Chapter 3 – Belle
CHAPTER THREE
BELLE
It took me forever to fall back asleep last night. My mind kept questioning what Beast’s game was, and I was left aroused but too angry to sort myself out, as I’m sure that’s what he wanted. Also, I never do as I’m told. Even with what happened when I was tied up, that was because I told him to. I wanted to try it.
Washing my hair under the hot spray, I start to think of ways I can get my own back on Beast. He wants to tease me? Well then, he must like me in some way to want to do that, right? I look at the small towel on the side next to the large bath towel. I smile, and after switching the shower off, I reach for it and hold it up against my body. It covers the front of me, while leaving my behind completely exposed.
I grab the large bath towel and throw it in the corner behind the door before I open my bedroom door. I look up and down the hall to make sure no one is there before I tip-toe over to Beast’s door. I knock loudly and wait for what feels like forever, until the door opens and Beast is stood there bare chested, his jeans undone and hanging low on his hips.
His eyes sweep down my body and I clear my throat. “Er, I don’t suppose you have a spare towel? This one is erm, a little small,” I say while turning slightly to the side to show him that I’m completely exposed at the back.
He leans against the door and crosses his arms over his chest. “No,” is all he says.
“No?” I question.
“No, I don’t have a spare one. You’ll have to make do with that one,” he elaborates.
“Oh,” I answer, not expecting that response. I think quickly and decide I can play this to my advantage. I was hoping that he would get me a towel and I would drop this one while briefly wrapping the new larger one around me, giving him a few seconds to take in my wet body. Now I will have to be braver. I’m not ashamed of my body, at all. I’m curvier than most girls; I have large hips, bigger than average breasts, a bit of a tummy, and a round ass. I embrace my body, and I’m not embarrassed by it. “Well, that’s annoying, but I guess I will have to try and make do.” I sigh as I move the towel further down, slowly moving my hand in a circular motion as if I’m drying my body. His eyes are watching my every move. I pause, just as my breasts were about to be fully exposed. “Thanks anyway,” I say in a chirpy tone before turning around and sauntering back to my room with a wide smile on my face. I turn slightly as I go to shut my door, looking back at Beast. His eyes are burning with desire, and I blow him a kiss before shutting the door. Pausing, I listen, waiting for the sound of his door closing before I do a little victory dance. Oh, how it feels to be the one with all the power. Who knew being forced to stay overnight at a bikers’ club would be so much fun?
Once I’m dressed, wearing the same clothes as yesterday—as no one had any clothes my size—I head down to the kitchen. The smell of breakfast wafting down the hall makes my stomach rumble. Carrying the tub of pasta salad, I push open the kitchen door, and Queenie’s head looks up from where she’s cooking.
I hold up the tub. “Sorry. I got peckish last night,” I apologise.
She smiles and takes the tub. “No need. I thought you might. It’s why I left you some in the fridge. You honestly think there are normally any leftovers in this place?” she asks, rolling her eyes. “Now, go and sit. Breakfast is nearly ready.” She points.
I walk out of the other door, and next to the bar is a long table, all laid up. The brothers of the Black Hearts and their ol’ ladies and kids are all sat around, talking and laughing. Feeling like I’m imposing, I’m about to walk to the chair on the far side, but I’m stopped as Beast pulls the chair out next to him.
“Sit your ass down, darlin’,” he orders quietly. I look around the table to see if anyone heard his demand. No one has, as they are all still too busy chatting amongst themselves. I sit down next to Beast, and he keeps his large arm slung on the back of my chair, like he’s keeping me caged in. He reaches for the jug of juice and pours me a glass, along with pouring me a coffee.
“Thanks,” I mutter, reaching for the coffee. I peer at him over my mug, and he looks at me like he’s assessing me. “What?” I ask.
He rubs his bearded chin with his other hand and smiles. “Just trying to figure you out, darlin’.”
I place my mug down and turn to face him in my chair. “What is there to figure out?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Who you are. One minute you are this timid little girl that quivers from my touch.” As if to prove a point, his thumb strokes along the top of my shoulder, causing my skin to break out in goosebumps. “Then you’re this fiery woman attempting to play a dangerous game with a man you really don’t want to provoke.” He says this in a low warning, so no one else around the table can hear.
I don’t react. I reach for my coffee and take another sip. “How old are you?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Old enough to know I shouldn’t be tempted by a siren,” he answers.
I raise my brow at him. “A siren?” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Are you too old that you don’t want to answer my question? Are you scared if I find out your real age, I won’t find you attractive?” I counter, trying my best not to smirk, but I can’t help it. I’m having too much fun.
Beast smiles, his eyes alight. He is enjoying the flirtatious back and forth banter as much as I am. “I’m 35 darlin’, and I’m not worried. I know you find me attractive, or you wouldn’t have given me that little show this morning, and you wouldn’t have sat next to me now.”
I shrug. “You didn’t give me a choice to sit anywhere else,” I point out.
He leans in close. “I gave you an order, and you had a choice to either abide by it or ignore it.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Queenie in that moment enters the room. “Breakfast is ready!! Need some hands to bring it in,” she yells before placing down a huge pan of bacon.
“I got you, darlin’,” Beast says before he stands to help her, leaving me sat there, my mouth opening and closing like a dumb fish because couldn’t think of a comeback. I grab my coffee and take a large glug, and as I look down the table, I see Star watching me, giving me a weird smile. I place my mug down to be polite and I smile back.
All of the food is insane; bacon, pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and fruit. There is even a big pot of porridge. I watch as Beast eats a bowl of porridge, then 8 rashers of bacon, 4 pancakes, 4 fried eggs, and some hash browns. He finishes eating and looks at me, then down at my now near empty bowl of porridge and fruit.
“That all you going to eat?” he asks.
I look down at my bowl and nod. “Yeah, not that hungry,” I answer.
He raises a brow. “Not even a pancake and syrup?” he asks.
I look down at his plate and see some syrup left on his plate. I reach over and swipe my finger through it, before I place my finger in my mouth. I quietly moan, and his eyes alight at the sight. I must admit that I enjoy getting that reaction from him, watching his pale blue eyes electrify with a vibrant blue.
Beast shakes his head. “Dangerous,” he says before biting down on his bottom lip.
“How is me enjoying a bit of syrup dangerous?” I ask, acting all innocently.
“Because darlin’, hearing you moan while sucking your finger makes me want to see how loud you moan while choking on my dick while my mouth is devouring your pussy,” he says abruptly before standing and turning to the rest of the table. “So, we going to see his lordship or what?” he yells to the rest of the table. I try to regain some composure, even though my cheeks are burning.
“You okay, Belle?” Star yells from the other end of the table.
I nod and give a small smile.
“Daddy!” I smile as he pulls me into his arms. He places a kiss on top of my head before he stands back, keeping me at arm’s length, looking me up and down.
“You good?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah. The guys helped me out of a situation.”
My father looks behind me to the guys in question.
“A guy wasn’t exactly listening to her wishes when we found her,” Beast vaguely explains.
My father’s eyes turn murderous, a look I’ve seen all too often. “I hope he was dealt with,” he snaps.
Beast nods. “Nothing like a bullet in the dick to remind you how to treat a lady.”
My father nods and gestures for us to sit. Beast, Hawk, Spider, Cash, and Ghost all sit down with us. The few other brothers stand around protectively, looking around the prison at the other inmates. My father keeps hold of my hand the entire time.
“So, I want her at the safe house. I want her protected and watched 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Father demands.
Ghost leans forward. “You’re going to have to give us more than that. It might help if we knew what we were protecting her from.”
“And it would have been nice if you had told us we were picking up your daughter, rather than a package,” Hawk adds.
Father holds up his hand. “She is my little gift, always has been since she was born,” he defends. I roll my eyes.
“Cut the shit, Bobby. What the fuck is going on? It’s not like you don’t have your own employees that could easily take care of her. Why us?” Ghost snaps.
I frown and look at my father, and for the first time, he looks worried. “I had a man work for me a long time ago. He betrayed me, in ways that go way beyond working with an enemy. He knows Belle, and he knows I’m here. He still knows some of my men; three of them have been taken out recently. Gone. Nothing but a pinkie finger left of them. It’s him.”
I frown, confused. “Uncle Charlie?” I question.
My father looks at me and nods. “Yes.”
“You said he had died, that he got killed in the crash with Mom,” I point out.
My father looks at the brothers. “Give us a minute,” he orders. They all nod and stand, walking away to give us some space. I look back and forth, wondering what my father is about to tell me. He grabs both of my hands in his. “You are the most precious thing to me in the entire world, you know that, don’t you?” he deflects.
“Dad, cut the crap. Tell me what is going on,” I snap.
He nods. “Listen, that day your mother died, the day before your 13th birthday, your uncle, Charlie, wasn’t who you thought he was.” He sighs. “Your mother didn’t die in a car crash. Charlie killed her while she was driving to pick up your favourite cake for your birthday,” he says. Tears trickle down my cheeks, and I shake my head. “He didn’t torture her; it was a quick shot to the head. He wanted to take me down, wanted me to crumble so he could take over the business,” he explains. “He ran, and I killed his so called men off one by one. I hunted him down like the vile creature he is, but no matter where I looked or how close I came to finding him, I couldn’t find him. Now I am in here and unable to protect you. I can’t lose you, too.” He sighs.
I snatch my hand away from his and stand. “If you knew he wanted to take over, you should have just let him. Then Mom would have still been alive!” I snap.
He stands. “I would have given him my entire fucking estate if I thought it would have saved your mother!” he yells.
I flinch, wiping my eyes. “I need air. I need to get out of here.” I rush out, making my way to the door.
The guard unlocks the door and allows me through. I can hear footsteps behind me, but I don’t turn around or bother to wait to for them to catch up. I need air. I need to breathe. Walking through the endless gates, and after waiting for what felt like a lifetime just to get outside into the fresh air, I finally make it outside and lean against the wall. I slide down it until I’m sitting, and wipe away my tears. I’m angry. Angry at my father for lying to me, and angry that she died because of him.
A cigarette is held in front of me, and I look up to see Beast stood there.
I shake my head. “I don’t smoke,” I state.
He shrugs before lighting his own. “I know. Just figured now might be the time you decide to take up the habit.”
I snort a laugh and shake my head. “Thanks, but no.” I sigh, rubbing my face. “God, what a fucking mess.” I sigh.
Beast sits next to me. “It ain’t that bad.” He shrugs.
I raise my brow and stare at him. “Ain’t that bad? It’s not that bad that my mother was killed because of my father and what he does?! If it wasn’t for him, she would still be alive,” I point out.
“Maybe, maybe not. She could have been hit by a bus, struck by lightning, shot at in a bank robbery. The point is, life is full of what if’s. She loved your dad, right?” he asks.
I nod.
“Right, so she loved him for him. I’m guessing knowing all the risks involved with being with someone like your dad, and from what he said, it happened by someone he trusted, not an enemy. Someone he trusted, someone your mom trusted. That could happen to any of us,” he adds before taking a long pull on his cigarette.
I look at him. “You know, you are pretty good at this advice stuff.”
Lifting his hand, he swipes away one of my tears. “I’m a man of many talents, beautiful.” He winks before he gets to his feet and holds his hand out for me. I take it and he yanks me to my feet. “Now, let’s go back in there and you can talk shit through with your dad properly,” he says. Keeping hold of my hand, he leads me back inside the prison.
“I don’t think we can just walk in and out. It’s a prison,” I point out.
He smirks at me. “Your dad practically runs the joint.”
I was still surprised that the guards didn’t seem to protest at us going back inside to see my father. When we walked back into the visiting room, my father’s eyes immediately land on me before dropping down to our clasped hands. I go to remove my hand, but Beast’s grip just tightens.
I look up at him. “Beast,” I hiss under my breath. He just ignores me as we continue to walk hand in hand to my father.
I hear the other guys cough back a laugh as we stop at the table, smirks on their faces.
My father leans back in his chair and looks from me to Beast. “Have I missed something here?” he asks.
“No, no, Daddy. I—” I try to explain, but Beast cuts me off.
“I have a lot of respect for you Bobby, you know that, but maybe you could have been a little more tactile when telling your daughter, your only child, that your wife, her mother, was murdered. She’s been through a lot in the last 24 hours,” Beast states, “and no, you’ve not missed anything. I don’t like seeing women upset. You asked us to take care of her, and that’s exactly what I am doing,” he adds.
I feel a little stung at his words. He’s just doing what my father had asked; looking after his little girl.
My father points to the chair. “Sit,” he orders. I let go of Beast’s hand and this time he releases my hand as I sit down. “All of you, fuck off. You can wait outside for her,” he orders. They all start to walk out. “Beast!” he calls out. Beast turns and looks at my father. “You try and tell me how I should treat my daughter again, I will put a bullet between your fucking eyes,” he threatens. Beast seems unphased by the threat and turns back around and walks out. I stare after Beast for longer than I should. “You like him,” my father states.
I look at him and shake my head. “It’s not like that, he’s just been kind to me,” I state. My father takes my hands in his again.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s a shock, but I loved your mother so much, and if for a second I thought she would be in danger, I wouldn’t have let her out of my sight,” he admits. “Now, you are going to be staying with them for a while, just until I know it’s safe for you. Remember when you were travelling in Europe and I ended up in here?” he asks. I nod and he continues. “Well, the reason I didn’t tell you straight away is because, it was Alfie. Alfie got me locked away.”
“My cousin Alfie?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah, the Black Hearts helped me. They helped me take care of him,” he states, meaning that cousin Alfie is no longer breathing.
“Good.” I nod. “He deserves it. I mean, he was always a little creepy. And you always did think he was trouble,” I point out.
“Yeah well, that aside, you go with them, and you do as they say and stay out of trouble,” he instructs. “And Beast,” he adds, pausing.
I shake my head. “There isn’t anything?—”
He cuts me off. “I have eyes, and no man is that caring over a woman he doesn’t give a shit about. I’m not saying you’ve got my approval, because I don’t think I will ever approve of any man, but I trust the Black Hearts MC. I know that they would lay down their lives to protect you, especially Beast.”
I’m about to argue that he’s reading too much into it, but a bell rings out. “Visiting is over!” a guard yells.
“I’ve got to go. We good?” he asks.
I smile and nod. “We are good,” I say before leaning over to hug him.