Chapter 19 #2
I turned to question the man further, but he was scooting away from me. My hands reached forward, but Jerry stopped me, slapping my shoulder and yanking me away from the peon.
“Relax, Cupid. You’re scaring the tipsy humans.”
If this man said ‘relax’ one more time, I was going to shoot him with a real arrow.
I wasn’t relaxing until I knew everything.
“He knew her, Jerry. She isn’t imaginary. I really did leave with a woman last night. I knew I did.”
Jerry looked surprised and whistled through his teeth. “Well. Good job, Sherlock. Who is she?”
I blew my bangs from my face. “I don’t know that part yet.”
Jerry gave me a look, and I growled.
“Well, I would have, but you let the asshole go who was willing to talk.”
Jerry looked at the guy plastered against the wall, practically pissing his pants, and shook his head again for the fiftieth time tonight.
“Something tells me you weren’t getting’ much out of him anyhow.”
No, he was wrong. I would get that asshole to talk. I’d beat it out of him if I had to.
Wait. No. What the fuck is happening to me?
I caught my reflection in one of the mirrors around the room, and I cleared my throat. Jesus. I looked no different than I had at eighteen. I didn’t blame the people for fearing me. I looked like a monster.
“I…I gotta get some air,” I said, not waiting for a reply. I couldn’t get out the back door fast enough. The cold air hit me, and it was refreshing but only for a second. I could hear voices on the other side of the wall, and I made my way over to them.
“Sayuri. If you get too comfy with our little priest, I’ll crucify him on his own damn cross for you to watch him bleed out.”
The picture the voice painted was horrific. That was no way to die, especially as a man of God.
Wait..is he talking about me?
That name…Why was it familiar? The images assaulted me, picture after picture flipping through my mind like a broken, sped-up projector. It was her.
My acolyte.
She didn’t blow me. My warped, horny brain made that up. She was so soft and sweet. I had…jerked off onto her like a barbarian. Oh god, no…this was so much worse than some random woman.
Sayuri knew me. She knew what I was…
I stepped around the bend of the stone wall and saw my Mortifera standing there beside that fucking man again.
Who the hell is this guy, and why is he always around what’s mine?
No, Jed…slow down.
Sayuri definitely did not belong to you. Kaito’s words swirled around me again, and I finally grasped what he said.
If you get too comfy…with me?
“Sayuri,” I called, and I saw her head snap up.
I was behind Kaito. He couldn’t see me yet, and without thinking, I let my body run on instinct alone. I grabbed the man by his black hair and slammed his head into the wall.
His body went down with a pained groan, and I stood frozen in front of my acolyte.
“Sayuri. That’s your name, isn’t it?”
The woman blinked, her fear and anger visible on her face. Anger? Why was she angry? She had been mad at me last night for fighting this asshole, too. Why?
“Who is this guy to you? No more fucking lies.” I said, pointing to the ground.
Sayuri’s beautiful black eyes sparked with defiance, and she glared up at me.
“I don’t owe you any information, Father.”
I swallowed the knot and let my stupid mouth open when I knew this was not going to end well.
“You owe me servitude. You are to serve under me. I am your priest. Answer my question.”
Sayuri’s eyes darkened further. “No. I serve no one. I am not owned.”
I returned her glare and walked closer. Maybe it was the anger giving me courage or just plain stupid ideas, but I gripped her soft skin in my palm and forced her to look up at me.
“Why won’t you tell me? Is he your…lover?”
She flinched, almost imperceptible, but I saw it. “No.”
A woman of few words.
“Does he hurt you, Mortifera?”
Sayuri remained silent, her beautiful eyes boring a hole into my soul.
“Don’t want to talk? Fine.”
I leaned down before I could stop myself, pressing my lips hard into hers. She froze for a moment, but then, like a pendulum already set in motion, she opened her mouth to mine and let me devour her.
I couldn’t think.
I just felt.
I kissed her so hard I forgot how to breathe, relying on her to breathe air into my lungs where I had none to give. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t push it past a kiss. I kept my hands soft, one still on her chin and the other wrapped in the soft, dark strands of her hair.
“Why’d you leave me?” I said against her lips. “Will you answer me that?”
Sayuri didn’t respond with words, but her body did. Her soft hands traveled under my shirt, and her spiky nails raked down my chest and abs. When I hissed from the pain, she smiled on my mouth.
“You want to hurt me? Aren’t you a little Mortifera?”
She scraped her nails deeper, and my hiss turned to a groan. I loved this. I felt so free and alive. I knew it was wrong.
I knew I needed to pull away and get the hell out of this damn club. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t lose her heat.
Not again.
I will burn in this fire.
“I want to tell you I am sorry.” I moaned, grinding my erection into her.
She didn’t shy away from me. I was practically holding her tiny form up, but she was as ravenous as I was. She rubbed her stomach harder into my dick until I was whimpering from the friction.
“Ugh, yes—what have you done to me? I can’t control myself around you.”
I was falling so hard into the fire.
“Good. You will be mine, Jedidiah Franklin. No other shall have you like this.”
I swallowed and groaned at her words. Fuck. She wanted to claim me? Hell, I was already hers. I had been since she graced my church steps.
“Yes. Take me, Sayuri—only you. I don’t want anyone else but you. It’s always been you.”
She paused the kiss for a moment, jerking away to look into my eyes. I don’t know what she saw there, but her anger seemed to fade, and that desire I felt grew into a vortex that pulled us under with no air.
A ricochet of laughter caught us off guard, and we pulled away from each other. The bartender came outside and tsked at us, laughing at the man on the ground between our heated breaths.
“Well, guess a big bad gang daddy had nothin’ on you, huh, pretty boy. Not when you got the—”
Thwack.
“Ow!”
I looked at Sayuri, who had thrown a rock at the bartender. The impact caused his head to bleed, and the droplets were seeping into his eye.
“Fuuuuck. Sorry! I’m leavin’ point taken.”
When the door closed somewhere nearby, I looked back at Sayuri.
“Wanna explain what that was about? What did he mean by ‘big bad gang member?’ ”
She was silent and waved it off. “Idiots all call burly men gang thugs.”
I frowned.
If she only knew.
“You should get out of here before he wakes up,” I said, knowing yet again I had to let her go.
“I…I have nowhere to go. He will find me.”
My frown deepened, and I thought for a second.
Don’t do it, Jed. You don’t need temptation from this beauty anymore—
“You can stay with me. At my parish. No one will find you there. It is forbidden.”
Sayuri stalled, and her delicious mouth fell open as she thought.
“I couldn’t do that…”
I was already shaking my head, and grabbing the truck keys I stole from the very drunk Jerry and Dawn earlier.
“Come on. I just need to tell my friends goodnight.”
I didn’t give Sayuri the chance to decline. I pulled her back into the club and found the couple giggling and throwing dollars at annoyed dancers.
“Hey. You guys get a taxi back home, okay? I am taking the car tonight.”
Jerry looked me over with bleary eyes and smacked Dawn across the ass. “We fuckin’ in a taxi, baby!”
Dawn squealed, and I rolled my eyes, starting to leave, but Jerry stopped me.
“Hey, is that your mystery girl, Cupid?”
I looked at Sayuri and smiled widely. “Yeah, man. Something like that. You be safe and enjoy your taxi…uh ride.”
Dawn giggled and wagged her finger at me. “You behave, Father. That girl looks too sweet to corrupt, ya hear?”
Sayuri’s lips were swollen and red from mine feasting just moments before, and her hair was mussed. There wasn’t much innocence on either of us, but I nodded like a good boy. “Yes, ma’am. No corrupting here.”
Dawn and Jerry smiled, and before I was dragged into some other dumb conversation, I led Sayuri out to the parking lot and opened the passenger door for her.
This was not what I thought would happen tonight when I came here.
But here I am driving my acolyte to my holy parish, and I was going to keep my damn hands and lips to myself.
Absolutely under no circumstances was I going to bend this gorgeous woman on my altar and fuck her until she screamed to the angels above us.
Right?
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.