Page 49 of Bells

“And now you’re knocked up.” He gave me a disgusted look. “The moment the baby is born, you will hand it over to me. I’ve already got buyers lined up.”

“The flesh market?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “To be served on a platter?”

He scoffed. “It’s on any market. Whoever pays the most gets to do whatever they want. Dine. Raise. Harvest. I care not. It’s your punishment for failing me.”

I got to my feet. “I don’t really care about a fucking baby. I already hate it. I hatehimfor putting it in me.”

“It takes two to tango, my dear Isabel. You know that.” He looked away from me as I stared down at him, not quite sure what I could say to him to get him to see that I was worth it. That I could fix this.

“You’re banished from my sight. I will remain your guardian until you’re eighteen, and then you will return here and give yourself to the men who want you. . . for whatever they want you for.”

“No. No! Daddy. . . please. I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I’ll make it right. I swear! Don’t do this to me. I don’t have anyone else! Please! I don’t want to be alone. You promised! You promised me! Please,” I sobbed, reaching for him.

He got to his feet and loomed over me for a moment as I cried. His lips brushed against mine for a brief second before he stepped back.

“We’re done here.”

“No! No!” I wailed, reaching for him.

I had no idea when the man had arrived, but he pulled me away from Everett as I cried out for him to not do this to me.

Everett turned his back on me and went back to staring into the fire as the man dragged me from the room.

When we made it out to the hall, I sagged against him, breathing hard.

“Anson,” I choked out as I stared up at him.

“At least you got out,” he said softly, his blue eyes filled with emotion. Anson wasn’t around much anymore. Rumor had it he’d been accepted at Mayfair and had left this life. A runner. An enforcer for Everett. A kid who was living on the streets after his mother and sister were murdered. What he was doing in Detroit was beyond me since his stomping grounds were the underground world in Chicago where Everett ran a lot of his business from. It didn’t matter though. Anson always popped up when least expected.

Everett loved Anson.

I knew he did.

He loved him like he’d loved me.

Anson wasn’t that type of guy though. Anson never gave in. He simply did his job and left to live his life. Everett let him because he loved him. I knew this. Anson was beautiful. Black hair. Blue eyes. Tall. Muscles. Smart. And he sang. I’d heard him. His voice was like an angel’s, or what I’d assume an angel would sound like if I’d ever heard one.

“I’m not leaving. I-I can’t—”

“You’ll die if you don’t. You know that.”

“I’m not a good person,” I whispered.

“Then be one,” he murmured. “You can change that.”

I swallowed and wiped at my eyes. “What if I don’t want to? What if I like who I am?”

“In this life?” Anson stepped away from me. “Then no one can help you.”

I nodded. “I don’t need help. I love being here. I-I just need to prove myself."

Anson offered me a sad smile. “That kind of love will get you killed. Good luck, Isabel. You’ll need it.”

“I won’t. Church is waiting for me. He’ll help me. He loves me,” I whispered. “I just need to get him to prove it to Everett.” I paused. “Will you be here when I get back?”

“No,” he said. “I’m done here. We won’t be seeing one another again.”

“Then good luck to you too, Archangel.”

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