Soldier's Promise

“I’m going to see her anyway.” He took Metwater by the shoulders and shoved him aside. One of the muscular young men Metwater kept near him as bodyguards rushed forward, but Jake ignored him and charged into the bedroom. Carmen followed, one hand hovering over the weapon under her skirt. She didn’t want to blow her cover by drawing the gun, but Jake might not leave her any choice.

Phoenix lay on Metwater’s bed and, with her whitish hair and her face so pale, she almost blended with the sheets. As Jake reached her, the bodyguard grabbed his arm. “No!” Phoenix sat up, one arm outstretched. “Don’t hurt him, please!”

Jake’s thunderous expression softened. He sat on the edge of the bed and took Phoenix’s hand. “Hello, Mom.”

Her smile transformed her face. “Jake. What a wonderful surprise!” She cupped his face in her hands, as if needing to reassure herself he was real. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” She managed a wavering smile. “I just got too hot out there or I didn’t drink enough water or something.” She wrapped both of her hands around his. “It’s so good to see you. How did you ever find me?”

“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “I talked to a lot of people. One of your old friends from Denver mentioned you’d taken up with some millionaire turned preacher. I did some more digging and heard about this group and came out here to see if you were with them.”

“I kept meaning to write and let you know Sophie and I were okay and that you shouldn’t worry. You always were such a worrier.”

“You shouldn’t disappear that way,” Jake said. “What were you thinking?”

Phoenix licked her pale lips. “Do your grandparents know I’m here?” she asked.

“No. Not yet.”

She lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes. “Don’t tell them, please. There’s really no need for them to know.”

He looked as if he wanted to argue that point but pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Metwater moved to the other side of the bed and took Phoenix’s hand. “What are you doing here?” he asked Jake.

“I came to see my mother.”

“This is my son.” Opening her eyes, Phoenix struggled to a sitting position once more. “Jake, this is the Prophet. The man who saved my life.” She beamed at Metwater, the adoration making Carmen a little sick to her stomach. Frankly, the Prophet, for all his good looks and charm—or possibly because of them—gave her the creeps.

“You need to leave now,” Metwater said. “You’re obviously upsetting your mother.”

“Oh, no!” Phoenix protested. “We haven’t even had a chance to talk. And I’m feeling much better, I promise.” She started to get out of bed, but Metwater pushed her back against the pillows once more.

“I can feel your pulse racing,” he said. “All this excitement isn’t good for you.” He turned to Jake. “You can see your mother later. Tomorrow, after she’s had a chance to rest.”

“Or I could take her with me now,” he said. “To a doctor who can check her out. Someplace safe.”

“Jake, I don’t need a doctor,” Phoenix protested. “And why wouldn’t I be safe here? The Prophet has given me his own bed. I don’t deserve such an honor.”

“Mother, I came to take you away from here. You and Sophie.”

Carmen winced. Not the way to approach this.

Phoenix laughed. “Don’t be silly, Jake. This is my home. Our home. We’re not going anywhere.”

“That’s right,” Metwater said. He smiled and beckoned toward Sophie. “Come here, child. Don’t be shy.”

Sophie flushed and walked very slowly, head down, to the side of the bed where Metwater sat. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “You’re happy here, aren’t you?” he asked, his lips practically brushing the girl’s cheek.

She stood frozen, avoiding his eyes.

“Of course she’s happy.” Phoenix stroked her daughter’s hand. “You love it here, don’t you, dear?”

Sophie nodded, though she still didn’t look up. Carmen swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. She had to fight to keep from ordering Metwater to take his hands off the girl. The muscles bunched along Jake’s jaw as he glared at the Prophet.

Metwater met the glare with a challenging look of his own. “Your mother and sister are well cared for here,” he said. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Carmen wasn’t so sure about that. She couldn’t decide whether Daniel Metwater or Jake Lohmiller was likely to cause the most trouble.

Jake glared at Metwater. “Get your hands off my sister,” he said, and there was no mistaking the menace behind his words.

“Sophie doesn’t mind, does she?” Metwater snuggled the girl closer.

“Get your hands off her, or I’ll break them off!”

“Jake!” Phoenix grabbed his arm. “That’s no way to talk to a holy man.”

“There’s nothing holy about the way he’s holding Sophie.”

Phoenix sent her daughter a worried look. “Maybe Sophie should leave us now,” she said.

Metwater unwrapped his arms from around the girl. “You may go now, daughter,” he said.

Sophie ran from the room without looking at any of them. A moment later, the door to the motor home slammed behind her.

Phoenix turned to Jake. “Now look what you’ve done,” she said.

“What I’ve done?” Jake stood. “This charlatan has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. Can’t you see this is no place for a child? This is no place for you.”

“Enough.” Metwater clapped his hands together. “You may not come into my home and insult me this way.”

Jake took a step toward the Prophet, fists clenched. Carmen had seen enough. She moved forward and took his arm. “Come with me,” she said softly. “We’ll figure something out.”

“You’re not welcome in my home or my Family’s home,” Metwater said. “Leave, and don’t come back.”

The guard stepped forward and took Jake’s other arm. His muscles tensed beneath Carmen’s hand, but she held on, even as he shook off the guard. “I’m leaving,” he said. “But this isn’t the last you’ve seen of me.”

Chapter Three (#u6b33b1d0-f18c-5247-ae0e-d119b689371b)

Jake wrenched from Carmen’s grasp and stalked out of the room. She started after him, but Metwater’s voice stopped her. “How do you know this man?” he asked.

“I don’t,” she said. “He approached me while we were out gathering fruit. He told me he was Phoenix’s son and that he wanted to see her. Then Sophie ran up and told us her mother had collapsed.”

“It was just too much sun,” Phoenix protested. “I’m fine.” She looked to Metwater. “Jake always did have a hot temper, but he doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s a good boy. He was just worried about me, that’s all.”

Metwater kept his gaze fixed on Carmen. He had dark, piercing eyes that dared you to blink first. “I don’t want you associating with him,” he said. “He strikes me as dangerous.”