Page 32 of The Beast

Her eyes narrow. “Then why work for him?”

“Money.” The lie slips off my tongue without me even meaning it to.

“Oh.” Her face relaxes and she scrunches up her nose. “It always comes down to that, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” I wait a beat. “You’re probably not supposed to fly now that you’re so pregnant. So you can’t even promise to visit me.”

“Will you be gone that long?”

I shrug. “I honestly don’t know.”

Kaia is quiet for a few moments.

“I think it’s good that you are getting out of the city for a while, Ella. I’ve watched you drift around sadly for a couple of months. It seems like what you need is a break. And Keir is giving you an opportunity to have that, even though he is a jerk.” She pulls a face. “A married jerk.”

I expel a breath. “Yeah. The good thing is that I know exactly what the boundary is now.”

In the middle of that sentence, I tear up, my voice wobbling. Kaia bites her lip.

“I’m so sorry that you’re sad, honey. If Keir doesn’t treat you like a fucking queen, let me know. I will have Calum fly over there and make Keir wish he had never been born. Hoes before bros.”

I get a text and it scrolls across my screen.You have two minutes to get your ass in the car or I’m coming inside to get you.

It has to be Keir. But how does he even have my number? If I had to guess, I’d say that Calum was more involved in our little tryst than he’d like to admit.

I roll my eyes and sigh. “Keir is rushing me to leave right now.”

Her eyebrows rise slightly. “You’re leaving today?”

“Yup. Keir is a steamroller and I’m just trying to not get flattened like a pancake.”

“Well, have a good flight. Be safe. And definitely don’t forget to call me when you get a chance.”

“All right.” I take a deep breath. “I love you.”

“I love you more.” Kaia blows me a kiss.

Just as I hang up, there is a banging on my front door. I check my hair, switch my shoes for something more comfortable, and then walk to the front door. When I pull it open, Keir leans in, his expression just short of sullen.

“Haven’t you ever heard the expression time is money?”

“Has anybody ever told you that you’re really pushy?” Rolling my eyes, I point to the stack of suitcases. “I just need to get these outside to the limousine. Then we can go.”

“Let the chauffeur get them.” Keir grabs my hands and tugs me toward the door. His grip on my hand reminds me of him spreading my legs and diving down to my pussy, his clever tongue touching me…

“Ella, for fuck’s sake.”

I look up at him, my whole face flushing. “I... I didn’t…”

He shakes his head at my stammering and pulls me out the door toward the waiting Rolls Royce.

CHAPTERTWO

Ella sits beside me in the back seat of the chauffeured Rolls Royce. She’s a tight little knot, her legs crossed, her arms fitted tightly across her chest. She vibrates with a nervous energy, her knee shaking, her toe tapping against the door. She chews on her full bottom lip and plays with a silver locket on an almost translucent silver chain that she wears around her neck.

I shoot her a glare, straightening my tie. But she doesn’t notice as she stares out her window, her expression one of distinct worry. She’s new to this; new to a life of reading into my smallest tics to find out what mood I’m in.

I hate it, but what other choice do either of us have? The press will froth at the mouth at even a whiff of what has happened in the last twelve hours.

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