Page 78 of Devilish

His expression was priceless, and I chuckled as I got to my feet and straightened my lapels. “You’d be surprised how open-minded and nonjudgmental some priests can be. I’m sure he’s heard worse than what I confess.” I pictured the rest of the guys going into the confessional one by one, each of them more delinquent than the next. “As a matter of fact, Iknowhe’s heard worse.”

“Interesting…” Kai was fully awake now. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound so surprised. I just never pictured you or any of your brothers doing something like that.”

“I don’t think any of us would if Alessio wasn’t such a pain in the ass about it.”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. If I didn’t leave now, I’d be late, andthatwas as bad to Alessio as not showing up at all.

With one last kiss, I drew the covers up over Kai. “Go back to sleep and I’ll be home before you know it.”

“Be safe,” he said, settling back against the pillows.

“Always.”

I was almost out the bedroom door when I heard him say, “Lucien?”

I turned around to see him sitting back up.

“Is that something anyone can do? Go to confession?”

The question made me pause. “Is that something you might be interested in?”

“I think it might be.”

It had occurred to me that Kai might need someone other than me to talk to, but I’d been thinking more along the lines of a therapist. Someone who could help him make sense of his trauma and encourage the moves he was making for the future. He’d spent the rest of the week looking up GED classes and schedules, but maybe it would do him good to meet with someone now. Father Rafael Vitale was a compassionate man who had a gentle way about him that would be a perfect fit for Kai.

Just like that, my plans changed, and I called Alessio.

The second he picked up, I said, “Before you bitch at me for not coming tonight, tell him I’ll see him tomorrow with a special visitor.”

A string of obscenities filtered through the line, and I held the phone away from my ear. Alessio was loud enough that even Kai heard him and had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

I knew exactly what he was thinking, though: That’sthe guy who wants you to go to church?

No way was I going to get into the fact that Alessio made us all go but never actually partook in his own confession time with Father Vitale.

“I hear you,” I said, keeping the phone a healthy distance from my eardrum. “Kai hears you too, but just so you know, he’d like to meet with your priest.”

“He’snotmy priest,” Alessio said.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at Kai. “Well, if he’s not your priest, then it shouldn’t bother you that I’ll see him in a few hours instead of right this minute.”

“It chafes my ass and you know it, fucker,” Alessio snapped.

“My apologies. So you’ll give him my message?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Let him think you stood him up.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a hypocrite?”

Alessio let out a long-suffering sigh, and I could imagine him rolling his eyes right back at me. “Every damn day. What about it?”

I smirked. “You should think about confessing tonight. Might do you some good.”

“Bite my ass.” He ended the call, and I tossed the phone aside for the night.

“Good news,” I said, turning back to Kai and pulling the rosary up over my head. “I’m home early.”

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