Page 20 of The Preacher's Pet

“She’s a slip of a girl. She’s also clearly messed up. I don’t get how you think she can be a threat to us in any way.”

“I’m interested that you see it in such a way,” he says. “I’d argue that she most definitely can be a threat to us. We’ve taken a vow, to put the Preachers first. We have something important here. We’re all trying to overcome our pasts and forge new futures for ourselves. We don’t want to fall into the same patterns and traps our fucked up families did. That’s why we are so focused on building our mental and emotional power and control. Right?”

I nod because, yes, that’s what we’re focused on.

“So, a girl, one from the past, could get in the way of that, don’t you agree?”

“Maybe, but not necessarily.” I’m not sure where he’s going with this, so I let him lead and try to keep my answers vague.

“She could distract Cain too much,” he continues. “Make him forget what we vowed. To be strong. Walk our own path. Not let things like status symbols, and women, and all that distract us. We are getting ready for something bigger than just college.”

I don’t say anything still, wanting him to lay it out exactly. It’s almost as though he’s talking to himself, and I just happen to be listening in.

Roman rakes his hand through his jaw-length blond hair. “I think we should warn Cain away from Ophelia. Tell him to leave her the hell alone.”

I laugh again, and the anger that flashes in his eyes is more incendiary than I’ve seen in a long while.

“What the fuck?” I ask. “We can’t tell Cain what to do. That’s up to him.”

A muscle ticks in his square jaw. “Even if it ruins everything?”

“Why would it? She’s his friend from the past, that’s all.”

“Is it all? I saw the way he looked at her.”

He did?

I raise my eyebrows, questioning. “How did he look at her?”

Roman pauses, his tongue sneaking out to wet his lower lip. “Like he wanted to eat her.”

Fuck. If Cain likes her that way, too, then it changes things. My porno reel mind provides a new fantasy to replace the one of me chasing her down. I mentally recreate the first time we saw her, and us chasing her through the woods. Except I change the ending. This time, we catch her, and it’s me and Cain with Ophelia between us. She’s shaking with a mix of fear and desire. Holy fuck. Me, her, and Cain would be hot. Instead of being jealous at the idea of Cain wanting to touch the girl I want, I find I like the idea, so long as I can be there, too.

Unaware of the direction my thoughts have gone, Roman continues to push his point.

“We need to get Cain to leave her alone, and we all have to avoid her,” Roman states.

His tone is so fucking superior, I want to punch him in the goddamn mouth.

I fold my arms across my chest. “Why the fuck does it sound like you’re dictating who I can and can’t speak to?”

He raises an eyebrow. “I do lead us in spiritual guidance. Lest you forget.”

I rise to my feet, and a couple of steps bring me directly in front of him. Roman might have a couple of inches of height on me, but that doesn’t mean he’s physically stronger. I know how to fight, and I’ll fight dirty, if I have to.

I jab him in the chest with a finger. “Because weletyou.” Then, because I’m an asshole, I add, “Lestyou forget.”

He holds his ground and doesn’t react to me poking him.

“I’m telling you, Mal, there’s something wrong with her. She’ll mess things up between us all. I can feel it. The universe is showing me something. I want you to swear you’ll not have anything to do with her.”

My jaw works as I stare at him. “No.”

He jerks back. “What?”

“You fucking heard.”

I move to walk past him, needing some space, but he takes two quick steps and blocks me.

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