Page 58 of That Sik Luv

Chapter thirty

Confessions

Isitinsilence,the dark wood surrounding me threatening titillating thoughts of death and dying.

A coffin encapsulating the death of free will and voluntary thoughts. Oddly fitting.

I know the plan now. After leaving Briony’s in the early hours of the morning, I made my way to the nightclub to visit Nox and see if any new information had slipped through the cracks while rich men got drunk and discussed topics of conversation meant to stay behind closed doors.

These idiots have no idea that some women who work for Nox, the ones they look at as useless objects, are basically paid informants for him. They thrive in the land of gossip. The only issue is a few of them have conspired with the wealthy scum of this town, enjoying the perks of a few thousand dollars to keep their deepest, darkest secrets locked away.

Weeding them out has been fun for Nox. The man is demanding and ruthless when it comes to any of his employees getting money from outside sources. He finds his own creative ways to make them pay their debts, letting me watch for my enjoyment.

Lucky for me, all it took was one blowjob for the treasurer of The Covenant Academy to let loose lips fly.

After releasing all over Nox's unofficial informant's face, he revealed that Callum Westwood was tired of waiting on Alastor Abbott’s secret weapon to take care of business. The church was also getting restless, especially after all the controversy surrounding Briony and her scandalous ways. She was dragging the wholesome Saint, the chosen one, the future of this parish, down with her. Just as I intended.

Which made releasing that video to social media a simple decision for me, and even more essential for her freedom. Unfortunately, the video wasn’t enough to destroy Saint’s reputation. The vixen who tried to sway the future bishop of The Covenant away from Christ would need to pay for her offenses. The Devil’s Doll herself.

When men are backed into a corner, they’re forced to fight. Callum is in his corner at the moment, restless and weary, the truth of his past decisions on the verge of release. The pressure on his castle was building to the point of combustion, and knowing a war was upon me was better than wondering when or where he’d strike next.

I pushed him into this, and Alastor’s paranoia over the missing documents from his safe was the tipping point. Secrets that hold this institution together are on the precipice of collapse. The oligarchy, bound to fold. The martyrs of morality, on the verge of the ultimate exposure.

Voices carry into the church, their tone echoing into the soaring vaulted ceilings above, where the angels with blacked-out eyes still hover, courtesy of yours truly.

“No, not now,” I hear the deacon say. “Get to class. Confessions will continue tomorrow.”

The footsteps continue approaching when I hear her ask, “Where’s Bishop Caldwell?”

Inquisitive one, she is, knowing how wrong this is of the deacon.

“He’s assisting the children of God, Briony.”

The large, heavy doors to the church slam shut once more, leaving an eerie echo in the massive cathedral, and I’m all too aware of the set-up upon her.

“If this is about the video, then Saint should be here as well,” Briony declares, but the footsteps only continue nearing the tight box I’m being held in.

The brass handle of the wooden door next to mine opens as the deacon enters the small cubical to my left.

“Only the bishop can perform this sacrament,” she continues, trying to gain his attention, but he’s not listening. He’s already inside.

C’mon Briony. Confess your sins as I requested.

“Now,” he commands from the other side of the booth.

There’s hesitation in her silence. She knows this isn’t right. She’s aware of danger looming, and yet something in her mind tells her to intuitively trust.

Not the deacon.

But me.

She finally opens the creaky wooden door to the darkened space, slowly closing it behind her before going to sit on the bench beneath me.

She lands on my lap, and before she can make a sound, I wrap my hand over her mouth. She jumps in surprise, but my other arm immediately pulls her body tightly into mine.

“Shh,” I whisper in her ear.

She panics, and her muscles tense beneath her white uniform shirt as she struggles to get out of my grasp.

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