Page 104 of Beneath His Robes

The message was short, the words cold and commanding, a warning.

“Stop playing house with my son and come back to your church, faggot. Or else.”

I froze.

My grip tightened around the phone as a chill crawled down my spine. My pulse spiked, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a physical force.

I should’ve known.

I should’ve known Jack wouldn’t let me go that easily. He had always been like this—controlling, demanding, and completely unbothered by whatever consequences his actions might have on anyone else.

That much was evident when he let the child he was supposed to raise rot in prison for the crime he committed of murdering his own wife.

And now, he was dragging me back to that place—the church I had built my life around, the one I had sacrificed everything for. But it was never really mine, was it? It was just a prison now. And Jack was the warden.

“If you tell anyone, including your little butt buddy, I will fucking kill him.”

I bit my lip, a wave of anxiety crashing over me. The words echoed in my mind. It was a threat—an ultimatum. If I didn’t do what Jack wanted, what would happen? Did he know where we were? Could he really hurt the man I loved? What could he do tous?

I could feel the weight of Ronan’s presence in my mind, the memory of his touch still burning on my skin. He had seen me, really seen me. He had been so patient, so gentle, as if he understood my struggles.

But Ronan didn’t need any more of the hell Jack had put him through. He was still recovering, still battling the nightmares every night. I couldn’t drag him back into this. He was finally smiling, able to be free. I couldn’t live with myself if I was the reason his body had more scars.

My heart twisted at the thought of lying to him. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to keep anything from him. But Jack’s threats hung in the air like a dark cloud. I had to leave him. I had to deal with this alone.

I swallowed hard, turning the phone over in my hands as if hoping the message would disappear. But it didn’t. It was still there. And I had to make a choice.

I couldn’t call the police.

He would know.

I couldn’t tell him no.

Not after he threatened Ronan. I couldn’t let him keep living in the shadows of his past under Jack’s thumb. But how could I protect Ronan? How could I protect myself from the mess that was Jack?

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a shaky breath. The soft sound of Ronan moving around in the other room—his calls as he fought yet another nightmare, pulled me from my thoughts. He was still inside the bedroom, waiting for me. I should be holding him, telling him he is safe and okay. But I couldn’t. He wasn’t safe. Neither of us were.

I couldn’t let him see the message.

I couldn’t let him know about Jack threatening us. Not yet. Not when I was finally starting to feel something real. Not when I was starting to let myself believe that I deserved to be happy. Not when I made the choice to let go of my past, the robes, the collar, the responsibilities. Not when I finally chose him.

With a final, shaky exhale, I hit the lock button and slid the phone into my pocket.

I couldn’t ignore Jack. I had no choice. I had to deal with him and keep Ronan safe.

I would face Ronan after. I needed to be with him. To be honest, I finally had something that was mine.

Running had never gotten me anywhere but pain. Jack wouldn’t just go away. I couldn’t run forever.

I just…didn’t know what to do next.

* * *

Leaving Ronan in that bed was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

The car hummed softly beneath me as I drove through the night, the dark road stretching out ahead like an endless reminder of everything I had to leave behind. The lights of Vegas faded in the rearview mirror, replaced by the darkness of the desert, a void I felt like I was being pulled into. The air inside the car felt too warm and thick with tension, and my hands gripped the wheel tighter than necessary.

I couldn’t shake the cold knot in my stomach.

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