It was strange, but with everything coming out of Priest’s mouth, Robbie knew he ought to be terrified of what was happening. But the bone-chilling determination of Priest wrapped around Robbie and soothed the part of him that was scared, the part of him that was worried, and assured him that Priest would move heaven and earth if it meant protecting those he loved.
As fierce as a lion, and seemingly as deadly, Priest was now stalking back and forth, and the fulminating look on his face told Robbie that the man at the other end of the phone best be careful, because he was fucking with the wrong man.
“I am not the boy you raised or the one you left behind,” Priest said in a tone that would, under any other circumstance, cause the hair on Robbie’s arms to stand on end. But hearing Priest dominate the conversation with a man as vile and wretched as Jimmy was nothing short of awe-inspiring. “That boy was scared of you. That boy didn’t understand what you were capable of until that final day. That boy was just that—a boy. But I’m a man now, Jimmy, and you took something from me that I want back.”
Robbie swallowed as Priest’s feet came to a stop and he raised his eyes. They were as dark as Robbie could ever remember seeing them. Like a thunderous cloud about to rain down unholy hell, and the tight line of his mouth looked like a slash across his stern face, it was drawn so tight.
Priest looked like a man ready to head into battle and annihilate all those in his path, and judging by the balled fist at his side and the tense set of his muscles, Robbie wasn’t far off with that assessment.
“That’s impossible,” Priest spat out, and turned away from Robbie to stare at the wall beside him. “The banks are closed and it’s going to take time to get what you want.” He listened some more and then cursed. “Tomorrow night? Where?” Priest ran a hand through his hair. “No. You tell me now.”
As Jimmy started to talk again, Priest shook his head, the movements harsh, clipped. “Jimmy, don’t you—” But Jimmy must’ve hung up.
“Fuck,” Priest roared, and brought his fist up and smashed it through the wall, making Robbie gasp.
The plaster cracked and crumbled around Priest’s fist, and the wall hanging listed to the left. Robbie jumped to his feet and hurried over.
“Priest, stop…” Robbie said, as he gently laid a hand on the arm that was still wedged in the wall.
Priest hung his head and dropped his phone to the floor, and as he did, he turned his face toward Robbie. The fierce predator he’d just witnessed stared back at him, like a wild animal trapped behind those grey eyes.
“Hey,” Robbie said, as he put both hands on Priest’s bulging bicep, trying to soothe him. “You did good.” Robbie nodded as he worked to reassure the man looking at him but not really seeing him—Priest was caught up in his head. “Come,” Robbie said, smoothed his hand down to Priest’s wrist, and gently tugged on it.
As Priest’s hand pulled free, Robbie saw his banged-up knuckles and winced. “That’s going to hurt later.”
“Good,” Priest said, and when their eyes met, Robbie shook his head.
“Not good. I won’t have you hurting yourself because of Jimmy.” Robbie led Priest over to the couch. “Sit. I’m getting some ice.”
Priest did as he was told. When Robbie came back with some cubes from the mini-fridge and a towel, he knelt in front of Priest. “Give me your hand.”
Priest held it out, and when Robbie wrapped the ice and towel around Priest’s knuckles, he hissed, and Robbie shook his head. “I should kick your ass for this.” When Priest looked him in the eye, the corner of his lips twitched, and Robbie said, “You don’t think I could? I could.”
“No,” Priest said. “I was thinking you are very brave.”
“Brave?”
“Yes. To be yelling at me when you just saw me punch a hole through a wall.”
Robbie sat back on his heels and peered into Priest’s solemn face. “You don’t scare me.”
“No?” Priest shut his eyes, and Robbie caught the side of his jaw ticking. The beast was still not calm, by any stretch of the imagination. “I scare myself right now with what I’m thinking.”
“If it’s that you want to kill Jimmy for taking Julien, then I should scare you too. I’d drive a knife into his heart right now if I could.”
Priest slid off the couch until his back was against it and his ass was on the floor. He spread his legs out on either side of Robbie. “Come here.”
Robbie moved in until his side was up against Priest’s chest, and when Priest wrapped his arms around him, Robbie laid his head against Priest’s shoulder.