She couldn’t afford to panic. She had to protect herself.
“Who are you?” she asked, trying to stall him. “Do I know you?”
He knew her name. He seemed to be under some sort of delusion that she was going to marry him. He had to be mentally ill.
“You know me, Reagan. I’m your fiancé.”
She pulled away, surprised he actually let her go. But she guessed he didn’t think she was much of a threat. Not when he had that big ass knife.
“You don’t remember me? I suppose we were both young the last time we saw one another. You left, Reagan. That was naughty. Very naughty. You’ll have to be punished for that.” Anger filled his face. “For running from me. For fornicating outside the holy sanctity of marriage. You were supposed to be my wife. You were promised to me.”
Oh, God. This was the man her parents had wanted her to marry?
“What’s your name?”
“Abraham.”
“Abraham? Abraham Hope?” She remembered him as a scruffy kid who’d always had a runny nose and complained a lot. This is the guy her parents arranged for her to marry?
“So, you do remember?”
“There’s been a mistake. You seem to be under the false impression we’re, ahh, betrothed. We’re not. Whatever promises my parents made, I didn’t agree with them.”
“You have been led astray, but I am here to lead you back onto the path of righteousness. ‘For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Who so curseth father or mother, let him die the death’.”
God, she wished he’d quit quoting sculpture. “I’m not part of the church anymore. I’m not marrying you. You need to leave and never come back.” Maybe she could reason with him.
Yeah, because so far his behavior had been totally reasonable. She eyed the sharp knife he still held.
He raised the knife. “You come home and submit to judgment from the church, or I will send you on to meet God’s judgment.”
Yep, he was going to be really reasonable.
“How did you know where I lived?” How was she going to get away from him? Tara thought she was on her way to Dallas. Tiny had no idea she was coming; she’d wanted to surprise him. No one would notice if she went missing.
“The letter you sent your parents. It was obviously a plea to come back. To be judged, punished, and redeemed.”
Fuck. She should have known that would come back to haunt her.
Why hadn’t her parents ever come looking for her if they’d wanted her to return?
“Your parents have been sorely hurt by your betrayal. They do not wish your return. But once I show them how you have been punished, how you have repented all your sins, they will allow your return.”
So, her parents didn’t know he was here. The hurt in her stomach eased. Maybe they didn’t want her. But they hadn’t sent this crazy fucker after her, either.
“I was there when they received your letter. God obviously saw fit to place me at your parents’ house at the right time. Your father threw the letter away when he saw it was from you, but God whispered in my ear, telling me to take the letter and read it.”
Oh, hell, he had voices in his head? He really was insane.
What was she going to do?
“Where is your bedroom?”
“Why?” she asked.
“I need to cleanse you. I will take you as a man takes a wife.”
“We’re not married.”