Chapter 3: Is blood thicker than water?

Chapter 3: Is blood thicker than water?

Priest

       I was eighteen when I decided to join the Navy and twenty when I choose to join the elite Navy Seals. My family was not very happy about it, but I was adamant, and there was Nothing they could do or say to stop me. My father argued that I was the heir to his vast fortune and that I let my family down by not following in his and his father’s footsteps. But being a wealthy mogul was never in my plans. I wanted to save the world. Therefore, it fell onto my younger brother, Casper, to take over the family business’s reins. Unfortunately, to my father’s dismay, Casper fell short on the mark. He was immature and liked living the party life without responsibility. My cousin Tariq, however, was the epitome of a businessman. Tariq thrived in the business world as if he was born in it. Believe it or not, Tariq, Casper, and I was inseparable as boys. It wasn’t until we were adults that things changed—because of me.

As I make my way to my prized Tesla, I’m in disbelief that Sage and Tariq are together. There’s no doubt about it. I can tell by the way he wrapped his arm possessively around her waist that they are more than friends. And it maddens me that he has the woman of my dreams. Tariq is perfect for her— no doubt. He is the better man. But the warrior inside me is angry at the thought of giving her up, even though I have no one to blame but myself. Several months ago, I had the opportunity when I was protecting her, and it was my choice to walk away. I’m not going to pretend that it was easy to resist her because it wasn’t. Every moment that I spent in her company only succeeded in raising my desire for her to a fever pitch. However, I resisted because my concern for her overpowered any feelings that I had for her. I was narrowly able to keep my libido in check to protect her─ even when she made it difficult.

Thinking back, I realize that I should have stayed and given us a chance. I knew how I felt about her, and I resisted. I guess a part of me thought that if I created some distance, all of the desire would fade into a wistful memory. Especially considering that I was with her for only two weeks. But the distance did not work. Since then, every morning, I’ve woken up thinking about her and how her body felt resting against mine. After that psycho, Smiley Alvarado, had recorded her sleeping, Sage came home with me.

~I’m in bed doing some research on my laptop when there is a knock on my bedroom door. Instinctually, I reach for my weapon, making sure it’s within arm’s reach in case I need it. Rising from my bed, I adjust my sweatpants’ waistband and run my fingers through my hair before I answer the door. I have to admit I’m surprised to see Sage standing there, which makes no sense considering that we’re the only people here. My eyes roam over her tall, lithe figure, noticing the outline of her stiff nipples covered by a thin layer of her white tank top and pink short shorts, which provide little cover to her bare thighs. Her bare toes curl against the cold floor as she shuffles her feet. Meeting her gaze, I move closer and give her a concerned frown.

“Sage. What’s wrong?” She bites her luscious lower lip and gazes at me from beneath the fringe of her long lashes. “I... I’m sorry. I...” She stops talking, focusing on a spot on my chest. After a second, she seems to snap out of whatever trance she’s in and mumbles. “You know what...never mind. Sorry for bothering you.”

I reach for her elbow as she makes it turn. “Wait. What’s wrong? Tell me.” She shakes her head as moisture gathers in her eyes. “I just...I can’t stop thinking about the video. He was in my room while I slept. He could have done anything, and I would have been too late to defend myself. How did he get in?” She shudders, wrapping her arms around her chest as if to ward off her own terrifying thoughts.

Without another word, I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her. “Shh, it’s okay, Sage,” I whisper reassuringly. “No one is going to hurt you here. I have men looking into how he got into your apartment undetected. Anyone who tries to hurt you will have to get through me. And I’m a tough man to kill.”

Her breathing evens out as she takes a step back and swallows deeply. “I know. I guess I’m just jumpy.” She wipes a stray tear, looking beyond my shoulders with a hint of dread. “I should go.” She whispers.

I know that I should let her walk away at this point. Especially considering that she’s my biggest temptation. But I can’t stand to see her so frightened. Reaching for her hand, I pull her closer and lead her to my bed. “How about you sleep here tonight?”        She nods her head, giving me a grateful smile as she slides beneath my silken sheet and rests her head on my plush pillow. The sheet rests over her slim waist, and her hair halos her shoulders, spreading over the pillow like a golden waterfall. “Will you lie next to me?” She whispers hesitantly.

My heart skips a beat at the thought of lying so close. However, I don’t hesitate. Sliding in the bed beside her, I try to leave some room and lean back on my pillow. Sage turns to face me. “Thank you, Priest. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there to help me.”

I shrug my shoulders. “You don’t need to thank me. It’s my job.” Sage glances down at my chest, then raises a hand and caresses her fingers across the tattoo on my left shoulder. “Your tattoos are beautiful.”

I look at the tattoo of a skull surrounded by black flames. My whole right arm is decorated with tattoos from shoulder to wrist. My skin prickles with every caress of her fingers, but I don’t stop her from touching me. The tattoo sleeve has several tribal symbols, and there are a seal trident and a frogman tattoo on my shoulder. Each tattoo represents something in my life. The skull represents my status as an Assassin, and the cross is a play on my name. Her finger moves down the line of my intricate cross, then to the inside of my rib cage, where I have an inscription. Qui velit, ut vivat in aeternum.

“What does it mean?” She asks curiously. My breath hitches at the feel of her warm fingers, making my voice sound husky when I respond. “It says, “Who wants to live forever?” She chuckles as she considers my morbid message.

Before she can ask me another question, I take a deep breath and place my hand over hers. “Do you have any?” Sage smiles shyly as she sits up on the bed to lift her shirt’s hem, showing me the small tattoo decorating her hip. It’s a heart with rose thorns wrapped around it. My breath hitches at the sight of her firm stomach and concave belly button and the way her skin glows like a shining pearl in the moonlight. Biting back a groan, I run a finger across the heart.

“It’s cute. Why did you choose a heart with thorns?” I ask.

A dimple appears on her right cheek, making her look younger than her twenty-three years as she lays back on the pillow with an impish grin and replies. “Because it’s a reminder that I should protect my heart.”

My stomach tightens with an unfamiliar emotion that I refuse to examine. “Who broke your heart?” I ask evenly. At first, I think that she’s not going to answer, but she says something that I don’t expect to my utter shock.

“Did you know that yesterday would have been my second wedding anniversary?”

My eyes widen, and my jaw clenches with anger. Tilting my head with a scowl, I mutter. “What?”

Sage gives me a sad smile and continues. “Yeah, I was supposed to be married to my high school sweetheart two years ago. That is until I caught him cheating on me.” My face loses some of its rigidity in the face of her pain. “What happened?” I ask softly.

Her lips tremble with sadness. “We met my sophomore year. Jason was a junior. We were the typical all-American teenage couple. He was the high school quarterback, and I was the cheerleader. For years, he was my world, and I thought I was his.” She mutters with self-deprecation.

My eyes dim at her words. “I was so in love with him. We planned to get married after my senior year at NYU. I was the faithful girlfriend up until the end of our relationship. That is until I found him in bed with another girl. Up until that moment, I didn’t see our relationship for what it was. I was some poor, clueless, lovesick girl.” She ends evenly.

My fingers still over her smooth hip as I gaze into her solemn eyes. “You’re a strong woman, you know that?” She snorts in derision. “Oh yeah. That’s why I’m hiding here from some Psycho.”

I shake my head in denial. “That’s not a sign of weakness, Sage. It’s a show of intelligence. You understand that you can’t take him out on your own, so you’re doing everything you can to protect yourself. Even if it means hiding.” Sage tilts her head with a soft smile. “How about you? Have you ever had your heart broken?”

I shake my head with a derisive sneer. “No. I’ve never even been in a relationship. It just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle. I prefer my encounters not to be messy.”   However, as I look into her eyes, I don’t know if that’s true anymore. Lying here with her in my arms reminds me of what I’m missing. I’ve never felt peace like I do with her at this moment. I like having her in my arms, looking soft and sweet. But I know that as much as I enjoy it, she will eventually tire of my secrecy and erratic schedule. All of the sweetness in her will turn into bitterness. Thankfully, I’m saved from the conversation when the sound of one of the car lifts malfunctioning shakes the garage. My men and I spend most of the night repairing the damage, and the conversation was quickly forgotten.

A buzzing in my pocket distracts me from my musings. It’s Hunter. Lifting the phone to my ear, I clear my throat and reply gruffly. “What do you need?” Hunter chuckles. “Hey, man, how did the mission go?”

I think about how quickly Treadwell died and scowl. “It went too fast. I’m on my way to the garage now. Is there another reason for your call?”

Hunter sighs. “You mean, other than because I need you to talk to Savage and Reaper. They’ve been calling me for days asking me to hack into the Confradia’s’ system and find Willem Kazik. They’re driving me crazy. They know I can’t do that. The Confradia will put a hit on me if they find out. Who knows...they…they might send you to kill me!” He mutters urgently.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his panicked words. “Relax, kid. No one is going to kill anyone. I’ll talk to them and ask them to back off.” Hunter relaxes his tone. “Yeah, man, thanks.”

I release the call, place my phone on the console, and concentrate my eyes back on the road. I can understand why all of the men are on edge. Willem Kazik is a very dangerous man. A former Confradia Assassin who turned on the organization and killed many of our men. The asshole took a lot of intel and has made it to the top of our most-wanted list. Before Savage caught him, he was dealing with firearms, skin trade, and child trafficking. He even tried to kill Savage and Reaper’s women. Both men, including a few of us, hate him with a passion. We pretty much regret not killing him since the day we took him in.

That is why Reaper and Savage have been hounding Hunter to find him. Hunter is one of the top Confradia hackers. And even though he’s the same age I was when I went off to war, he’s still quite naive about how the Confradia works. He’s a nice kid and a good agent, but he will never be an assassin. His girlfriend, Maleah, is Sage’s best friend and the reason Sage and I met.

Her name rushes through my mind like a caress. Looking out the steady lights of the streetlamps, I replay our earlier encounter. My body hardens, remembering the way the dress hugged all of the curves of her soft, silky body. I consider going to a club or bar and find a woman to sate my hunger, but I know it won’t be enough. I haven’t been with a woman since before I first laid eyes on Sage at the club, and the thought of doing so makes me ill. I can still hear the melodic sound of her beautiful voice belting out a song through the microphone all those months ago. The woman has me twisted, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it. Is it fair for me to try now that she’s with my cousin? I don’t know if I can resist staying away from Sage. Not even to spare another family member’s feelings. Savage and Reaper are waiting for me at the garage’s entrance as soon as I drive my Tesla through the doors. Shutting off the ignition, I slide out of my seat, adjust my suit jacket, and slam the car door behind me. “Please tell me you’re here for a social call and not to annoy me about Willem Kazik’s whereabouts.”

Reaper shrugs, and Savage gives me a deadly glare that would probably scare anyone else. “This shit is serious, Priest.” He calls out with a contemptuous frown. “I knew I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance. Fuck!” He growls out, turning towards the garage’s metal wall, kicking it hard.

Reaper places his hand on Savage’s shoulder with a calming gesture. “It’s cool, man. We’ll get him─ relax.” Savage shrugs his hand off, then turns back to me with a fierce glare. “I can’t fucking relax. Do you know why? Because the company has not done what it has to do. Kazik is still alive, which means Sophia is in danger. All of our loved ones are in danger. But you wouldn’t fucking know because you don’t give a shit about anyone!”

Anger roars through my chest, but I don’t let it overtake me. I know that Savage is scared for the woman he loves. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Sage. So, I reign it in. “Listen, Savage, I can see that you’re stressed, but you need to watch your tone. Hunter and I are working hard to find where Kazik is being kept. You have to realize that this is the Confradia we are dealing with. How do you think Stryker Owens and the board would react if he knew we were working behind the Confradia’s back? If we push too hard, Kazik will be the least of our worries. Everyone has something to lose here, including me, but we’re still sticking our necks out to find him. So, when Reaper says relax, I’m sure he means rethink your fucking attitude!” I end with a killing glare.

Savage releases a deep breath and stands down with a contrite frown. “Your right, man.” He says, taking a step back and rubbing his hand against his neck in chagrin. “I’m a dick, and it’s unfair to everyone. I just...”

I nod my head in understanding. “I know Savage. I know. I can see that you’re in love for the first time and that all of your emotions are rioting. I don’t blame you for freaking out.”

Reaper snorts. “Yeah, man. When I met Jade, I didn’t know which way was up or down. I still haven’t found an even keel. We’ll get through it.”

Savage nods giving us a grateful look. “Shit, when the fuck did we become old women? No one told me that being in love would be so goddamn complicated.”

My thoughts turned back to Sage and how I felt when I saw her with Tariq. I’m definitely a candidate for messed-up emotions. And I still don’t know what to do.