“The money?” I tried not to let the glimmer of excitement wash over my concerned expression.
“I gave her everything I had. What did she give me in return?”
“Sex?”
“But it wasn’t about the sex. I mean, it was at first, but then it was more than that.”
“How much money did you give her?”
“I don’t know. I paid her rent, gave her gifts.”
I laughed. “You made her into a hooker.”
His face turned red and he beat his fist into his palm. “She needed the money to stay in the city. I wasn’t paying her for sex.”
“You were paying for her company then? Same diff.”
“No! Why don’t you understand?”
“I do understand. You wanted her, you thought you could own her, control her. When you couldn’t you got more and more demanding. The more you pushed, the more she pulled away. Eventually it came to a head, got ugly, she ran off with someone else and now you’re here. Alone. It sounds to me, like she got the better end of the deal in the end, she’s happy now. You’re not.”
“I don’t deserve to be happy for what I did to her.”
“Do you still love her?”
He hesitated.
I walked over to him, handing him the photo he must have studied hundreds of times as he tried to figure out what went wrong with their relationship. I placed my hand gently over his. Immediately his breathing increased.
“Don’t,” he said. “I’m too dangerous.”
“The danger is out there, not in here.”
“No, don’t underestimate me. You don’t know what I can do.” He threw the photo to the ground and stood up, grabbing my forearms and pushing me backward against the hard wall. His eyes were filled with fire as he forced his lips onto mine. His tongue roughly pushed its way through my lips and into my mouth. Desire erupted through my skin.
I pushed him back with strength that he didn’t realize I had. He stumbled backward and I used that momentum to shove him again until he fell onto the bed. I climbed on top of him, my knees straddling his hips, my hands grabbing his hair and leaned down, kissing him back as roughly as he had just kissed me. I pulled back, “No. Don’t you underestimate me. I can give as good as I get, and I’m not a plaything like you’re used to.”
I climbed away from him and sat on the bed, Nick sat beside me, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. My body still desired more, and for a split moment, I contemplated whether to keep going, to feel his strong lips devour me, his hands explore every dip and curve, but this wasn’t the right time and I wasn’t sure that Nick could handle that right now. I wasn’t sure if he could handle me.
His breathing was still ragged when he finally spoke. “Why aren’t you judging me like everyone else? Why are you still here?”
“We all do things we aren’t proud of. You can justify anything in the right circumstances. We aren’t that different you and me. You pay women for sex to control them. I use sex to control men and take their money. But we both have our reasons; even if we know it isn’t right.” I stood up. “Anyway, I need to get home. What did you find out?”
“Twenty men, maybe a few more. All up and down the road. Some searching in the trees. They’re loud, and they don’t look like they’re leaving anytime soon.”
“Damn it. They should have left by now. He’s called extra, there was only five or six last night. They’ve got to give up soon. Surely they don’t think I’m still out there.”
“But you are.”
“They don’t know that.”
“There is no way out unless you get back to the main road. They would have stationed men either side to make sure you haven’t escaped. So they think you are still here, and it looks like they have all the time in the world, and all the manpower to keep searching until they find you.”
“This isn’t good.”
“They haven’t ventured too far in. You can stay here another night. Maybe they will give up tomorrow? What’s one more day?”
I coughed out a laugh. “Another day and we could both be in trouble. I’d rather take my chances tonight.”
“Don’t go out there now. It’s too dangerous.”
“Ten minutes ago you said it was too dangerous in here. Yet I proved that I could take care of myself.”
“I’m one man. There are nearly two dozen out there. You’ll have no chance.”
He was right, I was no match against that many, but I still believed I’d be able to slip passed them if I could get far enough up the road. As long as I stayed under the cover of the trees while they were riding up and down then I could walk all the way to the next town. There had to be a way. But I didn’t want Nick to know that. “Okay, I’ll stay the night.”
“Here.” He walked over to a large wardrobe and pulled out bedding and a large thick blanket. “I’ll lock up and make sure they can’t get in. You keep warm and in the morning I’ll help you get home to your boy.”
“Thanks,” I said, as I took the blankets. I began to walk down the stairs but he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Take one of the upstairs rooms. It’ll be safer.” He led me to the far end of the landing and opened the door. The bed looked more comfortable than the one downstairs and the room, warmer. I made up the bed with the sheets and blankets he’d given me. Nick turned to leave but paused at the door. “You’re not going to sneak out again, are you?”
“Of course I am.”
“Belle, don’t it’s dangerous.”
“You just said that you’re the danger.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re right. But I won’t touch you. I can’t say the same for the men out there.”
I stood up and faced him. “I’ll stop the charade. I am leaving tonight and there is nothing you can do or say to stop me.”
“I’ll come then.”
“You won’t. You’ll get in my way.”
He swallowed and looked like he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it. “Fine then. Go out and get yourself killed. At least I’ll be able to have some peace and quiet when you’re gone.”
“Peace?” I laughed. “You have no peace here, but that’s your own choosing.”
“I deserve everything I have.”
“So you say.” I walked passed him and could almost feel the tension burning from him. “Goodbye Nick, it was nice meeting you. I wish you well.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder not waiting for a response. I didn’t care what he thought, I’d stayed here way too long anyway.
“Don’t go,” he said.
I made my way down the stairs and stormed out of the house. Who was he to tell me what I could do? I’d only met him this morning and he was acting as if he cared. He didn’t care about anything except ways to manipulate women and use them for sex. I didn’t care that he was all talk. I didn’t care anything about Nick Prince.
I stepped into the darkness of the trees.
I’d find a way out of here safely myself with no help from anyone. I had to.
Chapter 10
While I knew checking Colt’s GPS location wouldn’t alert me to where all of his biker friends were located, it was the only thing I had to go on. I checked the app, glad that he hadn’t figured out it was on his phone yet, and walked in the opposite direction.
According to the map I had on my phone, there was a bend about two miles ahead in an S shape that I could use to my advantage due to lack of visibility around the corners. It’d take a little longer to get there then simply heading straight ahead, but it was my best bet to get to the other side of the road without being seen, and make a break for it toward the next town.
The trees were quiet, but the men and their motorcycles were not. If I stayed well back from the main road, and headed for the bend, I might be okay.
I’d been travelling for nearly half an hour and was starting to get tired when I heard the first bike roar up the road. It made me stop and duck behind a tree even though they wouldn’t have been
able to spot me yet. When the engine roared away, I exhaled, before continuing.
As the bike returned, this time I didn’t jump, instead I stood still, now close enough to be able to watch it as it sped past. Another bike followed it in quick succession and I used the noise of the motor to my advantage to cover the sound I made as I stepped closer to the road.
The bend was just ahead. I could see one biker on this side of the road. He was off his bike, similar in color than the one I’d stolen from Nick earlier, but without an insignia painted on it. He leaned against it as he smoked a cigarette. The bright red tip glowed and lit up his face so I could see his deep sun etched leathery skin. A shudder went through my body. Hanging from his black studded belt was a knife sheathe on one side and a holster on the other. He did not attempt to conceal them.
I grabbed my own knife and wrapped my fingers around the handle as I snuck closer. While I knew I wouldn’t win in a knife fight with this mountain, I would be faster and more agile.
Not that I wanted a fight. I wanted stealth.
All I had to do was get behind him and make a break for it across the road without him turning around. I knew I could be quiet enough, but I couldn’t guarantee that I’d make it all the way. It was a risky proposition, but it was the only one I had and there was no way I was going to return to Nick’s house, not after the argument we’d just had.
Who did he think he was anyway? Trying to tell me what I can and can’t do, when he’d already seen that I could look after myself. It wasn’t like I’d put myself in harm’s way on purpose, but staying there wasn’t any safer than trying to escape. They’d find me there eventually if they kept looking. Sure, they might give up soon, but what if they didn’t. I couldn’t guarantee that Nick would be able to hold them off with a simple lock on the door.
Hiding away might have worked for him in healing his broken heart, but hiding away with the risk of getting broken bones, or worse, wasn’t something I was going to wait around to find out about.
I snuck closer to the biker with only one tree and a few feet in-between us.
He’d finished his cigarette and flicked it forward onto the black-top road where it fizzed then blinked out. He ground his teeth in a sickening scrape. That meant he must be bored and distracted, I could use that to my advantage.
I bent down and picked up a small rock that fit neatly into my palm and slowly stood up, inching around the tree. I threw the rock over his head so it landed near the tree line.
“What the fuck?” said the biker, as he jolted upright. He took a few steps in the direction the rock had bounced. “You in there, pretty girl? Come out, come out, wherever you are.” He moved closer to the trees, his attention focused into the darkness.
Once he stepped inside the tree line, I ducked around the one I’d been hiding behind and took off, hoping he was too busy to turn around and see me dash across the road.
“Shit balls!” he said.
I looked over my shoulder and sure enough, he was looking in my direction. Before I made it to the other side, he’d drawn his gun and aimed it at me.
A loud bang reverberated through the night as I sped up, taking deep gulps of air so it would help me run faster. Intense pain ripped my shoulder as I was knocked forward onto the edge of the road. I cried out at the burning that was spreading through my arm. Damn it. I rolled over as he advanced, my knife poised to defend myself. Not that I had a chance against his gun.
He kept the barrel pointed at me as he lifted his phone to his mouth. “Got her. Got the bitch! Yeah. Come quick.” He slid the phone into his back pocket and smiled so wide I could see the gold glint on one of his back teeth fillings.
I whimpered as he came closer, his gun waving up and down my body as if trying to decide whether to shoot me again or trace my outline.
“How about we work something out?” I smiled at him through gritted teeth. “You could say I got away and then we could have some fun. Just you and me.”
He laughed, throwing his head back.
Someone else was running toward us. At first I thought it was another biker, but it was Nick. He held a long wooden branch and swung it hard, hitting the biker in the head and knocking him out cold. As the man fell to the ground, Nick helped me to my feet.
“You’re hurt,” he said.
“Just a scratch.” I winced as he touched my arm.
“Come on. I’ll carry you.”
“Over my dead body.”
“That might be the case if you lose too much blood.”
“I’m fine,” I said. Even though I had no idea what the damage was, it didn’t feel too bad.
He placed his arm around my waist and led me back into the cover of the trees. “They won’t know which way you went. They might think you escaped and give up.”
I doubted it.
We hurried as much as we could. The burning pain in my shoulder was now throbbing, made worse with each footstep on the ground. Limping helped some and I leaned onto Nick with my good side, my other hand clenched over my shoulder to try to stem the bleeding.
I could wiggle my fingers - that meant there wasn’t too much damage. I couldn’t tell if the bullet was still lodged inside me or not. I’d have to get it out if it was, otherwise the infection would be worse than the blood loss.
“Wait,” I said. I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. Nick attempted to pick me up but I pushed him away. “I just need a minute to catch my breath.”
He ignored me and scooped me up. I didn’t have the strength to struggle. I continued to hold my shoulder as he carried me the rest of the way back to his house in his arms.
Chapter 11
Nick carried me up the stairs to his bedroom and sat me down at the edge of his bed. I stood up immediately, not wanting to bleed over his soft blankets. I held my arm close to my body, trying to stop the blood from leaking onto the carpet as well. The last thing I wanted was for his room to look like a crime scene. Especially with my blood that could be traced back to me with one DNA test. This was not good.
I looked up and saw that he’d removed the newspaper clippings from the notice board above his desk. Not even the photo of his ex remained. They weren’t in the bin either.
He opened the bathroom door to reveal a small but functional room. Above the sink on the opposite wall was a mirrored bathroom cabinet that he opened. Aftershave, a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a first aid kit in a bright red metal box. He grabbed the medical kit, some towels, and bought them over to me.
He laid all but two of the towels on the floor to catch any blood drips as I carefully began to peel off the leather jacket, trying not to move my arm too much because each time I did so it stung like hell. He wheeled his desk chair over to me, making me sit down, and then proceeded to help me remove the jacket.
As soon as the jacket was off me, the blood began to run down my arm soaking my black t-shirt and jeans. Damn it. I didn’t have another spare set of clothes. A few drops fell on the towels on the floor.
“I’ll need to wipe away the blood so I can see the damage,” he said.
“I can do it, it’s my arm.” I twisted it away from his fingers and wiped away the blood myself with one of his towels so I could see the wound. I could only partially see the damage as most of it was at the back of my shoulder. “I need a mirror.” I stood up, wanting to go into the bathroom. The room where we should be right now instead of in his bedroom. Bathrooms were much easier to clean.
“No, you need to sit down.” Nick pushed me gently back onto the chair and bought out a small pair of scissors. The snip was sharp as he cut the fabric of my t-shirt away from my skin so he could attend the wound easier. “Just let me do it.” There goes my t-shirt.
I grunted and leaned forward so he could have better light to see what he was doing. He pressed on my shoulder and a sharp pain screamed through me. I jumped up. “What the hell?”
“Sit back down. I had to check there was no bullet. There isn’t. It’s clean.” He picked up a bo
ttle of antiseptic and began to dab it over the wound. “You were lucky it wasn’t lower.”
“I wouldn’t call getting shot, lucky.”
“You know what I meant.”
I winced as the antiseptic stung worse than being shot. “Does it need to be sewn up?”
“No, you’ll be good with a strong adhesive bandage. It’s just the top layers of skin. A graze, like you said.” It stung more than any graze I’d ever had, but at least it wasn’t worse. That was one thing in my favor.
I relaxed and let him continue to attend to my shoulder wondering what to do next. His touch was gentle and soft, unlike the roughness of his lips earlier. I wondered who the true Nick was - the gruff beast that took the pleasure he wanted, or this softer man who acted if he genuinely cared about me. I winced again, but not from the pain which was dulling, instead from thinking about Nick in a way I shouldn’t. I already had enough to worry about. “They’ll be doubling their efforts. Searching further in now that they know I’m here.”
“They might not.”
“Come on, you know they will. Neither of us is safe here.”
“We have no choice but to stay here. I can defend us here, I can’t out there.”
“This isn’t your fight.”
“What do you want me to do, Belle? Let them have you?” He picked up a small white vial. “This is numbing lotion; it’ll dull the pain until you almost won’t feel it. He applied it generously. It was cool to the touch and tingled, but there was immediate relief. He blew on the lotion, warming it with his breath.
I closed my eyes and tried to shut the sensations out. When I opened them, he had unraveled a white bandage ready to wrap around my shoulder. I needed to focus. “What do you care, anyway? You wanted me gone. I need to get back to Owen. He’s expecting me, he needs me.”
“I’m not going to let you get killed.”
“Let me? You’re not going to let me?”
The Beast (The Bad Boys Series) Page 4
