Confessions (7 page)

internet. He handed it to Jessup and waited, wondering if

his friend would come to the same conclusion he had.

“You think she worked for the government?”

“I don’t know, but I’m interested in this lab coat and

why she’s passing out medicine in the picture. That’s the

information I need you to get for me.”

“And how do you propose I go about that?” Jessup

asked.

“I need you to ask Ryan to do it. Whether he does it

directly or through another law enforcement channel, I don’t

care, as long as I get the information.”

Jessup shook his head. “It’s too risky. Ryan’s a great

guy, but he’s also the sheriff. Tel ing him would put both of

you in a dangerous position.”

“I don’t know what else to do.” That wasn’t the actual

truth. If he was anywhere else in the world he wouldn’t

hesitate to hack into the needed databases, but Priest

wasn’t wil ing to leave Cattle Val ey just yet.

“You could always contact Sul y or Midnight,” Jessup

suggested.

Priest grunted. Sul y and Midnight were two of the

agency’s best, but he’d never considered either of them

friends. Of the two, Sul y was a better bet. At least he

couldn’t arrest Priest. “You think Sul y would help without

blowing the whistle?”

“Are you kidding? The man worships the ground you

walk on. The only problem is Midnight has him under his

thumb most of the time. I’m not sure you can tel one and not

both.”

There was something about Midnight Jones he didn’t

trust, never had. The only upside was that Midnight was

currently working in Mexico. “Maybe I can sweet talk Sul y

into keeping it to himself.” The more he thought about it, the

more sense it made. “He’d be taking a chance, though.”

“You’re right. What if the answer isn’t worth the risk?

Have you thought about that?” Jessup asked. He held

Priest’s gaze for several moments. “I know it’s the guilt and

not the money that’s pushing you.”

“I need to know why I was sent to kil her.” It was hard

to explain to outsiders, but he knew Jessup understood and

didn’t judge him. Priest had never kil ed someone for sport

or profit, something he’d always been proud of.

Jessup’s

cel

phone

rang,

interrupting

their

discussion. He glanced at the display. “Jessup,” he

answered. “Yeah, be right there.” He ended the cal . “Stolen

car. I gotta go, but think about what I said.”

Priest nodded. “Thanks for stopping by.”

After Jessup left, Priest pul ed up the floorboards to

his hidey-hole and removed a smal , red, leather-bound

notebook. He carried the book into the living room and sat

on the couch. The fact the money hadn’t been deposited

into his account worried him. He could very wel be a man

already marked for death. Whoever the hel the client was

seemed to be more important to the agency than Priest

was. Not a good sign.

Before cal ing Sul y, Priest decided to give Jeffries

one last chance. With his scrambler in place, he punched in

Jeffries’ number and waited. He heard the click as his

handler picked up the phone and decided to speak before

the pleasantries began. “Heard anything about when I’m

going to get my money?”

Jeffries cleared his throat. “I told you it’s coming.

Where are you?”

“Doesn’t matter. Who was Alhena?”

“What’s going on? It’s not like you to hang onto a job

once it’s over. Why don’t you meet me somewhere and we

can talk about it.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Priest reminded

Jeffries.

“And I’m not going to over the phone. Agree to meet

me, and I’l tel you what I know.”

Priest knew a trap when he heard one. “Fuck off.”

After turning off his phone, Priest rested his head

against the wal behind the sofa and closed his eyes. He

should leave, go into hiding and stay there until he figured

out where he stood, but what if it was already too late?

“Shit.” Priest needed a plan. He rose off the couch

and retrieved his laptop from the bedroom. Opening a new

document, he began a list that could very wel sign his

death warrant.

* * * *

for Jessup to arrive. At least he didn’t need to worry about

Brac. The up and coming movie star had been cal ed back

to LA to record some voiceovers for a movie he’d recently

completed.

With his back to the wal , Priest spotted Jessup the

moment he stepped foot in the bar. For the umpteenth time

he reached inside his coat to make sure the manila

envelope was stil safe.

“Didn’t expect to hear from you again today,” Jessup

said, sliding into the booth. “Did you give Sul y a cal ?”

“No, although I haven’t completely ruled it out.” Priest

reached inside his coat and placed the thick envelope on

the table. “I need you to give these to people you trust.

Don’t tel me who they are, just make sure they stay safe.”

Jessup picked up the envelope and peered inside.

“What are they?”

“Life insurance policies. I’ve detailed every job I’ve

been hired to do in the last five years, complete with names

if I knew them. If anything happens to me, I want them sent

to the addresses on the front of each envelope.”

Before Jessup could reach inside, Priest grabbed his

wrist. “The people you trust enough to give these to can

never open them. Make sure they understand that.”

Jessup removed one of the business-sized

envelopes. Staring at the news agency address typed on

the front, he shook his head. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure. Without them, I’m a dead man.”

“You real y think it’l come to that?” Jessup asked,

sliding the envelope back inside the larger one.

“I know it wil . I have a feeling it’s already begun.

Which is why I’m going to disappear with Luke for a while.”

“Why drag him into this?”

“Because right now he’s my weakness, and if

someone comes looking for me, they’l figure that out.”

Priest scrubbed his face with his palms before moving

them up and over his bald head.

“What about his job? Do you real y think he’l pick up

and run away with you just because you ask?” Jessup

argued.

“I didn’t say it was going to be easy, but it’l keep him

alive.” Priest hated that he’d let his cock lead him into this

situation with Luke, but the damage had already been

done.

“Let me talk to Ryan,” Jessup began.

Priest cut his friend off before he could proceed. “No.

I’ve already put enough people in danger. I can handle this.

Just promise you’l hand out those letters.”

“Of course I wil .”

Priest held out his hand. “I’l be in touch the moment

it’s safe.”

“That doesn’t work for me. How the hel am I

supposed to know you’re stil alive if you don’t cal me?”

“Good point.”

“When do you leave town?” Jessup asked.

“Tomorrow morning, as soon as Luke gets off shift.”

Priest hoped he could convince Luke without resorting to

scare tactics. Regardless, Luke Hatcher would be leaving

Cattle Val ey.

“Buy a couple disposable phones. Drop one by the

station on your way out of town and cal me at five o’clock

on the dot every evening. If I don’t hear from you, I’l put the

word out to mail the letters.”

Priest grinned. “Happy to see this deputy bul shit

hasn’t rotted your brain.”

“Screw you,” Jessup chuckled. He stood and rapped

his knuckles against the table. “Dinner’s at noon on

Christmas. Make sure you finish this shit by then.”

Three weeks? “Talk about pressure,” Priest

grumbled.

“I have faith in you,” Jessup said before walking away.

Priest stared after his friend. His initial plan was to

disappear for months, not weeks. If he had any chance of

meeting Jessup’s stupid deadline, he’d definitely need

outside help.

Luke sat frozen in his seat as they arrived on the

accident scene. Although it was four in the morning, the ful

moon overhead shed enough light on the surrounding

timber to realise how much worse the accident might have

been. Aaron shut down the engine and opened his door.

“Something wrong?”

Luke continued to stare straight ahead. “Guess so,

because I can’t seem to bring myself to reach for the door

handle.”

Aaron paused in the act of climbing out of the

ambulance. “The driver phoned it in. It isn’t a fatality

accident. He just hit a deer.”

“I know,” Luke mumbled. He noticed Chief George

Manning off to the side of the road watching him through the

windshield. Get out! He screamed at himself. What the hel

was wrong with him?

“I’l check him out,” Aaron final y said, slamming the

door shut.

Luke groaned when George started towards the

ambulance. Even the threat of getting fired wasn’t enough

to make him get out of the vehicle.

George opened Luke’s door. “You okay?”

“No, sir,” Luke answered. Although he wasn’t the kind

of man who cried often, Luke felt tears trickle down his

face. His throat seemed unnatural y raw as he tried to

swal ow. “I can’t see her face again.”

George placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder.

“Whose? Kati’s?”

Although he hadn’t admitted it to anyone, Kati’s face

had completely morphed into his mother’s several days

earlier. “Yes.”

“Have you talked to anyone about it?” George asked.

“No. Jakob witnessed everything I did and he seems

okay.”

“Jakob has Zac to talk to. I think it helps to have that

kind of support. Would you like me to make you an

appointment with Dr Pritchard?”

“Maybe.” Luke glanced towards the crumpled car. “Is

it bad?”

“Not real y. A busted nose, maybe a cracked rib or

two. I’l have Toby give Aaron a hand.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We need to sit down and talk

once we get back to the station,” George informed him.

“I know.” Luke didn’t need to ask what the talk would

entail. “I’ve got some vacation time coming. I can always

take that.”

“That’s probably for the best. Come by my office and

we’l get the paperwork fil ed out.” George shut Luke’s door

and walked back to the scene just as a tow truck arrived.

Three more hours until his shift ended. Luke

wondered if he’d be al owed to finish or if George would

send him home sooner. He pul ed out his cel phone,

wishing he had a number for Priest.

Although they’d spent nearly twenty-eight straight

hours either fucking, sleeping or eating, he stil knew very

little about Priest. It was obvious Priest was a man of

secrets. Although Luke would love to know what they were,

he liked Priest too much to push him away with questions.

After openly sharing every orifice of his body with

Priest, the least the Priest could have done was give Luke

his damn phone number. He considered cal ing Jessup to

get Priest’s number, but he didn’t figure the deputy would

appreciate getting phoned at four in the morning.

Despite his current predicament, spending time with

Priest had helped. There was something incredibly

touching about the way the Priest held him when they slept.

But the only thing Luke had to compare it with was his time

spent with Stretch McGee, and everyone in the nation knew

how that had turned out.

Maybe he was naïve to think a man like Priest would

be interested in settling down in a place as quiet as Cattle

Val ey. Hel , he’d yet to even kiss him and here he was

dreaming about a life that would never exist.

Future or not, Luke planned to relish every second of

the time he spent with Priest. Although Priest didn’t fil

Luke’s head with words of love, at least he was honest. He

had made it clear upfront their time together was about

mutual sexual satisfaction, and although Luke yearned for

more, at least he’d gone into the situation with his eyes

wide open.

* * * *

arrive home from work. Around him, Luke’s neighbours

were slowly starting their day. He watched as several lights

clicked on. Priest wondered what it would be like to have a

set routine every day. There had been a time in his life

when he couldn’t imagine a greater horror, but with age