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“She will coirl is incapable of holding a grudge”

“Did you even et to know her?” Dean asked in disbelief

“What does that mean?”

“It ive you You hurt her too badly, she won’t put herself back in that vulnerable position again, with either of you” The sy fear for the first tiet Beth back once he explained He had never doubted that once she understood why he had broken it off with her they would resume where they left off Now by the look in Deans eye, he felt he had overestiet

“Co towards the church across the street

“You two go on back to the club” Shade nodded and left with Evie at his back

Razer rode his bike across the street, parking it before going inside the church to find Dean waiting in his office There was a filing cabinet and he was taking a key out to unlock it when Razer walked in

Razer watched as he took out a medium size box and handed it to Razer “Go home and watch a couple of these When you are done, destroy the a couple of theainst”

“Why are you helping me? You already paid your favor back to me”

“This isn’t about you Razer This is about a pastor doing what is best for a ation that he put in harms way” Razer took the words like a punch in the sto Razer a chance with her

Razer left without a word Strapping the heavy box onto the back of his bike, he headed to the clubhouse Once there, with the box in his hands, he searched for a private roo none, he ended up in the back roo it eiven hi the box, Razer found each tape neatly dated and the title of the sermon Beth’s father must have taped Razer started at the earliest date

Hitting play, Razer took a seat on the couch and watched as the grainy fillasses stood behind the pulpit giving a serrown ave a blistering serrown idly stern woreenized Beth i so quiet and still throughout the longwinded serh much of it and was about to stop it when a ht his eye and he pressed play once again He was ation

“Noe coive everyone a chance to repent their sins and take their punishin Beth?”

Beth stared straight ahead as she stood before the congregation Razer’s gut clenched, it was the saht

“I aive my tardiness to dinner twice this week My mother works hard to make the meal and my father works hard to provide theon time”

“Beth, do you repent your sins?”

“ Yes, Pastor Saul”

“Then kneel before your peers and take your punishment”

Beth got to her knees Her father stood behind her carrying a leather strap

“REPENT” he screairl on her back

The church members yelled back “Repent”

Three more times the leather struck her on her back before her father allowed her to resu the roo Clumsily, Razer removed the tape and put in the next tape Razer watched the next six tapes, each with Beth getting strapped for little or no reason Razer noticed no other ation volunteered to repent their sins, yet each sat an to fill as rossed at the tapes playing

Cash stood shakily behind the couch as one particular tape began He rehtmares because of it He had done two tours with the seals and no single sight had affected hiht back to life

It wasn’t a regular church , instead it seemed as if they were in a s around chanting Razer didn’t knohat they were doing or saying They were dancing in place and chanting in a language he had never heard before A large bearded man went behind the podiu slowly back and forth between her parents was pushed forward as the snake was held out

Beth did not speak, but continuedout her frail arhtened, she couldn’t have been nine years old A look of pain and a whimper escaped her as the snake reared back and struck her in the upper arm

“Praise god” The man pried the snake’s teeth fro as the parishioners circled around the whi child” Suddenly the tape ended as if theit had fallen to the floor

“I reet to her and knocked theit over”

“What the hell was that?” Jewell said in shock