Priest
Stryker Owens is one of the toughest men I’ve ever met. He and I have known each other for years. As a matter of fact, he became my mentor when I joined the Confradia and was my former CO when I was in the Seals. The bastard is as tough as nails. His real name is Decker Owens. We call him Stryker because he’s a genius strategist. He would strike at our enemies with singularly, deadly intent. The man is bigger than life, and I owe him a great deal, including my eyesight. He was the one that recommended me for the experimental eye surgery. Stryker is taller than I am, measuring six feet six inches and heavily muscled. He’s in his early forties with a short haircut and a five o’clock shadow that shows a sprinkling of gray.
We both agreed to meet at his home. I wasn’t lying when I told Sage that I was heading down SoHo when I offered to give her a ride. Stryker owns a large brownstone in lower Manhattan. Being divorced for nearly ten ye
Sage I open the door and smile, pulling my visitor inside. “Tariq, what are you doing here?” I cross my arms in front of my stomach and sigh.Tariq gives me a wry smile and gestures toward my apartment. “Hey, Sweet. Can I come in?” I flush in embarrassment, realizing that I’m keeping him standing in the hallway. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Come in.” I say, waving him in. Tariq steps through the door leaving a whiff of his manly cologne in his wake. He looks gorgeous in blue jeans and a blue and white striped, button-down shirt.I watch as he walks into my modest one-bedroom apartment to stand next to my cream-colored loveseat. Somehow the apartment seems smaller with him in it. The apartment has dark hardwood floors, cream-colored walls, and pink and gold curtains covering the large bay windows. It’s modestly furnished, with a rustic dining tabl
PriestMy body is on automatic as I make my way out of Sage’s building and slide into the front seat of my car. I don’t start the ignition, though. I simply lean my head back on the seat, close my eyes, and let agony course through my body. Why now? Why did Stryker have to call me now? Without a thought, I pull back my arm and slam it down hard against the steering wheel. Everything was perfect until Stryker called. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!Why is my life so fucked? Every time I think everything is going well, something happens to drag me back to a hellish existence. I believed that Sage and I had a chance—then this happens. According to Stryker, Willem Kazik has struck a deal with the Confradia in exchange for a new life. Apparently, he has invaluable information about a foreign organization that the Confradia has been trying to bust for years. The majority of the Confradia’s most wanted are on his list, and the Confradia is frothing at
Sage “I’m so excited, girls! I’m getting married!” Sophia throws her package-laden hands up in the air and waves them around excitement. I smile, ducking her swinging bags to avoid getting knocked unconscious, and Maleah makes a whooping sound jumping up and down excitedly. Thankfully, none of them notice my sad visage because they’re just as excited to be here. Ivy chuckles, and Santana gazes around the dress shop with equal parts fascination and horror. We’re all here to pick our bridesmaid’s dresses.Taking the lead to speed things up a bit, I step in the middle of the carpeted floor and gesture around the room. “Okay, ladies, we decided that the color is going to be any color we want unless Sophia wants emerald to match Micah’s beautiful eyes,” I say, fluttering my lashes with a dramatic sigh.Sophia rolls her eyes and pinches my arm. “Shut it, another blon
Chapter 11: Things are not always what they seemPriest I watch as Sage walks off with Hunter. Her face is pale and haunted. And it’s all my fault. But I can’t think about that right now. Not when these two men seemed to have an agenda. It doesn’t take me long to get to my place. Dragon is already there waiting for me with my prisoner. The man is handcuffed to a single chair in an insulated supply room I use to keep hazardous materials. He’s begging Dragon to let him go. Too bad that he doesn’t know that Dragon is the least sympathetic person that he’ll ever meet. Dragon would be more likely to cut his throat than let him go.Stepping completely into the room, I close the door behind me and stand next to Dragon. The man’s face loses all color when he sees me. His face is still bloody, and his clothes are soiled and torn from our scuffle earl
Chapter 12: Nothing heals a broken heartSage I’ve never considered this, but there must be millions of people in the world who are going through heartbreak. Yet, the world doesn’t stop for them. No, the world just keeps spinning. The brokenhearted still have to get up in the morning to go to work and pay their bills.“Hey, Sweet, how’s it going in here?” Tariq’s voice interrupts my musings. He’s standing in the middle of his office’s doorway, his brow quirked in question. Running my gaze around the office, I smile. The office is decorated with Ivory colored walls, a small white desk, dark wooden floors, a throw rug, and a fine cream-colored sofa with two side chairs. “It’s perfect, Tariq. Thank you for letting me use this office.”Tariq shrugs. “I like having you here.” He mutters with a smoldering smile. Returning his smile, I wrap my
PriestStepping out of Sage’s room, I lean my back on the doorway and let out a deep breath. The woman is an incredible temptation. Having her body against mine earlier and seeing her with Connor and Tariq has taken me beyond my endurance limit. I don’t even know how I managed not to throw her down on the bed and fuck her brains out.It takes me a couple of seconds to calm my body down and head to the kitchen. Sage’s apartment is surprisingly roomy. The whole place is an open concept with exposed brick and cream-colored furniture. Looking through her cabinets, I take some utensils and begin to cook.Unfortunately, my relaxed state only lasts until I hear the sound of the shower running. My imagination is in overdrive at the thought of her perfect naked body sliding into the shower. Every curve of her body is recorded in my mind. I remember the taste of her stiff nipples, the concave swell of her navel, and the weight of her firm breasts against
Sage It’s strange how easily we both fall into each other’s arms. I didn’t expect that he’d knock on my door, lay down on my bed and hold me all night. Right now, the sun’s early light is reflecting from my sheer bedroom curtains, creating a sensual atmosphere over our nearly naked bodies. Priest is lying on his side, his head next to mine on the pillow, and his hand on my waist. His golden skin looks tempting beneath the sun’s glow, his low-rise jeans ride down the arches of his waist into the v or his pelvis, and his muscular thighs strain under the snug fit of his jeans. Running my gaze across his six-pack abs, I map out the contours of his muscled chest and arms until my eyes fall on his angelic face. He looks like a living, breathing statue, with his pouty lips, tousled hair, strong scruffy jaw, and long lashes.I’ve had fantasies about this man since the moment we’v
Priest I’ve never slept with a woman before. Actually... let me clarify what I just said. I’ve had sex with women, but I’ve never had one sleep in my bed before, other than Sage. From the first moment she came to my home, I found it a little disconcerting to wake up with her in my arms. However, it’s not a horrible experience. It’s actually the complete opposite. Yesterday was a turning point for us. Not because of the sex, which is mind-blowing, but because I realized that letting her go is not an option. Up until I saw her with Connor, I fooled myself into thinking that what we did was just sex. But no one has ever made me feel this connection that I feel with her. I’ve also come to the realization that I’ve punished myself for what happened to my brother enough. I need to let him go and live my life─ perhaps fall in love.However, I’m not sure if I’m ready to discuss