Beast_A Filthy Sweet Fairy Tale Romance Page 8

  His face is worried, grim. "I'm sorry I came unannounced," he says as he pulls back, searching my face.

  "Nonsense," I dismiss, taking his hand. "Tell me what happened," I demand.

  "It was Gideon," he says grimly. "Gideon and a gaggle of idiots dressed like him. He came looking for you."

  "What?" I say, shocked.

  That doesn't make any sense. I told Gideon exactly where I would be.

  "He wants you to marry him, Isa," he continues, his eyes tearing up. "I told him you weren't there and that you didn't want him anyway. That you'd made that clear." He shakes his head, anger suffusing his face and drying his tears. "That was when he and his cronies attacked me."

  Rage bubbles up inside at the thought of a group of young men attacking an older one. Cowards. Cowards with no sense of decency at all.

  "We have to call the police," I say, enraged. "This is unacceptable. Even he isn't above the law, I don't care how powerful his family is."

  Father shakes his head, clutching my arms. "No, Isa. He threatened the library. He said...he said if I didn't find you and bring you back, he'd make sure he and his father destroyed it. That the only thing that will stop him is if you agree to marry him."

  My blood turns to ice. So this is what he's resorted to. I thought Gideon was just a nuisance, someone I needed to humor to keep the peace. But he's shown me that I’m wrong. I never expected he would go to such lengths to own me. Because that's exactly what he wants to do. Own me. He doesn't want a relationship or an actual marriage. For some twisted reason, he's fixated on me and decided he has to have me. Whether or not I want him. And the coward knows he can't take on a Singarti directly, that he can't fight Adir and win. The Singarti have too much power, much more than Gideon and his family, so he's decided to go for my vulnerable spot.

  "What an asshole," I say quietly.

  Father looks away, despair etched on his face. I want to hurt Gideon just for that expression alone.

  "I'm sorry I came here, but I didn't know what else to do," he whispers.

  "You did the right thing," I reassure him.

  I just wish I had a clear solution. I think through the entire situation, trying my best to come up with one. Adir is more than the beast I first took him for. Much more. Underneath the harsh exterior is a sensitive man, one who cares much more than he wants to let on. Who feels much more deeply than those looking only at the surface would expect. I'm finally reaching that man. Forging a real connection with him, one I never would have expected. But I can't escape the fact that the only reason I'm here is because he was threatening the library too.

  I'm an indentured servant. Owned for three years. No matter how thrilling and important my feelings for Adir might seem, he still holds all the power. I look down at my feet, seeing the skirt of my uniform and the flats he got for me to wear with it. A symbol of my agreement. A symbol of the control he has over me, no matter how different the newly discovered side of him seems.

  What should I do?

  What can I do?

  Chapter 14

  Adir

  I duck into the building’s security rather than follow Isa to her father. I don't want to interfere. Not more than I already have. I look over at the guard who’s monitoring the footage from various camera locations throughout the building.

  "Take a break," I order.

  Nodding, he immediately gets up and leaves. I always make sure to hire professionals. Many of the security guards are military veterans. I appreciate their ability to stay calm and follow orders when necessary. As soon as I'm alone, I switch on the audio for the camera closest to Isa and her father, zooming in. I frown, noticing the signs that he was physically assaulted. Who would attack an old man? I tune in on their conversation.

  "...He threatened the library. He said...he said if I didn't find you and bring you back, he'd make sure he and his father destroyed it. That the only thing that will stop him is if you agree to marry him."

  A chill slides over me. Her father's safety. The library. Her father's home. Almost exactly the same situation that made her agree to be my servant for three years. My chest aches as I listen, already realizing that I’m going to have to make a choice. A choice that isn't really one at all. I cannot simply distance myself from this situation. I care for Isa. Care for her in a way I've never felt before. More than I've ever cared about a woman. I want her to be happy. To smile.

  I touch the screen of the monitor, touch her face. She's frowning, her worry, anger and frustration clear. I don't want her to look like that. I don’t want to be the reason why she looks like that. But the thought of letting her go has my inner beast awakening. She's mine. I've claimed her. She gave herself to me. I can’t let her go. I turn away from the monitor, trying to turn away from the situation. But I cannot simply ignore it, cannot simply close my eyes to the problem. No matter how much I wish it didn't exist.

  "Prince Adir?"

  I glance towards the monitor and find Isa searching the lobby for me, her face tense and confused. No. I cannot simply close my eyes this time. I leave the security hub and step out into the lobby, feeling like I’m stepping up to the edge of a deep chasm. One I must cross.

  "Here," I say hoarsely to catch her attention. I clear my throat and try again. "I'm here."

  She turns at my voice and hurries over. Her hair is still a little messy from the bed, her lips slightly swollen, her cheeks flushed. She looks well loved. But she no longer looks relaxed or languorous, but tense and worried.

  "Prince Adir," she says formally, stopping a polite distance away.

  I hate the gap between us, the physical distance, the title, the tone. I'm already losing her even though she's standing right in front of me.

  "Yes?" I acknowledge. Can my heart withstand this?

  "I...I don't know what to do," she says in a rush. "Gideon is threatening Father, the library..." She looks down, shaking her head. "He says he's going to destroy it if I don't agree to marry him." She looks up, meeting my eyes with an entreaty I cannot ignore. "I know I agreed to three years, but...I don't know what to do."

  Her hands fist in her skirt in frustration as her eyes search my face. Looking for an answer. I can almost physically feel the crack forming in my heart. If I could, I would wipe Gideon and his family off the map, ruin them until they had no power. Until they could never hurt Isa or anyone else ever again. It would be the least I could do for the damage they've already done to Isa's Father. But the words to tell her so won’t come.

  "I think you should do what is best for you," I finally say, keeping my face and voice stoic even as my emotions threaten to overtake me.

  Pick me. Don't leave me.

  "I..." She looks over her shoulder at her father, biting her lip. When she looks back at me, there are tears in her eyes. "You will let me go?" she whispers, the hope in her voice another wound in my heart. "Our bargain would be fulfilled?"

  "I will not stand in your way," I confirm, clasping my hands behind my back so I won't crush her against me, refuse to ever let her go no matter the consequences.

  She nods, blinking in an attempt to keep tears from spilling from her eyes.

  I fight the urge to take my words back. To tell her she cannot go. That she must stay with me. But I can't keep her against her will. She is what I want most. More than anything I've ever wanted or anything I will want. I love her.

  The realization blooms in my chest. I love Isabelle Stone. My heart sinks in the next instant because I also realize it is not enough that I love her. She has to want me in return. She has to love me in return. I don’t want to cage her, to force her to stay with me. I want her. All of her. Who she is inside. Not just the shell of her and I know keeping her here means I will not have that.

  She needs to be free to make her own choice. And if that choice is to leave me— So be it. I will not hold her here if she wants to leave.

  "I..." She looks at me, still searching my face like she’s memorizing every detail. "Thank you," she finally whispe
rs. "Thank you."

  I stand frozen, as she returns to her father, taking his arm. My beast stirs. Telling me to go take her. Bring her back before she's out of reach. I grit my teeth and stay in place as she walks to the door leading outside. She turns to meet my eyes over her shoulder as she steps through the door. The moment lasts forever. And for only an instant. The door closes.

  My heart cracks in two. She is gone.

  My beast rises with a roar, slashing at me from the inside, howling with its rage and anguish. Stronger than I've ever felt it. I close my eyes and fight. Fight harder than I ever have.

  But my heart is broken.

  And I am not as strong as I need to be.

  Chapter 15

  Isa

  On the way back to the library, I don't know what to feel. I should be elated that my three year bargain is over almost before it began. I should be beyond excited to go back to the library, back home with my Father. Back home to my life. But I don't. Father was attacked, the library is in danger once again, and Gideon is a thorn in my side I want to pull out and burn. Those are all valid reasons for not jumping for joy. But the most confusing one, the one that I would never have guessed when all of this started is— I miss Adir. I don't want to leave him. I don't want to be his servant for three years, but I also don't want him out of my life.

  What a complete and utter mess. I'm struggling with the jumble of thoughts and emotions going through me when we turn the corner and the library comes into view. As if on cue, both Father and I stop.

  "Oh no," I whisper as I take in the damage.

  Father just sighs, a sound of utter defeat I never want to hear from him again. Graffiti covers the entire front of the building and trash has been dumped on the porch. My eye goes to the small garden as we approach. It's been trampled. Meticulously and carefully trampled so that not one flower remains upright. I stare at that. That took time and dedication. That was done by someone who really wanted to hurt me. It was personal.

  "I'm going to look inside," Father says grimly, hopping up the stairs.

  I nod, anger and utter helplessness vying inside me. But I refuse to be disheartened. I refuse to be crushed by this. Only Gideon could be responsible for this and I refuse to let him cow us. So I get to work. I go inside and change. I didn't take the time to go up to Prince Adir's and take my things before I left, but I still have a few clothes here. They're older, but that's perfect for working. Luckily, Gideon and his goons defaced the entryway, but that's as far as they got. The library itself, the bedrooms, the kitchen, they remain untouched.

  I gather all the trash that was thrown around first. Then I try scrubbing at the paint on the wall. Water and soap don't work, but I find a paint remover that does. Good. I didn't want to have to paint over the old rock. I settle in to the long process, working section by section to clear the stones of the swears and demeaning, belittling words emblazoned on them. The mindless work leaves me plenty of time with my thoughts. Too much time. And my mind unsurprisingly goes directly to Prince Adir.

  I remember his mouth on mine. On my breasts. Between my legs. His hard body working on top of me, his cock sliding in and out. The look on his face when he came. My body heats up just at the thought of him. But that isn't all I think of. It isn't even the most important, really. The side of him that really draws me, really fascinates me, is the one he hides from the world. His poetry, the books he hoards carefully away from prying eyes. The gentle, empathetic part of him attracts me even as his raw sensuality burns me.

  An irresistible combination. As my mind is consumed by thoughts of Adir, I come to the dawning realization that there’s no shaking what I'm feeling. No, this emotion is too intense. Love. Love cuts too deep to ignore.

  And I'm in love with Prince Adir.

  I'm in love with the Singarti Prince who threatened to destroy the very library I'm in the process of cleaning. Though now I know that would never have happened. Someone who lovingly collects books of his own, who surrounds himself with them in his sanctuary, would never destroy a library. It isn't in his nature. He'd be more likely to acquire it, restore it. Just one more lie to throw everyone off of what he's really like. My chest hurts with the thought of him. With the desire to be with him. But how could I and still protect Father?

  I worry at the problem, not coming up with any solutions as I continue cleaning, my arms burning with the effort. I need a break. Setting down the stiff bristled brush, I move over to the garden to see if any of the flowers can be salvaged. They've been trampled, but the roots might still be saved. They could grow again. Be a joy to look at again. A testament to the fact that we refuse to be beaten down. My hands are quickly covered in dirt as I set about righting the mess as best I can, working carefully so I don't do more damage. And that's when the person I least want to see shows up.

  "Isa, how lovely to see you. Though it looks like the library has definitely seen better days." A pregnant pause, multiple snickers in the background. "What a shame," he adds insincerely.

  I freeze, anger rising inside me. I stand, turning to face Gideon and his merry band of brown-nosers. "You're not allowed here. This is private property," I say as calmly as possible. What I really want to do is punch him in the face. But as much as it burns, I don't want to create more problems.

  His eyes narrow and he deliberately saunters closer, the swagger in his step a little more exaggerated today. He doesn't stop until he's much too close to me, his chest touching mine. I refuse to budge, staring straight into his eyes.

  "Isa, Isa," he says quietly, taking a lock of the hair that has escaped my ponytail between his fingers, fondling the strands. "You know you should be nice to me. Or do you not like the library anymore?"

  The threat is clear as day.

  I take a deliberate step back to break the contact. "Leave. Now," I repeat, my hands clenching into fists.

  He frowns, his expression turning ugly. Then he deliberately crowds me with his body, forcing me to move until my back hits the front wall of the building.

  "If you don't move back right now, you're really going to regret it," I grit out between my teeth. He doesn't know exactly how close I am to snapping.

  He smiles. "I don't think I am," he says, bracing his forearms on the wall on either side of my head. "Now—"

  Taking a firm grip on his shirt, I slam my knee up into his groin. Hard. He wheezes, stumbling back as his groupies snicker at him. Not very loyal.

  "I did warn you," I point out, not the least bit sorry.

  "You bitch!" he screams, looking up from his doubled over position, his rage turning his face red. "You're already mine! It's a done deal! Your father already agreed! You're mine and there's nothing you can do about it!"

  What? I lean back against the wall, it’s like the world is dropping away from under my feet. My father agreed to Gideon's demand to have me?

  "He would never make a deal like that," I say firmly, my eyes on Gideon's face as he slowly straightens.

  His smile is a promise. A threat.

  "You just keep telling yourself that, Isa," he taunts.

  I stare at his confident face in disbelief. No. It can't be.

  Chapter 16

  Adir

  Perhaps this is a mistake. It is most likely a mistake. But I cannot stay away from Isa. I've tried.

  The car stops at the curb. "Arrived at destination," the mechanical voice purrs.

  I look out the window, only to find Isa up against a wall and a man doubled over in pain not very far in front of her. No male could mistake the reason for that position. And from where Isa is standing, it's clear she was the one to land the blow. What was that man doing that pushed her to react violently?

  My beast stirs at the thought.

  "Thank you, Nina. Please wait here."

  "Yes, sir," the car responds in a pleasant, programmed contralto.

  I step out and close the door behind myself, taking in the other men arranged a little behind the one just straightening. For some reason, they are
all dressed in shirts that are too snug and jeans with the ridiculous plastic fibers so popular these days. There's no accounting for taste.

  I close the distance between us swiftly and silently. "Isa," I call out as I near. "Is there a problem here?" I keep one eye on the men, particularly the one nearest her.

  "Adir? You came for me?" Isa asks, her voice both hopeful and surprised.

  I turn to her, the hope in her voice making my own rise a bit more. Her face is soft and welcoming. Could she be happy to see me? "Yes."

  Before I can figure out what to say next, the library door opens and Isa's father emerges, his eyes narrowed as he surveys the scene.

  "What's going on out here?" he demands. "Isa?"

  "Gideon was just leaving," Isa says, her eyes going back to the injured man.

  Gideon's eyes narrow. He doesn't like the dismissal in her tone. Not at all. Too bad. His eyes turn to me, the rage in them clear. I understand rage, though his is a pale comparison to the swelling emotion I fight to keep contained. Cute.

  "What are you doing here?" he demands. "Leave! Isa is mine now! You have no claim!" he screams, his face red, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Stick to your own kind you Singarti asshole!"

  My beast, already so close to the surface, starts to slip. "This is not a good idea. You will lose," I warn in a low voice as he takes a step closer to me. "Leave." He does not know what he is playing with.

  "She's mine," he shouts. And then he launches himself at me, his face twisted with rage. He's a flurry of punches as he reaches me, but I hardly notice them. This male says Isa is his. I must show him that he's wrong. I punch him, hard enough that his head snaps back and he stumbles. "Isa is mine," I growl, taking a step toward him.

  I take his shoulder in hand and land another punch in his stomach, doubling him over. He lands another blow to my side, but I shake it off.

  "You need to leave. Now," I try again.