Final Touch by Brandilyn Collins Read Free Book Online Page A

would anyone ever find us then?
    “Tell me about this community you want to start.” I forced the name onto my tongue. “Joshua.”
    He scowled at the road. “This country is falling into evil. Drugs, sex. People killing each other.” He threw me a disgusted look. “Rock music.”
    My fingers curled into my palms until the nails bit into skin. How dare he sneer at my mom and dad, and the members of Rayne. Not one of them would ever think of doing what he’d done to me.
    My anger felt good. Gave me courage.
    “What’s wrong with rock music?”
    “It’s full of sin and degradation. Bunch a loud noise and violent lyrics—”
    “Rayne’s lyrics are never violent.”
    “Full of sex—”
    “They’re not full of that either.”
    He turned his head and glared demon eyes at me. Inside I recoiled, but I forced myself to stare back at him. You want to hit me, fine. But don’t you talk about my parents.
    “There’s still a lot of sass in you.” His tongue poked beneath his upper lip. He turned back to view the road. “No matter.” He said the words almost to himself. Low. Menacing. “I’ll rid you of it soon enough.”
    Fresh panic spun through me. What would he do to me?
    For a wild moment I wanted to be back in the trunk of a car. At least there I wasn’t near him. At least there I could fight, scream when I wanted to scream. Now every emotion had to be pushed down deep inside me. Because I knew if I let it out now, I’d never get it back in. I’d attack him right here, driving or not. Hit and slap and scratch his eyes out.
    Sweat slicked the back of my T-shirt. I clenched my jaw, breathed in, breathed out. I could not lose it here. I had to stay one step ahead of him.
    I swallowed hard. “I asked you about the community. What’s it going to be like?”
    “It’ll be people who want to serve God the right way. Women dressed modestly. Everyone in church every day.”
    “What church?”
    He made a sound in his throat, as if I’d asked a stupid question. “ My church.”
    “You’re a pastor?”
    “I’m a prophet.”
    Joshua the prophet. Oh, yeah, this guy’s head was on straight.
    I was trapped by a madman.
    “How will we live?”
    “Off the land. We’ll farm, raise cattle. Sell our goods to people in town.”
    The last word made my heart leap. “What town?”
    “You’ll know soon enough.”
    “How far away from the cabin is it?”
    He smiled. It was the most evil expression I’d ever seen. “Far enough that you can’t run to it.”
    Just watch me. He had no idea what I’d do to get back to my family.
    I gazed at the freeway eaten up by the Explorer’s wheels. Every mile took me farther away.
    I could see fine out of my right eye. But my left had only half the vision. Cautiously I touched the area with my fingertips. It still felt swollen. Tender.
    My hand slid away. Woodenly, I stared out the windshield. The world looked black and vast. Like it would swallow me whole.
    “You know how to sew?” Joshua asked.
    “No.”
    He grunted. “You’ll learn.”
    I’d never threaded a needle in my life.
    My thoughts turned to Mom. What was she doing right now? She wouldn’t be sleeping. She had to be going crazy with worry. Dad too. Had they stayed at Ed Schering’s mansion? Did anyone have any idea what had happened to me?
    Be strong, Mom and Dad. If you are, I will be too.

14
    N early three o’clock in the morning. I’d been kidnapped eleven hours ago. Eleven hours. It seemed like forever.
    I still couldn’t believe this was real.
    In the front passenger seat, I shifted uncomfortably. My body felt cramped and torn. I needed to go to the bathroom again.
    The freeway stretched on and on, never ending.
    Fifteen minutes later I saw a sign for a highway exit. Joshua slowed and turned off the freeway.
    I tensed. “Where are we going?”
    “Takin’ a back road to a cabin.”
    Every muscle stilled. Driving had been bad enough. But stopping…“Why?”
    “I got to get some rest.”
    Was he