Page 109 of Beneath His Robes

“Last chance, Elias,” Jack said, bringing the hammer far back in his grip, enough for me to see the trajectory was headed for my sex. “Do. You. Repent.”

His words were drawn out, slow, mocking, and I took a deep breath, allowing the warmth I felt to spread throughout my limbs. I knew I was in trouble. It was too warm and too calm. Somehow, everything was slower in my vision.

“No…”I choked on my words, the blood so much I felt like I was drowning. “I…choose…Ronan…”

And then the final nail pierced my skin.

ChapterThirty-Eight

Ronan

The drive had felt like an eternity, the roads stretching endlessly in front of me as my mind raced, a swirl of worry and dread clawing at my chest. Every mile closer to the church made my heart beat harder and faster, the fear deepening. Something was wrong. I could feel it deep in my bones.

When I pulled up to the church, it was eerily silent. The lights in the windows were off, and the heavy door was locked tight. I got out of the car and moved toward the entrance, my hand trembling as I reached for the old wooden door. It didn’t budge. Locked? No, it was more than that. It was barred and closed. I could see nails jutting out of the sides of the door’s paneling.

I knocked, my fist thudding hard against the wood, my breath shallow as I tried to steady myself. No answer.

“Elias,” I whispered his name under my breath, but there was no response.

A creeping sense of dread slithered up my spine. The quiet was suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides. The church, which had been his sanctuary, now felt like a tomb—the kind of place where people were left to disappear.

I knocked again, louder this time. My eyes scanned the windows, but everything was still. My thoughts were a mess, spiraling, and I could feel the panic creeping in. Where was Elias? Why wasn’t he answering?

Then, just as I was about to knock a third time, I heard something. A sound that cut through the night air like a blade. A scream.

A scream that shattered the silence.

Elias.

It was unmistakable. His voice. Full of pain. Full of agony.

My blood ran cold. My knees buckled for a split second as the sound pierced through me like it was twisting something inside me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, just a wave of fear and adrenaline rushing through me, drowning out everything else.

I couldn’t just stand there. Not after hearing that. Not after hearing him scream.

I slammed my shoulder against the door, not caring if it hurt. I needed to get inside. I needed to get to him.

The door creaked open slightly, a crack wide enough to see through even slightly. More of those nails gleamed in the moonlight. I couldn’t see much, but the one glimpse I did have brought chills to my spine and tears in my eyes—blood.

I smashed over and over, battering my bruised arms until the nails slowly cracked through the wood enough for me to squeeze through. My heart was hammering in my chest as I pushed through the crack in the door and stepped into the cold, dark interior of the church.

The smell of blood was strong. It was overwhelming. I could see small pools littering the dark ground. There was barely any light, just the soft moonlight that shone through the stained glass windows.

The air inside was thick and heavy with the scents of blood, incense, and dust. Everything felt wrong. Something was off. Who’s blood is this? Did he go hunting? Why would he bring the game back to the church? The stillness of the place only made my panic grow.

I stood still for a moment, straining to listen. My hands were shaking as I reached for my phone, but I couldn’t dial. The weight of my thoughts crushed me, and I couldn’t think straight. I had to move. I had to find Elias.

Then, I heard it again. Another scream. Louder this time, sinking into the wooden walls.

I followed the sound, my breath coming in short bursts as I ran through the empty halls of the church. The floor beneath my boots creaked with each step, and the darkness seemed to close in around me, suffocating.

“Elias!” I called out, my voice trembling, desperate. “Elias, where are you?”

I didn’t wait for a response. I couldn’t. I pushed on, moving toward the sound, each step feeling like an eternity. I turned the corner into the sanctuary, and my eyes immediately locked on the altar.

There, in the dim light, I saw him.

And my heart shriveled into pieces, falling at my feet.

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