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“He won’t,” Linc says simply, before leaning down and kissing my lips roughly, at the same moment Mica kisses my neck. My eyes flutter closed at the sensation. Fuck, I’ve missed them. So much more than I let myself believe or admit.
“Don’t worry, Beauty, everything will be okay,” Kelly says, and I just sit there for a moment. It’s too late to argue now.
I look up as Aston walks in, acting as stuck up as ever. He’s wearing loafers. No socks. The sight makes me feel queasy. He’s such a cumbubble.
“Where have you been all fucking day?!” he demands. I sigh.
“Look, I think we need to have a talk. This clearly isn’t working out—” I start, but his loud scoff cuts me off.
“Because you hardly put out! Every time I touch you, you fucking cringe. Is it that fucking tattoo artist? Linc? Are you fucking him, Belle?” He’s shouting, making a scene, and I bite my tongue, holding myself back from meeting him with the same vile energy.
I take a deep breath, force myself to calm, let it out and begin my response to him.
“No, Aston. I’m not fu—” Once again, my words are cut off by a man interrupting me.
“Yes, she is. She’s fucking me, and them too. What the fuck are you going to do about it?” Linc says, with Mica and Kelly stepping up behind me. Aston gives Linc a once over before turning back to me.
“You whore! You’d choose…this over me?!” His outraged shout is drawing the attention of everyone around us, and I have to fight with myself not to slink back into the comfort and safety of the men that have my back right now.
I have to face this, face Aston and tell him no once and for all.
“First, don’t talk about Linc that way. This isn’t about them. I’ve been trying to break up with you for weeks, if not months, but you just don’t fucking listen!” I take a deep breath, shaking my head. “I tried to be civil, but I’m done. We are done.”
Linc grabs my arm firmly, tugging me off the stool, and pushing me into the open arms of Mica. Kelly laces his fingers with mine, as Linc faces off with Aston.
“You don’t need to worry, Beauty. This asshole won’t bother you anymore,” Kelly says softly in my ear. Aston’s shouting is attracting the attention of the staff, and Mica ushers me out behind the wall of muscle that is Linc.
As soon as we step into the cool night air, I breathe deeply. Fuck I hated that.
“Come on, we’ll take you home.”
I nod as they lead me to my car, and I pause.
“How did you guys know I’d be here?” I ask, and look up at Mica, who has a guilty frown tugging down his brow.
“Uh, well…Okay, hear us out…I know it looks bad, but I swear, Linc was just worried about you. He said Aston gave him a bad fucking vibe, and wanted to make sure you were okay tonight. So he…we…followed you.” My eyes go wide, and my mouth falls open.
“What the fu—”
“He’s ex-military Belle. Special forces. You really think a man who has seen women…” Kelly trails off, shakes his head, and continues, “He wasn’t going to let that be you. And neither were we. Linc may have been the one to suggest it, but we all agreed. None of us are willing to sit back and let some unhinged piece of shit hurt you.” He speaks with a determined passion that I can’t deny.
Okay, well, when he puts it like that…
“Aston has a key to my apartment, or something. I don’t know how he got in this morning, because I certainly never gave him one,” I admit, not wanting to talk about what Kelly just said.
He sees through my attempt to change the subject, but smiles kindly.
“Well, we can get you a hotel, take you to a hardware store tonight to get new locks, or you can stay with us,” Mica offers.
I think it over.
“I need to talk to the leasing office before I change the locks,” I say after a moment, thinking about my bank account and how much it might cost to pay for a hotel. Even if it is just for a few nights, do I really want to spend that money when I could stay with the guys for free? I shake my head to myself.
No, I’m not ready for that right now. I need more time. The money I’d saved for my next trip can afford to take a little dent.
“I’ll stay in a hotel,” I say, and see the flash of disappointment in their eyes. “But I’ll see you in the morning still, okay?” I ask, turning to Kelly.
He nods, pulling me into him, and I hug him back. I remain like that for just a moment when Linc storms out the front door, looking every bit like a Beast. It makes my lips twitch. Beauty and the Beast, indeed.
