Cassidy stepped outside with David, the cool evening air instantly chilling her arms.

“You’re cold,” he said.

“No. It feels good.”

“I can get you a jacket.”

“No, really. I’d just like to see the garden and get back.” Again with that smile locked onto her face. She swore, if she ever got out of this place she’d never smile again. They walked in silence past the other dormitories and his residence.

Would he kiss her? The thought was sobering, the idea of his hands on her body akin to being covered with spiders, and she shook her head to clear the image.

“I’ve enjoyed having you here at The Community,” he said.

“As I’ve enjoyed being here.”

“Not just as a member of the group, Cassidy. I’ve enjoyed having you here as a man enjoys having a beautiful woman nearby.”

His hand touched hers and she pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest as she walked.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Doormat. Be a doormat, Cassidy!

She clenched her teeth to keep from telling him off. She’d been flabbergasted when he showed up at her dorm after dinner, asking for this walk after she’d specifically told him she didn’t want to walk with him. But several women were standing nearby and she suspected it was wiser to go with him than to challenge him in front of their audience.

Now they were alone, some five hundred feet from the nearest building, and she used her best diplomatic voice, the one she reserved for her father’s cocktail parties and the drunken old politicians who’d stare at her cleavage.

“I told you I didn’t want to walk this evening,” she said quietly. “But you came for me anyway. You put me in a difficult position.”

“I told you at dinner I would be by to collect you. It shouldn’t have been a surprise.”

“You ignored my wishes.”

“I wanted to spend time with you.”

She sighed heavily. “Where are the gardens you wanted to show me?”

“Just ahead. Near the fence over there.”

Cassidy couldn’t even make out a fence in the near darkness. She’d never been to this area of the ranch and it struck her that if she wanted to find Julianne, she needed to cover more territory than the dormitories, fields and dining hall. “I’d like to see more of the ranch. Would it be all right if I looked around tomorrow instead of helping with the planting? I’d like to see the rest of the property.”

“Of course. I’ll have Lucas take you on a tour.”

“There’s no need. I can look around myself.”

“It’s four thousand acres. More than six square miles.”

Disappointment pierced her heart. She’d never find Julianne in that much space. “Okay then, Lucas it is.”

They walked a few more minutes in silence, then he stopped and lifted his head, calling, “Jerome, will you light the garden, please?”

She could just make out the silhouette of the guard tower against the sky when a large spotlight was lighted, burning her eyes and forcing her to turn away. It moved to the ground, illuminating a large round labyrinth made of gravel and sand. She stepped closer, amazed. “Oh.”

“You didn’t think it would be a flower garden at this time of year.”

“I don’t know what I thought. But this is…unexpected.” She began at the opening, following the twisting, turning path as it folded in on itself, leading to the middle of the circle.

“I find it easier to speak to God in the garden,” he said.

A tingle went up her spine. Not until this moment had she considered David might be telling the truth about his visions and conversations with angels. It was unnerving either way—lying or telling the truth.

“He told me you were coming,” he said.

She stopped abruptly and turned to him. “What?”

He moved to the opening of the maze, tracing her steps and following her through that quadrant until he stood before her, the spotlight shining on his face. He touched her cheek. “God told me to expect you. A woman created just for me, untouched by other men.”

She was about as far from a virgin as a woman could get, and she stifled a laugh.

If you only knew the half of it, buddy.

She was holding her breath, and she forced herself to breathe. “How do you know he was talking about me?”

He grabbed both her upper arms, startling her. “Because I know. He told me she would be an outsider, and she would come to me from the city. I was confused at first when another outsider came to us this winter. I thought she must be the one, but I was mistaken.”

Julianne?

“What did she look like?” The question was out of her mouth before she considered he might find it strange.

“The devil.”

“What was her name?”

A movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she turned toward it. The space between the outside fence and the inner compound was empty, and she furrowed her brow.

David didn’t seem to notice. “I thought she was someone she was not. When I got to know her better I realized she’d been sent to distract me from my mission.”

“Someone from The Community? Is she still here?”

“Stop this! I didn’t bring you out here to talk about the past, but of the future.”

His eyes were wide, his posture angry. She felt fear emerging for the first time that evening. “Why did you bring me here?”

He stepped in front of her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek once more, not letting go this time, his fingers stroking lightly. She forced herself not to pull away.

“I like you,” he said. “I wanted to spend time with you alone. Do I shock you?”

“No.”

You scare the fuck out of me.

Her senses were on high alert, from the light breeze across her skin to the smell of freshly cultivated dirt. She sensed something else, too.

They were being watched, and not just by Jerome in the watchtower. There was someone out there, on the other side of the fence.

Was that possible?

He leaned toward her ever so slightly and she pulled away. His eyes hardened.

“I’m not used to men,” she said, the lie coming easily to her lips. “You’re right about that.”

His demeanor changed immediately. “You are meant for me. You’ve waited your whole life for my touch. Just one kiss then.”

She shouldn’t have come out here, shouldn’t have allowed herself to be alone with this psycho, and she considered using a few self-defense moves on him to get him to the ground.

And then what? Do you think they’ll let you stay on and search for Julianne after you’ve beat up their leader?

He slipped his hand behind her head, holding her still. The fear that had come alive when they first came out here had her transfixed. David moved in for a kiss.

Something hard hit the compound fence behind them and they jerked apart.

“What the hell was that?” David barked.

Her heartbeat was skipping in her chest.

Definitely not alone.

“I’m sure it was just an animal.”

“Jerome! Fire into the woods!”

“What are you doing?” she asked frantically, suddenly worried the guard would hurt the interloper. “There’s a fence. We’re safe here.”

The guard fired five shots in quick succession, the loud popping noise making her cover her ears.

The sound of people running came at them from the direction of the dormitories.

“Jerome, turn off the light,” called David.

Cassidy stared into the darkness, wishing she could see who was out there, imagining a dead or frightened man, or beast.

“Brother David, what happened?” asked a man behind her.

Thomas.

“A bear in the distance. We scared it off.”

“Thank goodness you were here to take care of it,” someone else said.

“God is good. Now back to bed for us all,” said David. “There will be no more shooting tonight.”

The crowd murmured its thanks and began to leave. Cassidy wanted to go too—as far away from this man as she could get. “I’m going to turn in for the night.”

“All right then.” He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “Until tomorrow.”

She swallowed bile. “Until tomorrow.”