Page 55 of Moonlight Feels Right
Kaia had mentioned Ben had gone through some rough stuff in LA, but she hadn't elaborated, and Ben didn't seem interested in going into more detail.
"Hunter, my dinosaur broke, can you fix it?" Olivia interrupted as she came over with a dinosaur made of blocks, two of which seemed stuck together, making the dinosaur lopsided and unable to stand upright.
"Let me look," Hunter said.
She smiled to herself as he worked on the dinosaur with the same intensity he seemed to bring to every part of his life. He was the kind of man who wanted to do everything well. When he'd fixed the dinosaur, he got up and walked with Olivia to where Henry was playing while Paige excused herself, having gotten a phone call.
"And then there were two," Ben said lightly, clinking his glass to hers. "I actually wanted to speak to you, Emmalyn. I saw a guy outside your apartment earlier today. I asked him what he was doing there, and he said he was looking for you."
Her body stiffened. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I told him I didn't know who you were."
"What did he look like?"
"Older, fifties probably, gray hair, weathered skin. He had a lean, rough look to him. Does that ring a bell?"
"Unfortunately, it does," she murmured, her gut clenching at the thought of Jeremy coming to her home.
"Are you in trouble, Emmalyn?" he asked, his gaze direct and pointed.
"I shouldn't be, but maybe."
"You don't have to tell me, but I'd be happy to help if I can."
Since they were currently alone at the table, she gave him the short version. "My mother recently left a very controlling group of people…a cult, you might say. One of the men saw me taking her away, and I think Jeremy probably tracked me down because he wants to find her.
Ben had a neutral expression on his face, not reacting at all to the emotional part of her statement. Instead, he said, "Does this cult have a name?"
"They go by Haven. The group lives on a farm in a remote area in the hills of north San Diego."
"And what's Jeremy's last name?"
She thought for a moment. "I think it's Warren, but I'm not sure that's his real name. The group has been living off the grid for years. The leader calls himself Elias Ray, but again, I don't know if that's his given name."
"Do you know if they're involved in any illegal activities?"
"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were. The men often disappear for days at a time. Who knows where they go." She paused. "I left the group when I was twelve, but my mother stayed until last weekend." She drew in a breath and added, "And no one here knows anything about that, so…"
"Don't worry. I won't say anything. But I'm concerned about this man tracking you down."
"I guess I wasn't that hard to find."
"Would your mom be willing to talk to me about them? If they are involved in criminal activity, I might be able to use that to make sure this man doesn't bother either of you again."
"She's fragile right now. It was hard for her to leave. I'm still afraid she might go back. I don't think she'll tell you anything about them, and I don't really want to ask her. I need to handle this myself."
"I'll do a little research on the group. In the meantime, I would keep your door locked and be very aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Do you have my number?"
"I have it from the group chat."
"Good. If this guy bothers you in any way, call 911, then call me."
At his words, a chill ran down her spine. She didn't want a confrontation with Jeremy, but Ben was right; she needed to be ready. Jeremy probably would return. "I'll do that if he shows up again. And I appreciate your help."
"I'll see what I can find."
Hunter came back to the table, giving her a questioning look as he took in the seriousness of their expressions. "Everything okay?"
