Page 105 of Priest

When I wake up, I’m surrounded by darkness.

My head swirls as I try to remember what happened. Then it all comes flooding back.

I fought. Kicked and screamed until someone placed a cloth over my mouth and then everything went silent. I feel groggy, like I got run over by a bus. And then I remember…

Priest.

Oh, God.

Is he alive?

Did they kill him?

I try not to make a sound, the last thing I need is anyone thinking I’m awake. That might mean they’ll kill me slowly…

I try to peek around, but I’ve no idea where I am. It's dark and I’m sitting on… a comforter?

My blood turns to ice as I hear voices approaching. My hands are tied. My legs too but I’m not tied to anything. I’m also gagged, my jaw aching as I muffle my own sobs. The idea of hopping my way to freedom quickly diminishes as the voices get closer.

“Why not?” I hear a loud bark. “What the fuck is taking so long?”

I wince.

The chills that run through my body just now is nothing compared to the fire in my belly that makes me want to rip his eyeballs out. Leo. I know that voice anywhere.

“They’re holding off,” the other voice says. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“And that piece of shit, what’s his name again?”

“Rueben. Haven’t seen or heard from him, probably skipped town with the money.”

“He’s too stupid to do anything newsworthy. I should’ve slit his throat when I had the chance.”

“What do you want the men to do?”

I close my eyes.

Oh. My. God.

The plot thickens.

But I still don’t know how Leo found me.

I shudder to think that he could have known about my existence for some time, but the question remains; how? Nevertheless, I need to get out of here.

“They can keep watch of the compound. I want to know the second the MC moves in, understand?”

“Yes, boss.”

Boss?

Since when did Leo become the boss of anything?

Cold shivers run up my spine when I hear a hand on the door handle. It creaks open and then closes but I keep my eyes squeezed shut and try as best I can to keep my breathing at the same level.

I hear the tread of footsteps approaching. “Isabella…” What? The way he says it sends a cold sweat over my body. “Wakey, wakey, my little liar.”

My heart thuds so hard in my chest that I’m sure he can hear it.

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