Page 149 of Cain

“How dare you threaten me in my church?” he growls, standing and matching my height.

“Come on. Do you really feel threatened by this little thing? You?”

“Put it down before you make me forget I’m wearing this collar.”

“Ah, here he is! I knew you were still somewhere in there.”

“Put it down, Cain,” he repeats, locking his amber eyes on mine.

“Make me, Father,” I mock.I’m so close.

He holds his gaze on mine for a few seconds before he shakes his head. “You haven’t changed at all.”

Lazy motherfucker.

I need to take action. I move fast.

I lunge and land a punch right across his face. Finally, some life in him! He staggers, but then he’s up, fighting back. He grabs my wrist, twists, and rips the gun from my grip.

Now, it’s aimed at me.

A sinister smirk crosses my lips. “Welcome back, Beast.”

“Don’t call me that,” he hisses.

“On the contrary, Judas. You chained the beast inside you, and when it wakes again, it’ll be starving.”

“I said, don’t call me that.” He spins the gun by the trigger guard, letting it swing once around his finger before holding it out to me. “I’m not that person anymore.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” I take the gun. “A man of God lies in His own house. Such a disgrace, Father.” I fix my jacket. “You think growing your hair a little and shaving your face will make you a priest? You’re still the same bastard under that pathetic façade.”

“Language!” he says, making me chuckle. “How did you find me?” He cracks his neck and fixes his cassock.

I slide the gun back into the waistband of my belt. “We both know I am capable of finding everyone.” I take out a smoke and light it up.

He snatches it from my lips, throws it on the ground, and steps on it. “Not in here,” he grumbles.

“Relax, Father. The smoke won’t stain your precious walls any worse than your sins already have.” I take out one more and light it up again. I’m sure even he misses this habit, and I’m here to remind him who he is.

“What do you want from me? Why did you come?” he asks.

I exhale the smoke. “I want the best. I want the guy who never misses. Remember, Judas?” I tilt my head. “Remember what glorious training you and I went through? Don’t tell me you buried that savage man under this collar.”

He folds his hands in front of his lower abdomen. “I told you, I’m not that person anymore.”

“You can take the person out of the habit, but you can’t take the habit out of the person. You wear the collar, but the beast still breathes underneath. You are not a man of God like you want to pretend.” I toss my smoke on the ground. “You’re just hiding in His house.”

He looks at me without blinking. Steadily. Stealthily. “Now I am, and you’d better respect it.”

My eyes remain on him, and I hum. I turn toward the door, a smirk tugging at my lips. “You’re not a priest, Judas. You’re a coward in a robe.”

I amble away, exiting the building.

Outside, Landon is still waiting, leaning against my car and smoking.

“Did you find him?”

“Yes.” I enter the car and grab the wheel.