Page 12 of Beautiful Beasts

Dante says he isn’t good for me, but the truth is he saved me. He saved me when I couldn’t save myself, and I will never fucking forget what he has done.

I see the pain and suffering in his eyes; I feel it in his touch. Both of us have been touched by the darkness that this world can create, and once the darkness has kissed you, it becomes a part of you. There is no getting rid of it, and the worst part is I don’t want to get rid of it. I want to be consumed by it, and I know that is possible now with Dante’s love.

Griffin and the other men thought I was just some whore, some girl that they could use for pleasure, but I am more than that. Last night, Dante showed me that I am more than just a toy to be played with whenever the need arises.

I can see that he struggles with his emotions, but he is not alone and will never be alone again. I know the kind of loneliness he has suffered through all these years all too well. It is the type of loneliness that, no matter what you do, there is an emptiness inside you that, no matter what you try, is impossible to fill. I will fill his emptiness, just like he has started to fill mine.

The window is opened slightly, and a cold breeze sweeps across my sore body, sending a bone-deep chill through me. I slowly stand up and cross the room into the bathroom. The light automatically turns on as I walk into the shower and turn on the hot water. As soon as it is warm enough, I walk under the waterfall showerhead and place my hands on the wall, letting the water cascade down my sore body and warm me.

I lower my head, inhale deeply, close my eyes, and let the memories from last night flood into my mind. I will never forget the look in Dante’s eyes as he made love to me, the sounds he made, and my name on his lips as he found his release. A man has never been so gentle with me. I could feel he was holding back. He wanted to claim me softly, and now I will do my best to prepare myself to be claimed by the other side of him. The side of him that makes me feel safe.

Anxiety fills me as the thought of Dante leaving me alone in this mansion starts to paralyze me. I don’t like the idea of us being apart. It might seem like co-dependency or whatever the fuck else you want to call it, but I like him being near me. I feel at peace when he is, but when he isn’t, I feel like I do right now, anxious and unhinged.

After relaxing, I lift my head and turn off the water. When I step out, I find a bathrobe that has my name on it and wrap the fluffy softness around my body. I am not even going to ask why there is a bathrobe with my name on it or when Dante had the time to get it.

It is going to take some time to get used to having someone do things for me and wanting to take care of me. If the robe is anything to go by, I have a feeling this man has already done things for me that I am not aware of yet. He is definitely not the type of man who will let me take care of myself. Fuck, he made me let him wash me, and there is no doubt that it is just the tip of the iceberg of what Dante is willing to do for me. As hard as it will be, I will have to learn to let him.

It is just who he is, and when he said I was his, I believed him, just like he knows that he is now mine. No words are needed between us when we already feel the truth of what we are.

I step out of the bathroom into the bedroom and find Gus leaning against the frame of the bedroom door with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes look me up and down, and I tighten the robe around me, trying to rid myself of the unease this man causes me.

Gus is one of the men who stormed into our house and took my father away. Since he was there, I am guessing he is pretty high up in Dante’s organization and that Dante and Harley both trust him. Unfortunately for him, trust, for me, is earned and not just given because of his ranking.

“Can I help you?” I ask in a curious but annoyed voice.

I am used to people looking at me like he is right now: curious but judgemental. I know the rumors about me have made it around this city. Some people think I am just a whore, and others think I am out of control. They don’t know anything, but I learned to ignore what others think of me. They have no idea what I have been through, so their opinion doesn’t mean shit.

He shakes his head. “Harley and Dante asked me to watch over you while they take care of some business in the office.”

I nod and quickly walk past him and out of the room. I hear him behind me as I go down the stairs, following the smell of eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I find my way into the kitchen and find a counter filled with all kinds of different food. Freshly baked bagels and croissants, fruit bowls, bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes; all things breakfast are laid out buffet style. I grab a plate and place a little bit of everything that has my mouth watering, grab a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and walk over to the island with four high-back chairs tucked under one side. Placing my breakfast down, I pull out a chair and sit down. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, watching my every move. Gus walks behind me and stops on the other side of the island; leaning forward, he rests his elbows on the counter.

I look over at him, and we lock eyes. “Is it true about you?” Gus asks in a low voice.

I feel like this is a loaded fucking question, but I will play along for now. “Is what true?”

“Are you a whore? Did your father pimp you out?” He asks calmly.

“It sounds like you think you already know the answers to your questions, dickhead,” I snap.

He tilts his head to the side. “I mean no disrespect.”

“No, I am not a whore, and yes, what Griffin did to me is true,” I say through gritted teeth.

At least this man has the balls to ask instead of talking shit behind my back, but it still makes me feel weird when people ask about Griffin and me. It is not something I want everyone to know, but it appears the rumors have already spread through this mansion, so I’m fucked.

“I’m sorry,” he says with pity in his voice.

I don’t respond as I pick up my fork and start to move my food around the plate, having lost my appetite. I don’t need his pity, or anyone else’s, for that matter. Bad shit happens to people all the time; it is just part of life. As fucked up as it was, I was used to what my life was, but whatever this life is that Dante is trying to welcome me into, this calmness and safety makes me nervous.

I can hear talking and footsteps coming down the hallway, making Gus stand up, back away, and cross his arms over his chest as he keeps his eyes on me. I turn and watch Harley and Dante enter the kitchen. Harley walks to the fridge, and Dante comes straight to me; coming up behind me, he leans in and kisses the top of my head.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” he says softly.

“Hey back,” I whisper.

“You ok?” He asks concerned.

I nod. “Yep, just chatting with Gus here.” I turn my head and look at Gus. His breathing is steady as he breaks his eyes from me and finally looks at Dante.

---