Page 25 of Royal Beast
Pasting a smile on my face, I nod. “I’m good. My husband is busy today. I think I just miss him,” I lie.
“Well, we need to head home, but it was nice chatting with you, Darcy,” Gigi says. “AJ, let’s get going!” she calls out.
AJ runs up to her and she scoops him up, settling him in his stroller. “Hope you have a good day,” she says, waving as they leave.
I let Rose play for a little longer before taking her to get an ice cream. “We’re going to go on a little trip,” I tell her, my mind made up. I’m going to get an apartment, away from Kellan, away from my father, and figure out how to pay back Max’s debts on my own.
No matter what I have to do, it’s better than being bound in chains to a man like Kellan.
We head for the parking lot, Rose’s ice cream dripping on the pavement as we walk. A couple of men are standing by the exit smoking cigarettes, so I pull Rose closer to me, making a face at the stench.
“Hey there, little rabbit,” one calls out.
I glance back and see a smirk on his face, an unsettling glint in his eyes. I roll my eyes, squeezing Rose’s hand tighter as I walk faster, irritation rippling through me.
Footfalls echo behind us and a flash of unease shoots through me. I glance over my shoulder, my stomach dropping when I see the men following. Three of them. All tall. Dark hair. Heavy lines on their faces. They look like men who’ve seen things and done things that I don’t want to know about.
Without thinking, I decide to veer left and head back into the building, hoping I can shake them. But before I can get more than a few steps, they’re already circling around me, cutting me off.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “Can I help you?” I ask, hoping my no-nonsense tone will show I’m not easily manipulated.
The man who spoke before steps closer, his grin widening as he sizes me up. “Word’s gotten out,” he says, voice low and smooth. “Kellan Brannagan’s got himself a new bride.” He looks me up and down like I’m a piece of meat, and it makes my skin crawl.
My stomach twists as I pull Rose closer, feeling her little body stiffen against my leg.
“We’ve got a message for your husband,” one of the other men says. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, his face hard like stone. His eyes flicker to Rose before locking back on me.
I try to steady my breath, but it’s hard with my heart pounding so loudly in my ears. I can’t breathe, ice-cold fear flooding my veins.
Unwilling to back down, I speak, injecting my voice with more confidence than I feel. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The third man steps forward, his eyes cold and calculating. “No need to play coy, sweetheart. We’re just here to make sure Kellan gets the message that he shouldn’t stick his nose where it doesn’t belong.”
I glance frantically around the parking lot, but there’s no one in sight. I’m alone with them. Suddenly, one of them grabs my arm, tugging me forward.
“Let go of me!” I snap, trying to pull away, but it’s no use. They’re too strong and they know exactly what they’re doing. One of the men reaches for Rose, trying to yank her from my leg. She clings tightly to me, her little voice trembling. “Mommy!”
I glance down at her, my heart breaking. I can’t let anything happen to her.
Just as I brace myself for the worst, the unmistakable sound of a car engine revs in the distance, followed by the screech of tires. A black SUV pulls up, its engine roaring like it’s been gunning for this very moment. The door flies open and to my surprise, Kellan steps out.
His eyes are wild, his jaw clenched in fury as he storms toward us, a deep growl of anger vibrating in his chest. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” His voice is like a whip, cutting through the air. The men freeze for a moment, the intensity of Kellan’s presence rattling them.
“Let her go.Now,” he demands, each word dripping with menace.
I want to move, to breathe, but I can’t do anything but wait, heart racing, praying that we get out of this safely.
12
KELLAN
Darcy and Rose are gone.
The realization hits like a punch to the gut as I stand in my office, the drawer open, the car keys and credit card I’d left for her missing. Anger simmers beneath the surface as I pull out my phone and open the bank app, scrolling to find the most recent charge—Sterling Creek Mall.
Gotcha.
My jaw twitches. She went into my office, took her things without a word, and just left. I’m still fuming as I stare at the screen, annoyed but almost impressed by her nerve. But then it hits me, a creeping dread that turns the irritation to ice.
