Page 161 of Priest and his Anarchist

River turns into me, and Priest shifts closer.

Mom picks it up, her eyes moving around us all. “Well, I’m not going to hurt my own daughter!” If looks could kill, though. “I don’t care who—whatever—happened. I didn’t know that girl, and if she really was the person who arrived at the dinner party and all of that.” She is lying. My mother would have loved her the same, but I appreciate her effort. “I’m just glad that you’re safe!” Mom’s hands come to my face, and I smile sadly at her because as much as I want to give her reassurance, I can’t. Not yet.

“It’s not you they think will kill her, Lilith, it’s me,” Bishop ends, but he doesn’t bother looking at me. “And I don’t have the time to pet you lot into believing me when I say I want no harm to that girl and that there’s a lot more that youdon’t know, but right now—” He pushes from the sofa. “I’m going to find my wife.” He turns to me finally, raising a brow. “And we need you.”

When it’s time, we need a favor. You won’t want to do it.

I sigh?—

“Like fuck you’re taking her.” He keeps his voice low and level. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Bishop pins him to his chair with a simple glare. “Now’s not the time. We need to go. Now.”

“Rabbit…” His nickname leaves my mouth in a whisper, and I turn to him. Even with us all sitting down, he towers over most.

He angles his head but doesn’t bring his eyes to mine. It’s enough to know I have his attention. “I’m coming.”

His jaw flexes before he stands, making his way to Bishop. While he’s away fighting his case with his dad, I focus on my own parents.

“If it’s any consolation to your not knowing me, I was seven when I arrived. You knew me a lot more than her, but I understand if you feel. I guess…strange about it.”

“Luna…” My mom takes the spot Priest was in. It feels strange with her there now, and I hate that I find myself seeking him out when fronted with my mom. “I don’t care about any ofthat. I do, but I guess we will talk when you get back. But…” She stops herself, her eyes moving to both of my dads over my shoulder.

“Baby, you can tell us when you get back about all the details.”

I smile but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Sure.”

I won’t. There are parts of what I know they’ll want to know that I simply can’t tell them.

“Madness.” Priest nudges his head toward the front door. “Let’s go.”

Bishop:1

Priest: 0

Chapter Forty

luna

Priest moves a branch out of the way. “You should have stayed behind.”

“I deserve to be here just as much as you do, and you know it.” I step away from him, but he reaches out to stop me as we follow Bishop, Nate, Tillie, and Brantley through the dense snow.

He grabs me by the arm and pulls me in close. His fingers are around my chin and he’s forcing me onto my tippy toes faster than I can blink. “Tell me, when have I ever given you the impression that I give a fuck about what you deserve? Hmm?”

When I don’t answer, he lowers an inch. “Because you and I both know that if I did, I would have thrown you back onto your mommy’s lap a long time ago instead of having you ride on mine for the past however many years.”

“And still…” It comes out a whisper. Mostly because I’m not surprised. “You underestimate me.”

“You. Underestimate you? Yeah. Yeah, I do, because the only danger you’ve ever been around since you were seven years old was controlled byme.”

I pull back an inch. “I ran shows on Perdita, Priest. On a damnprisonisland filled with the spawns of EKC!”

The corner of his mouth twitches and I hate that it draws my instant attention. “Funny that. And how many times did you feel unsafe?”

Only the times you don’t know about.

I glare at him when he releases my chin, swallowing the words that want to come out. “Let’s just get your mother.”

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