Page 63 of Monster
I dig my fingers into my palms and take another step. And another, until I make it to the last one. I keep my eyes trained in the direction of the kitchen the entire time and the closer I get, the louder the voices become. I step off the stairs and into the small hallway. I hide myself in the shadows as best I can while I listen to Vincent and someone I don’t know speak.
“What the fuck do you even plan on doing with her, Vincent?” the man snaps and even I can hear the anger in his words.
“I don’t fucking know, Leo! I don’t know a goddamn thing at this point. I thought I did but look what the fuck I found in her bag!” I hear the rustle of papers and my heart stops. I almost choke on the breath I was taking, and my limbs lock as fear travels down my spine, slithering its way across my skin.
Shit. He’s talking about the bank statements I had.
“How the hell did she get these?”I hear an angry smack on what I’m assuming in the counter, or the table.
“I don’t know, man. It had to have been before she fucking left.” I hear the defeat in Vincent’s tone, and my eyes burn. I hate what I did to him, and I wish he knew. I didn’twantto hurt him. I didn’t see any other fucking option.
I felt hopeless.
“You’re fucking lucky you found these, Vin. She could have fucked you up if she went to someone with these,” the man speaks quietly, but sternly.
“Yeah, I fucking know,” Vincent mumbles in response.
It’s quiet for a few moments and I take the time to sink to my ass in the hallway. Standing has become too much of a chore and I need to take a breather. The moment my ass hits the floor, I lean my head back against the wall behind me and close my eyes.
I never wanted to hurt him, damnit. I merely wanted security, but now everything is all fucked up and it’s not like my reasons for it all matter. He doesn’t care and he sure as hell doesn’t want to hear what I have to say.
He made up his mind and there’s no going back from that. My fate is sealed—it’s only a matter of time now.
“How are things with you and Jax?” I hear Vincent ask the other man and he grunts in response.
“Complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know how to do this, Vin. That’s what I’m saying. My sexual preferences are no one’s business. They have never been anyone’s business but mine. I fuck who I want and that’s that. But with Jax. Fuck, I don’t know. He’s fucking young but it’s different.He’s different.That’s what scares me.”
I hear the scrape of a chair across the floor and some shuffling movement before Vincent speaks. “One. You’re thirty-eight and Jax is twenty-three. That’s not bad. And second, you will be fine. Youbothwill be. Fuck everyone else. Not literally—unless that’s your thing?” Vincent laughs and I hear a grunt directly after.
Vincent keeps laughing and my heart sings. It sounds so fucking happy. “Two dudes in love. Who would have thought you would be in that equation?”
“Shut the fuck up,” the man grumbles but I can almost hear the smile in his words.
“You know you love me.” Vincent full on loses it, laughing hysterically, and my heart squeezes in my chest. Holy shit, he’s laughing. Actually fucking laughing! The sound is so foreign to me that I find myself moving forward, desperate to be closer to the noise, needing to hear it better.
“What the fuck are you doing down here, baby doll?” Vincent’s laughter quickly turns bitter, and I stop in my tracks. I keep my head down and stare at the floor as I hear movement in front of me. A hand wraps around my throat and the second our skin makes contact; I know it’s Vincent with his burning touch.
“I asked you a question.” His brown eyes look black in the dim light, but the thought doesn’t affect me like it once did. Ben is dead and I know he can’t hurt me anymore.
At least that is one good thing which came of all of this bullshit that happened.
“Essa!” he barks out and I snap my eyes up to meet his.
“Yes?” I ask, sounding like the meek girl I really am.
“Answer me,” he demands.
“I came down to ask you something.” I don’t look away from him as I speak and his eyes crinkle in what seems to be amusement. What the hell does he find so amusing?
“What?” I ask and I hear a soft chuckle from behind Vincent. My gaze darts over to the man I heard speaking and my eyes widen as I take in his appearance. He is fucking huge. Like seriously, he looks like a fucking giant. His T-shirt is stretched over his muscles and every exposed inch of his skin is covered in tattoos. His face is twisted into a scowl aimed in my direction. My brows draw together, and I glare at him. I don’t know what the fuck his problem is with me, but I don’t even know the motherfucker.
Vincent’s breath tickling my ear distracts me from glaring at the asshole. I take a shuddering breath as my eyes flutter closed, and he chuckles right in my ear. Goosebumps erupt all over my skin. Vincent darts his tongue out to run along the shell of my ear right before he whispers, his breath fans across my neck and I can smell the alcohol on his breath. It’s heady.
“What did you want to ask me, baby?” He breathes a puff of air onto my wet skin before pulling away and standing in front of me. His movement blocks the view of his friend and I’m kind of grateful for it. That dude was starting to piss me off.
