AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I arch a brow. “What’ve you got to be nervous about? You’re not the one who is breaking holy vows that some believe aren’t breakable.”
“Everyone will hate me.”
“No, they won’t.” I cup her cheeks in my hands. “If anyone treats you badly, I’ll kill them.”
“I hope you don’t mean that.”
I growl, the sound rumbling deep in my chest as I pull her closer, our bodies flush against each other. “Madison,” I say, my voice intense, “I would murder for you. Don’t ever forget that.” I clench my jaw. “I murdered for you last night. For us.”
Her gaze locks onto mine. “I know, Dante... I know,” she murmurs, her delicate fingers tracing over the contours of my face in a soothing motion.
I press my forehead against hers, the intimate proximity grounding me. “Let’s get ready.”
She jumps off my lap and goes into the bathroom to get showered, and I follow, getting washed and dressed as quickly as possible since we don’t have long.
Once ready, I drive us from her cottage to the church. We arrive at the church, a foreboding figure looming over us. As we step through the heavy wooden doors, silence falls. A murmur ripples through the crowd, the congregation’s eyes heavy with the judgment that we’re arriving late and together. But Madison stands tall next to me, her hand gripped tight in mine.
“I’ve got an announcement,” I begin, my voice echoing in the grandeur of the holy place. The whispering stops. My heart pounds in my chest, but I push on. “There won’t be a sermon today because I renounced the cloth last night and requested I be laicized.”
Gasps echo around the church, everyone looking shocked. “Because I’m in love.” The silence is deafening, the shock palpable. But it’s the next words that cause the chaos. “I’m in love with Madison.” I squeeze her hand.
The name hangs in the air, a storm about to break. The glares fall on Madison, but I step in front of her. “No one,” I add, the raw emotion turning my voice into a thunderous rumble, “should dare blame her. It’s me. Blame me.” I lock eyes with several in the crowd, including Elaine, who looks furious. “It was me who couldn’t keep away.” I glance at Madison, my gaze softening. “Because I love her.”
The backlash begins with faint murmurs growing into a crescendo of disapproval. Elaine’s voice cuts through the cacophony, her sanctimonious tone laced with venom. “She’s a sinner!” she spits out. “Clearly, she’s ensnared him with a trap!”
A few others agree and shout similar things.
But I’ve had enough. “All of you can fuck off. I don’t care what you think,” I say, the words slicing through the tension.
There’s a collective gasp. The room falls silent, shocked at the crude language from their polite, mild-mannered former priest. My gaze sweeps the room, daring anyone to speak. But they remain silent, the hum of shock hanging heavy in the air.
I pull Madison closer and turn to leave. “Let’s go, baby girl.” I pull her out of the church, and tears flood her cheeks.
“Everyone hates me.”
Madison. The congregation. The scandal. I can still hear the whispers and see the disgust in their eyes. And Madison doesn’t deserve any of this. None of it. I feel a burning knot of guilt in my gut.
I cup her cheeks in my hands. “No, the congregation is mainly the older residents of Fordhurst. I’m sure most people in town won’t care what happened between us.” I kiss her. “I’ve got to get my stuff, and we’ll return to your place. Our home.”
We leave the church, walking toward the house I’ve lived in for four years. I don’t have a lot of stuff, which I pack into a few suitcases. And once done, Madison helps me get them into the car.
“What about your motorcycle?” she asks.
“I’ll come back for it later. There’s no rush.”
She nods, and as we get in the car, a few of the congregation are still hanging around, shooting us dirty looks.
“For their sakes, I hope they get over this quickly, or I might have a lot of bodies to bury.”
Madison gasps. “You can’t kill half the town.”
I glance at her. “What did I tell you about that word?”
She glares at me. “You might not like the word, but it’s the truth. You’d end up locked away for life.”
How much she underestimates me. “I’ve got a talent for getting away with murder, Madison. Does that surprise you?”
She bites her lip. “Not now I know what you did before becoming a priest, no.” She tilts her head. “You forget I’m from the same fucked up world as you.”
