Lilah’s face was blank. And that made me sure I hadn’t missed my calling as a doctor… or a teacher for that matter. I couldn’t seem to explain nothing right to this bitch.

“I am not ill in the mind, nor do I roll around uncontrollably, frothing at the mouth. I was talking to God.”

I stilled and, when her words filtered into my brain, I couldn’t help but laugh again. “Well, saying crazy shit like you were speaking to God ain’t gonna convince no one you’re not One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I saw you rolling in the dirt, screaming nonsense. My eyes don’t lie. The words you were screaming didn’t even sound real.”

Lilah’s blue eyes narrowed. “I was speaking in tongues, Glossolalia. Those words are a sacred personal language between the Lord and me, a private language that you would not understand. I was filled with the Holy Spirit, with God’s pure love. I transcended to a place where I gave myself to Jesus. What you saw was the embodiment of my worship, of my connection to our creator.”

I was gaping at her. Filled with the Holy Spirit? What. The. Fu—

“I was in the river to cleanse my sins,”—her eyes bored into mine—“to wash away your offensive and unwelcomed seduction, a seduction that was a plague of immorality on my flesh. I needed to submerge myself in clean waters, just like when Jesus was baptized by John.”

Her eyes closed and a weird sense of calm took over her face. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”

Yep, I was still fucking gaping.

Lilah sighed in exasperation, losing the wash of calm from only a moment ago. “Matthew 3:16-17. It is scripture, Ky. You may reject the written word of our Lord and savior, but I do not. My spiritual cleanse was what I was called to do tonight by a higher power, to come to the river and wash away the sin.”

Shrugging, I said, “Got it, bitch. You were talking to God and ridding yourself from my plague of…” I looked at Lilah again and flicked my chin. “What did you call it?”

“Your plague of immoral seduction,” she answered meaningfully.

I whistled low and shook my head with a smirk firmly fixed on my face. “Yeah, of that scary shit, sweet cheeks.”

Her eyebrows pulled down. “Do you chastise me?”

Standing up, I glanced down at Lilah brushing the dried leaves off her butt-ugly dress and said, “Considering I don’t know what the hell chastise means, I’m sure we’ll never fuckin’ know now will we, sweet cheeks? I mean, I’m surprised an evil, infectious, heathen motherfucker like me has survived in life this long without God throwing down a lightning bolt to fry my ass!”

Pushing herself off the ground, Lilah stood before me, mouth tight. She curtly stated, “Can I request that you refrain from calling me… sweet cheeks? My name is Lilah.”

Shocked by her brass balls confrontation, I crept forward, almost stalking her. Lilah’s face immediately lost its anger and she completely froze. When we were toe to toe, Lilah dropped her head in submission, and I felt like an ass. The bitch was completely fucked up and scared as shit. Hell, she was even shaking.

Reaching down, I held her hand. Hearing her gasp, I pulled her forward anyway. I wanted to get back to my room so Tiff and Jules could service my dick. Being around and on top of this pilgrim blonde had given me the boner from hell.

“Come on, we’re getting you home before Styx and Mae have my ass. I already have a fuckin’ Jack-induced bass drum beating in my head. Adding in Mae’s whining voice will only make it worse!”

We cut through the heavy woods at a fast pace, and I ignored Lilah trying to loosen her small hand from my tight hold and her whimpering. I wasn’t letting go; I wasn’t giving her a chance to run off on me again. I just wanted her back locked away above the garage so I could have a break from all this God talk.

It was bringing out the hives.

As we broke the line of trees to the compound, a bunch of the guys were outside checking out Cowboy’s—a Hangmen nomad—newly built chopper. Cowboy hadn’t left after the commune raid a few weeks ago. His best friend, nomad brother and fucking shadow, Hush, had stayed around too. Cowboy was as laid back as hell, always cracking jokes. Hush, the total opposite, eyes always assessing folk and always ready to fight.

Cowboy and Hush would do anything for Styx. He let them both go nomad after life dealt Cowboy some seriously bad shit when at their previous chapter. They’d always drop in to see us here as much as possible. In fact, I was thinking it wouldn’t be long until they both patched in to our mother chapter right here in Austin. These Louisiana rednecks seemed to have found their place amongst us original sinners here in the Lone Star State. And they’d fit right in next to Viking and Flame. Cowboy, with his blond hair, full leathers, colorful body tattoos, black steel-toe cowboy boots, and leather Stetson that seemed glued to his head, and Hush, our mixed-race brother with bright blue eyes, with his no-shit attitude and fucking perfect aim. These brothers were full on Hangmen, legit, and it’d be good to have them at our table. With more enemies at our door than we had guns, we would need as many trustworthy brothers as we could recruit.

When Viking caught sight of Lilah and me cutting across the yard, he whistled to get my attention. I held up my hand in dismissal.

“Not the fuck now, Vike. I gotta take care of some shit for Styx, and I don’t need to hear fuck all from your stupid mouth,” I snapped.

Vike tapped AK’s shoulder, then smirked at me. “What shit you gotta do? Or is it who you gotta do? You rushing to bust a nut into the blond Amish bitch?”

Catching the shocked stutter of Lilah’s breath, I swung to face her and saw tears of hurt and confusion filling her eyes. I took a deep breath. I was gonna kill that redheaded dick hole.

Shaking loose Lilah’s hand, I turned to storm at Viking, when Lilah suddenly gripped my arm, holding me back. “Please, do not leave me. I am afraid out here… with them. I do not know them… I…”

Exhaling and working on calming down, I nodded my head and retook her hand. I caught her almost silent sigh of relief. My stomach tightened and something strange seemed to burn in my chest. I liked that she seemed to feel safe with me.