The Enforcer's Bride

Chapter 8

Hannah

I laid in my puddle of shame, confused and out of breath. I slowly pulled my feet out of the stirrups and closed my legs, inner thighs still burning from Jude’s manipulation. I sighed and let the tears fall, slowly realizing my situation.

Jude doesn’t trust me, and he won’t leave me alone until he trusts me.

I won’t be able to get out of here if I’m never alone.

I slowly brought the carton of apple juice to my lips, savoring the sweetness. “But would this be so bad?” Came a nagging voice from the back of my head, “Never worrying about having to run again? Security and pleasure?”

Pleasure. I groaned, Jude’s hands fresh in my mind. Touching me like no man ever had. A part of me wanted more of his delicious touch, wanted to feel his entire body on mine. Liquid starting pooling between my thighs again and I silently willed it to stop.

No. I couldn’t think about the old Jude. The guy who would come to the bakery and bring me wild flowers or give my parents extra ration coupons he earned. The Jude whose eyes crinkled behind his square glasses when he smiled. He made me feel safe. “But not safe enough to stay.”

The tears flowed more freely, feelings I’d suppressed for years rising to the surface. This Jude hunted me down and stripped me of my freedom. I could never feel safe with him.

I slid off of the table and redressed myself, sliding on my pale yellow dress and re-lacing my boots. I pulled my bright hair back into the kerchief and considered my options.

In order to escape The Province I’ll have to play Jude’s game, whether I wanted to or not.

Jude

I strut down the hallway toward my study. “Take Hannah to her room. There she will eat dinner and do her evening prayers,” I instructed Sister Leah.

“But sir, shouldn’t she be expected to eat with the other initiates?”

I stopped and slowly walked toward Sister Leah. I kept my steady gaze on her until I was practically standing over her.

“Are you questioning my judgement?”

“No sir,” Sister Leah bowed her head, “He is Salvation.”

“We are Saved,” and she scurried back into the exam room.

I turned and headed through the infirmary to my office.

“Levi, my office, now,” I barked into my walkie-talkie.

Levi was the head of extraction and return team, he also procured new initiates for the Homeland. How does a society like ours last for generations? A consistent influx of fresh faces and Levi is particularly good at finding them. Levi is the charming, older man type that appeals to desperate young women with daddy issues. Personally, I’d prefer if initiates came to us willingly and some people do, especially women. Sometimes it’s easier to live in a world where the expectations of you are low and the decisions are all made for you. It’d save us time and effort on their training but some years we’re more desperate for fresh faces than others.

“He is salvation.”

“We are Saved.” I clapped Levi on the back and opened the door to my office. I rummaged through my work files and pulled Hannah’s extraction paperwork.

“How is the lost sheep? Acclimating?” Levi asked as he sat down. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“She’ll come around. She’s forgotten what it feels like to be in a man’s care,” I flipped through Hannah’s file, searching for the piece I need.

“Well she hasn’t known a man’s care since her father, how would she know how to respect a husband?” Levi mused, twisting the end of his mustache. I paused and considered his words.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Hannah is hot headed, she’s been that way since she was a girl. Do you remember the Winter Solstice incident?” I smiled to myself. Of course I remembered. Hannah was twelve and was helping her mother pass out holiday cakes at the square fire with younger sisters in tow. Snow lightly dusted the ground and fell gently from the sky. These community gatherings were always my favorite, to me they made our Homeland look dreamy and perfect. All of a sudden a group of older boys rounded the corner, knocking Hannah to the ground and taking her tray of cakes. They only got about six feet before a tiny girl with red hair flung herself on one of their backs, knocking him forward and sending the tray flying into the snow. Hannah grabbed one of the now soggy cakes and started forcing it into the boy’s mouth. I stood with Malachi drinking spiced cider, intrigued by this tiny force.

“You ruined my cakes! Eat it you bastard!” She screamed. One of the other boys tried to pry her off and she turned around and kicked him hard in the groin.

“Hannah! That’s enough,” Her father reprimanded her, picking up his dirty and thrashing daughter from the ground.

“They ruined them! They ruined my hard work!”

“I said that’s enough! To bed!” Hannah’s father dragged her toward their lodge, and I didn’t see her for another week.

The next morning I went to my father and asked him to broker the match, I knew this girl was special and I knew I was the only one to have her.

“Of course I remember Winter Solstice, but there is a difference between restraining a woman and restraining a girl,” I answered Levi, sliding a photograph toward him.

“I need a detail.” I explained, changing the subject. Levi raised his eyebrows.

“I thought the mission was complete sir?”

“Unfortunately I’ve come to believe that the lost sheep may have confided certain, aspects of the Homeland to this individual. I need to know what he knows.” Discretion is paramount to The Province and we make sure that our lifestyle and secrets remain hidden.

“Report your findings immediately.”

“Understood. He is Salvation.” Levi stood and we clasped forearms.

“We are Saved.”

There are two ways to restrain women. Pain and pleasure. Make them beg for your presence, reliant on your touch, equate your presence in their life to bliss and you are the only one who brings it. Or have them tremble at the thought of toeing the line, wince at every movement, constantly looking over their shoulder. Personally I prefer pleasure, but I believe Hannah may need a balance. To bring that balance I need leverage and I know exactly who will do that for me.