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Even apart from the looming burden of the unknown figure of the property tax she was supposed to pay, she really should head back to work.
But Clary wanted to tell Seth the good news so he could stop worrying, and he most definitely was worrying about it.
She was so excited to tell him the news that she completely forgot about the picketing issue until the car she was in stopped right in front of a group of people with signs. Even from inside the car, she could hear the hollering outside.
“Are you sure you want to get out here, Miss?” the driver asked her.
She wasn’t sure where else she could stop. She had to walk down this path to get to the main door of the building. “Yeah. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said.
But the moment she opened the door, she regretted it.
The aggression that was somewhat muted by being in the safety of the car appeared to shift into high gear the moment the group laid eyes on her.
She kept her head down and moved quickly.
Shifting the strap of her bag higher up on her shoulder, she lengthened her stride.
But Clary had to skid to a stop when a man cut in front of her, yelling at her about fire and brimstone for all who supported the devil. “Okay,” she said with her eyes shut because the man was up in her face.
If she didn’t shut her eyes, she’d probably shove him back.
“Jesus will come back to separate the goats and sheep!”
“I got it.” She dropped her head forward to stare at the ground. Just keep moving forward.
She tried to sidestep the man, but he refused to let her go.
“If you refuse to repent, you’ll be sent straight to hell!” The man’s curly beard shook as he shouted. “Movement is an abomination, and anyone associated with it will be sent to hell.”
Clary frowned. Patience. But even as her brain told her that, her mouth had already spoken. “You seem pretty well acquainted with hell.”
The man’s furrowed brows drew even closer. His face scrunched up, and his chest rose as he sucked in a breath to release yet another loud saying at her. “Everyone in this building is doomed. If you want to be saved, you should repent! Turn around and go.”
“I’m not sure which Bible you’re reading, but mine says that if I want to be saved, I should believe in my heart and say it with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and savior.” She shrugged. “Nothing to do with a building.”
The man’s chest rose sharply.
“You know what? I don’t have time for this. God bless you.”
The man jerked her back when she stepped to the side. “You Jezebel! You—”
“I’m a child of God. If you actually read your Bible, you should know better than to curse me.”
The man slapped her across the face.
It’d happened so fast she didn’t even know what had happened until she was on the ground.
“Clary!” Seth came running over, his voice snapping Clary out of her shock. He shoved the man to the ground and jumped on him.
“Seth! No!” Clary shot to her feet and grabbed Seth’s raised fist. “Don’t.” She jerked him back.
She could fight her own battles.
And this time, she wanted to do it herself.
Everyone in the crowd had surged forward, surrounding Seth and herself.
Seth pulled her against him and wrapped a protective arm around her.
