Confessions (9 page)

When Luke didn’t say anything, Priest glanced his

way. “What?”

“I cal ed Kenny from the diner. Sorry, I didn’t know I

wasn’t supposed to.”

“Shit.” Priest knew it was his own damn fault. He

should’ve told Luke the score the moment they left Cattle

Val ey instead of waiting like some kind of pussy. “Did you

tel him where we’re going?”

Luke bit his bottom lip, seemingly in deep thought.

“No, I don’t think so. I told him I was in Omaha, and that I

was going away with you for a couple of weeks.”

“Good. If someone happened to be listening in, they’l

lose us after Omaha.” There was a hel of a lot more he

needed to tel Luke, but he figured the poor guy had heard

enough for one day. He watched as Luke settled back in

his seat and re-fastened his seatbelt. It was obvious Luke’s

mind was spinning with the information Priest had

imparted. Sooner or later, the facts would sink in and no

doubt Luke would either run like hel or ask even more

questions.

* * * *

Cattle Val ey and Virginia, Luke continued to quietly stress

over his current situation. I’m in the car with a killer. I let a

killer fuck me and liked it. Shit, I am so screwed.

“What do you think, should we stop somewhere for the

night or keep going?” Priest asked.

Suddenly al Luke could think about was men chasing

them. Of al the things he’d looked forward to on his

impromptu vacation, dying wasn’t one of them. “Wouldn’t

that be kinda dangerous?”

In the green glow of the dashboard lights, Priest

turned to meet Luke’s gaze. “You’re starting to freak out,

aren’t you?”

“Yeah, a little bit,” Luke confirmed. “Sorry, this is my

first time riding cross-country with a kil er.” Despite knowing

what Priest was, Luke wasn’t afraid of him. How else could

he smart off to a seven-foot tal paid assassin? “Who’ve

you kil ed?” he asked out of curiosity.

Priest made a gruff noise deep in his throat and

turned his attention back to the road. Luke bit his lip. What

was wrong with him? “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” he

mumbled.

“I was recruited out of the Marines. I don’t blame you

for thinking less of me, but I need you to know a lot of

people have been saved over the years because of the

men I’ve been ordered to kil .”

“So you only kil terrorists and stuff?” Maybe he was

trying to find justification for what Priest did, but Luke

figured it was only natural since he real y liked the guy.

Priest readjusted himself in the seat. “For the most

part. Occasional y I’m hired to take out an up and coming

foreign politician, but I rarely do those jobs on my own. We

usual y go in as a team.”

“And that’s it?”

“I kil ed the man who tried to kil Brac without batting

an eyelash, is that what you want to hear?”

Luke shook his head. “I’m just trying to understand.”

Priest took the first exit ramp they came to and pul ed

into a truck stop. He found a dark corner in the back of the

lot and turned off the engine. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather

catch a few hours of sleep here before moving on.”

“Sure.” Luke gestured to the gas station. “I’m gonna

get a drink and go pee. You want anything?”

“I’ve got water in the cooler,” Priest reminded Luke.

“And you’re a man, so you can pretty much pee anywhere.”

“Are you asking me not to go inside?” Luke asked.

Priest stared at him for several moments. “Wil you

come back?”

The vulnerability in those four words had the power to

move Luke like nothing ever had. Luke launched himself at

Priest, happy when Priest’s strong arms caught him in a

tight embrace. “Are you afraid I’l leave because you’l miss

me or do you think I’l run off and tel someone everything

you’ve told me?”

“The former. I wouldn’t have told you about myself if I

didn’t trust you, and believe me, my trust doesn’t come

easily.”

Luke pul ed Priest’s head down for a deep kiss. Kil er

or not, the trust went both ways. As stupid as it sounded, he

didn’t fear being with Priest, he feared being without him.

Breaking the kiss, Luke looked deep into Priest’s dark

brown eyes. “I real y gotta pee.”

Priest felt half-drunk with fatigue when they arrived at

the turn-off. After putting the van into park, he reached over

and laid a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “We’re almost there.”

Luke rubbed his eyes and sat up further in the seat.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to fal asleep.”

“No problem. I’m used to driving alone.” Priest

handed Luke the drawn map to the cabin. “I figured you’d

want to be awake for this stretch since you’l probably have

to come back into town for more groceries in a few days.”

He was glad he’d paid the extra to have the manager stock

the fridge with basics, because al he wanted was a soft

bed and Luke’s ass wrapped around his cock.

“Would you mind if I drove the rest of the way?” Luke

asked, unbuckling his seat belt. “It’l be easier for me to

remember the way if I drive it myself.”

“Not at al .” Priest got out and went around to the

passenger side as Luke slid behind the wheel.

Priest didn’t bother with a seatbelt for the short stretch

to the cabin, he hated the damn things. He reached over

and placed his hand casual y on Luke’s thigh. It stil wasn’t

clear to him whether or not Luke would be able to handle

Priest’s past, but the fact that the man was stil with him

spoke volumes for his wil ingness to try.

“I had a dream about you,” Luke said, driving down

the gravel road.

“A good dream?” Priest asked, his hand moving

further up Luke’s thigh.

“Not that kind of dream.” Luke grinned and reached

down to move Priest’s hand even higher. “You were in

trouble and you were cal ing for me, but I couldn’t get to you

fast enough. Have you ever had those dreams where you’re

trying to run but, like, the ground keeps sucking your feet

down like it’s mud or something?”

Priest shook his head. “I don’t let myself dream.”

Luke rol ed his eyes. “You can’t stop yourself from

dreaming.”

“I can. With al the things I’ve seen and done, if I

couldn’t switch off my subconscious I’d never sleep.”

“Maybe you can teach me that trick while we’re here,”

Luke said, turning down a dirt road. The trees were so

overgrown they barely left a path wide enough to drive the

van through. “Are you sure this is right?”

Priest grabbed the sheet of paper and studied the

handwritten directions. “That’s what it says. The manager of

the place promised me it was secluded.”

“Guess he wasn’t kidding.”

After driving almost two miles along the rutted dirt

track, a log cabin came into view. Although smal , the house

looked to be only a few years old. From the front, Priest

was able to make out a portion of the back deck. “I think I’m

paying for the privacy and the view.”

Luke stopped the minivan in front of the cabin and

turned off the engine. “I’m glad I’ve got you with me

because it’s kinda creepy out here. You don’t think I’l see

Bigfoot, do you?”

Priest held up his booted foot. “I think you already

have.”

Laughing, Luke opened the door. “I think I’ve done

more than seen it.”

Priest went to open the door when movement in the

trees caught his attention. “Get down,” he ordered, pul ing

the Smith and Wesson out of the glove box.

Luke did as he was told, folding himself between the

dash and the seat. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. Stay here.” Priest slipped out of the

minivan and sprinted towards the nearest tree, his gun at

the ready. He peered around the trunk, looking for anything,

prepared to shoot at the slightest movement. “Come out

you bastard,” he growled under his breath.

With Luke unarmed in the van, Priest didn’t dare

venture any further. As he continued to study the area,

doubts began to form. There was absolutely no way anyone

from the agency could have fol owed them and arrived at

the exact location before they did. He’d rented the cabin

with cash, under a brand new identity, so unless the

manager was an agency informant…no, not even then.

Shit.

Despite the cold, Priest had to wipe the sweat from

his forehead before it dripped into his eyes. He lowered his

weapon and walked back to the van. “You can get out now.”

“What happened?” Luke brushed his hair out of his

face as he climbed out.

“I thought I saw movement. Probably just a deer or

something, but I’ve learned to be cautious.” Priest wrapped

an arm around Luke’s waist, pul ing him closer. “Sorry if I

scared you.”

Luke laid his head against Priest’s chest. “Better safe

than sorry, right?”

Luke’s understanding never ceased to amaze Priest.

Of course he hadn’t told Luke about his latest assignment.

Speaking of which…Priest pul ed out his phone and

checked for coverage. The manager had assured him he’d

be able to get reception and sure enough, he saw three

strong bars.

“The key should be under the mat. Why don’t you go

on in? I just need to make a phone cal .” Priest kissed the

top of Luke’s head, hugging him tighter as he did.

Luke pul ed away and opened the back of the van.

“Want me to take your bag in?”

“I’l get it, but you can grab that box.”

Luke shouldered his duffle bag and grabbed the milk

crate fil ed with snacks they’d picked up along the way.

Priest waited for Luke to unlock the door and enter

the house before cal ing Jessup.

“Something wrong?” Jessup answered.

“No, wel , I’m not sure. We arrived a few minutes ago,

but I thought I saw someone in the woods beside the

house.” As he talked, Priest continued to study the area.

“It’s remote enough, but I can’t shake the feeling I’m being

watched.”

“I learned a long time ago to trust my instincts,”

Jessup said. “Did you take anything other than your Smith

and Wesson?”

“Are you kidding? I brought a whole damn arsenal.”

Priest smiled and waved at Luke through the window.

Damn, he was cute. Luke motioned for Priest to come

inside. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know we made it. I’l

cal tomorrow.”

“Keep your eyes open,” Jessup reminded him.

“Wil do.” Priest hung up the phone and shoved it into

his pocket. He chuckled when he spotted Luke pul ing

goofy faces at him. Even hiding out in the middle of

nowhere, the guy seemed to make it al worthwhile. Priest

wasn’t sure how Luke had managed to do it, but he was

definitely starting to creep under Priest’s skin.

He grabbed his suitcase and the duffle bag of

weapons and shut the hatch. Shouldering both bags, Priest

started towards the house, his eyes stil on his

surroundings. He’d have to get Luke to make a run to the

store later so he could check out the woods without drawing

suspicion.

Priest entered the cabin before locking the door. At

first look, the house seemed a bit worn, like a rental

property no one bothered to treat as their own. He’d been

in worse, he’d been in better, but the man stil standing

beside the large picture window made him forget about

everything but the view.

“Isn’t this place great?” Luke asked, crossing the

room towards the back wal of sliding glass doors. “There’s

a huge deck with a hot tub. With al the trees around, it’l feel

like we’re taking a bath in the forest.”

Priest set his bags down and joined Luke. “I bet it’s

pretty earlier in the fal .”

With his hands on his hips, Luke stared out at the

landscape. “I bet there’s a kil er sunset tonight.”

Priest wondered if Luke’s slip of the tongue had

anything to do with him being worried. He stepped up

behind Luke and wrapped Luke in his arms. “You know

you’re safe with me, right?”

“Sure. The way I see it, if you’d wanted me dead you’d

have left me in Cattle Val ey.” Luke turned and snuggled

against Priest’s chest. “I keep tel ing myself I should be

afraid of you, but when I’m with you, al I feel is protected.”

He looked up at Priest.