Page 50 of Beast: Part Two

I can tell in her eyes she wants to argue, but my only concern is her health. Priest is right, if I’d woken from this and something had happened to Summer, I’d lose my shit.

“Okay,” she finally says.

She pushes up from the bed and walks to the door. She stops before walking out and turns to look at me again. I can see the words I love you in her eyes. She wants to say them to me, but I can also read the uncertainness in her stance. I think she knows that saying the words won’t change our status. Our love for each other is not the issue.

“I know,” I say, replying to her unsaid statement. “Go eat,” I demand.

Nodding, she walks out of the room. The moment she’s out of sight, I sink back into the bed. The little energy I held on for her is now sapped out of my body.

“That woman loves you to death. She never left your side the entire three days.”

I don’t reply to him.

Priest walks over to the side of the bed. “A love like that is hard to come by. You should cherish it—”

“What happened?” I ask turning to look at him.

I didn’t need relationship advice. I already knew everything he was saying. Our love for each other wouldn’t change the fact that I am a hazard to Summer. Because I love her too, I will never risk her life.

Running a hand over his short hair, Priest takes a seat in the chair I’m sure Summer spent most of her time in.

“Some type of plant-based poison. Doc said you had enough in your system that probably would have killed a normal sized man. Thankfully you’re not normal size.”

He tries for a laugh, but it doesn’t sound authentic.

“You scared the hell out of me, kid.”

Glad to be off the topic of me and Summer, I push up from the bed and place my back against the headboard.

“You and I both know my death will be a lot more brutal than plant poison.”

“As long as it happens after mine, I won’t argue.” He tugs at his chin hair.

“What did I miss?”

Priest sighs, leaning back in the chair. “Not much. We kind of put everything on hold until you got better. Fem is getting help from the DOE. They should be coming in today.”

“Help with what?”

“Tracking down these Royal Crown signatures. We need all hands on deck to get to these people. Lucien can’t do it by himself.”

I nod in understanding. My brother is talented, but juggling his pregnant girl, a daughter, and this work, it’s not easy on him. It took him days to break into Pope’s hard drive.

“How’s you mental?” He asks hesitantly.

Pushing the cover back, I swing my legs over the side of the bed. “You don’t have to ask me that every ten minutes.”

“I know I don’t, but I will.” He stands up from the chair and holds out a hand to me. Reluctantly, I take it. He helps pull me to my feet. My head swims momentarily, but I remain on my feet.

“It will always be my job to protect you and make sure you’re okay. If that means I have to ask you every ten minutes if that damn thing in your head is fucking with you then I will.”

Although I want to argue, I don’t. I needed to know I had him on my side. Since I was a boy Priest has been the one to truly care about me. He has accepted everything about me since the first day he met me.

The memory of him pulling me out of that cage at mother’s crosses my mind. I was so embarrassed when he lifted me up. I was covered in piss and shit, but he didn’t care. Instead of taking me back to the others smelling awful, he stopped at a truck stop and took me inside the bathroom where he bought me things to bathe and clean myself. He purchased me some cheap clothesand some of those rubber slip on shoes for showers. This man has always had my back.

It's because of that, I answer his question. “It’s silent right now.”

He nods. “Any reason you think that is?”

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