Rogan, Lachlan, and I sat at Rogan's coffee table in his nook.

"What's the delay, Cutlass? Why haven't you moved on the Caldwell compound?"

"Lack of evidence. No witnesses willing to testify. Those women are fiercely loyal, and the exiled ones rarely press charges. We believe after Jeters went to prison, he created an edict that no one under eighteen could marry, making child abuse harder to prove. If Tessa testifies, it will help, but we need real dirt on him to have a solid case."

Lachlan and Rogan stared at each other.

"Tell me what you got." Lachlan broke the staring contest.

"How do you know I got anything?"

"Your woman's in danger, you're not gonna let that shit lie."

"You serve?" Rogan asked him.

Lachlan nodded. "Marines. Former SEAL."

Rogan's eyebrows rose. "Huh. Really. And the bureau has you pounding the pavement in Boston, following college girls around?"

"Not your concern."

"Why don't you work counterterrorism for the FBI?"

"I have obligations. I prefer to keep my feet on native soil."

"Are you married?" I asked Lachlan.

"No."

"Why were you lookin' into me?" Rogan asked Lachlan.

"Made it clear to the Monroes I was investigating their business dealings."

"Not cool moving in on Tess to get to my boss."

"Wait a minute. Did you take me to Miss Saigon to get me talking about Rogan?"

"Sorry, Tessa. It's my job. Came to like you though as I got to know you. That was genuine."

I crossed my arms and scowled at him.

"Anyway. I know you're active Delta Force," Lachlan said to Rogan.

Rogan's eyes widened. He looked at me then back at Lachlan. "Then you'd know you shouldn't be talking about the unit in front of Tess."

"If she's gonna stand by your side, she should know you're with the unit."

"It's my decision to let her in on that, not yours."

"I know about the unit, Lachlan. He told me," I said.

Lachlan ignored me and spoke to Rogan. "As a unit operative, you must have connections I don't. What did you find on Barebones?"

"Make you a deal," Rogan replied. "I'll give you evidence to lock your case tight, you back off looking into me and my unit."

"Agreed," Lachlan answered.

"You call your dogs off Dallas and Brock," Rogan pushed.

"Not gonna happen." Lachlan shook his head. "I'll give you a bye because all's fair in wartime, but the Monroe brothers murder for blood and money. Not giving up the hunt on them."

They stared at each other waiting to see who'd cave first.

"Alright," Rogan said. "I found deposits of large sums of money into Barebones' accounts that correspond with the dates women leave with sponsors."

"What do you think's going on?" Lachlan asked. "'Cuz I got my own theories."

"You go first," Rogan said.

"I think they're collecting money, holding the girls ransom if they want to leave. Figure if they want to leave, there must be someone they're leaving for, so they contact 'em and demand money for her safe release. You thinking the same?"

"Yep."

"If we can get them on kidnapping and extortion, tax evasion and fraud, we've got a strong racketeering case on top of any rape we can prove. We could take the whole place down and put a lot of those creeps away for a long ass time," Lachlan said.

Rogan nodded and aimed his intense gaze on Lachlan. "If you nail 'em for murder, could get them life sentences."

I gasped. "Murder?"

"Spill, Saxton," Lachlan said.

"Jeb Barebones took over and claimed himself the true prophet after Yoder Burkholder died six years ago."

"Know that. He died in a fire," Lachlan replied.

"Our horses Traveler and Orion almost died in that fire," I said. "I rescued them just in time."

"We'd need proof Jeb started the fire," Lachlan said.

"Give me some time alone with the man, I'll get you a confession."

Oh boy, I wouldn't want to be on the other side of an interrogation by Rogan.

"We can't do that. It has to stand up," Lachlan replied.

"Okay. We'll play clean. You get his computer, you'll find he purchased kerosene two days before the fire. They don't need kerosene on that compound. They have electricity and all their equipment is gasoline powered."

"And…"

"You'll find emails with him ordering his boys to bring Yoder to the barn that night. I can get them for you now, but you'll have to have your men work on legit recovery."

"I'll get on it. But still all circumstantial."

"You get your team to lean on those pussies that helped him. They'll turn fast. They got no loyalty to Jeb Barebones, only their own asses. Tess thinks Zook Guthrie will turncoat for you."

Lachlan looked at me and I nodded.

"You're gonna need a forensics team and some digging equipment. Could be bodies buried on the property. Who knows how many Jeb has taken out to get where he is."

"Of course, Saxton, I know how to conduct an investigation," Lachlan answered.

"Then get on your fucking phone and call it in."

"We need your help," Lachlan said to me. "You'll go in wearing a wire and tell your dad you want to leave—"

"No." Rogan's stern voice interrupted Lachlan's plan.

"No?"

"She does not go in alone. No fucking way."

"It's okay, Rogan." My voice came out calm, but my heart rate was skyrocketing.

"You will not face Jeb Barebones alone."

"Come with me," I asked him.

"We can't do that," Lachlan said, shaking his head. "He's not on this case. We'll have the entire compound cased out. Saxton will be outside watching on monitors."

Rogan’s fists slammed on the table. "I gave you the evidence you need."

"It's all weak without his confession."

Rogan stood and marched out the door, slamming it behind him.

"He's considering it. Give him a minute," I said to Lachlan.

He returned to the table five minutes later.

"Go ahead. Make sure she's never in danger." Rogan's voice rasped with authority no sane person would dare challenge. "If she gets so much as a scratch, it's on you."

"Understood."

***

"Can we stop and get a sewing machine?" I asked Rogan as we drove home in his truck.

"We could. Why?"

"I need to make a dress. If I arrive at my father's in secular clothes, it'll anger him right off the bat. I have to return as the old me."

Rogan pulled over and looked up a sewing supply store on his phone. We went there, and I picked out four yards of champagne pink fabric and one yard of white eyelet cotton. Rogan walked past me carrying a high-end sewing machine with a computer and embroidery features. The price said fifteen hundred dollars. He placed it on the register next to my fabric and notions.

"I don't need an expensive machine. This might be the last dress I sew."

"Then you're getting this machine for your last dress."

He loaded the machine in the truck, and we drove home.

***

"Where's this tunnel you were talking about?" he asked and pointed to the screen of his laptop. I stopped working on my dress and peeked over his shoulder at the aerial photo of the compound. A bike lay on the ground and a twinge of homesickness pricked my heart. Then I saw the guard standing at the front gate and bile rose in my throat.

"It lets out here." I pointed to the door the kids all rumored to house a secret tunnel. "I'm not sure where the entrance inside the compound is."

"How were you going to use this tunnel to escape if you didn't know how to get in?"

"I planned to explore it from the outside. But it's dark and scary."

"Are there any rooms in the church you've never been granted access to?"

"There's a private men's room back here." I pointed to the screen.

"Do me a favor. Don't tell Cutlass and his team about the tunnel."

"Why?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Just promise me."

"Okay." I agreed but talking about the tunnel and keeping secrets from Lachlan made me nervous.

He stood and held my face in his palms. Their reassuring warmth coursed through my tense muscles. "We'll get through this. We'll get the kids out of there. And then we'll move on together. After we get them new names."