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Sundays are typically my catch-up day. The bar is closed, so I spend my time deep cleaning the kitchen, catching up on paperwork, and taking inventory. Which is what I’m doing now, while Sadie sleeps upstairs.

The hospital took a toll on her, exhausting her to the point of falling asleep in my truck on the way back. She’d been examined by a doctor, had X-rays done of her ribs, and they’d numbed up the area around where that monster had carved ‘R’, cleaned it up, and bandaged her.

He marked her.

The glass in my hand cracks, and I let out a low growl of frustration while I toss it into the trash and lean against the bar top. I close my eyes, trying so hard to breathe through the anger.

Helpless. That’s what I am right now.

Which is absolutely insane if I look at it logically. I barely know this woman. She was literally in my alleyway two nights ago, yet I’m over here wishing I could hunt down and slay every one of her monsters.

Just so she’d never have to live another moment afraid.

“I know how it sounds, but I knew that God was leading me here. I felt it.” Her earlier words come rushing back to me.

I’m not entirely sure what I believe, but how can she believe God was leading her here when He left her to rot in that cellar? What was the purpose of that?

“Penny for your thoughts?”

I open my eyes and lift my head. Sadie is standing there, wearing a pair of loose pants and a grey sweatshirt. Her dark hair is down over her shoulders, and for the first time since I met her, she looks relatively rested and entirely too gorgeous for my own good.

If it weren’t for the bruising on her cheek and the still-healing cut on her lip, I might even be able to pretend she’s here under different circumstances. Maybe ones that follow dinner and a movie.

No. Not going there.

“Just mentally knocking things off my to-do list. How did you sleep?”

“Really good, actually. I think—” She closes her eyes, then opens them again and smiles, brushing some hair behind her ear. “I think that facing it actually helped me quite a bit.”

“Good.”

“Thanks for calling Anastasia. I didn’t have a chance to really say it earlier, but thanks.”

I nod. When I knew Leopold wasn’t going to back down, calling Anastasia seemed like the right thing to do. “She has a calming presence about her.”

“She’s so sweet.”

I can sense that there’s more, but she seems almost afraid to say it.

“What is it?”

“Anastasia told me that there’s a church nearby. And that the pastor is usually there until late on Sundays.”

“I wouldn’t know much about his schedule, but I do know where the church is.”

“Do you think you could take me?”

“You want to go to church?” My earlier thought comes rushing back. How can she possibly believe after what she’s been through?

“I do. But I don’t want to go without you, so if you don’t want to go, then I understand.” She looks away nervously, then shoves both hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt.

“I’m not big on church, but I’ll drive you over there.”

“Really?”

I always thought the phrase “she lit up” was an exaggeration. But that’s exactly what Sadie does now. Her eyes widen, the blue brightening from a dark swirling storm to a summertime rain.

Her cheeks turn a deeper pink, and she smiles, illuminating my world in a way I hadn’t been prepared for.