Page 14 of Beautiful Beasts

She is mine forever now. Nothing and no one will ever fucking take her from me.

10

Bella

“Forever and Ever and Always” by Ryan Mack

T he steam engulfs me, making me not want to leave the shower. This is my third shower since I woke up, and I still feel dirty. I fear I will never be able to wash away the memories of Griffin and those other men.

I just want them to go away.

I just want to forget what their touch felt like.

I just want to forget what it felt like to have their bodies on top of mine.

I just want to forget their cocks stretching me, claiming me.

I just want to forget the nasty things they whispered into my ear.

I just want to replace their touch, their smell, all of it.

But my brain won’t let me forget, so I continue to take shower after shower, but it’s not fucking working.

Shutting off the water, I step out of the shower and stop in front of the mirror. I wipe the steam off the mirror and take a deep breath as I bring my eyes up to my reflection. Movement from the corner of my eye pulls my attention from my reflection. Dante is leaning against the frame of the bathroom door. He is fucking breathtaking all the fucking time. His hair has fallen across his forehead, partially hiding one of his eyes, something I am falling in love with. He is always mysterious and on edge, but there is sweetness in his eyes that he saves just for me.

He is wearing black slacks, black dress shoes, and a black button shirt with the top three buttons undone. His sleeves are rolled above his elbows, showing off his muscular forearm tattoos. He has hand and knuckle tattoos. Everything about this man makes my mouth water and heat rush to my pussy.

He pushes off of the door and walks up behind me. Wrapping his arms around my stomach, he pulls me against him. “Hey, Sweetheart,” he says as he kisses the back of my head.

“Hey back,” I say softly.

“I will help you, Bella,” he confesses, taking me out of my thoughts and back to him.

“What?” I ask.

He leans in, placing his lips against my ear; our eyes locked. “I will replace them, I promise,” he says confidently.

“I believe you,” I say with just as much confidence.

I know he means what he says; his eyes tell me the truth. Dante is not the kind of man to make empty promises.

“I have something I want to show you. Get dressed,” he demands in a low, desired voice, making my heart skip a beat.

“Okay,” I whisper as he leans in and kisses my neck. He releases me and turns around, exiting the bathroom.

I quickly turn and grab the sweater and leggings I laid out, and after drying off and hanging up the towel, I get dressed. When I exit the bathroom, Dante is waiting for me at the door. He reaches out his hand to me, and I immediately slide my hand into his. I will always fucking take it.

He turns, and I follow him out of the room, down the hallway, two flights of stairs, and out the front door. I see Harley and Gus in the distance, walking around the yard. Harley points at some trees and other areas where Dante wants additional cameras installed. He told me I am the most important thing to him, and he will never let anything happen to me if he can help it.

I know he wants to protect me, and I am grateful for it, but I know he can’t stop every bad thing from happening in his line of work. I know he wants to, and I love him for it, but I know if something did happen, it wouldn’t be his fault. He can only do so much.

We walk down the stairs and take the path along the left side of the house. The house and garden are full of red roses, but in the middle of the sea of red is a patch of pure white roses. A bench and a beautiful water fountain are in front of the white roses. Dante led me to the bench, and we both sat down. He places my hand on his knee, turns, and looks at the white roses.

“These roses are important to me, Bella, just like you are,” he confesses sadly.

I stay quiet even though I want to ask questions. I lean into him, needing to feel the warmth of his body against mine.

“My mother was like you, good and pure, and this world destroyed her. My father destroyed her,” he admits with pain in his voice.

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