“We’re safe.” I’ve never said those two exact words together in a sentence before. “You’re sure?”
Priest nods and turns my body to face him. “As safe as we can be, sweetheart. This place is locked down tight. No one is getting in here.”
The smile that takes over my face catches us both off guard. A smile. A genuine smile. When was the last time I'd done that?
I watch as Priest’s lips turn up at the corners, and then I laugh. But my laughter doesn’t last long. Instead, it morphs into a sob before I can stop it, and then uncontrollable sobs erupt from inside of me.
Priest’s arms pull me to him, cradling me against his chest. He doesn’t utter a word until every tear escapes my body. He holds me, providing comfort and understanding, and most importantly, safety.
“I know, baby, I know,” he coos, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “Come back to bed. You need rest. We both do.”
“I shouldn’t be in your room. Is there another room for the women?”
“Women?” Frowning, Priest places a finger under my chin and tips my head back so I’m looking up at him. “Boo, I told you, we aren’t like them.”
“So why am I in here?” I hate to ask the question, but if I’ve learned anything during my time on this earth, it’s that men only want something from you, and usually that something is sex. Before, Priest had wanted my help, but now that he no longer needs it, I know what he expects.
“If I had to take a guess, the guys put you in here with me. After seeing the doc, I passed the fuck out. But they knew it would be better for you to wake up next to someone you know than in a strange room, especially considering…” he trails off. He saw firsthand what happened to me there, but it appears he can’t bring himself to say it out loud.
His explanation makes sense, but still, I’m in no condition to provide him with any comfort. My head is throbbing, my body aches, and my eyelids feel like they weigh ten pounds each. With a nod, I slowly look around the room. “I can sleep on the floor, I guess.”
“You’re not sleeping on the floor,” he mutters, leading me back to the bed. “The bed is fine. If one of us is sleeping on the floor, it’s going to be me. But I’d rather not, considering the hell I’ve been through. If that makes you feel better, though, I will.” He shifts away from me, turning my body and lowering me onto the bed. Once I’m settled, he tucks me in and takes a step back. It’s then that I get a better look at him.
Priest’s shirtless upper body is covered in tattoos. An ornate cross takes up the muscled expanse of his chest, contrasting against his dark olive skin. His abs… God, his abs. Like chiseled marble on a statue. His shoulders are bandaged, but the swirl of tattoos peek out from beneath them. His muscular legs are wrapped in white bandages. He smiles when he catches me staring at him.
“Go to sleep, honey. You can ogle me once we’ve rested.”
“I’m not ogling you,” I huff, heat rising to my cheeks. “I just…”
“You what, Boo?”
I’ve just never seen a man as massive as he is. He’s like a giant work of art. The man God made for all other men to strive to be like. He’s handsome and tanned, and has the face of an avenging angel. He’s perfection. But as tired as I am, I’m not about to tell him that.
“Never mind,” I say with a shake of my head. Hoping he’ll change the subject, I snuggle down deeper into the blankets and yawn. “It’s not important.”
Priest smirks, but he doesn’t push it. “So where am I sleeping, honey? Because my legs are about to give out, and I need a place to crash.”
Biting my lip, I stare up at his glorious, yet battered body. Priest has never done anything to make me feel uncomfortable. He’s never made lewd comments, or put his hands on me to cause me pain. Maybe he’s right. Maybe he is different from the Screwballs.
“I’ll take the floor,” he concludes, reaching for his pillow.
“No.” Pushing up from the bed, I reach out for his hand. Slowly, I grab the blankets on the other side and draw them back. “Sleep here. It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you.”
I watch him as he considers this. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he must agree, because he drops his pillow back on the bed next to me and climbs in.
The bed jostles as he adjusts himself, hissing a curse through his teeth as he moves. Finally, he settles, and neither of us speak as we lie side by side, both of us soaking up the silence.
My mind whirls with questions, but only one seems important right now. The one question only he can answer for me.
Rolling to my side, I face him with my hands resting beneath my cheek. “What happened to them, to the Screwballs? Are they dead?”
Sighing, Priest reaches for my hand. “I wish I could say they were, but they’re not. Not all of them, anyway. But the rest is a conversation for tomorrow. We need to sleep.” He gives my hand a squeeze and smiles. “Close your eyes, baby. I promise to not hog the blankets.”
I watch his eyes close, his hand still holding mine. Alan did that in bed sometimes, but when he did it, it was to keep me there, to hold me prisoner. But when Priest does it, it’s tender and affectionate. Soothing.
His face grows slack as I study him, and his breaths come out in slow, steady puffs. I don’t know how long I watch him sleep before exhaustion finally takes hold. I sink my head down into the fluffy pillow, and allow the sound of his soft snores to carry me into a much-needed sleep.
PRIEST