Away From the Dark (The Light #2)(32)

“What? Wait! That’s what you mean by me being safe? No way. No f*cking way.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I fought the urge to bring attention to her insolent tone and vulgar language. “Excuse me?”

“I said no.”

Standing, I towered over her petite frame. “I’m not risking your safety. Besides, what if you’re . . .” I motioned toward her midsection.

“Then you’re going to send me away to have a new identity, like two aren’t enough? And you’re never going to see me or our baby again?”

“What the hell? Ten hours ago you were trying to call Richards. Would you have let him raise my kid?”

She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Ten hours ago I thought you were some whacked-out Light fanatic who’d kidnapped and assaulted me. And with that profile, hell yes, I wanted to get away from you.”

“Light fanatic?” I asked with a hint of amusement.

She snickered. “Besides, I’m not pregnant.”

“What? I thought you said it was too early?”

“It is, officially. I mean I don’t know. So we shouldn’t base anything off the unknown. Talk to me about what we do know.” Before I could answer, she continued, “Let me start. If I don’t go back with you, the FBI will raid all three campuses . . . today? Father Gabriel is in the big-ass mansion, which is probably one of the worst places to catch him, and if the raids aren’t perfectly timed, there’s the chance of Kool-Aid?”

I shrugged. “No confirmation on Kool-Aid.”

“If I go back, we continue to live as we did. We continue to gather evidence to bring down Father Gabriel, otherwise known as Garrison Clarkson, and The Light. And we give the FBI more time to coordinate the raids.”

“No.”

“No?”

“There’s no we. There’s me. The FBI can’t ask a civilian to enter into an investigation.”

She smiled.

At that moment, I wasn’t looking at Sara but at Stella. Though her cheek was battered, the beautiful woman before me exuded confidence. With a sexy smile, she dropped the blanket and moved closer. Pushing me back to the chair, she spread my knees apart, walked directly in front of me, and bent closer, until our noses nearly touched. With the mounds of her breasts peeking from her bra and a sultry tone, she whispered, “I don’t think it’s the FBI who’s asking me.” Her finger traced my jawline, burning my skin with her touch. “I think it’s me saying I want to do this.” Continuing her assault, she gently teased the collar of my shirt. “It’s me, volunteering to keep your mission going.” Placing her petite hands on my shoulders, she moved her lips closer to mine. “Tell me, Jacoby, do you really want to send me away?”

I am so f*cking screwed!





CHAPTER 13


Stella/Sara

Jacoby didn’t answer my question, but by the expression on his face, I knew I was winning this battle of wills. It was the power I’d learned I possessed months ago. Despite his dominance, there had been times when I had control. Now I wanted to use that power to help him and his mission. I’d told him things I knew about The Light; now I wanted to know all he knew—there were still so many questions. Nevertheless, I was confident that together we could do this. We could bring Gabriel Clarkson’s world crashing down, and I prayed we could do it without Kool-Aid or any other plan that would have catastrophic results.

I knew that Jacob and I could help each other. But there was something I needed to do first. “I want to call my parents and let them know I’m alive.”

Jacob sighed. “If you choose witness protection, they’ll help you with that.”

I stood and pulled the blanket tighter. “I don’t want witness protection. But I can’t not tell them or”—I didn’t know how Jacob would respond—“Dylan.”

His stare darkened. “It’s not up to me. You can’t.”

“It’s not up to you? You’re right. It’s up to me. I need to call. My parents probably think I’m dead. My mom could call Dina Rosemont, my friend Mindy’s mom, and then they’d have hope.”

Jacob shook his head. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but this is why witness protection is best.”

“How long would we need to be back? Days? Weeks? Months?”

“As short as possible. Just long enough for the FBI to get organized on the raids. The best possible scenario is for all three campuses to be raided at the exact same time.”

I pressed my lips together. “I don’t like it—not calling—but I understand.”

I did. Though Jacob had lied in the past, as we’d talked, I’d understood both his motivation and the reason I couldn’t call. I even believed that he’d protected me and that our collective success had been contingent upon the success of each of us.

When I brushed my lips against his, his dark eyes widened suspiciously.

I tried for my most innocent Sara expression. “What?” I sat back on the bed and faced him. “Will you tell me a few things, a few things about The Light?”

“I told you, I’d tell you anything you want to know.”

“How many of the women, wives, came to The Light like I did?”