Beast (MC Fables #1)

BELLE

I’m walking along the hallway toward my daughter’s playroom when I hear giggling.

I pause in the doorway to watch Beast and our four-year-old daughter, Lucy, playing inside. Somehow Beast has managed to squeeze his giant frame into a child’s chair as Lucy carefully paints his nails with pink polish. Princess Pink, to be precise.

Lucy’s little brows are pulled in as she concentrates, carefully keeping the polish on the nail and not all over his giant fingers, while Beast tells her she is doing a great job.

I lean against the door frame, love spreading through my chest as I watch them.

From the moment she was born, Lucy has been the apple of her father’s eye. He is a good father. An adoring father. Never too busy to spend time with her. Always playing with her. Never complaining when she wants to paint his nails or dress him up in something sparkly from her dress-up box. Or when she pulls his hair back into some crazy style and holds it there with a glitter scrunchie and sparkly hair clips.

Feeling content as I watch them, I run a palm over my round belly. In a matter of days, our son will be born—and he’s going to be big. My belly is huge and walking anywhere is hard, and I can’t remember the last time I saw my toes.

Beast looks up, and when he catches me watching, he gives me one of his smiles that melt my heart. Those grins used to be rare. But now he gives them to me every single day.

“Are you two nearly ready?” I ask.

“In a minute, Mommy,” Lucy says in her adorable four-year-old voice. “I need to finish Daddy’s nails.”

“We can’t be late, baby,” I say. “Remember it’s Uncle Maurice’s special day.”

Today, Uncle Maurice and Mrs. Blumfield are getting married. Since coming into his life, Mrs. Blumfield has helped my uncle with his gambling addiction, and he hasn’t stepped foot in the casino since that night. She’s heaven sent. A beautiful lady who loves my uncle wholeheartedly, and I’ve never seen him so happy.

“I know, Mommy. That’s why I want Daddy to have pretty nails.”

“It’s a fair argument,” Beast says, holding up a giant hand to show off his pink fingernails. “I can’t go without these pretty nails.”

“I mean, they are pretty,” I say with a grin.

“There you go, Daddy!” Lucy steps back, looking proud of her work. “Your nails look real pretty.” She holds up her little hand next to his giant one. “Just like mine.”

“Does that mean we can go now?” I ask with a chuckle.

My daughter grins up at me.

“Yes, we can go now,” she says. “Do I look pretty, Mommy?”

She does a twirl. Today’s outfit is a multi-colored tutu worn over pink leotards and white stockings, paired with tiny black motorcycle boots and a tiny leather jacket. My daughter may be a unicorn princess but she is also motorcycle club born. And this MC runs deep in her veins.

“You look like the most beautiful girl in the whole world,” I say with a wink, and she giggles and claps her hands.

“Want a monster ride, princess?” Beast asks his daughter.

Lucy squeals. “Yes, Daddy, yes!”

She grabs onto her daddy’s thick forearm and with his help, crawls up his arm and onto his back like she’s a little spider monkey.

She winds her little arms around his neck, and Beast roars like a monster as he stands and starts to stomp around, until Lucy is laughing hysterically against his shoulders. Monster rides are big in this household.

We leave Lucy’s playroom and head downstairs to the clubhouse foyer where we run into Lars. The moment Lucy sees her favorite uncle, she starts to wriggle to be let down. Beast helps her off his back, and the moment her little feet hit the ground, she runs over to Lars and wraps her arms around his legs.

“Uncle Lars, are you coming with us today?”

Lucy has a lot of uncles in this clubhouse. Uncles who would all give their lives to protect the little MC princess. But Lars is by far her favorite, and he’s so good with her. He genuinely loves her.

“Not today, poppet.” He scoops her up in his arms. “But you look real pretty, Miss Lucy.”

“And you look handsome,” she says, squishing her palms into his cheeks.

“Even like this?” he asks, pulling an ugly face and poking out his tongue.

Lucy giggles. “You’re funny, Uncle Lars.”

He pulls another face and she giggles even harder.

“Come on, we’ve got a wedding to get to,” I remind them. “And it takes me twice as long to walk half the way.”

Beast puts a protective hand on my round belly, and we share a look of pure love.

God, this man. He still turns my insides to mush with just one look.

Lucy reaches for her daddy and climbs onto his back again.

“Come on, little princess, we’ve got a wedding to get to,” he says to his daughter.

Then taking my hand, we step outside into the late afternoon sunlight.