me. I don’t want any of them getting hurt because of me.

Frantically, I scan the sanctuary for any of my siblings, but it looks like Mom got them out of here already. It’s down to the men who’re brave enough to stay to defend the church. Most of them are unarmed and preoccupied, but I realize one is making a beeline for me.

Oh, shit.

It’s Elijah, Cornerstone’s head doctor. He mentored Isaiah during the first year of our marriage, and of course, Elijah blamed me for every single thing that went wrong.

“You.” He stalks toward me. “Your sin has brought God’s wrath down on us all.”

Stumbling back, I shake my head. “N-no. That’s not true.”

“It is,” he shouts. He stoops down next to my father and pulls his jacket back to reveal a holstered gun.

My heart is in my throat as Elijah takes the weapon and stands. As he aims it at me, I raise Colton’s gun and point it at his chest.

“You don’t have the guts,” Elijah sneers. “You women are too soft.”

Elijah’s body jerks just as his gun goes off, a split second before I shoot him. His bullet goes wide, narrowly missing me. He drops to his knees with a pained grunt, and I realize he has two bullet holes in his body—one in his chest from me, and one in his arm.

It takes me a moment to realize what just happened. Someone else must’ve shot Elijah right before we both pulled the trigger. There were… how many gunshots were there? Three, I think? There had to have been three.

I whirl around, trying to figure out who else shot him, and my gaze lands on Wes. My jaw drops as I do a double-take. What the hell is he doing here?

His chest is heaving, and he’s looking at me with a mixture of emotions on his face. Horror because I’m pretty sure I almost just died. Relief because I didn’t—thanks of him.

“Don’t hesitate next time,” he calls before whipping around to help Kellan.

Kellan. Is Cal here, too?

Before I can figure that out, I’m swept up by two muscular arms and crushed into a hard chest. My body instantly recognizes it, and I let out a sob of relief.

“Luc!”

His lips pass over mine for the briefest of seconds before he grabs my right wrist and secures a handcuff to it. The other one is already around his left wrist, so when I tug my hand away, it only brings us closer together.

“Lucas, what—”

“If they take you, they’re taking me, too. I’m not leaving you here alone again.”

“Luc, go,” Colton yells from across the room. Him and Jeremiah are still fighting a man with a knife, and more are closing in on them. “Xander, now!”

As Lucas drags me toward the side exit, Xander bursts into the church with a few other men who’re dressed head-to-toe in black. He grins at me as they all start dumping gasoline onto the floors and splashing it on the walls. The smell is so potent I have to cough.

Xander’s voice echoes off the high ceilings as he shouts, “Either get out or burn.” He’s holding up a lighter in one hand, and the other is clutching a half-empty gas can.

Right before Lucas pulls me outside, I catch a glimpse of the remaining Cornerstone men retreating toward the front. It gives everyone else the chance they need to dash toward the exit Lucas and I just came through.

Colton and Jeremiah are first, and then Wes, Kellan, and Cal, followed by the other men with the gas cans. Xander is last, and he heads straight for me.

“Haven,” he breathes out, the relief so potent in the way he says my name that I feel it deep in my chest.

His hands frame my face as he kisses me hard and deep. The smell of gasoline masks his normal smoke and leather scent, but I couldn’t care less. I slip my free arm around his neck and move my lips against his.

He’s here. They’re here. I’m safe again.

“Xander,” Colton says impatiently.

Pulling back, Xander shoots him a playful glare. “What? You got to kiss her in the middle of all the chaos back there. This is only fair.”

Colton keeps his mouth shut, which is probably a good thing. He knows he has no grounds to stand on.

Xander flicks the lighter open and hands it to me. “The honor is yours, doll.”

The flame is so small, and it feels strange that I’m about to destroy a place I spent so much time in when I was younger. But this needs to be done. Cornerstone’s church is a house of pain, not a house of God.

I drop the lighter so it falls on the trail of gasoline he made. It lights up instantly, and Lucas yanks me back.

“Let’s go,” Colton says, voice hard and low.

We all follow his lead as he rushes toward the parsonage.

“Where are we going?” I ask. “The gate—”

“There’s a tunnel,” Xander explains. “It’s the safest way out.”

If that’s news to Jeremiah, he doesn’t act surprised. Although maybe he didn’t hear. He’s peering up ahead, and when he spots movement, he bursts into a full-on run. Naomi tumbles out of the bushes behind the parsonage, followed by Matthew.

“Miah,” Naomi gasps as she flings herself into Jeremiah’s arms. She buries her face in his neck while he locks her in a tight embrace.

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “I’m okay.”

I don’t miss the pain on Matthew’s face as he stands off to the side, watching them together. He has blood on his shirt, but otherwise, he looks all right.

“We can help you,” I blurt to all of them. “You can leave with us, and we can help you build a life in the real world. Jeremiah, please—”

He shakes his head sadly. “I can’t.”

“But—”

“No, Heaven.” Still holding onto Naomi, he takes my hand and squeezes. “You left, so I have to stay.”

“What… what are you talking about?”

“I don’t hold it against you,” he says softly. “Leaving was the only way you could escape Isaiah. But… one of us had to stay. Thomas and Esther and Hannah, and now the twins—they need someone to protect them. I have to be that person.”

“You…” I lose my breath at the gentle understanding in his eyes. “You were going to leave?”

He nods. “The moment I turned eighteen. But when you disappeared, I changed my mind. You did your best to undo so much of the damage Mom and Dad caused us. I thought if I left, you could continue to protect our siblings, but you beat me to it.”

Oh my god. I had no idea he wanted to leave. He was so head over heels for Naomi that the thought never even crossed my mind.

Jeremiah gives me a watery smile. “Once you were gone, I realized I had to stay. Someone has to look out for the kids.”

Guilt washes over me, the force of it so strong that my knees go weak. Lucas is there, holding me up while Jeremiah releases Naomi. He takes both of my hands and gives me a reassuring smile.

“You did the right thing, Heaven,” he says. “You had to leave. He would’ve killed you, even if he’d left your body alive.”

“But—but you—”

“Shh.” He pulls me into a firm hug. “You have to go.”

“Jeremiah,” I sob.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I love you, Ven. We all do.”

Lucas gently tugs me away. Immediately, Naomi has me wrapped up in one last hug. Even Matthew gives me one before Lucas leads me toward the back steps of the parsonage.

Colton hands Jeremiah a piece of paper. “For when you’re ready.”

Slipping it into his pocket, Jeremiah nods. “Thank you. Now get her out of here.” He nods to me. “I’ll see you again, Heaven.”

“Promise me.” I pull Lucas to a stop when he doesn’t answer. “Jeremiah, promise me.”

His smile is pained. “I promise.”

“Let’s go, little fawn,” Lucas says. He tugs me up the stairs.

I stop on the top step, looking back one last time at the black smoke billowing from the church, such a sharp contrast to the blue springtime sky.

It’s over. No one will chase me—not after this.

I’m finally free from Cornerstone’s suffocating grip.