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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
BELLE
“How has the storm gotten worse?” I ask myself as I drive to Beast’s house. I’ve driven up and down the same road now for the past 10 minutes looking for the turning for his house. It’s not marked, and in this weather, it’s near impossible to see. I slow right down, finding the switch for the hazards, just in case a car comes up behind me. Relief floods through me when I think I see it. I turn down it slowly, following the long dirt track road, which is now like a mud bath, even in this truck. I cringe when I feel the back tyre skid, struggling for grip.
Suddenly, a fox runs out in front of the truck. I scream, and the back end skids. Panicked, I slam my foot down on the gas, instead of the break. I try and steer the truck, but with the wet muddy conditions, I end up speeding straight into a ditch, crashing into a tree. The air bag goes off, slamming me back in my seat. My body is shaking. I lift my arms and move my legs, checking if I’ve broken anything. Thankfully, nothing appears to be broken, whether it’s from the adrenaline or not, I don’t know.
I open the door and climb out of the truck, standing in the pouring rain with thunderous claps above my head I run to Beast’s house, mud splattering up my legs, and I nearly slip over multiple times. I sob when I see his house in the distance.
I run up his steps, gasping for breath. I ring the doorbell and knock as loudly as I can on the door, when it occurs to me. What if he isn’t here? What if he has gone away? There is no answer.
“Shit!” I cry, sitting on the top step and placing my head in my hands. What a fuck up. I should have just waited. I should have just stayed at Star’s and Ghost’s place.
“Belle?” Beast’s deep voice comes from behind me. I turn around and see him stood there in nothing but his grey sweats, holding a shotgun. I get to my feet and turn to face him. His eyes sweep my body. “Fuck, what happened? Did someone do this you?” he asks. He looks around behind me, making sure that I wasn’t followed.
I shake my head no. “No, well some of it,” I say, pointing to my face. “I just needed to see you, and well, it’s just turned into a disaster.” I sniff.
“Come inside. You’re going to freeze,” he gestures. This is not how I thought this would go. I thought it would be like the movies. I would be wet, standing in the rain, none of us would say anything, but just the mere sight of each other would make us feral. I would jump in his arms, and he would kiss me, then take me upstairs, and it would be all passionate and amazing as he took my cherry. “Sit by the fire. I will get you a blanket,” he orders as he lights the fire. I take a seat next to it and sit there awkwardly. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I feel more for him than he does for me.
He comes back in with a blanket and a hot drink. He wraps the blanket around me and while I sip the tea, he crouches in front of me, his eyes searching mine. “Tell me what happened,” he demands softly.
I give him a small smile before I focus my eyes down on the cup of tea in front of me. “I overheard Star and Ghost talking. I know you weren’t working away. I know you weren’t partying at the club like Star thought, and I know there is something you and the others aren’t telling me,” I state. Looking up from the cup of tea and into his eyes, I see he is clenching his jaw.
He sighs. “It’s for your safety. That’s why we haven’t told you,” he states.
I nod. “I get that, but I feel like, you know when you walk into a room and it goes silent, and everyone goes silent because you know they were just talking about you. That is how it feels,” I state. I want to tell him how I feel about him, but for now, I want no secrets. I want the truth to what has really been going on.
“Your dad’s in the ICU,” he says bluntly.
Placing the tea down, I jump to my feet. “I have to go and see him. Is he okay? What happened?” I ask, panicked.
Beast stands and grabs my shoulders. “This is why we kept it from you. You can’t go and see him. It’s not safe,” he states.
I frown. “Hospitals have security. I can go with you or someone else,” I argue.
“Belle, you can’t,” he counters.
“I can! He is my father, and he could be in that hospital dying alone!” I snap. Brushing him off, I storm to the front door. I don’t make it though, because Beast grabs me and flings me over his shoulder. I scream. “Put me down!”
He storms upstairs, straight to his room and shuts the door. I hear the distinct sound of a lock before he places me back on my feet. “This isn’t up for debate. You can’t go and see him. It’s not safe. Now just trust me on that.” He pauses. “If they got to your dad on the injuries unit in prison, then they can get to him in a hospital. They want you,” he states.
I frown. “What do you mean, they want me?” I ask, confused. “I’m not a part of Dad’s business. I have never had anything to do with that side of it,” I argue.
He sighs. “I know, but they don’t see it that way. You are next in line, whether you choose it or not. You are his blood and his only child. This is why your dad asked us to watch over you. This is why you can’t put yourself at risk going there. Your dad knows this. He wanted it this way. He doesn’t need you there to know you love him. He knows that. He loves you, and that’s why you aren’t to go anywhere near him,” he explains.
I walk to the window and look out at the dark stormy night. “Is this why you pushed me away?” I ask, not looking back at him.
“I couldn’t lie to you, not with how things were going. I couldn’t take that from you. It was best that I just let you go,” he admits.
“Best for who?” I ask, still keeping my back to him. I turn around to face him. “Best for who? Because I tell you right now, it wasn’t best for me. I started to feel things for you. I was content, and happy. You just cast me aside like those days we had were nothing. All because you didn’t want to lie to me?” I snap.
He steps into my space, his broad powerful frame towering over me. “Tell me darlin’, would you have forgiven me? Would you have forgiven me for fucking you, taking your virginity and claiming you with my seed, while I kept what was going on a secret?” he growls. “No darlin’, I have told you time and time again. You. Are. Mine. You are it for me, do you hear me? I don’t want no one else. So, if it meant me having to distance myself for a while, rather than betray you with lies by ripping your heart out, then I would do it all over again.”
“You did rip my heart out!” I snap. “I felt things with you. I feel things for you, and then you disappeared. I was there and you left me.” I sniff, fighting back the tears.
“Say it,” he growls.
I stare up into his blue eyes. “I’m there,” I whisper.
