Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
I take a step closer to Lars. “If Boney starts making noises about filing charges, tell him we’ll counter them by filing a complaint with law enforcement for unlawful imprisonment. My old lady tried to leave, and Boney wouldn’t let her. She felt threatened. Something like that. Then tell the sheriff I will call him later.”
Lars nods and dust swirls around Belle and I as the four Harleys take off into the darkness.
I turn back to glance at my wife. In the moonlight, she looks tiny and angelic, and I ache to put my arms around her. To kiss her. But there are unsaid things hanging between us. “Are you ready to go home, little one?”
When she nods, I help her onto the back of my bike, feeling the kind of relief only love knows when the reason for you breathing is sitting on the back of your bike with her arms wrapped around your waist.
Once we’re back at the clubhouse, I can finally breathe knowing Belle is safe.
In the quiet of our room, I take her in my arms, feeling relieved when she lets me. “Are you still angry with me?”
“You bet your life I am. Keeping all of that from me?”
“I didn’t want you to run.”
She pushes her fingers into my chest. “I understand that. But what you did was still wrong. I deserved to know.”
“I was always going to tell you.”
“I know.” Her face softens. “Tell me you didn’t marry me for the land.”
Fuck. The fact she thinks that kills me.
“I fucking love you, Belle. That’s why I married you. Not because of some debt or claim over land. I married you because the moment I learned you were still alive you’re all I’ve wanted. You are the other half of me, Belle. It’s you and me.”
She looks up at me. “Yeah, I know. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
Her reaction surprises me.
“Okay, what’s going on here, little one? You’re going to have to spell it out for me because I don’t know what’s happening.”
She smiles and pushes me into a sitting position on the bed, and slides onto my lap, straddling my hips. “I know you love me. You’re not very good at hiding your feelings, bike gangster. It’s written all over your face how much you do.”
I reach up to cup her jaw in my palm. “Then why did you leave?”
“You needed proof of the mayor’s plans and I just got it for you.” She pulls out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and holds it up. “You were right. Mayor Boney turned the town against the club because he wants to build a thousand ugly condos on the clubhouse land.”
She shows me the photos on her phone, while I try to process what the fuck she’s telling me.
She went with Boney to do what we hadn’t been able to do. Get beyond the walls of his mansion to find the proof.
I don’t know if I’m angry she put herself in so much danger, or fucking proud of her for getting the proof the club needs to expose his corruption.
“But that’s not the worst of it. He’s the one behind the synthetic phantasia.”
She brings up the recording on her phone and hits play and I hear Boney admit to it all.
“Well, fuck,” I say. Belle didn’t just expose Boney as a liar, she’s revealed his true identity. A fucking drug king pin.
Boney is done. Not only will he lose his mayorship, he’s going to jail. Thanks to my wife.
I run my hand up and down her back.
“We’ll talk about the danger you put yourself in later,” I say.
She gives me a devious smile. “You know it’s going to fall on deaf ears.”
I grip her chin gently. “I’m serious, Belle. You can’t take risks like this. I’ll lose my mind if anything happens to you.”
“Believe me, my risk-taking days are done.” She brushes her fingertips down my cheek.
“I love you,” I say, never meaning anything more in my life.
“I know you love me, I’ve always known. You’ve been tattooed on my heart since I was taken away. I just never realized it. But I remember, Beast. I know this is home. That’s why I needed to save this. Save us.”
I have no words. So I pull her to my chest and plant a kiss in her hair.
My little badass.
No, my old lady.
“What am I going to do with you?”
She pulls back and gives me a mischievous look.
“I suggest you tell me again how much you love me.” She starts to slide off her jacket and raises her eyebrow. “Or even better, how about you show me.”
CHAPTER 61
BEAST
Later, after I’ve spent the night worshiping my old lady’s luscious curves, I leave her soft and exhausted in bed to get us some food.
I pull on a pair of gray sweatpants and head downstairs to the kitchen where I fill my arms with containers of leftover potato salad, cold chicken, and strawberries. I look at the whipped cream and figure it might be fun to play with later so I tuck it under my arm and head back to our bedroom, already thinking about what I’m going to do to Belle’s sweet body after we’ve eaten.