Page 33 of Priest

“I don’t want to be a burden to you.” I look away.

“The shelter isn’t safe if he’s been watchin’ you,” Priest says. “He got to you once, that’s not gonna happen again.”

The relief in me feels palpable. “I know.”

He tilts my chin up gently with his fingers. “Do you trust me?”

My lips part and I don’t hesitate at answering. “Yes.”

“If you don’t feel comfortable with me, I won’t take it personally. I’d ask Stella, but she still lives at home and there’s no room there.”

“I trust you, Priest.”

“You’re safe,” he tells me, his words firm. “I want you to know that. From now on, you’re under my protection, okay?”

I’ve no idea what he means by that, like he’s in some sort of law enforcement, but it feels good to hear him say it.

“Okay, but like I said before, you really don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t have to, Bella. I want to. I don’t want you thinkin’ that all men are like that. You have no reason to trust me, other than me tellin’ you as such, but you can’t stay here. It isn’t safe and he’s still out there.”

I sit back, pulling my feet onto the pew as I wrap my arms around my legs. “I know you’re not like that.”

This seems to satisfy him. “Tomorrow, we can talk about findin’ you someplace else, somewhere more suitable, alright?”

I don’t like the sound of that, but I nod anyway. “Okay.”

He watches me for a few moments and I wish I knew what he was thinking. His nostrils flair slightly and then his eyes soften. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

He’s reiterating his point again, as if I don’t already know he’s not one of the bad ones.

“I know that and I’m not.”

He stands, holding out his hand and I take it without hesitation. He pulls me up off the pew and then brushes my hair back with his hand to get a better look at my bruise. He’s silent as he assesses me, his eyes darting over my face, his thumb brushing against the cut above my eye where Rueben socked me.

“He’s goin’ to pay for what he did to you.” His words hold a malice that I never thought possible in a man like Priest. I don’t feel any remorse over what may happen to Rueben. Maybe I’ve been desensitized to bloodshed and violence because of my upbringing, or maybe I just don’t care for assholes who attempt to assault me and God knows what else. The idea that Priest will hurt him sends adrenaline running through my veins. It makes me feel giddy, and while I know that isn’t normal, I don’t have the energy to care. I’m safe now. I’m with Priest. He won’t let anything bad happen to me.

“I don’t want you to get into any trouble,” I whisper.

He stares at me; his green eyes are fierce with warning. Not for me, but for anyone who tries to harm me. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to cross a man like Priest. While I feel safe with him, I know that he’s not a man to be messed with. I know that he’s fierce when it comes to loyalty and protecting women. I’ve seen how he is with Stella, his goddaughter, and the other women that come into the Soup Kitchen.

That fluttering feeling in my belly washes over me and I know I’m crushing hard on him, but trying hard not to let it show. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I don’t even know what this is, but it feels like I’m walking on a cloud. Even if I was assaulted, all of that melts away when Priest looks at me like this.

His lips turn up slightly. “The only one gettin’ into trouble, little one, will be that asshole when I catch him.”

I should keep my mouth shut. I should act like the innocent girl I’ve been trained to be. But instead, I keep my mouth running. “What will you do?”

He cups my face, his eyes hardening when his thumb brushes as light as a feather over my swollen cheek. “That’s not for you to worry about, Bella. Come.” He lets go of me but holds his hand out for me to take. His hand is large and warm wrapped around mine. I know he’s not looking at me like I’m looking at him, but his touch feels intimate. Like he does really care about me, even if it is just a friend.

I’m hobbling a little from my twisted ankle and he turns to look down at me.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

My lips part in surprise. Priest carrying me? Who the hell sent this man?

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