Page 29 of Brutal Sinner
“So, you’re a liar as well as a whore.”
I blink up at him as he helps Miss. Hughes to her feet. Then he says calmly, “Miss. Hughes. Did you tell this whore her baby had gone?”
“No, sir. Of course not. I would never lie. It’s a sin.”
“But you said…”
I stare at her in disbelief and am rewarded by a sharp slap around the face courtesy of the reverend.
“How dare you cast aspersions on a fine woman’s character. Your punishment will be severe.”
He grabs the rope and drags me across the room and sits on the wooden chair, hauling me over his lap while the sullen housekeeper watches. Then he pulls my dress around my waist and delivers painful blows on my ass in front of the woman who tricked me.
“How many, Miss. Hughes.”
The reverend says calmly, and she says in a voice devoid of all emotion. “Twenty.”
As the blows rain down on me, hard and unyielding, I will not give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
I am made to count every single one and after the final one, he pushes me to the ground and says to the housekeeper.
“After our wedding, stand by with the scissors. We will cut her hair and then shave her head. She will be forced to be a devoted wife and renounce evil.”
Miss. Hughes nods and says cruelly, “It will be my pleasure to assist you, sir.”
The reverend stands and casts a cruel look in my direction and says smoothly. “Prepare her for the service. You have one hour.”
The only thing keeping me going is that I will leave this place today. In front of the entire town, I will refuse to marry this bastard and reveal the bruises he has inflicted on me. I will fall on their mercy and ask for their help because there is no way in hell I am ever setting foot inside this house again.
CHAPTER16
JONNY
I’ve watched every move the reverend makes and noted his routine. I have monitored Miss. Hughes and memorized every inch of their day.
To my knowledge, nobody knows I’m still here except for Arthur and so I’m surprised to receive an unexpected visit from an unlikely visitor just before sunrise.
A gentle knock on the door has me reaching for my gun and yet when I open it, I’m amazed to see Arthur with a nervous looking passenger in his wagon.
“Purity?” I ask and he nods, looking worried.
“I’m sorry, Jonny, she said she needed to speak with you. She discovered I was hiding you out here and demanded to come.”
“Did she now?” It makes me smile because despite appearing as if she would bend in a stiff breeze, Purity, as it turns out, has balls of steel.
“Bring her in.” I say quickly, dragging on a t-shirt out of respect for the lady. I have no problem with the cabin because my military training has taught me to keep things in an orderly fashion and so when they enter, they sit at the table that is free from anything at all.
“Coffee?” I ask, and they both nod.
“Thanks.”
I can tell Purity is nervous and is finding it difficult to look at me and so I say gently, “You wanted to tell me something.”
She nods, her eyes wide and afraid. “Please, nobody can discover I’m here.”
“Of course, but you took a chance coming at all.” I say kindly. “How did you know I was still in town?”
She peers at Arthur and whispers, “I followed Mr. Gaston. I saw him load supplies into his truck and take the road up to the mountain. I waited and saw him return in less than an hour and I knew he had a cabin up here. I figured someone was staying in it and guessed it was you.”