Page 76 of Gideon
“Zeke’s home is… well, in a word, quaint. It’s not a big house, but it’s nice. Very homey,” I explained as best I could.
“That sounds nice, actually,” she commented softly, looking out the window at the passing scenery. I could tell she was building up her courage for tonight. I knew she could do this, but some things had to be found out, not explained. She would see the support my family could offer her. I just hoped that it went well.
We pulled into Zeke’s driveway, pulling my truck up behind Malachi’s. I kept the key in the ignition, waiting a moment for her to take a few deep breaths.
“You ready?” I asked her again, squeezing her hand in support.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said with what I knew was feigned courage and resolve.
“Let’s do this.”
CHAPTER19
NAOMI
Zeke’s home was exactly as Gideon had described it. Homey, quaint, and filled with more love than I had ever expected. At present it was a bit of a crowded space, with all of us in attendance save Levi and Ruth. They were apparently running late.
As soon as we stepped through the door, I was greeted with loud cheers and hugs from so many people it took me a moment to get my bearings. One brother — who must be Malachi — stayed back, choosing to simply nod his head and raise his drink in my general direction as a hello. Gideon had said he was a bit gruff, and he had been right. He wasn’t rude, but definitely not someone I’d want to approach under normal circumstances.
“Welcome to the family, Naomi!” Ollie greeted me with a wide, toothy grin. The instant acceptance and kindness I felt emanating from the lot of them was a lot to take in all at once. I had nothing to compare it to, and it was a shock to my system.
“Thank you, Bartho-I mean, Ollie,” I corrected myself with a small smile. Luckily, Dalilah and Talia were there to rescue me. Even knowing that Gideon’s brothers were not like the others in Zion, it was still overwhelming to be around that many Temple men at one time.
“Naomi, how are you?” Delilah asked with an easy smile and a warm embrace. Talia stood beside her, a little more subdued, but just as polite and sweet.
“I’m doing alright, thank you,” I said gently, donning on that pristine Zion persona I had worked to perfect over the years.
“I’m sure the boys will want to talk after Gideon’s first day. Do you want to come sit in the living room while they make themselves drinks?” Talia offered. I opened my mouth to answer, but Delilah cut me off before I could speak.
“Pish! Let’s go sit at the table. The boys come home with gossip and I want to hear it,” she chuckled loudly. There was happiness about her — about both the women, really — that just struck me. This was the happiness they had? It wasn’t fake or forced in any way. I knew how to spot that a mile away.
I sort of just stood there for a moment, in awe at the bubbly and real way she was behaving. Delilah grabbed my hand, tugging me alongside Talia into the kitchen. The brothers were gathered in the kitchen, concocting drinks as they talked.
“Delilah loves the gossip from the church,” Talia explained in a whisper.
“I can’t help it. I want to contribute to this plan to get out of here, and as a woman, that’s hard to do in Zion,” she began to explain.
“I mean, I think we’re helping still,” Talia argued politely.
“Yeah, but if I can listen in to their talks as much as possible, maybe I’ll see something they don’t. We have a particular perspective on things here that the boys don’t always see.” Delilah had a good point, and I found myself nodding along with her thought process. My focus shifted to where I saw Ollie patting Gideon on the back in commiseration.
“They have this new build they want me on,” Gideon explained to his brothers.
“What kind of build?” Malachi asked, still hovering in the background, sipping a dark drink of some kind.
“That’s where things get interesting,” he sighed heavily. His gaze moved over to me. The look on his face was one of guilt and sadness, but why? I had no idea. “They’re building what looks to be a house, but it’s not a house. It’s like a cabin mixed with a barn. A lot of space and the schematics don’t make sense for a normal house.” I could feel the fear begin to curl in my stomach.
“Okay…” Ollie said slowly, working the pieces together in his mind.
“And they want to build it out in the woods,” he stated slowly, his eyes not moving from mine. Understanding flooded me like a tidal wave.
They were building another home to take girls to. But why? Was it to replace the one I had been taken to? Or was it because they had so many girls coming in they needed more room? Both thoughts sickened me, filled me with dread, and added to the terror of this awful situation. My hands balled into fists at my side as I worked to quell the rising bile in my throat.
“What’s up with all that?” Malachi asked, pointing a finger between Gideon and me. He may be quiet and a bit of a sourpuss, but he did not miss a thing. Sharp eyes, like a hawk.
“We have some things to talk to you all about, but I want to wait until Levi is here,” Gideon admitted, standing up straight again with a confidence that bolstered my own. He raised an eyebrow at me in question, and I knew what he was communicating. I offered him a small smile and nodded my head. I wasn’t backing out of this, much as I wanted to.
“Well, hopefully, they will be here soon,” Zeke offered. He seemed like a kind man.
