Page 155 of Priest and his Anarchist

“Ah…” As if reading my mind, she locks on to me this time, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her thighs. “You’re thinking how? How did he bypass the laws written by his ancestors of Echelon.”

“Well, one is wondering why you would want to,” Evie grumbles, piercing a needle into his arm. She shoves the bag filled with liquid up to Vaden. “Here. Your height has finally come in handy with something else other than your ability to reach every level of my patience.”

Her eyes drop to Evie. “Oh, don’t be jealous. I’m sure we’ll see each other a lot since you’re the doc.”

“Isabella!” Priest snaps at her, and my eyes swing to the Huntress. She’s everything Priest was supposed to marry. Powerful, relentless, would probably not have a closet full of skeletons that always needed to be burned.

Nate enters the room, as a flurry of pink hair moves directly to the kitchen where Brantley and Saint disappeared into. “As much as we’ve all enjoyed this visit, oh Huntress Supreme, he’s clearly happy with your work, no need to leave claw marks behind. Get to your point.”

What does he mean, her work?

“Why do you assume he’s happy with me being his Huntress?” she asks, sugar dripping from her tongue.

Nate hisses through the first hit of whiskey. “Because you’re still alive.”

I groan, shifting away from Priest. Evie catches the movement, but not before Priest’s fingers sink into my thigh to stop me, holding me in place with a force I can only assume is inhuman.

She’s his fucking Huntress. Every member of The Echelon of the Five has one—why does he have to have her. Probably because of all the qualities I mentioned.

Like a magnet, my eyes land on Nate. If I could read his mind, I’d imagine him telling me to pull my shit together and not embarrass him.

Fine. Straightening my shoulders, the HuntressSupreme, or Isabella, responds with a wide smirk. “Touché.”

The Huntress can only be with a Hunter…

My eyes close to keep myself in check before reopening. “Madison’s maiden name was Venari.”

Isabella chokes on her laugh. I fucking hate her. “That she was, although she never took the title, since being a Hayes faroutweighsanyother name.” She makes sure to add emphasis. “But I’m sure she would have been great.”

“Isabella. What the fuck are you doing here?”

She uncrosses her leg and pulls a black manila folder out from beneath her cape that’s beside her. She hands it to Priest. “Everything is in here. They worked fast. Too fast, even for me.” She pauses, and now it’s her who is probably reading my mind. “And let this be a warning to you both: Because she clearly does not like me, that does not mean you can kill me. I won’t go down easy, and as Priest knows, I’m damn good at what I do.”

We all pause.

“Which is?” I study her closely. “I mean, aside from hunting out what he needs and ensuring his path is clear—which, by the way, it wasn’t tonight—what is it that youdo?”

“Luna…” Nate warns from behind her.

My hand covers Priest’s that’s on my thigh. “Don’t worry.” I hold her gaze. “This won’t take long, because you see,Oh Dear Huntress Supreme,I’m beginning to think you may not be as good as you claim to be, and mark my words, hewill onlyhave unparalleled excellence at his back at all times, or the next bullet that’s flying, is going right between your eyes.” I shift forward a little, the muscles around my eyes tensing to match my smirk. “And you and I both know I’ve got far better aim than you do.”

Her smile stretches over her face. “Ah, well, some shit doesn’t change, but don’t fret,oh Chosen one—”I stiffen, my eyes flying to Nate. He notices my panic and closes in. She turns over her shoulder slightly. “Oh relax, Malum. I’m not threatening your favorite child.” She winks at someone behind me and continues. “This is everything I could find. After I got off the phone with you when you were with Archer, his right-hand man was shot and killed. Not sure why yet, since there’s no trail. Whoever they are, they’re good. Great, even.”

“Is she dead?” Priest asks the question I know we all want to know. I can’t imagine a life without someone I have known my whole life. I’d had moments of feeling close with my mom, but I’ve seen the way Priest is with his. I didn’t have that.

The ticking clock in the foyer fills the silence.

“No. I don’t believe so.”

Relief unties all the tension in my body.

“…But she may as well be.”

What does that mean! I keep my questions locked in my head as she and Priest go back and forth. When they break, I turn to Priest, locked in my own thoughts and forgetting we’re not the only ones in the room. Asking him the question I can’t say out loud.

He shakes his head.

Losing Madison wouldn’t only shift the dynamics of the EKC, but—everything. She is the foundation of the entire family. When the foundation dies, it’s not long before everything built from it rots alongside with it.

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