Page 16 of Beautiful Beasts

The screen lights up with the camera feeds I have up and running. There are still so many fucking blind spots it makes me nervous. We’ve already had a few who have tried to come into my house to meet Bella. People love to fucking talk, and it hasn’t taken long for people to figure out that I am not leaving my house unless I absolutely have to.

But I can’t keep denying my responsibilities. I can’t keep putting things on hold unless I want to fucking lose everything, which I don’t, but I don’t want to lose her, either. I need to reassure her just as much as I need her to fucking reassure me. I have never shared anything about my mother before, but hopefully, with her watching over the roses, it’ll be good for her and give her something to do while I am gone or busy with business.

She hasn’t said anything, but I know the thought of me leaving her here alone is putting her on edge. I understand because I feel the same fucking way about her.

As I’m looking through the different feeds, I see Harley, and he is in the process of forcing a man to leave the driveway. My heart races as I close my laptop and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. I lean down and kiss the top of Bella’s head before slowly getting out of bed. As I’m sitting up, she rests her hand on my arm.

“Where are you going?” She asks in a sleepy voice.

“I have to check on something, Sweetheart,” I respond, trying to hide my anxiety.

I have never had to worry about people using a weakness against me because I never had one before. Now that I fucking do, I will protect her at any cost. I would lay my life down for hers without question. If I allow people to show up at my house whenever they please without repercussions, others will think they can do the same.

In this world, in my world, we need fucking order, and it seems like some have forgotten who the fuck I am, which makes all of this more dangerous. I need people to fear me. Fear keeps them in line, and if they stop fearing me, they are willing to try and take what is mine. My paranoia has me believing it is not my crown that they want. They don’t just want to be fucking King, but they want the Queen that is mine now.

“You aren’t leaving, are you?” She asks in a low, scared, and nervous voice, making my heart ache.

I take in a deep breath as I hear the anxiety in her tone. “No, I will be right back. I need you to stay here, right here in this position, naked and waiting for me, okay?” I ask and beg her.

“Okay,” she says softly.

“That’s my good girl,” I whisper, bending down and kissing her head again.

I quickly slide out of bed, grab my clothes, and get dressed. When I opened my bedroom door, Gus was standing on the other side of the hallway, staring down at his phone. He lifts his head, and we lock eyes. “Stay here, and don’t let anyone enter my room,” I demand, staring him right in the fucking eyes. The only job that matters for Gus is ensuring that the only person who goes into my room is me and me alone.

He nods. “Yes, Sir.”

I nod and turn, making my way down the hallway and the stairs and out the front door. As I hit the bottom step, Harley was already walking back up the walkway. “Who the fuck was that?’ I ask, unable to hide my anger.

Harley takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself under control. We both use breathing as a way to ease the Beast, but it never helps. “A John.”

My heart stops as my hands form into fists at my sides. “What the fuck did he want?”

“He says we have something that belongs to him,” Harley relays disgustingly.

“The fuck we do,” I snap.

“He says he knows Griffin is dead and that Bella now belongs to him,” Harley reveals. His words make my heart stop and sink into my ass.

“The fuck she does,” I snap again, feeling the rage building to a boiling point.

Harley shakes his head. “Griffin was fucked up.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“The man said that in Griffin’s will, it states that when he dies, he gets Bella,” Harley says in an even more disgusted voice.

My heart races, my blood starts to boil as my vision starts to blur. Even from the grave, that mother fucker thinks he owns her and can give her away like she’s fucking property. It doesn’t work that way. He is no longer in control of her or anything for that matter.

I slowly lower myself to the step and sit down. I place my head in my hands and take a few deep breaths to try and calm the Beast that is clawing to come out. Harley sits beside me, and I can feel his rage radiating from him in waves. We are both feeling helpless but pissed the fuck off.

“He won’t get her, Dante,” Harley confirms confidently.

“I know,” I whisper back.

“I will increase the men walking the property,” Harley says, trying to ease the tension.

“I trust you, Harley,” I say, lifting my head and looking at Harley. He is staring straight ahead, but his eyes are unfocused. I’ve known him long enough to know that he is running every possible situation over and over in his head, trying to head off any potential threat before it actually happens.

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