Page 25 of Priest and his Anarchist

His eyes move between us, before settling on me. “Told you to stay brunette.”

“More of a reason for her to not,” River sings, dancing toward me with a teasing smirk. “We just have to decide which dress.”

Priest being in the room replaces the stress of my new hair. I never thought much about him when we were young. All I decided was that he was a bully. Someone who hated me for whatever reason, but as time went on, that never changed, so I kept my distance.

Until now. Maybe that’s why I’m fascinated, because I’m only really getting to know him.

“The red one.”

His words stop me.

River pauses, her hands mid-air. She glances over her shoulder for a second before returning. “Oh, is that right?”

I don’t know what’s wrong with either of them, but I take both dresses and place them onto my bed.

The white dress is long and loose, where the red one pinches in at the waist before spilling out around the upper thighs. It’s cute. Damnit. He’s right, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of saying the words out loud.

River picks up the red dress. “You’re right.”

Priest stares at me from the other side of the room. Gray sweat shorts hang from his waist, his chest covered by a white T. Even in lounging clothes, he looks good.Even watching him kill his girlfriend and others mid-orgasm?Shit.

I clear my throat. “Ah, are you good with me going with her?”

He shrugs. “Yeah. Why?” The way he angles his head shouldn’t make my stomach twist. It’s the eyes. Definitely his eyes.

And jawline.

And—what the hell is wrong with me…Killer. Bully. Tried to kill you multiple times. Hates you. Murderer. Kidnapper. Asshole.

River’s laugh cuts the tension in the air. “Maybe because you locked her up for a year. She didn’t expect it, Priest. She wasn’t raised in this world.” She rolls her eyes, shoving the red dress into my chest and disappearing back into the closet.

“Be home before six, don’t drink any alcohol—” The closer he gets, the less I’m able to breathe. When he’s an inch away, I tilt my head to look up at him in time for him to catch a piece of my hair that traces the side of my face. “—and if you bat these pretty eyes at anyone?” His lips brush my earlobe. “I’ll tear them out.”

River returns, only this time she’s quiet.

Priest flashes a smirk. “Happy birthday, Madness.”

I don’t even get to answer him before the door is closed, and River is shuffling me into the dress. I tighten up the buttons, brush out my hair, and swipe my lips with balm before River drags me out of the room. Being the first time I’ve ventured deep into the house, I try not to expose my excitement by paying closer attention as I follow her through.

Back on the first floor, we follow a long hallway until we arrive at a pair of black doors. River presses her thumb to a small screen on the wall before they open and we step inside.

“An elevator. Of course,” I joke under my breath.

River taps on her phone, lifting her hand to snap a photo of us. “Mmhmm. Only to get to the garage.”

She’s scanning over the three photos we took before the doors open onto a white basement where hundreds of parked cars are spread out. I couldn’t name the cars even if I tried.

River snatches a set of keys off a hook and points the remote at a shiny black one in the far-right corner.

“We’re so taking Uncle B’s Maserati.”

The headlights flicker, but she stops when we’re a small distance away. She looks me up and down before tossing the keys into my chest. I catch them just in time.

“You should drive.” She grins.

“Ah…” I shuffle nervously. “I don’t know how…”

“What!” Her mouth falls open before closing. “Damn. That’s not okay—no. Get in the car.”

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