Page 40 of Creature's Vengeance
He was an outlaw. A biker. An alpha personality. Nothing like me.
But we just seemed to click.
When I stared into his eyes, everything felt right. After the attack and my meltdown, he soothed me. He approached with caution and gentleness, reassuring me that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt me again. I felt his sincerity and concern.
After all I’d been through, losing my family, I’d had my walls up for a long time. But that didn’t seem to matter with Creature. He was in my head, burrowing deeper into my heart, and I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I never met anyone like Balen. No other guy I ever dated compared. The attraction played a considerable part, but it was also how he treated me, the respect, tenderness, and the way he didn’t hesitate to protect me without a thought about his own safety. Not that he needed to worry. I almost felt pity for anyone who tried to fuck with him.
The entire time he was in church, I kept losing focus, staring off into space like a lovesick teenager. Lark and Bianca noticed.
“So, you and Creature?” Lark asked.
“I like him.”
“Oh, honey, it’s mutual. That man has hearts in his eyes when he looks at you.”
Bianca giggled. “Hearts?”
“Watch him. The next time he enters the kitchen, he’ll go straight to her. She’s his entire focus.”
“Oh, I’ve seen it,” Bianca laughed. “They’re like magnets. Wherever she goes, he follows.”
I shook my head at their teasing.
It wasn’t long before Creature entered the kitchen and walked directly to me, locking in before giving me a kiss. I caught both of their smiles.
He wasn’t alone. Phyllis, the nurse from the ER who helped us, entered the kitchen with him. She must have come to help with my wounds and bandages.
I was so preoccupied with Creature’s handholding and the fluttering in my belly, I nearly missed what they were discussing. His nearness and warmth distracted me.
I focused on Phyllis when she said she had a younger brother.
“What’s his name?”
“Roderick. Roderick Paul.”
I sucked in a breath.
Phyllis noticed. “Do you know him?”
“We’ve met a few times. He was at a party recently that I attended with my best friend. It was at The Venetian.”
Phyllis smiled. “Yes. He told me.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell. “Look. Rod sent me photos.”
A feeling of dread washed over me as I shifted my gaze from her to the pictures. I swiped through them until I found one with Bells. The time stamp was nearly three in the morning. Bells smiled at the camera with Mateo, Roderick, and Angel Mackenzie.
“That’s my friend. Her name is Bellisara.”
Phyllis looked at the picture I paused on. “She’s very pretty.”
“She’s also missing. That was the last night anyone saw her.”
Phyllis paled. “What?”
“She never came back to our shared hotel room that night, and no one has heard from her since. Judging by the time stamp on that photo, your brother was one of the last people to speak to her.”
Phyllis swayed, and Creature rushed toward her, helping her to a chair. “I don’t know what to say.”
