Page 7 of Our Darling Isabelle

I have to cover my mouth when we walk into the room. Isabelle has a lamp and is holding it just like her bat on the night we met, standing sideways like a feral warrior. I’m biting back a laugh as she challenges Jared, who is standing just beyond the doorway to our right. Kurt is rubbing his head with a look of rage on his face. Another lamp that matches the one she holds is broken at his feet.

“Just put it down, sweetheart. I won’t hurt you,” Jared says. I know he means it, but she doesn’t.

“Go fuck yourself, Goliath.” She snaps at him. Unable to hold back, I let out a deep laugh at her bravado. Jared swings around to look at me and my humor leaves as quickly as it came. All rational thought leaves my body when I see the blood dried on her lip and the swelling around her nose. I storm past everyone and walk right up to her as she stares at me with wide eyes. Isabelle squares her shoulders and raises the lamp, but I yank it from her grasp and throw it to the ground.

“Who did this to you?” The room has gone silent. My hands shake as I guide her to sit on the bed, cupping her face as gently as possible. Her brown eyes are bloodshot and terrified as she stares up at me, opening and closing her mouth without answering my question. Her fight or flight seems to collapse when she is around me, fear locking onto her body for a moment.

“Jared, get her a wet towel, please.” Alec says behind me as he walks up. Her eyes roam over him slowly before snapping back to me.

“Let me go. I won’t tell anyone.” Her voice breaks and she swallows hard. I wipe away the lonely tear that slips down her cheek and betrays her brave voice. She knows she is fucked but I hope she doesn’t stop fighting me.

“I don’t care who you tell because nobody is going to take you from me. You belong to us now.” I say and she clenches her eyes shut. Her shoulders tremble with the first sign of sobs. I squeeze her cheeks enough to get her attention. “Now tell me what happened to this pretty face,” I say, my voice angrier than I intended, but she barely flinches. Dropping my hands, I wait while she peeks around me, looking at Kurt, then up to Jared.

She scuttles backward across the bed in alarm when I stand up to my full height suddenly. I love the fear on her face, listening to her heart pounding a moment ago with my hands so close to her pretty little neck. But what I hate is that someone else has hurt her and caused her fear. I swing around to face Jared as he kneels beside the bed, trying to make himself seem smaller and less intimidating as he holds the wet towel out to her. She reaches out and snatches it, then scoots back across the bed as she holds it to her face.

Kurt cocks his head at her in an almost challenging way, but she doesn’t meet him head on like she did with Jared and me. My vision blurs while my pulse pounds as anger consumes me. I grab Kurt by the front of his shirt and throw him backwards. Catching him off guard, he doesn’t have time to brace himself as his body slams into the wall. He clutches his head and leans forward, groaning in pain. “What the fuck, Markus?” He hisses between clenched teeth.

“I warned you,” Jared says, crossing his arms as Alec walks up to stand beside me.

“Did you hit her?” My brother asks and to anyone else he may sound disinterested, but I could hear the hint of ire in his voice. Kurt rolls his eyes and shrugs it off as if it doesn’t matter. Jared gives a dark chuckle, and I don’t blame him for his amusement. Kurt has been on thin ice for quite some time and now he has gone against a direct order.

“Tell her you’re sorry,” I say. He gives me a look of shock and waves his hand at her.

“She was getting flighty, so I had no choice. She will heal. I didn’t ruin her face.” He tries to defend his actions. I feel a crooked grin tug at my lips as I reach into my waistband to grip the handle of my gun. Before he can step forward, I push the barrel against his temple. Kurt’s eyes go wide. A moment too late, he realizes I’m not playing a game.

“Markus, not here. Miranda won’t be in for another hour, and you know how she feels about cleaning the walls.” Alec says, waving his hand. He’s wanted to take out Kurt for a while, but I continued to defend him until today.

“Look man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, okay?” He pleads. Jared dives forward and grips his arm as Kurt tries to grab his own weapon. I nod to him, putting my gun away and stepping back as Jared throws him forward while yanking Kurt’s left arm back. A sick pop echoes through the room and Isabelle shrieks just as Kurt yelps in pain. His arm dangles beside him, the shoulder dislocated.

Before anyone can react, Isabelle runs barefoot out of the room and flies down the hallway. Alec groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. Well this day just keeps getting better.

“You said she would be no trouble. Go get her.” He snaps. Slowly, I follow her out, like a predator stalking its prey.

“Oh kitten, you better stop because the longer I chase, the harder my dick gets.” I call after her as she takes the stairs as quickly as possible. Just as I expected, she runs right to the front door and slams into it. I watch as she yanks at the unyielding doorknob, her fear overriding any rational thoughts. Silently, I walk up behind her, slamming my body against hers to pin her in place against the locked door.

“Screw you!” She tries to buck me off and thrash against me. Laughter rumbles from my chest, startling her so much that her fight halts. I grab her hands and knock them into the door above her head, pinning both with one of mine. I take a fistful of her hair and yank her head back roughly while grinding my hips against her. She gasps and tears trail down her cheeks from how tightly I’m pulling her hair.

“Chasing you really fucking turns me on, Belle.” I growl in her ear before clamping my teeth down on the soft skin beneath her ear.

“That’s not my name.” She whimpers and tries to pull away, but I push harder against her soft ass, and she lets out a small squeak. I lick my lips, tasting the sweat that beads over her skin.

“Just let me go. Please, I’m begging you,” she rasps out and I drop my head against her shoulder with a groan.

“I’d love to listen to you beg me, to see how long it takes before you break.” I say against the side of her neck, leaving tender kisses. “Your mommy offered you to me as payment for what she owed us.” I say, sliding my hand up her side and under her shirt to rest on her soft ribs. She shivers when I drag my fingers under the edge of her bra, smiling to myself as goosebumps follow my touch.

“You’re lying.” Her voice is low and even. But I don’t miss the fight leaving her body when it sags just the slightest as understanding dawns on her.

“You know what I say is true. Don’t worry, kitten. I take care of what’s mine.” I press against her once more and she lets out a soft gasp that makes me close my eyes, fighting the urge to drive into her right here and now. That citrus scent that clings to her has my dick aching as it throbs against the front of my pants. But I won’t, not until she is begging me for it.

“Belle, I will always catch you. Think about that the next time you try to run.” I whisper into her ear before wrapping my arm around her waist and yanking her back with me so I can unlock and swing the door open. She immediately starts thrashing and screaming, her fight renewed tenfold.

“Help me! Help! Fire!” she screams so loud I nearly cover my ears against the assault. I slap my hand over her mouth, feeling a pang of guilt when she whimpers from the sting. A few of our men turn to look, immediately looking away or laughing to themselves.

“Smart girl. But every man you see holds a gun and knows how to use non-lethal force. They are all working for my brother and I.” She slams her elbow into my ribs, making me grunt and drag my hand away from her mouth.

“Quit being a brat,” I snarl at her, and she turns to glare at me over her shoulder. Fuck she is beautiful when she’s pissed off. “You really don’t know who I am?”

“Go fuck yourself, I don’t care who you are-” She gets cut off as Alec walks up with a look of rage aimed at her.

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