Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            “She had to pee,” Graham said, somehow hiding his contempt for the woman who’d brought them here. “Because she’s pregnant. I’m dumping the pot, because it’s my job.” He darted into the toilet area, returning with the pot, full and foul. “Do you need to pee in it, Mother?”

            Hayley gagged. “Graham. Oh my God, that reeks.” Then her head snapped back as her mother slapped her. Hard.

            “His name is Achan. Your name is Magdalena. You will be respectful, and you will follow the rules. Do you understand?”

            Hayley worked her jaw, tasting blood. “Fuck you,” she spat, suddenly not caring who heard.

            Her mother gasped, and Graham winced. “She’s hormonal,” he said. “It’s not her fault.”

            “It most certainly is her fault. She had relations with a man who is not her husband. Whatever happens to her is her fault.”

            Hayley clenched her fists. “Why, you smarmy little bi—”

            “Mother,” Graham interrupted, taking a step closer to their mother, holding the pot up so that the old bitch took a giant step back. “Let my sister go to bed. She’s tired and scared. You had both of us in a hospital, didn’t you? You had an epidural and a real doctor. She won’t, and she’s scared. You would have been, too, don’t you think?”

            “No. I was fine, and she will be, too. Unless God’s will is otherwise.”

            Hayley took a step back of her own, partly to get away from the pot Graham held and partly so that she wouldn’t drop her mother to the cave floor with an uppercut. Cameron had taught her how as part of her self-defense lessons. Fat lot of good those had done her, because she couldn’t defend herself now. And if she couldn’t defend herself, how could she defend their baby?

            Longing for Cameron and a bone-deep sorrow hit her hard. She missed Cameron’s mother. The woman had been a true mother to her. Not like the evil sack of shit that was trying to scare her by insinuating it might not be God’s will for her or her baby to survive. “I’m going back to bed,” she said, teeth clenched.

            “I’ll walk you there,” her mother said silkily, taking her arm and digging her fingers into Hayley’s flesh.

            Hayley struggled, but her mother was strong. “Mom, you’re hurting me. Don’t—”

            Hayley’s protest was suddenly cut off by her mother’s scream, the bitch’s grip abruptly disappearing. Hayley caught Graham’s small wink and bit back her grin. Graham had sloshed some of the contents of the pot onto his mother’s feet, and it was soaking into her shoes.

            “Oh, Mother. I am so sorry,” Graham said.

            “You did that on purpose!” she screeched.

            Murmurs arose from the curtained-off rooms.

            “Good job, Mom,” Hayley snapped. “You’ve woken everyone. I’m going back to bed.”

            She turned on her heel and headed back for the cubicle she shared with Joshua’s other wives. And ran right into Brother Joshua himself. He gripped her arms, steadying her before she could fall. His grip wasn’t punishing, like her mother’s had been, but she winced.

            “What is the meaning of this?” he growled.

            Sister Rebecca, the baby-stealer, sidled up beside him. “She’s a troublemaker.”

            “Her mother slapped her,” a calm voice said, and Hayley wanted to sag in relief. Sister Tamar had rescued her once again. “She slapped her, then grabbed her arm. She probably has bruises.”

            Joshua frowned. “Is this true?”

            Hayley started to answer but caught Tamar’s shake of the head. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that the question had been addressed to Graham. Who still held the damn pot of piss.

            “Yes, sir,” Graham said respectfully, and Hayley had the urge to giggle. His tone was so respectful. Only Hayley knew that he was laying it on with a trowel.

            Joshua let Hayley go. “Go back to bed,” he said with surprising gentleness. “I’ll deal with your mother.”