Page 106 of Beneath His Robes

It had always been my sanctuary, my place of solace. But now, it was just a prison. I couldn’t shake the sick feeling crawling under my skin, the weight of my choice. I had chosen Jack over Ronan, and that decision felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

I pulled my coat tighter around my shoulders, the chill of the night sinking into my bones. Every step I took toward the church felt heavy, each footfall echoing in my mind, reminding me of how far I was from the one person who had made me feel like I mattered. The one person who didn’t see the broken pieces of me, the darkness of my past, the things I’d done that still haunted me.

Ronan saw me, the person I could be, not the man I had been.

And I had just walked away from him.

The church doors loomed ahead, creaking open as I approached, the familiar scent of incense and old wood filling my lungs. It felt like stepping back into the past—where I had once found comfort in my faith, where I could bury all the things I couldn’t face. But that comfort was no longer there. All I could feel now was the heaviness in my chest, the sick twist of dread curling in my stomach.

I didn’t have to look up to know Jack was waiting for me. I could feel his presence before I even saw him, that oppressive, suffocating energy that always made my skin crawl. His shadow stretched across the dimly lit aisle, a figure who was more a symbol of control than a man.

He was standing at the altar, his back to me, staring down at the rows of empty pews. He didn’t turn as I entered or acknowledge my presence immediately. But I could feel his gaze, even if he wasn’t looking at me.

“Elias,” Jack’s voice rang out, cold and commanding.

His tone sent a ripple of unease through me, and I found myself instinctively standing a little straighter, even though I hated myself for it. “Glad you came. Knew you were such a good little slave.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight, and took a few more steps forward, the weight of his words pushing down on me. The air in the church felt thick, suffocating. The heavy scent of incense burned my nostrils, and I could almost taste the fear settling in the back of my throat.

I couldn’t allow myself to back down now, even though every part of me screamed to leave, to turn around and run back to Ronan. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let Jack have that power over us again. Not this time.

“I’m here,” I said quietly, my voice steadier than I felt.

I tried to keep my gaze fixed on his back, not allowing myself to show the nervousness crawling under my skin. “What the fuck do you want?”

Jack didn’t respond right away, his hands gripping the edge of the altar. I could hear his breath, steady but controlled, like he was trying to hold back something much darker beneath the surface.

“Such language from a supposed manofGod,” he said, mocking laughter in his drunken tone. “You know why I called you back here, don’t you?”

He finally turned around, his eyes narrowing on me, the usual smugness twisting his expression.

“You think you can just walk away from me, you and my queer son? You think I would let you run off into the sunset together after you got me chased around like a fucking dog?”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the rage and fear bubbling up inside me. I couldn’t look at him without seeing the man who had broken Ronan in more ways than I could count. We had been fools to think we could outrun him and escape his grip.

He thought I was weak. But I wasn’t that person anymore. I wasn’t the same naive boy he had watched pine for his son all those years ago.

“Jack,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, “I don’t owe you anything. You are a monster, and the police will find you eventually. You will pay for your crimes. You don’t own this town anymore. You don’t own Ronan anymore. He is not your fucking puppet.”

His lips curled into a twisted smile, one that sent chills down my spine.

“You’re right. You don’t owe me anything,” he said, his voice low, almost too calm. “But I’m not the only one who needs to atone for my actions, am I, Father?”

My stomach dropped at his words. He knew. I could feel the tension in the air, a deadly kind of silence settling over us, and I knew exactly what he meant. He was threatening me. Threatening Ronan.

I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” I said, the words sharp, desperate. “I do not regret loving him. You stay away from him. If you want me to confess my sins, so be it. But you leave him the fuck alone.”

Jack stepped forward, his expression turning dark, predatory.

“You really think you can stop me?” he sneered. “You think you can protect him? You’ve already made your choice, Elias. I don’t have to do anything. He’s already in danger because of you. Because you couldn’t keep Your dirty dick in your damn robes.”

I felt my chest tighten with panic. My thoughts immediately went to Ronan—his face, his smile, his laugh—and the thought of anything happening to him, anything at all, sent a cold sweat down my spine. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t let Jack destroy him like he had tried hard to do all his life.

“Don’t you dare touch him,” I growled, my fists clenching at my sides. “If you hurt him—if you touch him—I swear to God, I will?—”

“You’ll what?” Jack interrupted, his eyes narrowing, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. “You’re not in control here, Elias. You never were. Now, you’re my little bitch. I hold your fucking collar. You’ll do what I say, or it won’t be just you gettin’ your fucking reckoning.”

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