Page 79 of Gideon
“Do you remember who took you?” Levi asked me. I turned to look at Gideon, knowing this would be the singular hardest moment of this entire conversation.
“I do. I know exactly who took me that day in the trees,” I began, holding onto Gideon’s hand like a lifeline. Each of them, every person gathered, looked at me with anticipation. “Titus Temple,” I admitted, my voice strong and sure. I watched as each of the brothers’ faces fell. Almost as quickly, each of their eyes narrowed, showing the anger they each felt towards their father.
“I think deep down I knew it somehow,” Ollie admitted, the first to speak after my weighty admission.
“Same,” Malachi joined in.
“Are you okay?” Talia asked me quietly.
“No,” I laughed. “Nothing is okay about any of this. But I think, for the first time in my life, I feel like things could be.” My words were heard by everyone. Gideon pulled me to his side, wrapping an arm around me.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s over now. You’ve told your story.”
His words sunk in, and I felt a weight lift off of me. I had done it. I had told them my story and survived.
“I have some questions for you, Naomi, but I’ll leave them for later. First, we need to discuss the chat I had with Father today,” Levi stated firmly. “Father pulled me aside after work today, which is what kept me from being here on time.”
“What did the fucker want this time?” Malachi scoffed.
“He wants me to begin working with him more full time. There is a shipment coming in soon and he wants me to be a part of it,” Levi explained. An air of even deeper foreboding settled over the household at his words.
“And we’re all on the same page that a shipment means…” Ollie trailed off, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
“Girls. Young girls,” I answered through the bile stinging my throat.
“Christ, this place is utter hell,” Malachi grumbled, downing the last of his drink before walking back to the kitchen to make another.
“Pour me one?” I asked, earning looks from each of the brothers.
“What?” I asked.
“Youarea spicy one, aren’t you, Naomi?” Malachi chuckled.
“No spicier than all of you, from what I hear,” I sassed, earning chuckles from around the room.
“If we’re going to actually succeed in making a difference here, in bringing all of this down,” Levi began, turning the conversation somber once more. “We’re going to need some real proof. Zeke, can you try to search the financials for anything tied to this shipment? It’ll come sometime soon, so keep your eyes peeled.”
“Of course,” Zeke agreed readily.
“And Gideon, try to find out where they plan to build this new structure. If they are moving the girls there, we will need all the evidence we can get,” Levi continued.
“Of course. One thing I have been wondering is if this new build is to replace the cabin the girls were taken to, or if it’s an addition,” he explained, mirroring almost my exact thoughts from earlier.
“Oh fuck,” Ollie grumbled, realization hitting him. “If they need two buildings, how many girls are they fucking kidnapping?”
“Can we just fucking leave this place already?” Malachi groaned from the kitchen. He walked back to the table, sliding a glass towards me before taking his seat again.
“Not before we stop these fuckers from taking anyone else,” I urged.
“She’s got a mouth on her, doesn’t she?” Malachi smirked, taking another sip.
“Just the way I like her,” Gideon admitted, turning to me and wagging his eyebrows suggestively. I bumped his shoulder with mine, rolling my eyes at him.
“I thought you liked me tied up like a Christmas turkey?” I teased him.
“Oh, Idolike her,” Malachi chuckled. I shot him a smirk in return.
“We need more time. Malachi, have you talked to Mother and Father yet about your own marriage?” Levi turned the conversation over to the last unwed brother.
