“Thanks for everything, Alaina.”
“No problem,” she smiles weakly at me.
I start walking back to Beast when he meets me halfway, wrapping his massive arms around me tightly. “Beast, that’s a little tight.”
His arms relax a little, pulling me into him. I watch as Hella takes a seat at the picnic table with Melissa on his knee. “She’s breathing. It’s like she’s asleep. What the hell happened to her?”
Walking to Hella, I take Melissa’s hand in mine. “What, you didn’t know?” I ask with a little venom in my tone.
Bringing his eyes up to mine, he narrows them. “No. Enlighten me.”
I take a seat beside him, keeping her hand in mine. “It seems Lisha got a little jealous tonight. Before the explosion happened, she put something in Melissa’s drink, had her dancing on the pole and everything. Anyway, she and her friend were videoing it and laughing at Melissa from across the room. So, I… um…” I pause, looking at Beast when he rounds the table and walks to me.
“You what?” he asks, eyebrows raised. My chest heaves as a sinking feeling pulls in my gut. Feels like I’m in trouble. Why does he have to be so sexy? Even my voice box submits to him.
“She whipped her ass that’s what,” Melissa coughs from her position.
Beast’s eyes narrow with a smirk.
“Melissa!” Standing, I scan her face.
“I’m fine, Meadow. What happened?” she asks, pushing away from Hella slightly. He doesn’t let go, and when I see the look he’s giving her, even I cringe.
She rolls her eyes. “Let me go, Hella.”
“Not happening.”
Rolling her eyes again, she readjusts her position, wrapping his cut around her tightly.
“There was an explosion. When Alaina took me out back to clean up my nose,” I begin, a hiss escaping Beasts lips and I flinch.
Jesus, what’s his problem, he’s far too intense.
“That’s when it happened.”
She tilts her head. “I only remember bits. I remember Lisha pulling you back by your hair, and I remember you jumping on top of her and pounding her face, but everything went blank after Phoebe arrived.” Her eyebrows drew in before looking up at Hella from her spot. Beast pulls me into him, taking a seat next to Hella and placing me on his lap. “Baby, you did what to Lisha’s face?” He laughs into my neck.
“She deserved it. She was out for Melissa… over you.” I narrow my eyes to Hella.
His jaw clenches. “Where is she?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Alaina told her and the rest of the whores to pack their shit and leave. Do you know who this was? Who did this?”
Beast shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t know. Now that both our chapters have joined, it could be about anything. The Russians are settled, it wasn’t them. That’s all we really know.” His hand rests on my upper thigh and my breathing hitches. He must feel me tense because he brings his hand back down on my knee and I relax instantly. I’m comfortable around Beast, there’s no doubt about that, but I’m a work in progress.
Running his lips over my back, he whispers, “Relax baby.” His breath skimming off my skin lightly.
Hella coughs from his position. “All right, since no-one else is going to ask, when did this become a thing?” he asks, raised eyebrows.
Flashing red and blue lights light up the area, bringing my attention back to the mess in front of me.
I shake my head while peering over my shoulder at Beast. “I don’t know. Good question?”
A smirk pulls across his lips, his eyes drifting down to my lips before traveling back to my eyes. His stare darkens, summoning a collection of lust to come rushing up from between my thighs before resting in my chest where it contracts tightly. He’s hot, it’s ridiculous. He’s all man, though. He’s not pretty, he’s strikingly handsome with an edge of danger. Not with me, but you can see it in his eyes. There’s a lonely emptiness inside those dark depths.
Throwing up his hood, he shakes his head. “Shut up, Hella.”
Is this what this is? A thing? We haven’t even kissed yet. As much as every time his large hands join with mine, it makes me want to jump his bones, but something tells me my body is a liar. I couldn’t jump anyone’s bones, it’s just not in my nature—I don’t think. Tapping my leg, he lays a soft kiss on my shoulder. “Hop up, baby. We need to get that arm looked at.”
I forgot all about my arm, I glance down and see the dried blood that has crusted over the wound and shrug. “It’s okay, I’ll get Alaina to stitch me up,” I answer, getting off his knee and scanning the crowd for Alaina. Phoebe is pacing up and down on the phone, probably talking to Ryder. She needs to get out of here before the media eat this place up.