Page 36 of Beautiful Beasts

A growl rumbles from my chest as I walk over to my dresser to grab a pair of boxers. I drop the towel, and I can feel her eyes burning into my back as I pull my boxers over my ass.

If we keep this shit up, I won’t be able to stop myself from claiming her, and I refuse to push her and make her feel like she needs to give in to me. I want her to show me that she is ready for me, and she isn’t. Her nightmares last night prove that.

She wanted a distraction, and she got that from Dante. Now I need to give her what she really needs right now,

The one thing I don’t think she knows she needs—a friend.

25

Bella

Fifth Week Together

“Slide” by Chase Atlantic

A fter showering, I walk back into the bedroom and put on Dante’s shirt and a pair of Harley’s boxers. I spend most of my time in either Dante’s or Harley’s room or in one of their showers. It’s where I feel the safest, tucked away in one of their rooms, wearing their clothes.

No matter how many times I shower and scrub my body, I still feel dirty. One thing I have noticed since I have been staying in Harley’s room is that he showers almost as often as I do. I can see the same darkness in his eyes, and I am willing to bet he is also trying to wash away memories, but it doesn’t seem to be working for him either. We both know no amount of soap and water can wash away the past, but it doesn’t stop us from trying.

I am starting to notice slight differences between Dante and Harley with how they are when they are together and apart. Each guy does things a little differently, but they are both fully aware of the other. Neither of them has said anything, but I know they know how I feel about both of them. They seem to have accepted it without causing a rift between them and their friendship.

We are all trapped in a way. Trapped by the past that refuses to let us go, no matter how hard we fight to escape, the grip around our throat becomes tighter. So, the three of us have reached a point where we accept the darkness inside of us, even if that darkness is trying to suffocate us.

They are helping me to be able to breathe again. It’s like I am finally able to take a full breath for the first time, and they do it without even trying.

I bury my nose in Dante’s shirt, inhaling his scent. Even though it was just washed, it still smells like him. His scent is powerful and overwhelming, just like he is. Harley’s boxers are soft and comfortable and, in a sense, similar to the man himself. When he is with me, he is gentle and makes me feel safe, but he is also strong, gorgeous, and covered in scars and tattoos just about everywhere. The memory of watching him putting on his boxers rushes into my mind and makes me squeeze my thighs together as I imagine kissing and licking every inch of him. Their scents are intoxicating and consume me, taking me away from the negative thoughts that constantly try to overwhelm me.

I can feel the heat coming through the vents from the fire downstairs, making me want to crawl back into bed and not get up. I have never seen so many fireplaces in my life. They are in every room, which I guess makes sense, with the age of the mansion and the fact we live in an area that is rainy and cold most of the time.

It might be silly, but I enjoy wearing their clothes. Even though things have not been defined between Harley and me, I want them both to know that I am theirs equally. I don’t have favorites, and I will do my best to remind them both that I need them. It might be in different ways, but I do need them.

I decide it’s time to leave the bedroom for a bit. When I stepped out into the hallway, I could hear Dante and Harley talking in their office, even from here. They have been working there for the past few days. The entire house has been on edge since the car crashed into the library, and even though everything has been repaired to its original beauty, the library has a different feel for me now.

I hate that someone could take something from me again, but I promised myself I wouldn’t let them destroy the joy I am starting to feel. Even though I feel as if I need to keep looking over my shoulder for the next attack, I refuse to be a prisoner again.

If Dante and Harley have taught me anything, it is that I am in control and I have more power than I know.

I gently shut Dante’s bedroom door as I turned and made my way down the hallway and the flight of stairs. Dante and Harley’s voice continues to get quieter as I take the hallway that leads to the library.

I see a figure leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. I don’t need to turn on the light to know who it is. Dante and Harley have been focusing on trying to find Bruce and figure out all the moving parts with whatever he has planned next, and there hasn’t been a right time to bring up Gus.

He has been keeping his distance since the kitchen encounter, and then after what happened with the car and the library, Dante and Harley have been staying by me more and more, so he hasn’t had any time to try and fuck with me again.

I am pissed at myself for even believing anything he was telling me about my Beasts. Even though I know he was just trying to get into my head, I still fear that he is right, and one day, Dante and now Harley will toss me away like trash.

I slow down my stride and begin to walk past him, but before I can get one step ahead of him, he grabs my arm and pulls me against him. He pushes my back against the wall, not too hard, but enough that the breath I was holding gets pushed out of my lungs.

He pushes his body into mine, and I can feel his hard cock against my leg, making my heart stop. He leans in and tries to kiss me, but I turn my head, and his lips land on my cheek instead. Gus grabs me by my throat, holding my head in place as he presses his lips to my ear.

“You nothing to them, Bella. They don’t love you,” he whispers as he tightens his grip on my throat, cutting off my airway.

“You’re wrong,” I manage to choke out.

“You will see soon enough, honey. They will replace you,” he threatens darkly.

He starts sliding his hand down the side of my body, sending chills down my spine. His scent fills my nose as he runs his hand across my stomach, making my heart stop. He pushes under the bottom of Dante’s shirt and rests his hand on my bare skin. My body begins to shake as his breathing increases. Gus couldn’t hide the desire inside him even if he tried; it radiated off of him in waves. I feel his fingertips trace against my skin, where the elastic sits across my lower stomach.

He pushes his hand underneath the waistband of the boxers. “Please don’t do this,” I beg. My voice unsteady and weak.

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