Never Never Read Online Free Page B

turning to face his audience. “We take it.”

5
    S arah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was Mike really standing up there telling everyone they were going to storm an effing castle? Had they all lost their minds? She looked around the dining hall to see the laughter and the excitement spread from person to person. Almost everyone there had a child or baby on their laps. It was insane to think any of them were going anywhere—let alone to attack some castle!
    â€œIt’s exciting, is it not, Sarah?” Nuala said as she led her boys past. “Living in a castle?” She shifted her newborn in her arms. It was hard to imagine how difficult life was for Nuala—three children and no husband. And yet, her eyes sparkled with excitement.
    Madness .
    Mike sat down and two of the nuns appeared on either side of him to serve him his breakfast.
    He already looks like the lord of the manor , Sarah thought. Throw in a jester and a knight or two, and he’s done. There were enough people crowding around Mike as he ate that Sarah knew she’d have to wait to finish her discussion with him.
    They were not leaving . Or at least Sarah was not leaving and she couldn’t imagine Mike would leave without her. Would he?
    Things had been tense between them all summer. Ever since the baby was born. Mike had spent more and more time with the men—which was unusual. She tried to imagine the last time they’d had an intimate exchange and it surprised her that she couldn’t remember.
    It was true she’d been busy most of the summer getting John ready to go in the fall, and then helping the nuns with the harvesting, the weaving, the baking. With so many more people to care for, it had been a lot of extra work. And of course, there was Siobhan. She wasn’t an easy baby.
    Not at all like John had been.
    Sarah felt a splinter of unease invade her gut and she forced thoughts of her son away. It doesn’t help.
    Sophia and Siobhan left the hall with another of the young mothers. Fiona joined them, Declan shuffling silently behind her like a recalcitrant teenager. Poor Declan. He’d been such a force before the accident. Sarah felt a flush of guilt for only thinking of herself when Fiona and Declan had so much more ongoing daily pain.
    One of the young women who’d come with Fiona from the rape camp sat down next to Sarah. Jenny had not been impregnated—although not for lack of trying on the bastards whose job it was to get her with child—and now she was waiting to be returned home.
    â€œHow are you, Jenny?” Sarah asked, her eyes still on Mike as he spoke with his men and some of the women.
    â€œI’m grand, so I am,” Jenny said. “Just waiting for Regan and Jaz to get back, ye ken?”
    Jaz and Regan had decided to bring the kidnapped women from the rape camp back home—those that wanted to go. Two women who’d delivered their babies earlier in the summer had opted to stay with Mike and Sarah’s group but most of the others were anxious to go home. Jaz and Regan left with a young woman the same day John went to the UK. The same day the second EMP went off. They were traveling by pony cart so the EMP shouldn’t affect their journey. At least Sarah prayed not.
    â€œAre you next on the list?” Sarah asked.
    Jenny nodded. “I haven’t seen me mum in two years. She probably thinks I’m dead.”
    â€œWhat a happy day that will be for both of you. Your reunion.”
    â€œOh, aye,” Jenny said with a frown. “Only I was wondering…since I never got preggers, do ye think I should tell her the truth of it? Me mum, I mean.”
    â€œYou mean about the…forced…”
    â€œThe rapes, aye,” Jenny said. “It’ll upset her something brutal.”
    â€œI imagine it would.” Only I cannot imagine . I don’t want to imagine.
    An image of little Siobhan flashed into Sarah’s