Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            Hayley returned her attention to the old woman, who’d lifted her chin.

            “Will you hit me, too, Joshua?” she demanded. “Your own mother?”

            Oh. Wow.

            “Step down, woman,” Joshua said quietly. “I don’t want to have you removed.”

            “And you would, wouldn’t you?” The woman turned to her fellow Edenites. “I saw the computer in Sister Coleen’s office two moves ago. I wasn’t sure what it was. Or, I knew what it was and didn’t want to admit it to myself.”

            Joshua looked like she’d slapped him. “You didn’t tell me.”

            “I was being a good member of the flock. But this—” She pointed to Graham. “You would have killed him, Joshua. His sentence is Pastor’s job. He would have cast him out and let the wolves take care of him. You’re wresting control because he is not here, and your father and I didn’t raise you to do that.”

            Hayley shook her head, unable to believe this. The woman wasn’t upset because Graham was right but because her son was usurping Pastor’s authority.

            “This boy did not bring a computer into Eden,” the old woman continued. “Now, I’m not going to question Pastor. He must believe that we need this machine.”

            “Well, then,” Graham said, still on the floor, his words slurred but his disgust still clear. “He’ll be really angry when he comes back. Mr. Genius here broke the solar panels. Nothing works without a power source.”

            Oh no. Oh God. That was it, then. They were fucked. She looked to Graham, who held up one finger, then shrugged.

            One e-mail? she mouthed.

            Cameron, he mouthed back.

            The murmurs had resumed and it seemed that the entire group took a giant step back, distancing themselves from Joshua.

            “I didn’t know the solar . . . things were his,” Joshua said, sounding like a petulant child.

            “I’m sure he’ll understand that,” his mother said. “But he won’t if you usurp his authority. Put the boy in the box for now, Joshua. Get him out of your sight and cool your mind. Then, once Pastor returns, he can choose the boy’s fate.”

            “Cast out,” the group said, almost as one.

            Hayley shuddered, because it was damn eerie. And then she gasped when the first real contraction gripped her, stealing her breath with its strength. Shit.

            “Now look what you’ve done,” Rebecca spat. “She’s gone into labor. Go. Everyone go!”




SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

            TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1:30 P.M.

            I need to get out of here. DJ had been pacing in Coleen’s bedroom for hours, watching the news with mounting dread. The Feds now had his photo on every network, and for a brief time he’d been trending on Twitter. They even knew he was now bald.

            At least they didn’t know he was here. They didn’t know anything about this place. So he was safe. For now.

            But Gideon and Mercy had won. For now.

            He’d retreat. For now. But he wasn’t leaving here without Pastor—or at least Pastor’s cash. He’d find his sunny island and pay someone else to take care of Gideon and Mercy. It wouldn’t be as satisfying as putting a bullet in their heads himself, but the job would get done.

            He consolidated the bags he’d brought with him, adding the fake license plates and magnetic signs to the weapons bag. The laptop didn’t fit, but it didn’t matter. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to ditch a laptop. He’d bought a model with a removable hard drive for just this reason. He popped the drive and tossed it into the duffel.

            He’d turned for the door when it opened, and Coleen entered the room. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it. And said nothing, simply watching him.

            New dread coiled in DJ’s gut. “Where is he?”

            “Back in the solarium after his nap.”

            “What did he do while he was there?”