Priest: A Motorcycle Club Romance (The Viking’s Rampage MC: Tucson Chapter Book 2)

I made my way back to Wendy’s room and shut the door behind me, though I didn’t lock it this time. Going over to the window, I opened it. Prepping my escape route beforehand would hopefully ensure a clean getaway.

Looking out through the window, I searched the dark streets for anyone who would spot me. According to Ming, there should be nothing that would raise suspicions and it wasn’t likely there would be an autopsy, but you never knew. The streets were empty. It was time.

Turning around, I sat down on the bed by Wendy’s side. Her eyes opened and she watched me as I picked up the syringe and waited for her to be ready.

She nodded and fear flickered over her face as she looked down at the needle. “I’m still scared, Grant.”

Sighing, I pulled her forward and enveloped her in my arms. Her body was frail in my hold, so I was careful. “This is going to stop your heart. It’s fast,” I explained. “Then you’ll get to rest.”

A shudder rolled through her body and she pulled away from my hug. She laid back and nodded. “I’m ready.”

I leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her forehead. There was a time, in my past, that I loved this woman. Now I just wanted to end this so that I could console my children. It was a soul eating task, taking her life, and even though I hadn’t done it yet, I knew it was going to have consequences. I also knew that the consequences of letting her suffer were far worse. I had to help her. “I’ll be here. You won’t be alone.”

Slipping backward into the darkness of the night, I watched the nurse rush in and try to stop what I’d set in motion. I watched, and waited, until finally the machines flat-lined and the nurse made the call to the doctor. I was beside the window, in the shadow of the house, listening as she relayed to whoever the on-call doctor was that her patient had suffered a heart attack.

I left before she finished. I’d heard enough that indicated she hadn’t noticed that someone had helped Wendy end her life. Jogging up the street, I kept a look out for the truck. I found Jenny two blocks over, waiting for me with the lights off.

Approaching slowly, so I didn’t startle her, I tapped on the window. She rolled it down and I gave a short nod at her questioning look. “Scoot over,” I said, my voice gruff. I was holding myself together by a fucking thread.

Jenny seemed to realize it, because she didn’t ask me any questions. She just slid into the passenger seat so I could hop behind the wheel. My pulse relaxed slightly as something soft brushed over my arm. I looked down to see her hand resting gently on my forearm. I placed my right hand on top of hers and gave it a light squeeze, silently thanking her. The lights flooded the street in front of us as I turned them on and put the truck into drive.

We made the trip back to the clubhouse in silence. Lockout must have shut down the party early because he and Riptide came out to help carry my daughters upstairs and no one else was around. Thank fuck the girls slept through it all. There would be time in the morning—once I got the official call—to help them mourn.

Tonight was for me.

Hush met us at my door. “You want us to take them? That way you can have some time?”

They all knew. Lockout would have told them. Something of this magnitude, you couldn’t keep it a secret, not from those that would keep you grounded. I didn’t mind. My brothers—and Jenny—were how I was going to get through living with the guilt.

I shook my head. “Thanks, Hush, but some other time. I don’t want them to wake up and not have me there.”

“I understand, Brother,” he said, laying a hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “Let us know how we can help.” With that he went back to his own apartment.

We carried my girls into their rooms and I tucked them into bed. When I stepped back out into the living room, Lockout was still there. Riptide had left and my bedroom door was open so I knew Jenny had gone in there to give us privacy. She’d been tossed into the deep end in all of this and was handling it amazingly. It was like she was made for me. For this life. I’d do my damndest to convince her of that once I wasn’t stuck treading water, barely keeping my head above the surface.

“Take the time you need,” Lockout told me as I walked up. “But I’m going to need to know the details. That way I can help make sure you’re protected.”

I nodded. “I’ll go over it with you in the morning, but I stayed long enough that I know the nurse didn’t suspect anything. Ming said they’d likely only do an autopsy if requested, which I’m sure as hell not doing. I should be in the clear.”

Lockout mimicked Hush’s earlier move and put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t bother to add anything else. He knew it wouldn’t do any good.

I watched as he left, shutting my front door behind him. Sighing, I glanced over at my girls’ doors. I almost wanted to wake them. To tell them. It would be easier for me to make it through the night if I was taking care of them instead of being left to mull over what I’d done. Anything would be better than having time alone.

In the end, I let them sleep. I wasn’t willing to bring their pain and grief any earlier than I had to. Especially just to keep myself occupied. I’d cut my own heart out if it would allow me to take on their coming pain. I’d bear that burden for them every day of my life, if I could. The girls had a great night with their mother; that is, as great as could be expected. They saw her lucid and loving. They got a chance to say goodbye before Wendy could get worse. I wasn’t going to ruin that right now.

Movement caught my eye and I saw Jenny leaning against the door frame, watching me. There was understanding and worry mixing together in her gaze, but she was letting me work through this at my own pace.

Walking over to her, I pulled her against my body and stooped so I could bury my face in her mass of curls. The guilt was pounding against the barrier I’d erected while I’d done what was necessary. Here, alone with her, there was no need for the defense any longer and it dropped.

A shudder ran through my body as the realization that I’d ended Wendy’s life slammed into me. Jenny’s hand smoothed over my back as she rubbed it. I focused on that. The feel of her hand as she dipped it low so she could run it up underneath my shirt. The feel of our skin touching calmed me.

I’d been taking deep, fast breaths, but the feel of her in my arms soothed me. I squeezed her harder, holding her as close as our bodies would allow.

“Priest,” she murmured.

Easing my grip on her so I didn’t hurt her, I grunted in response. It was all I could give at the moment. My emotions were taking a beating thanks to the guilt that was rampaging through my chest. I wasn’t exactly an emotional person. Most people would claim I was cold—except for with my family—but there was no calling forward that hard shell I’d perfected throughout my years in the military. Not right now. That shell was built out of necessity, and it was there when I needed it.

“Let’s go lay down,” she whispered to me. “We can talk if you want. Or we can just lay there.”

Letting her out of my hold, I allowed her to pull me over to the bed. I was on autopilot, tugging my boots off, then removing my clothes down to my boxer briefs. I left them on and climbed onto the bed. It was almost like an out of body experience. I was doing everything necessary, but I was numb to everything but the sucking black hole of torment.

She was true to her word. She didn’t make me talk. As soon as she climbed on the bed, I pulled her to me. Settling her body, back to my chest, against mine, I let go of the last sliver of control and just let myself float.

I felt her turn in my arms. Felt her fingers tracing over me, offering silent comfort while I let the feelings overwhelm me. I deserved to feel every one of them. It didn’t matter that I’d helped Wendy. That I’d done as she asked. That she was ready to let go and needed me to assist her in taking that last step. I’d killed the mother of my children.

Closing my eyes, I tried to block out the truth. But the darkness amplified everything ten-fold. A beautiful melody cut a path through the aching in my heart. It was as though it cut a swath of light through the oily pitch that was coating my soul. Opening my eyes, I looked down at the woman in my arms.

She was humming. I didn’t recognize the song, but I didn’t need to. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a soft smile as she continued. Between that, her touch, and having her wrapped up in my arms, the emotions began to ease. They didn’t leave entirely, but they faded a little into the background.

“Don’t stop.” My voice was raw. A good representation of how I was feeling on the inside.

She kept humming, stroking her hand over my head. I closed my eyes again and this time, sleep was the only thing that dragged me under.

A shrill sound jerked me awake the next morning. Swearing, I untangled Jenny’s limbs from mine and rolled off the bed. I bent and grabbed my jeans, yanking my phone out of the pocket. I really needed to start leaving it on the fucking bed side table.

“Yeah?”

“Is this Grant Mitchell?” The voice asked after a brief hesitation. They probably hadn’t expected someone to bark at them in greeting.

“Yeah.” My muscles tensed. I knew before she even spoke that this would be the hospital.

“Mr. Mitchell, my name is Dr. Thompson. I was overseeing your wife’s care.”

“Ex-wife,” I told her. Then something clicked and I knew I needed to play the part so I continued, “What do you mean ‘was’, Dr. Thompson?”

Silence again. If nothing else, I was keeping her on her toes. “I’m so sorry to inform you, Mr. Mitchell, that your ex-wife passed away last night.”

I closed my eyes. I wasn’t an actor, but I had to keep up appearances. Digging down deep, I dragged up the feelings that had been strangling me last night. It did the trick and my voice sounded ragged as I responded. “No. What happened? She was fine when we visited her.”

“She had a heart attack. Her body was tired and it must have put a strain on her heart, trying to keep everything going. Again, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” The words came out hollow. I listened as she explained everything that would happen now. There’d be arrangements to be made. A funeral to put on, but all I could think about was having to wake up my girls and tell them. The reality of last night was coming back to me.

“Do you have any questions for me?” she asked.

“No. I don’t think so. Thank you, Doctor.”

“The hospital will contact you later to get the name of the funeral home you’d like to use.”

I hung up the phone after she said goodbye. I’d been staring at the wall and I allowed myself an extra minute. When I finally turned around, I found Jenny there.

She’d sat up and was watching me. Her hair was a glorious tangle of curls falling like a dark waterfall over her shoulders. The sheets were pooled down around her sexy hips.

Heat sparked inside of me. It wasn’t an appropriate reaction after hearing what the doctor had just told me, but suddenly I just wanted to get lost in her.

She must have read the hungry expression on my face, because she flicked back the sheets, baring her legs. My mouth went dry as she spread her legs open, sensually. She was still wearing a bra and panties, but they just accented her beautifully flawless skin.

I wanted to run my lips over every inch of her. “Taz,” I groaned. Before I knew I was moving, I was covering her body with my own. Her open arms welcomed me. She wrapped her silky legs around my waist and I let my fingers grip her thigh. My other hand went to her face, cupping it in my palm.

She probably wouldn’t ever know how much she’d helped me last night. That what she was doing for me right now was chasing away the demons. As bad as I was at letting emotions in, I was even worse at discussing them. But I promised myself that I’d never let her want for anything. Whatever she needed for the rest of her life, it would be my goal to provide it for her.

My mouth covered hers, my deep groan vibrating between us. She tasted so sweet. Her lips parted, allowing my tongue inside to play with hers. I wasn’t sure how she seemed to instinctively know that I needed this—needed her—but I was grateful.

Though I planned to lose myself in the pleasure her body could give me, I fully intended to bring her along for the ride. She was stretched out below me like a fucking goddess, rocking her hips up against my body. Melting my control with every movement.

Her chocolatey brown eyes were soft and understanding. “We have time,” she whispered as I stared down at her. “Make love to me, Priest. Let’s forget for a few minutes.”

She couldn’t be any more perfect.