Page 36 of Ruthless Beasts

And it’s so fucking much for my emotions to handle, too much for me to hope that he cares for me, when one second, he gives the illusion of affection and the next, he loathes my existence.

My feet were heavy as I stepped onto the stone steps outside. Each drag of my feet upward felt like lead was pulling me down. I didn’t want to be in his office alone with him. But I was curious. I’d never been to the west wing, never been invited to such a private part of him.

I’d explored everywhere but there, feeling like it was an invasion of privacy. Especially since Mercer had told me not to go there directly. Upstairs were only rooms with locked doors and offices for Mercer and Ace. Downstairs were the living quarters, kitchen, dining room, and what seemed like a million spaces with every sort of comfortable chair you’d imagine. But the west wing remained a mystery.

Luckily, my worry was for nothing because when I entered the house, Adam was coming out of the hallway. His face was unreadable. A product of some sort of turmoil he was feeling, yet for the first time, while he silently stared, I really allowed myself to look at him.

He was tall, but then again, all of them were. His sandy hair was past due for a haircut, but I didn’t think he cared. I didn’t think there was much a man like him cared about. His hazel eyes, more brown than any shade of green, screamed with words he wanted to say, but he kept himself in check, his body tense as he refused to break eye contact. Once I had thought he was grotesque, but that wasn’t right at all. No, he was classically handsome at one time, that, I was sure. The type of face that would have all the girls flirting and smiling, fluttering their lashes with lust. Now, with his marred skin and scars, I didn’t think he is any less handsome than what I imagined he used to be, just… different.

Max coughed somewhere to our side, and Adam’s head turned toward him, gifting me with his flawless side profile, and I swallowed hard at just how handsome my husband was. Was I growing attracted to the man, the beast, the wild soul that shifted and paced just under the surface, issuing orders and treating me with such hot and cold intensities I didn’t know how to react?

“Leave us,” he ordered his men and, without hesitation, the men turned and walked away, opening the door to allow Mercer inside before shutting it behind them.

Mercer let the puppy down on the floor and she ran toward me, happy to see me again. I pushed back against the uncomfortable feeling of attraction to my husband and opted to bend down, peppering kisses on the pup's head as she jumped happily.

“Train her,” Adam demanded as the dog acted wild.

“I could say the same.” Mercer laughed, but Adam didn’t find it funny. Instead, Mercer sighed before scooping up the dog. “I’m working on it.”

He carried Lady toward the hallway, and I knew he was putting her into his room. When Mercer was out of view, Adam turned his attention back toward me. “Take a seat.”

Nervous energy flooded me, and as I sat, I strategically placed my palms under my thighs to hide the slight tremor that had taken over my body. When he was silent, staring at me with no sign of what this was about, I spoke, unable to handle the silence, needing to fill the room with something. “I was wondering, well, I didn’t wonder until today but, if it’s possible, you can say no, of course…”

“Say it, Belle,” he groaned.

“Your property?—"

“Our,” he cut in.

I gnawed on my lip awkwardly. Did ours include me? Or was he only referring to the joint ownership with Mercer and Ace? I went with the safest form. “The property is overgrown.”

“I had seen little reason for an upkeep when there wasn’t anyone here to enjoy it,” he admitted.

“Can I, if it’s alright, work on the garden?”

He did what I assume was his equivalent to rolling his eyes. “Will it make you happy?”

“Very much so.” I always wanted to garden, but my father wouldn’t let me leave the house most days, even if it was on our property.

“Then do what you wish. Make a list of what needs to be done and we can hire someone. Write down tools and equipment you need for whatever it is you’d like to partake in.” He finally sat, close enough to me that if he leaned over just a few inches, I’d be able to feel his body heat. That thought made my stomach suddenly burn with a feeling I wasn’t too familiar with.

Before I let myself dwell too much on the feelings his closeness invoked, Mercer strolled into the room, carrying a laptop, and sat next to me. They had some sort of silent conversation, using only their eyes before Adam turned to me and spoke.

“Were you a virgin before getting pregnant?”

“Excuse me?” If I had been drinking anything, I’d have choked. As it was, I barely survived the sharp intake of breath without coughing.

“Were you a virgin, Belle?”

“I don’t think that’s important to this relationship we have.” My face felt like fire, and I knew it would be red if I looked in a mirror.

Adam sighed, “Please. For my sanity, humor me and answer the question.” When I still didn’t speak, his voice grew louder, the tone so harsh that I jumped as he growled, “Answer me.”

It was in that moment that I knew my husband held his control tight. He was a man, clearly. But under the skin, I wondered what type of feral animal lurked, waiting to be unleashed. Was this where the rumors stemmed from? The hushed whispers I heard at night while eavesdropping on my father’s meetings.

The beasts must be eliminated.

The beasts made a move first, again.

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