Page 175 of Priest and his Anarchist

“Took long enough…” The voice filters through the other side of the garden. He’s dressed in a black suit with the buttons undone.

He’s confusing. His face is masculine yet pretty, but the scar that cuts right across his throat tells a tale of torment. With wide-stretched shoulders, a height rivaling Priest and Vaden, and eyes that seem bright against his darker skin, I’m almost certain this man could have been a King with the rest of them.

“Yeah, we ran into a problem.” Priest ignores the wailing man at Vaden’s feet.

The man in the suit finds me and as soon as his eyes are on mine, I regret ever wondering what he looks like. Not because he’s scary, because Iknowscary. I’ve looked a monster straight in the eyes and begged it to love me.

Stupid.

“Luna Nox Rebellis…”

I retreat at the sound of my name leaving his lips. He holds my stare, and when I don’t answer, a wall of bare muscle blocks my view and my whole thoughts change. I don’t know if it’s because this is the first time I’ve seen it all in daylight or because I’m simply as stupid as I thought, but the intricate and fine line artwork tattooed over Priest’s back reminds me of?—

I take a step closer, desperate to see more.

“Now what? You gonna stash him in your dark room and tell him he’s a pretty girl?” The suited man raises a smug brow at Priest from behind his beer.

“Fuck you, Thorn.”

He laughs, and I do the math in my head. Archer Thorn, heir of Thornhill—Thornhill.Holy fucking days. I’m in Thornhill! This place has never been on my radar, mainly because I wasn’t sure if it was a myth. I mean, how many times do you have to hear about a town and not visit before wondering if it’s fiction.

“You sure you don’t wanna make the reception?” He gestures down to Corbin. “He’s already dressed to theme.”

Vaden laughs, tugging on the chain and nudging his head behind me. “Luna, love, we need to get you home.”

I land back on Priest, even though Vaden’s grip is tight around my arm and he’s practically dragging me backward.

Priest’s head shakes side to side before he turns back to Archer, who is still watching me.

“He’s creepy…” I finally turn around and copy Vaden’s footsteps.

“Yeah, keep it that way. We know what you’re like with the creepy ones…”

I shove Vaden in the shoulder and my chest warms. It almost feels as it used to be with him, before our lives changed. Once we hit the Bentley, he slams the trunk closed and rounds the end of the car. Vaden pulls out a cigarette, following my eyes and landing on Priest.

“You know he can fight for himself, right? Like the motherfucker is untouchable.”

I don’t move. “I know. It’s not that.”

“Yeah?” Vaden’s tone picks up as tobacco smoke puffs around my face. “What bothers you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Pretty sure you know.” Vaden keeps a safe distance from me. “Ask him the question I know you’re thinking.”

I finally turn to Vaden. “Will he lie?”

Vaden’s eye squints around the smoke. “Not anymore, so tread carefully.”

Not twenty-four hours earlier, I thought our lives were going to change for good. I thought Madison was dead, Priest was going to kill me when he found out that I wasn’t his first love, and an old friend in a top hat was chasing me.

I slam the door closed and stare up at the house. Dark walls and windows overlook the driveway, where the horde of cars are parked. Vaden moves past us.

“I’ll leave you both to….” His hands fly around the place. “Before you…” He gestures around us.

As soon as he’s gone, the heaviness of Priest’s eyes weighs on me. Stones crunch beneath his boots, but I don’t look away. Iremain fixed on the window I spent three years of my life looking out. Hoping. Wondering. Praying that he wouldn’t kill me.

I smell him first. The whiff of cologne, mint leaves, and spice.

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