Page 54 of Beautiful Beasts

We can’t lose her. She is the only reason we feel alive, the only reason we are fighting to be more than what we are. Without her, there is no reason to change, and there is no reason to be better.

Dante lifts his hand and gently places his fingertips underneath her chin, forcing her to look up. “What happened, Bella,” Dante asks, trying his best to hold back his rage, but we can hear it. He can’t hide the storm that is building in him as well.

“It doesn’t matter,” she says with so much confidence it makes my knees weak and not in a good fucking way.

“Of course it fucking matters. Tell us, tell me, and we will make it all better, I promise,” he pleads.

I have never seen Dante like this, soft and gentle, yet still dominating and possessive. He is trying to make her better. I have a feeling that once she says what has taken place, the gentleness and the softness will melt away, and the only thing that will be left is rage and revenge.

“I can’t,” she says through gritted teeth.

What the fuck does she mean she can’t. She can. We can help her, and we will fix this if she will let us.

Dante grabs onto her throat, pulling her into him, the rage and concern radiating off of him in waves.

Her body is shaking, but I know it’s not because of us. It’s because of whatever happened to her. Whatever has happened has caused her to become completely fucking unhinged and withdrawn, and it terrifies us.

“Please, Bella,” he says through gritted teeth.

“I can’t,” she repeats. Her voice is shaky and unstable. Her body is shaking between us, and I don’t know how the fuck to fix this. I don’t know what the fuck to do.

“Yes, you can,” I whisper from behind her.

“No, I can’t,” she pleads with us. I just don’t fucking understand. She knows that there is nothing we won’t do for her. She knows we would die for her if need be. Is that way she won’t tell us? Because she is afraid of what we might do?

“Something happened; someone hurt you,” Dante tells her. He isn’t asking. We both know; we just don’t know what or who.

We will fucking find out.

“It doesn’t fucking matter, Dante,” she turns her head and backs up, forcing me to take a step back. I tighten my grip on her hips.

She quickly moves from between us, and I release her hips even though I don’t want to. Dante and I stand next to each other as Bella starts to pace back and forth.

Her rage, pain, and darkness are starting to consume her.

“Please let us in,” I beg.

She stops, turns, and looks at Dante, then at me. “Once a whore, always a fucking whore,” she says as she turns and screams.

Dante rushes her as she punches the window. He comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and taking a step back. She is still screaming uncontrollably.

“Please,” she sobs as her knees give out, and she falls to the ground, taking Dante down with her. She leans forward.

“Bella, please, we want to help you. Please let us,” Dante begs.

“Why me?” She screams.

I look at my brother and see the tears rolling down his face. Something I thought I would never fucking see.

I fall to my knees and rest my hand on the back of her head as she lets the tears fall, and the screams leave her.

Whoever the fuck did this to her will be reminded of what happens when you touch the Beasts’ Beauty.

38

Bella

Eighth Week Together

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