and yelling and screaming about a return to family values,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know how you stand up there.”
“It makes me sick. Literally.”
“I can understand why you think you should leave, but I’m okay here. Corey has an excellent job and will take care of me. We’ve started looking for a house. And I won’t need to go to school because he says he doesn’t want the mother of his children to work. Mother thinks he’ll be good for me.”
“You’re okay with marrying someone you don’t love, who doesn’t love you, because Mother wants you to?”
“A lot of people are married to people they don’t love, Trey.”
“And a lot of people are married to people they do love, Becca. Which do you want to be?”
“I told you before. I’m not as brave as you are. This, me staying here and marrying Corey, that’s what best for me,” she said. “But you should go. Go find someone to love and be happy.”
“I don’t understand why you would want me to go and be happy, but not want that for yourself.”
“I think we just have different ideas of what will make us happy. But I won’t tell anyone what you told me, I promise.”
Chapter 16
Watchman
The Lord had called me to be a watchman, but like the prophets of old, my warnings had gone unheeded. My calling up to now had been to warn the chosen son of the Lord’s coming judgment if he didn't turn from his sinful ways, but instead of repenting and begging for forgiveness, he had grown bolder in his wickedness.
Until I met him, I hadn’t known that a succubus could take a male form, but that was the only explanation for the abominations that appear in my dreams nightly. As far as I could find in history, the succubus always came to a man in his dreams, that was how it started, and how I knew what he was. But now the evil was spreading beyond the dream world, and even in the light of day, my flesh was affected by his presence. I could only be grateful that while the flesh is weak, my faith is strong. But the demon's ability to influence others and cause them to have sinful thoughts was getting stronger. The day would soon come when my role as watchman would shift, and I would be forced to take up the sword of the Lord and destroy the one he once loved. It was the only way.
By trying to lure me away from all that was good and holy, he would be doomed. I had the protection of the Lord. And as it is written, fire will pour from me consuming the one who threatens me. And make no mistake, by tempting me with impure thoughts, he had sealed his fate. My only hope was that by destroying the demon with fire, the chosen son would be set free.
Chapter 17
Roman
As tempting as it was to go straight into the main house, I figured considering what I’d purchased, I’d better take the bags to the pool house first. I put the Chinese takeout I’d picked up for lunch on the kitchen counter and carried everything else upstairs and put it away. I was planning to go to the main house to get Trey when I heard the door open.
“Roman,” he called. I went down the stairs and into the kitchen to find him rifling through the bags. “You got Chinese.”
“I did. I got a little of everything since I wasn’t sure what you liked best. I just remembered you said you liked it.”
He opened each container one at a time, smelling each one appreciatively, and setting them back down. “Oh man, how do we choose? They all smell amazing.”
“That’s the beauty of it. We don’t have to choose. Just grab a plate and take a bit of each.”
“Like a Chinese buffet at home.”
“What do you know about Chinese buffets? I can’t see your family loading up in the minivan and heading to Buffet King.”
“Oh god no, can you imagine? My mother or my father in a buffet?” He laughed. Once he stopped, he said, “I’ll have you know, I went to college, and buffets are cheap, plus Ash loves them. And let me tell you, that skinny boy puts the eat in all you can eat.” He turned to get us dishes from the cabinet and I watched, enjoying the way his muscles in his legs moved as he stretched