“Good answer. I need to be close to you, to protect you.”
“What else?” she whispered.
He groaned, slipping out of his holsters. After shouting out a command, the lights lowered. She looked up, amazed that the entire compound seemed to be voice-activated.
“I’ve had a hard-on since last night thinking about you.”
He helped her out of her t-shirt. She wore no bra because there wasn’t one in the closet. Finding her naked underneath the shirt seemed to flip a switch inside Priest. He stood up and unzipped his pants. She reached under his shirt to run her fingers along his hard abs, trying to push the material out of the way. He tugged the t-shirt off, then finished unzipping.
“This body is all mine now, Cleo. Only for me to fuck.”
“Yes,” she said. Her pussy pulsed, hungry and desperate for what she knew he was about to give her. She needed him, not just for the sexual relief, but for the emotional connection, the bond, to wipe out all her insecurities.
“I won’t let them take you. No one will ever hurt you.”
She pressed her hands to his chest as he leaned over her. “You never told me what Boss said. Was it about me?”
“Later,” he said, kissing her neck.
“No, please. I need to know.”
He dropped down beside her so they were face to face. She traced her fingertips along the stubble at his jawline. “I want to protect you. Even from this.”
“Please, Priest. I can handle anything. Don’t keep secrets from me because you think I’m weak.”
“You’re not weak. Not at all. You’ve been through a lot, and I haven’t made it easier for you. If I hadn’t opened this can of worms, you’d still be undetected.”
“So was it about my past?”
He stared at her, a mix of pity and affection that unsettled her. “He told me who your father was.”
She exhaled.
“Okay, that’s no big deal. Just because he found out doesn’t mean I care or need to know the shitty details. I’m not like you, I can leave the past alone.”
“But it won’t leave you alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your father gave you up to protect you. He’s part of a dangerous organization called The Circle of Monsters. He didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Okay, so my father was some kind of criminal. If he gave me up, why would I be in danger?”
“When I killed that cop, it got you on their radar. They ran your name, figured out who you were, and now they won’t stop until you’re dead.”
“And this so-called father of mine. Does he even care?”
“I don’t know him. But he did care at some point if he tried to protect you.”
She sat up. “No, if he put me into the foster system, that wasn’t any form of love. Trust me.”
“Regardless, The Circle of Monsters is involved, and they’re not on friendly terms with Killer of Kings. And at least one mob boss is interested in killing you because of your father’s connections. The anonymous contract could be from a laundry list of your father’s enemies. That’s why Boss sent backup. We’ll probably need it.”
“What about my fish?”
He leaned up on an elbow. “Your fish?”
“Yes, Fred. His feeding block will be almost gone by now.”