Page 118 of Ruthless Beasts

There was no fucking way.

And yet...

My stomach tightened, that feeling I had this whole time intensifying and screaming at me that something was wrong. Everything was wrong. As long as I'd known Mimi, she'd chained none of her doors. She'd always felt safe in this neighborhood, even when this neighborhood had slid downhill before the movement to preserve the buildings took place. Years. I'd known Mimi for years and she never chained her doors.

"I'm sure she was only trying to keep herself safe," I mumbled, and I couldn't help but squeeze her tighter.

I talked for a few more minutes with her neighbor before I could pry myself away. When I was alone with Mimi, I bent down. "Mimi, did you chain those doors?"

"I… No. I don't know how that happened. I think I would remember if I'd done that." Her tears that had dried momentarily resurfaced, and a sob escaped. "What am I going to do now?"

"Let us worry about that, Mimi." I gave her another squeeze. "I'm going to get you snug in the backseat of our car. I'm leaving my good friends Max and Drew to look over your place, and I'm taking you home. No use sitting around watching the destruction. It will only hurt you more."

"I can't go to your home." Another sob escaped her.And this must be what it feels like when your heart breaks.

"You can. In fact, Adam himself insists." I helped her take a seat in the car and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Bellamy would love to wake and find out we've got company."

"If you think she won't be mad..."

"Mimi, I've not seen her mad a single day in all the time I've known her." Granted, I'd not known her long, but she'd had plenty of time to be angry. Every other emotion I'd seen, though. My favorites: lust, euphoria, and love.

Love.

Fuck if that wasn't my favorite expression that she wore. Every single time she graced me with it, I wanted to cup her cheeks in my hand and pepper her with kisses while I scream that I feel the same. Until Belle realizes she is it for us. Always. Ours.

"Okay." Mimi's lip trembled as she agreed, "Just for tonight."

I sighed. "We’ll figure it out tomorrow," I promised, before slamming the door. I knew damn well that tomorrow she'd be at our place still, and the next, and the next. I'd not planned to put her anywhere else, and if she disagreed, well, we could fight over that fact.

I searched for Ace, who stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs set wide as he stared at the fire, still burning, despite the best effort to snuff it out. Coming up to his side, I spoke. "I don't like this."

"Me either."

"Her doors were chained."

"Fuck," he growled. "I talked to the crew. Said it wasn't electrical like we'd first been told when you got the call. It was set. There were scorch marks from the accelerant by the alley. They think it started in the kitchen."

"Fuck." This time it was me who cursed. "They tried to kill her. An innocent old lady."

"I knew he'd been too fucking quiet after the shit we pulled a month ago." Ace's face reflected the rage I felt. "I knew he wouldn't let it go. Let us call shit even for all he'd done to our family."

"That was never an option." Nerves danced inside of me. "Listen, I'm uneasy. I have been since the start of this evening. We need to get home. Something is not right, and I can't just leave our girl unprotected. Mimi is in the car; we're taking her too."

"You think he'd strike our home?"

"I think he's unstable and fucking insane." I closed my eyes. "I just hope I'm wrong."

Ace looked at the fire for a long moment, not daring to talk, then he broke the silence. "This needs to end."

"It will," I promised, before turning away from the flames and finding my way back to my car. I climbed into the driver's seat and waited for Ace, who joined us a minute later. Trying to play it cool, not letting on to my turmoil, I glanced at Mimi. "Buckle up, buttercup. We're heading home."

Then I put the car in drive, trying to ignore the nausea that was rolling through me the closer we got. I was never one for uneasy feelings. Except in this moment, my mind rushed to everything that could happen. I was conditioned to expect the worst, but with Bellamy in our lives, I should expect the best of everything. That's what she brought us. The best.

It took thirty minutes before we could see the property in the distance. The rain had begun to fall, the thunder tearing throughthe sky. The water splashing off the windshield distorted my view. Still, I could see the looming mansion, illuminated by the lights.

We were closer and I couldn't stop the tap as my fingers danced against the steering wheel.

Ace turned in his seat and offered Mimi a smile. "Five minutes to home. Do you see it in the distance?"

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