Confessions: Priest (Confessions Series Book 3)

by Ella Frank

  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.

  “I’m going to bring him home,” Priest said into the silent room, his voice full of conviction, and Robbie couldn’t help but wonder if Priest was trying to convince Robbie or himself.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  CONFESSION

  This is my worst nightmare.

  The ones I love suffering because of me.

  PRIEST WASN’T SURE how long they sat there like that. Alone in the Peninsula Suite, silence their only companion, but when Robbie finally moved, it was to lift Priest’s hand and unwrap the towel.

  His head was bent down over Priest’s knuckles as he inspected the abused flesh, and Priest couldn’t stop himself from running his other hand through the thick waves of hair only inches away from him.

  He needed to touch something and remind himself that he was alive. As he did, Robbie raised his head and Priest noticed that fierce frown had returned.

  “You really hurt yourself,” Robbie said. “These are going to be bruised tomorrow.”

  “I know.” Priest curled his fingers just to see if he could, and winced.

  “We need some Tylenol or something.”

  “Alcohol,” Priest said. “I need some alcohol to do what I have to do next.”

  Robbie raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly is that?” Priest went to speak, but before he could, Robbie held a finger up. “If you plan to tell me it’s better that I don’t know, I’ll squeeze your knuckles until you cry. Don’t think I won’t.”

  Priest turned away as Robbie got to his feet, but when he was halfway across the room, Priest relented. If the shoe were on the other foot, he would want to know everything. “I need to call Henri and get him over here.”

  Robbie stopped in front of the bar and pivoted in Priest’s direction. “But I thought you were going to him.”

  “I was,” Priest said, and pushed up to his feet. “Before Jimmy called. But there’s no way I’m leaving you alone now, not when I know for certain he’s the one behind this. There’s also nothing I can do by leaving here tonight. He wants money and a passport, and me to bring them to him.”

  “No.” Robbie shook his head. “No, you’re not going.”

  “Robert, this is the only way with Jimmy. But I can’t get what I need until tomorrow. And one of those things, I need Henri for.”

  “The passport?” Robbie bit on his lip.

  “Yes. Henri has…connections,” Priest said, as he started to pace again, the initial shock of the phone call having worn off and the adrenaline now back.

  Robbie narrowed his eyes, and Priest walked over and took his hands.

  “I know you don’t like this. Me going. Henri coming here. But we can trust him, and I’m not leaving you alone. I thought it would be safe and I wouldn’t worry. But after hearing Jimmy’s voice—” Priest drew up short, not wanting to admit that after speaking to Jimmy, every memory he’d had as that scared little boy had come back tenfold. “I would just feel better if Henri came here, to us.”

  “I don’t care about that. If you trust him, so do I. I’m just worried you’re going to”—Robbie shook his head—“do something that’s going to get you in trouble, and that scares me.”

  Priest drew Robbie to him and kissed his head. “I have to do this. Whatever it takes. You understand that, right?”

  Robbie nodded, but didn’t look at Priest. “Of course. I just…I want you to be careful.” He sniffed. “Julien’s already gone, and—”

  “Hey,” Priest said, and took a step back to look into Robbie’s eyes. “Julien’s not gone. Don’t you think like that. You think good thoughts.” Priest swept Robbie’s hair off his forehead and tried to soften the stern expression he knew was on his face. “You think about what we’re all going to do when he comes home. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Robbie said in a small voice. “Let me get you that drink and some more ice for your hand.”

  “How about you get one for yourself, too.”

  “Yeah,” Robbie said. “That might help a little.”

  “Exactly,” Priest said, and watched as Robbie turned and headed to the bar. Priest then picked his cell phone up off the floor.

  He was about to call Henri when the screen lit up with a familiar name and number, and he shut his eyes and bit out a curse. Logan. He’d known this was coming after the way things had ended at Tate’s, but he had no idea what to say right now.

  Shit. He was going to have to deal with this sooner or later, and since he wasn’t going to be coming back to work until Julien was home, safe and fucking sound, this was as good a time as any.

  “Logan, hey,” Priest said, and as he did, he looked over to Robbie and saw his head snap up.

  “Hey? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Logan said, and Priest grimaced. “I just got to The Popped Cherry after a phone call from Tate telling me that you called and told them to lock the place up. Want to maybe tell me what the fuck is going on?”

  Priest should’ve known the second Tate was involved that Logan would go all fucking caveman, because that was exactly how he would act. But right now, he had no answers he could give his friend and work partner. “I wish I could, but I can’t right now.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “It means,” Priest said as he locked eyes with Robbie, “I can’t tell you anything more than what I already told your husband. You are both fine and safe. I’ll tell you more when I can.”

  There was a second of silence. “And when might that be?”

  “I don’t know,” Priest said.

  Logan sighed, and Priest could imagine him running a hand through his hair.

  “Is Robbie there with you?”

  “He is.”

  “Can I talk to him?” Priest was about to say that wasn’t a go
od idea, but Logan added, “That wasn’t a question, Priest. Put him on the phone or I’m going to make your life a living hell.”

  Too late for that. Priest took the phone over to Robbie, thinking it might help to hear from someone he knew.

  When he got to the bar and held the phone out, Robbie went to take it, and Priest noticed his hand shaking. Fuck, he hated this. Hated that, because of him, the men he loved were suffering. Robbie was absolutely terrified.

  “Logan wants to talk to you.”

  Robbie wrapped his fingers around the phone, and as he did, Priest brushed his hand over Robbie’s, trying to offer what little comfort he could, though that wasn’t a whole lot right now.

  As Robbie took the phone and brought it to his ear, he didn’t look away from Priest, and Priest felt somewhat better knowing that Robbie wasn’t turning away from him.

  “Hello?” Robbie nodded, and then said, “Yes. Yes. I’m fine, Logan.” When Logan started talking again, Robbie shook his head. “No, you don’t need to do that. I’m with Priest. You know what he’s like.”

  Robbie’s lips curved a little, and Priest was curious what Logan had just said.

  “Exactly,” Robbie said. “He’d never let anything happen to me. I promise.”

  As Robbie fell silent, listening to whatever Logan was telling him, his lips turned down, and for the first time since Priest had handed over the phone, Robbie lowered his eyes. “No. Julien’s not here.”

  The somber words were like an arrow through Priest’s heart, and he clenched his fist to fight back the urge he had to snatch the phone out of Robbie’s hand—but remembered too late why that was a bad idea, as pain shot up his arm.

  Christ, that hurt. But at least it distracted him from what Robbie had said.

  Priest didn’t want to hear the sadness in Robbie’s voice. He didn’t want to imagine the horrors Julien was enduring. But most of all, Priest didn’t want to accept that his husband, and Robbie’s partner, the man they both loved, had been taken because of him.

  “I can’t say anything else,” Robbie said. “I’ve got to go. Can you tell Tate I’ll be back at work as soon as I can? He can give me all the horrible shifts. I won’t complain at all, promise.” Robbie nodded, and then he raised his eyes back to Priest’s and held out the phone. “He wants to talk to you again.”

  Priest took the phone and held it to his chest. “Are you okay?”

  Robbie swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. Logan’s just worried. But I’m fine. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than here right now.”

  Priest understood that. Robbie knew this was the first place he’d hear any news of Julien, and whether he was scared or not, there was no way in hell he was going anywhere else.

  Priest turned away before bringing the phone back up to his ear. “Mitchell.”

  “Priest. Okay. I’m not going to push here,” Logan said, shocking Priest. “I can tell something’s obviously wrong, but I trust you. Do you hear me?”

  Yes, he heard him, and Priest wondered if he deserved that trust. Logan was assuming Priest would keep Robbie safe—keep his men safe—and yet he’d failed spectacularly at that, hadn’t he?

  “I hear you.”

  There was a pause for a long minute and then Logan said, “Are you okay? Priest? Is Julien?”

  No. No, he wasn’t. Priest wasn’t going to let himself feel that, say that—not yet. So instead, he ignored the question altogether. “I don’t know when I’ll be back at work.”

  “That’s fine. Do whatever it is you need to do and then come back to us. Cole and I will work it out.”

  For the first time ever, Priest found himself grateful for the burgeoning friendship he had forged with Logan. It was one of the only ones he had outside of his two men, and right then he felt a sense of allegiance from Logan that was invaluable.

  “Thank you, Logan,” Priest said, and he’d never meant that more.

  “Anytime. And Priest?”

  “Yes?”

  “If you need me, don’t hesitate to call. I mean it when I say anytime.”

  Priest appreciated the offer, but there was no way he was about to involve any more innocent lives in the shit show that was his life. It was going to be hard enough to explain all of this when it was over—and it would be over, of that he was sure. Jimmy Donovan would be leaving their lives permanently real soon.

  “Got it.”

  “Right. I won’t keep you any longer.” And with that, Logan ended the call.

  KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

  The sound of knuckles on the door of the suite had Robbie jumping out of his skin, even though he knew who was on the other side.

  From the moment Priest had called him at work, to just minutes ago when he’d left to use the restroom, Robbie’s world had become a whirlwind, a vortex he’d been sucked into where he couldn’t seem to find any steady ground. Where the things he had learned seemed too horrible to fathom but, at the same time, too real because of the gaping hole in his chest where an integral part of him was missing—Julien.

  It felt like forever since this morning, when the three of them had been together eating breakfast, and with every hour that passed, Robbie couldn’t help but feel more and more helpless.

  Like a man on a mission, as soon as Priest had ended the call with Logan, he’d been on the phone with Henri, and under any other conditions, Robbie knew he’d be feeling a whole lot different over the fact he was about to officially meet Priest’s ex. Here and now, though, he was feeling relieved, which was crazy, because he didn’t even know the guy. All he knew was that Priest believed Henri could help them get Julien back, and that made Henri as important as the second coming of Christ, as far as Robbie was concerned.

  Robbie stood on unsteady legs, about to go and open the door, when Priest walked out of the master bedroom and said, “I’ve got it.”

  Grateful he wouldn’t have to deal with Henri on his own, Robbie sat back down but kept his eyes trained on Priest as he headed to the door. Robbie noticed Priest looked through the peephole, even though he’d talked to Henri and let him up only minutes ago, and the fact he took such care, such precautions, helped ease Robbie’s nerves—a little.

  Priest unlatched the chain and then unlocked the deadbolt, then opened the door and stood off to the side. When he did, the tall, dark-haired stranger with the piercings and leather jacket from Julien’s restaurant walked over the threshold and into the suite—and just as he had last week, Henri made Robbie’s palms sweat.

  “Hey there, Joel,” Henri said. Priest scowled at him. “Or should I call you Priest? You know, I can’t remember the last time you invited me to a hotel suite.”

  Priest shut the door, and as he locked it, he said, “Call me whatever you want. I go by both.”

  Henri shrugged and then looked over his shoulder, clearly sensing someone else in the room. When he spotted Robbie, Henri wandered into the living area and said, “What do you call him, bright eyes?”

  Robbie looked to Priest, who was walking around Henri. “Priest. I usually call him Priest.”

  Henri took off his jacket and sat down. “Yeah, I don’t know if that’ll work for me.”

  “We’re not here to discuss it one way or another,” Priest said, cool as an arctic blast. “Jimmy called.”

  At those two words, Henri’s spine stiffened, and Robbie noticed the way his jaw clenched—much like Priest’s whenever he spoke of his father.

  “He called you? Here?” Henri said, and got to his feet, looking around as though Jimmy was going to appear behind him. “Why didn’t you tell me that over the fucking phone?”

  Priest took another step in Henri’s direction. “Because I knew you wouldn’t come, and I needed you here.”

  “You’ve got some fucking nerve, you know that?” Henri shook his head. “What if he’d tracked you?”

  “I’ve had this phone less than a month—it’s private, per your instructions. So unless Jimmy has a tech-savvy thug on his roster he could contact in the
last day, I think we’re good there.”

  Henri narrowed his eyes until they were close to slits. “We could’ve met somewhere else. Anywhere, Joel. What if he’d been downstairs?”

  “He’s not downstairs,” Priest barked. “His fucking face is all over the news. Not to mention he’s busy holding my husband fucking hostage somewhere. So I doubt he’s sitting in the lobby of The Peninsula waiting for your ass to show up.”

  “And yet you didn’t want to leave him here alone,” Henri said as he jabbed a finger in Robbie’s direction.

  Priest’s breathing was harsh as Robbie watched the heated exchange with curiosity. The two of them reminded him of rams about to charge and butt heads, and he had a feeling they shared a history that was as volatile as this exchange.

  “That’s some bullshit, Joel, and you know it.”

  “Maybe I do,” Priest said, his voice now dropping back to that low register that made goosebumps appear on Robbie’s skin. “But I’m already down a loved one today, and I’ll be damned if I risk a second.”

  Henri looked to Robbie, who remained on the couch, and Robbie thought he caught some emotion flash in Henri’s eyes as they scanned his face. But before he could work out what, Henri looked back to Priest. “My apologies. I didn’t realize the importance of certain things.”

  A.k.a. me, Robbie thought, and got to his feet, deciding he was sick and tired of being talked around, especially when there were so many more urgent things to be discussing.

  “I’m very important,” Robbie said, and a sense of belonging swept over him when Priest took his hand. “To Priest and Julien. They mean everything to me, and Priest seems to think you can help him—help us—get Julien back. If that’s true, can we please hurry up and get to that part of this conversation?”

  Henri stared at Robbie for a beat, a knowing light now entering his eyes, and then looked back to Priest.

  “He’s right,” Henri said. “Getting Julien back is what’s most important. We can discuss you being fucking reckless later. Now, what does dear old Dad want from you? And how can I help?”