by Tiya Rayne
“Well, I’ll be damn,” Sandman says, standing beside me. “They almost made it to the end.”
I nod my head. I’m more proud of the boys for sticking together than I am for getting this far.
“So, how was your first day?” I ask, walking up to them.
Exhausted faces turn toward me.
“Is it too late to change my mind?” Zel asks out of breath.
“You’re not a quitter, kid. None of you are.” I turn to Hawk. “How’s your arm?”
He doesn’t reply. He only nods. I can tell by the way he’s clutching it to his chest, something is wrong with it.
“You did good, guys. Now, let’s go home.” I turn to walk out of the arena.
“You fuckers are useless,” Fox is shouting at his boys. “Not one of you fuckers could beat a blind kid.”
I shake my head at him and continue on out. We have nothing else to prove here.
Chapter 3
The Talk
Priest
* * *
The communal apartment for the Priests is made up to accommodate our recruits. There’s a common room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and six bedrooms. It’s after two in the morning. I put the boys to bed a few hours ago.
At the moment, I’m in my bedroom balls deep inside of some nun pussy. Passion is one of my favorites at the nunnery. Her skin is the color of a Cuban cigar, a nice nutmeg brown. Her hair is in a huge afro.
Her full ass bounces back on my cock as I impale her from behind. My hand is wrapped around her neck as I tilt her head back as far as it can go.
She looks up at me with those pretty brown eyes, they’re glazed over with pleasure. I pound my hips against her ass as I fuck her hard and deep. Her blunt nails dig into the couch cushions. She tries to scream, but the tight grip I have around her neck makes it difficult.
“Would you like to come tonight, Passion?”
She nods her head. “Please, Priest,” she croaks out.
I release my grip on her neck and move my two longest fingers into her mouth. She makes a pretty gagging noise for me that has my cock swelling even more. Her pussy squeezes around my length the way I knew it would.
She moans loudly. “Don’t wake my boys,” I warn.
She nods obediently, but I know she won’t keep quiet. I slide my fingers into her hair, lifting her upper body up to come flush with mine. Her knees spread apart a little further on the arm of the couch.
I spit on the digits of my free hand and use the lubrication to rub against her slick nub. She bucks up against them and then falls apart. Her essence raining down on me like a monsoon.
I growl as I bend my knees for a better angle and fuck her harder. She calls out my rank and my code name as I claim her body as only I can. When the tingling in my balls starts, I give three more pumps before I pull out of Passion and squirt my cum all over her glorious ass cheeks.
I know the nunnery girls are on a regular dosage of birth controls, but the only woman I’ll ever nut in will be the woman I love. And since that will never happen, I guess I’ll forever have to pull out.
I step away from Passion, my body is coated in sweat. I lean down to pull up my pajama pants and boxers. She collapses down onto the couch. Her ass up in the air. Already my cock is starting to stir.
“You need something to drink?” I offer.
“A water,” she pants. “I need sustenance before round two.”
“I’ll bring you a snack.”
I head out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. Once there I open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle of water, and the ham and mayo to make a sandwich. I close the door and immediately speak to the person behind me.
“It’s late, Hawk. You should be in bed.”
“I can’t sleep,” he replies. “How did you know it was me?”
I turn to face him. I put the meat and mayo on the island before heading to grab the bread and a plate.
“From the sound of your footsteps. You walk loud as fuck kid.”
Placing the bread on the island, I go to make Passion’s sandwich.
“You smell different. What is it?”
“It’s called pussy. And when you get older, you will know why I smell like it.”
He’s silent for a moment. I don’t look up at him or acknowledge him. He’s going to have to learn to open his mouth and speak. If he’s going to survive in this business, he needs to be able to speak for himself.
“Did you mean what you said when you told my mom you saw the value in my gift?”
I still the knife in my hand. I place it down on the counter and look up at him. “Absolutely.”
His head cocks to the side. He’s thinking. “I don’t like how I performed today. I held the others back.”
“Did one of them say something to you?”
“No,” he quickly replies. “They said I did well, but I don’t feel like I did.” He rubs his shoulder.
This is an internal battle for him. I know the selling point for this with him was the ability to be more than his disability. Hawk wants to be accepted so badly it’s damn near a hindrance for him.
“Over the next few months, I’m going to teach you how to master that course. The next time you run it, you and your brother’s will conquer it. I can give you what you need, Hawk. As long as you’re willing to fight for it.”
He smiles up at me before climbing off the bar stool and heading back into his room.
I know my approach at being a Priest is frowned upon. My Priest enjoyed pitting us against each other. He came up with ways to make us battle each other. I don’t think it has to be that way. These boys will test my theory.
I finish up with Passion’s sandwich and head back to my bedroom. I’m ready for round two.
Chapter 4
The Arena
Priest
* * *
We are back in the arena. It’s been two months since the last time I was in here with the boys. A lot has changed.
They’ve grown accustomed to each other. Individually, they know their strengths and weaknesses and as a group they know how to motivate each other. They are deadly on their own, but unstoppable together.
“Are you ready for this defeat, Bandit?”
I don’t turn to acknowledge Fox. I stare out at my boys. Many is explaining something to the twins.
Lucien paying close attention to his words. Zel and Hawk are laughing. Hawk is a lot more relaxed this time around. Beast is Beast. This time he is allowed to interact with the Deacons.
Not only am I ready for my boys to deliver this ass whooping, I’m willing to bet on it.
“How about we put our money where our mouth is? If my boys make it to the finish line before the timer, you owe them a prize. A trip to Coney Island sounds nice.”
Fox scoffs. “This isn’t a fucking summer camp.”
“Sound like excuses to me. Are you going to take the deal or not?”
He narrows his eyes and the vein in his neck starts to throb. “Okay fine,” he says with a sly grin. “And when I win, I want him.” He points out to the floor where my boys are. I follow his finger to Beast.
“You want Gabriel?” It doesn’t shock me Fox would want Beast. He is unique in every way. The perfect storm is what I call him.
Beast has one of those talents that if nurtured, could make him the best damn Deacon this society has ever seen, in its fifteen hundred years. However, in the wrong hands, Beast becomes a deadly and lethal weapon.
The stakes are higher for me, but when I look down at my boys, I don’t sweat it. I turn back to Fox. “You have a deal.”
He smiles proudly before walking away. I turn back to the arena. I wonder if the boys will enjoy Coney Island.
The Bishop makes the announcement, we will be starting soon. The moment I take my seat the alarm goes off and the loud sound of gunshots surrounds us.
I watch Hawk power through, ignoring the loud noise of the gunshots. A slow smile hits my lips. The boys pass the wall before it can be triggere
d.
However, they do run into another obstacle. The bean bags come flying at them. Hawk hits the ground first and the others follow.
He motions for them to stay low and they crawl on their elbows past this section. Jumping to their feet, they sprint full force toward the next section, where they have to climb over small, spiked walls.
I pay closer attention to Lucien. He seems to be talking Hawk through the climb. Once they scale the spiked walls, the next siren goes off. This will be Hawk’s greatest challenge. The Deacon’s run out of their hidden spaces.
“This is where your boy falls apart,” Fox shouts over the noise.
I simply smile. Many takes his man down without breaking a sweat. That kid is a natural fighter. Zel is no longer running from his opponent but throwing actual punches. Lucien, unlike his brother is a much more controlled fighter. He uses his head to defeat his opponent.
Beast has two bodies at his feet writhing in pain, and another one is backing away from him. The Deacon drops to his knees and bows his head, letting Beast know he surrenders. I look over to Fox and his eyes are riveted on Beast.
I don’t like the gleam in his eye as he watches him. I turn back to the scene before me and a proud smile lifts my lips. Hawk is in full battle with his guy. The others have disabled their opponents and are now surrounding their brother, silently cheering him on.
Hawk steps out of the way when the Deacon aims a punch toward his head. He returns with a swift blow to the other boy’s throat. The Deacon drops to his knees and Hawk does a roundhouse kick sending him face first to the mat.
The others high five him. I find myself wanting to give the kid a fist bump. He has worked harder than all the other boys. Oftentimes, the last one to leave the training room until he masters a new skill. I couldn’t be prouder of him.
It goes without saying my boys not only dominate the simulator, they finish before the timer goes off. The only ones to do so. The other Priests congratulate me as I head toward the boys.
“You got lucky,” Fox says, stopping me.
I turn to him, watching him closely. “Luck?” I chuckle. “One day, you will learn that I’m not your competition.”
“Oh, you’re not?” he mocks.
“No.” I shake my head. “If this were a competition, you wouldn’t even be on the same playing field as me, little brother.” His nostrils flair.
We may share the same blood, but Shane Otella and I are nothing alike. I turn my back to Fox and walk away. I find my boys much like I found them the first time, except this time smiles greet me, instead of forlorn faces.
“We did it, Priest,” Hawk says by way of greeting.
“Did you see how he took down that Deacon?” Zel asks, patting him on the back.
“We think brother Hawk did well,” Many says with his nasally voice. “May we give him a hug?”
“Yeah, that’s cool, Many.”
Before Hawk can get his sentence out Many gives him a tight hug before stepping back.
“Did you guys see how quick Beast took down that one guy,” Lucien says in wonderment.
Hawk asks them to describe it and they all take turns in doing so. Beast silently watches them, this time his eyes don’t seem as unfocused. He’s actually paying attention to them.
Once the moment dies down, I get their attention again.
“You guys did good. Especially you, Hawk Eyes. This is only the beginning, kid.”
He smiles brightly at me before turning back to his brothers. Today he wasn’t the blind kid, he was just another boy hanging with friends. This is what I hoped for.
Epilogue
During Transport
Priest
* * *
Twenty- Five Years Later…
The moaning has me rolling my eyes.
“Keep the fucking noise down cop, or I’ll make this shit a lot worse,” I snap.
The moaning stops immediately. I close the door to Seth’s mirrored room. He’s letting me keep the cop here until I can have some fun with him.
Tonight has been a long night. I said goodbye again to the kid I practically raised. Yet, I would do anything for my boys. Even go against the Church.
“You’re worried about Hawk?” Seth says as we head back up the stairs to the main part of his home.
“I’ll always worry about you boys.”
“And we will always worry about you, Priest,” Many says, bringing up the rear.
“He will be all right. If anyone could keep him protected it’s Rose.” Seth pushes open the door to the lower level and we walk out into the kitchen.
The mention of her has my hands clenching at my sides. I fight the feeling that tries to overtake me. I won’t think of her and what I lost.
“We all know the story, right?” I say to the other two with me. “Hawk and the painter slipped away during the transport.”
“We got it,” Many answers as he goes into Seth’s fridge to get a bottle of water.
“Great. Seth get your brother back and have him get that video doctored up. We will present it to the Church in two days.”
“Why not wait until the third and final day?”
“It looks too suspicious.” I grab my keys off the counter. “You guys have a good night. I’m heading out.”
* * *
***
My plans to wait two days goes up in smoke when Deacons showed up at my door only five hours after dropping the cop off at Seth’s place. They hauled me into headquarters and made me wait three damn days before I got to see anyone. When I finally did, I had to repeat the story of how we lost Hawk ten damn times before they left me alone again.
When my door opens for the second time, I prepare myself for more of the same. However, it’s Fox who enters and takes a seat in the chair across from me. A practiced smile on his face.
“Hello, Priest,” he says, using my title more nowadays than he ever did in the past.
“Pope.” The smile on his face widens.
My brother successfully climbed the ladder to one of the highest positions in the society. He still believes it makes him better than me, only, I know the truth.
“Are you ready to tell me what really happened to your little blind boy? And before you start, I want the truth, or I will clean out your little misfits like a dead man’s closet.”
I lean back in my seat staring at him with new eyes. I don’t have to be the Painter to read him like a book. I see it as clear as day.
I crack a smile and start. “Well, it happened during transport.”
Want to Meet Tiya Rayne and the Authors of Perceptive Illusions, Inc. in Person?
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Acknowledgments
Whew, y’all, this one right here. It almost took me out. This is probably the hardest I’ve ever had to work for a book and I can only hope it was worth it.
* * *
I want to thank my readers, y’all inspired and pushed me to keep going when I thought I’d quit.
* * *
My sisters at Perceptive, baby, y’all came through with this book from late night sprint sessions to encouraging messages in my inbox.
