Page 107 of Priest

When I come to a stop, I look down and see Leo and four guards standing around. One of them puts the gun back into the holster.

My eyes meet Leo’s and he smiles. “Isabella.” I don’t know when his words became so menacing, but he says my name and it feels like nails scraping down a chalkboard.

“Why?” I whisper as he moves closer. “Why are you doing this?”

He holds out one hand to me but I ignore him, getting back to my feet as I wipe the blood from the side of my face with my sweater sleeve.

“So many questions, my little liar.”

I shake my head. “Being away from you was the best gift I’ve ever received. I want you to know that, before we go any further. That being free of you and my father and uncle… It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

One eyebrow shoots up in surprise. He laughs and I cringe further into myself. I always knew Leo was unpredictable, but this is him unhinged.

“You lived on the streets like a tramp,” he scoffs. “But I suppose being a biker’s little whore is better than being a whore on the street corner. He’s dead, by the way.”

Tears spring to my eyes. “You’re lying.” Please be lying… Please by lying…

“None of that matters now anyway, Isabella. All that matters is you’re back where you belong by my side. Ready to take your place as queen.”

I shake my head. “I’d rather swallow bullets than be your queen,” I spit. “I can’t think of anything more repulsive than being with you.”

He grips my jaw hard, making me look at him. “Such a smart mouth.” His eyes roam my face. He was always a handsome man, but something in his face has changed. Maybe it’s the madman in him, but he looks like he’s about to go off like a ticking time bomb. “You never did quite know when to be quiet, did you, Isabella?”

Every time he says my name, I want to smack him in the face.

“I hate you,” I tell him. “I really fucking hate you.”

He laughs again, running a knuckle over my cheek bone. It’s nothing like Priest’s touch. Everything Priest did was with kindness and love. This man doesn’t have one inch of kindness or love inside him. I just don’t know why he’s keeping me alive. I’ve nothing to live for if Priest is gone.

“Oh, you’ll learn to fucking hate me,” he promises. “In fact, I’ve wondered what to do with you for a while now. Do I sell you to be a concubine in the Middle East, or do I keep you for myself? Locked away like my own personal little slave.” He smiles. “The things I have planned for you, my darling. They’ll make you scream for me to kill you.”

I hold my head up, unwilling to let him see how terrified I am. I have no doubt he’s here to make my life a living hell, to make me pay for what I did, but I won’t go down without a fight.

“I won’t be screaming too loudly,” I whisper. “Because there’s nothing you can do to me that will make me sell my soul. Nothing. It’s not yours and it never will be. It’s mine.”

He strokes my cheek once more and whispers at my ear, “You say that now, but after I’ve done passing you around to my men, you’ll wonder why you ever ran away from me. If you could only learn to keep that smart little mouth shut.”

“You just shot a man who dared touch me,” I fire back. “Are you sure you’re not mixing your metaphors? Because it seems to me that nobody is allowed to touch me.”

He smirks. “Believe nothing that comes out of my mouth, little liar. I am going to fuck you, little girl, make no mistake about that. Then I’m going to make sure it’s my name you moan like a fucking whore until I decide what to do to you next.”

I swallow hard. “Do your best, pencil dick. I’m not the same girl that left all those months ago. I’ll die before I ever scream your name.”

He brings his mouth to mine, his hand squeezing my jaw as he kisses me. I try to squirm away, kicking him in the shins but he pulls me against his body and crushes his arm around me so I can’t escape. It’s disgusting. I practically wretch when he pulls away.

“You’ll learn to do as I say, Isabella.” He kisses the top of my head. “Trust me, it’ll work out better for you if you don’t shoot that mouth off, but we both know you can’t reign in that temper, can you?”

“Fuck you!” I spit again.

He shoves me back and I stumble, holding onto the banister for support. “If you try to leave this house, you’ll be captured and tortured,” he tells me. “There is also nowhere for you to go, so it’s fruitless trying. You’ll join me for dinner in an hour so I suggest you go and clean yourself up.” He looks at me with disgust.

“Then what?” I can’t even believe the words leave my mouth, but I have to know.

He smiles wickedly. “Then we’re going to see your uncle and you can explain to him what the fuck’s going on.” He holds up a finger. “That’s if the motorcycle club you like to hang with don’t all get killed by then. I’ve set a trap, by the way. It was almost too easy, which just goes to show how pathetic bikers with no brain cells are.”

I shake my head. “They’ll find you, and when they do?—”

“They’ll what? Do you think they care about you, Isabella? The only one who did was that asshole that died in the crash. In fact, they’ll blame you for his death. They’ll want revenge. They’ll come after you. So you see, sticking with the devil you know is far better than the devil you don’t.” He turns his back on me and walks away as I stand there, tears streaming down my face.

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