Page 13 of Unravelling The Beast

I put on some jewelry—hooped earrings, a small silver cross necklace, and a fake nose ring—and gave myself a nod in the mirror.

Let's do this.

I grab a white shoulder bag and make my way to the bedroom to retrieve my phone from the bed before heading out to my car.

I soon arrive at Mr Hayes' house, and the gates open promptly this time, leading me to believe that my license plate is now registered on his system. I swiftly glance at the clock on the dash to make sure I'm on time, then continue driving up the long driveway towards the huge mansion.

As I pull up, I notice Arlo's Lamborghini parked nearby.

"So the asshole is definitely seeing this through then."

I turn off my engine, take my bag, and step out before closing the door behind me. I approach quickly and nervously towards the front door, pressing my finger on the doorbell when I'm within reach.

I fiddle with my hair, making sure I look okay, and I begin to wonder why.Cut this shit out, Wren. You're here for Cree.

I take a step back, and when the door finally opens, Cree bursts out, colliding with my legs. He snuggles his face into my thighs and wraps his little arms around them.

I laugh as I ruffle his curly brown hair with my fingers.

"Hey there, buddy!"

I kneel in front of him, and he gives me a huge smile, which I return. Then I talk with enthusiasm and excitement in my tone.

"Are you looking forward to today? I sure am! I can't wait for you to show me the big train!"

I try to maintain my focus on Cree as he jumps up and down, but I can not only see Arlo from the corner of my eye, but I can also feel him. His presence is extremely heavy, and his dark eyes are all over me, triggering all of my senses.

I clear my throat and try to shake the overwhelming sensation I'm experiencing before speaking directly to Cree again.

"Are you ready to go?"

When he nods and begins to calm down, I take my gaze away from him and finally look at Arlo, who is leaning up against the doorframe, his toned arms crossed over his chest.

My eyes deceive me, and my gaze wanders over him, quickly discovering that he isn't wearing his fancy suit this time. He's dressed in ripped light blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black snapback flipped backwards with his curly brown hair peeking out beneath the front. I can now see that he is, in fact, entirely covered in beautiful artwork.

My mouth waters as I meet his piercing stare once more, but I manage to speak.

"No Sara today?"

He just stares at me for a few seconds longer before finally opening his mouth and responding.

"She's in labor."

My brows raise in surprise, and he examines my expression.

I pull my attention away from him and return it to Cree.

"How exciting! You'll soon have a baby cousin! Should we get in my car?"

"No."

My smile fades as I glance over at Arlo because of his strict voice, and he pushes himself off the doorframe.

"I'll drive."

"In that tiny thing? Will we all even fit in there?"

Straight away, I notice that my voice has an attitude, and I'm not even sure why I did it.

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