Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
She smiles. “I guess that doesn't matter right now.”
Beast's eyes find mine in the rear-view mirror. “When we get in there, we're heading straight to the boardroom. You can lay it all out for everyone at once. I mean it, Melissa, you're safe here, but we need to know what's going on. All of it.”
`
My throat tightens as the van comes to a halt.
Yana swivels around. “There's something I forgot to mention. We have guests. I haven't met them yet, but they're from an all-girls MC club...”
Her accusations are obvious, and I hold up my hand to stop her. “It's fine, Yana. I wouldn't even be surprised.”
Her shoulders sag, a smile tugging at her lips. “If it makes you feel better, there has only been one incident.”
“Spill.” I force a smirk, swallowing the ache in my chest.
She shuffles closer. “Okay. Just quickly because Beast will think I'm trying to get someone killed. One of the hang-around girls who had slept with him, tried to play girlfriend.”
I widen my eyes, urging her to carry on. You cannot get upset, Melissa. Don't be a hypocrite.
“Anyway, she walked up to Hella and straddled his waist, grinding all over him and claiming him to be hers. His hand shot to her throat, so fast her eyes rolled back and her body went limp right there in front of everyone. We, as in me, had to perform CPR until the doc arrived. Hella just walked away and fucking left her to die. She didn't, though. Die, that is…”
A shame.
Okay, this is not how we need to be walking in there. You do not own him.
“Huh.” My fingers drift to my throat, tracing the unmarked skin. “Guess I wasn't worth the effort.”
Yana laughs, sliding open the door. “This is why I love you.”
Millie stops as I get out of the van. “Who's Hella and why should you care?”
“We'll talk later,” I murmur, tugging at my crop since it suddenly feels too exposed. Even if I wasn’t dressed casual, anything next to Millie’s clean midi-dress looks less than.
As soon as my feet hit the clubhouse, everything comes back to me like a step through time. I smile wide when my eyes land on Old Fella behind the bar.
Truth is, I feel safe here. Away from Eddy.
I grip Millie's hand, my fingers tightening around hers as I lead us both towards the doors where no one without a cut is ever meant to be. My stomach dips and twists with nerves as the doors seal shut with a heavy thud.
“Melissa?” Beast's voice cuts through the tension. Yana's heels click against the floor as she crosses to him, settling onto his lap at the head of the table. My peripheral vision catches Hella's frame to Beast's right, while Millie's chair scrapes against concrete as she claims the empty seat beside Ripper.
“Wanna tell us what happened?” Beast asks, and suddenly this was a bad idea.
“Everything?” I answer instead, keeping my gaze locked on Beast and well away from Hella. It’s like no time has passed since I saw him with the way tension crackles through the air.
“Cut the bullshit, Melissa, and get straight to the story.” His voice feels like a punch to the gut. So much for ignoring him.
My heart hammers against my ribs, each beat an echo I’d rather not hear. Moisture beads along my hairline, rolling down my temple.
Damn. Bastard.
“Chase had texted me to say he was on his way. It was the weekend,” I add, keeping my eyes locked on his because there's no way I'm skipping pissing him off. My lips curve into a half smirk. “And he has me on the weekends.”
A deep growl, and then silence. I'm testing his boundaries, and I know it, and despite the promises I made to myself not to tangle myself back up in his twisted web, clearly, I don’t care much about that either.
“Melissa?” Beast says quietly from the head of the table.
I wince. “Sorry. Millie and I were waiting on the curb when a dark limo pulled up. Its window went down, and at first I didn't know who it was because he was sitting in the shadows. All I could make out was that he was wearing a black suit. He ordered us to get in so we did.”
“It was Richard. He’d been following me for months, maybe years, and he threatened my whole family. I couldn’t go to Zane, or he’d kill everyone I know.”
“—and what does he want?” Beast urges, leaning in.
I hold my breath.
“He didn’t exactly say, just that I had two weeks before he would come back for me. I’m taking a risk even coming here, but I—”God, this is embarrassing. “Richard tried to hit on me a lot, and I kind of always said that I was with Hella, so…”
Beast rests back in his chair. “So you coming here isn’t suspicious for him.”