Free Avenger of Blood by John Hagee

nasty knot on my head. He almost killed me once.”
    â€œYou would have minded if they had managed to get Victor back. Or if he’d gotten hurt or killed in the process. Then your extortion scheme would have been over immediately.”
    They argued hotly for a while, then much to her relief, Damian finally agreed to leave. “I know somewhere I can take the child,” he said. “Some place away from Ephesus, where Jacob and the others will never find him.”
    â€œGood. You can leave first thing in the morning.”
    â€œAnd you can continue negotiating with your family. They’ll come around. But keep one thing in mind, Naomi.” He reached out with an index finger and lifted her chin. “I’ll be back to check on you. Don’t disappoint me.”
    Naomi recoiled, slapping his hand away from her face. “Don’t ever touch me again.”
    â€œAnd don’t think of cutting me out. Like it or not, Naomi, we’re partners now.”

6
    PETER STIFLED A YAWN. Antony had roused him and Rebecca from bed well before daylight to report what had happened at Naomi’s. The three of them had gathered in the dining room, and like Rebecca, Peter was both relieved and dismayed to hear the lawyer’s news.
    â€œAt least we know who took him,” Antony said, “and that he’s all right. She won’t let anything happen to Victor—not if she’s going to use him for negotiation.”
    â€œThank God for that,” Rebecca said, her relief expressed in a long exhalation that made her shoulders drop noticeably. “But I won’t be able to rest until he’s home with me.”
    â€œWhat do you think we should do next?” Peter asked.
    Antony relayed their intent to watch the house and follow Naomi. “She could lead us to wherever Victor is. Or . . . ” He hesitated, looking at Peter to gauge his reaction. “Or we could make some kind of offer, find a way to meet her demand—if that’s what you want to do.”
    Lost in thought, Peter did not answer. He recalled the last time he had seen Naomi, the day she had arrived in Ephesus to try to claim the estate entirely for herself. When she had discovered that, for the very first time, she was unable to intimidate him, she had offered to share the estate with Peter, casually saying that since Jacob and Rebecca would never return from Devil’s Island, the two of them could divide the assets. Infuriated at her callous dismissal of their brother and sister, not to mention her betrayal of their father, Peter had spurned Naomi’s offer and ordered her off the premises. Just thinking about it now tied his stomach in knots.
    â€œAbsolutely not,” Rebecca said quickly. “We can’t cater to Naomi. She has gone against everything our family stands for.” Then she sighed, and her voice lost its adamant tone as she asked, “But what will happen to Victor if we don’t . . .”
    â€œWe could go to the authorities,” Antony suggested, “although I’m not sure how much good it would do. Even though the persecution has ended, there are lingering hostilities toward Christians from some quarters. So I don’t know if official help would be forthcoming, or how effective it would be. They’re likely to view it as a mere family dispute and not want to get involved.”
    â€œI vowed I would not let Naomi so much as set foot in Father’s office ever again,” Peter said. “But if it means getting Victor back, well . . .”
    Rebecca shook her head. “No, Peter. As much as I want my baby, you can’t just hand over the business to Naomi. It wouldn’t be right.”
    â€œI would never hand over the business completely,” Peter said thoughtfully. “But we could offer her a compromise.”
    â€œWhat do you have in mind?” Antony asked.
    â€œIt’s not really the money she wants,” Peter