by Eva K. More
“So, where are we going? What’s the plan?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.
“There’s a cabin in the woods not too far from the city,” Beast answered, still with his eyes focused on the road in front of them.
“Is it yours?”
“A friend’s, sort of… Ivo doesn’t know about it,” his tone appeared bored, monotone.
“Speaking of him… how did it go today?” Kat didn’t know why she couldn’t just shut up; maybe it was the nerves of once again being in a small space with the disconcerting and dangerous man.
Beast shot her a sideways look. “Ivo is furious, and Anton is mad at him. At first, he didn’t want to tell me that it was Anton who had last seen you, but it was inevitable.” At that moment, he frowned. “Obviously, he doesn’t trust me. I need to rectify that situation, that’s why I needed to grill Lina more harshly today.”
“Lina? Is that how you knew where to find me yesterday?” Kat remembered the phone call the other woman had had before the girls were ushered downstairs.
Her stomach churned while she imagined Beast roughing Lina up. She might not have been the most pleasant person she had ever met, especially with her strangely wandering hands, but she had still helped her in some way.
Beast kept his hard gaze on the road. “She helped me, yes, but I paid her good money for it. Money is a big motivator. She knows what to do and say to save her ass, so stop worrying about her, little bird, she’s going to be okay.”
Beast changed gears, and she thought it oddly predictable that he didn’t drive an automatic. He was a hands-on type.
“She didn’t tell Ivo about you helping me?”
“I never told her I’d be at the house. For all she knows, someone else might have gotten to you. And she won’t tell Ivo anything where I am concerned.”
“How are you so sure?” She asked, knowing that she was nagging to the man that, right now, had the control of her future.
“How do you think I got my name?” He countered with a low, menacing voice. “Nobody wants to be on my bad side.”
Kat shivered. The hard profile of the masked man underlined his harsh words. “That’s right.” She gulped. “Lina told me you’re, what was it again… the enforcer.”
His sharp look penetrated her senses when he moved it off the road for a split second. “Lina told you a lot about our business, hm?”
“If you mean that she clarified that I was being held hostage by the mafia, then yes.” She bit her lip before asking her next question. “What did she mean, though? Enforcer. What is it that you do specifically?”
He turned the car around a corner, on a road without lights. “You shouldn’t concern your pretty head with ugly things,” Beast said.
“Do you kill people? Were you enforcing in that alley?” When he didn’t answer her, she probed further. “Why would you kill people regularly when it only concerns fossil fuels?”
His jaw clenched, his grip on the steering wheel tightened, and his voice was surprisingly scalding. “Clearly, you have no idea. Haven’t learned a lot in school, huh?”
Chastised, Kat indeed felt like an ignorant child, and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment as she turned to look out the window. Why did he make her sound like she was stupid? It was evident that he didn’t think much about her.
When she bit her lip and remained quiet, her mood finally penetrated his thick, non-metallic skull, and he sighed. “Okay. I concede that you’ve been living in a bubble your whole life.”
“I have not!” She huffed indignantly and turned to watch him with wide eyes. He couldn’t possibly know how her grandparents had raised her. “I’ll admit I’ve had no contact with the mob before. So, sue me! But I’ll have you know that I’ve experienced plenty in my 23 years of life.”
He chuckled in response. The noise was so shocking that it made her anger dissipate slightly. Watching him, she even saw the corners of his eyes crinkle. Still, she could not believe him.
“Are you laughing at me?” Kat asked.
“No,” he deadpanned. It might have sounded almost sincere if it weren’t for the spark in his eyes as he kept watching the street. “But let’s test that experienced brain of yours then, little bird. Think about how many people have cars, how many still have old kitchens with gas-stoves. Do you know how many people heat their houses and apartments in winter? Now think about those people as our ultimate consumers.”
Kat’s eyebrows shot up. From that point of view… “That’s a lot of people. A lot of money. And it covers the basic needs, so people don’t have a choice but to use your… product.”
“Bingo.” He said with a condescending voice.
“And what is the illegal part of it?” Why would this be a branch of the mafia?
“In import and export. Without going into the details, surely you know that the state likes to tax and put rules and regulations on anything. We make our own rules.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You sound proud,” Kat stated. Did this mean they could control the pricing? Her mind reeled. This way, they could basically control the whole country.
“Sure,” he answered shamelessly. “We’ve built a great empire.”
“And it’s your job to protect it,” she stated, coming back full circle to her earlier question. All this meant that they would have a lot of enemies.
“Yes, better keep remembering that.”
Kat remained silent for the next few minutes and observed the darkness surrounding the car. They had now moved to a road that was more than a little dirt track.
Sitting next to Beast, she noticed that she wasn’t scared. Maybe she should have been, but her lack of fear had her interest in him rising. It was strange how calm she felt. When yesterday she had been on the verge of a breakdown in the mansion, Kat was feeling a lot better today. And all thanks to Beast, because he had given her something back, something she had lost during her short encounter with Anton: hope.
She let her eyes focus on his profile. How strange an impact it was from a man like him. What was he? A demon or an angel?
“One question,” Kat said, unable, once again, of keeping the silence in the small space. “Is the mask part of your uniform?” she asked.
“The mask is part of me. Period. You should know by now that curiosity isn’t your forte, so better let the questions about my persona drop now. That’s all you need to know,” Beast said and ducked his head to read a sign on the side of the road.
“And friendliness isn’t your strongest point,” she retaliated and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Beast’s rumbling laughter filled the car. “It’s a good thing I don’t need it then.”
They kept quiet for the rest of the ride. The road had gotten wilder and bumpier, with trees lining on each side of it. Eventually, Beast stopped the car in a small clearing, the spotlights illuminating a small wooden cabin. In silence, Beast stepped out of the car and retrieved the duffle bag and another one from the trunk.
“A cabin in the woods, huh? You’re not going to kill me here, right?” she asked, suddenly nervous as she looked at the darkness surrounding them. It was a place right out of a horror movie.
Beast had already moved onto the veranda and was opening the door, turning on the lights inside.
“If you keep asking questions…” he growled.
Not wanting to remain standing outside where wild animals could attack at any given moment, Kat jumped up the three steps and nearly ran inside, noticing that the cabin was moderately decorated. It consisted of a small living room and an adjacent, surprisingly modern kitchen, the color of rich red wine.
“There are two bedrooms here. You’ll take the left one.” Beast said and strode across the small cabin with firm steps.
When he noticed that she hadn’t followed him, he looked at her and noted her gazing at the small table next to the couch. “Doesn’t work,” he stated firmly. “It’s open for incoming calls, but you can’t call anybody with it.”
/> Kat blushed at having been discovered so quickly. She had been looking at a phone, seemingly from the past decade, but it didn’t appear broken.
She hesitated for a moment. “I’d really like to call my family and tell them that I’m okay.”
“Not an option.”
“But,” as if moving on their own, her feet stepped closer to him. “Nobody knows where I am, and they must be worried sick,” she pleaded.
Beast towered over her, his sweatshirt covering the bulging muscles of his arms while emphasizing his massive build. “I told you yesterday why you can’t, and I don’t like repeating myself. It’s late now; you should go to sleep.”
The way he had brushed her off after their, in her opinion, friendly chat and his denial now rubbed her the wrong way. Her mood deteriorated quickly.
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm, and even though she felt an electric spark, she decided to ignore it. He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve done nothing but lie in bed all day; I’m not tired.” Because she felt stumped that he had brushed her perfectly reasonable plea off with barely a thought, she looked defiantly at him. “I’m hungry.” For now, she put the phone discussion away, but she would not let him order her around like a seven-year-old girl.
“Fine,” he hissed behind the mask. “The kitchen is fully stocked; you can make yourself a sandwich.” It was a small victory, but it was her choice. She would be damned if she let him dictate her every move.
She pursed her lips and then went to the kitchen area. Beast followed and sat down on one of the barstools on the island.
“You want a sandwich too?” Her voice held enough sass to strike a nerve. She had been held captive in a small room today; her emotions were raw from everything she had gone through in the past few days, and where she had been sad and scared yesterday, she was livid and furious today. If he wanted to fight, she would oblige immediately, gladly so. Or maybe she was the one wanting a fight?
Beast’s eyes followed her every move silently, trying to see past her act, right into her riled-up soul, “No.”
“No, because you’re not hungry or because you won’t take the mask off?” She had found the bread and a knife after rummaging the cupboards and was now slicing it. It didn’t escape her notice that he watched her handle the sharp object warily. Something twisted inside her cheered at his obvious discomfort.
“I already ate, and I won’t take the mask off.”
“Ever?” Kat sassed back at him. Talking about playing with fire…
His mesmerizing eyes met hers in a hard gaze. “I won’t take it off.”
She didn’t know what made her do it – probably an after-effect of her ordeal – but she sauntered around the kitchen counter, knife in hand, and put the tip against the small patch of visible skin on his throat. Beast didn’t move, didn’t swallow.
“Not even when I threaten you?” Kat forcefully said. Maybe it was a way for her to regain the control she had so obviously lost over her life.
Up close, the little details of his face, or what she could see of it, were striking. His black hair was messy and depressed, slightly longer on the top than at the sides. His dark grey eyes studied hers with a calmness that showed her that he wasn’t the least bit frightened.
“It would be stupid of you to try,” Beast said quietly. Kat’s pulse quickened when he tipped his head back slightly, offering his throat.
She pressed the blade harder against his throat, but not firm enough to break the skin. She was drunk with a desire to see him react. “I’m not stupid,” she said.
“Then, you’re definitely crazy.” The cold metal blade rasped against the stubble of his throat, and she repeated the tilting motion, watching in fascination.
“… Maybe I am.”
In a fluid movement, Beast stood up and gripped the hand that held the knife painfully. At the same time, he pressed his body into hers and pinned her against the counter. “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled lowly.
Kat's breath had turned erratic, her pulse spiked with adrenaline, but instead of being afraid, she felt electrically charged just like the air between them. His body felt just as hard as the counter behind her. Wherever they touched, her soft flesh yielded to his rock-hard muscles.
She tried ripping her hands free, but he didn’t budge.
“Or what? You will finally kill me?” She didn’t know what possessed her to aggravate him so boldly.
A deep rumbling sound vibrated through his chest. Beast’s eyes drank in her form, moving downwards from her face to her lips, then to her chest. She wore one of his thick sweaters that covered a good portion of her upper body, but her breasts strained against the cotton with her uneven breathing.
Then he leaned forward until his forehead almost touched hers.
“I get that you’re angry for having your life turned upside down. But I’m trying to redeem my mistakes by helping you, so keep that anger in check. If you want to vent, find another scapegoat because next time I won’t go easy on you,” he said while letting go of her in an instant, then he turned around and walked away into what she assumed was his sleeping room.
Kat might have felt a bit like a fool, and her hand hurt a little from his tight grip, but ultimately, she felt like a winner. She had managed to aggravate Beast until his control had shattered – if only for a second. She had seen the vivid flash in his eyes and felt his temper radiate off him.
Ever since she had first seen him, he appeared to have absolute control over himself. People who could reign in their emotions irritated her; he had annoyed her because nothing seemed to faze him, and she was tired of feeling so weak and out of control. But now he had shown her that he was human on some level, and it reassured her.
If she were to spend some time with him, she needed to break his cold exterior. It was hard enough that he wouldn’t take off the gruesome mask.
Walking down the corridor, she decided to forget the other feeling she had when their skins had touched. There was no way her insides could have quivered with excitement.
Her room consisted of two single beds and a big bookshelf. The floorboards creaked, and it smelled of wood polish, though not displeasingly so. She chose the bed closest to the door and marveled at the softness of the mattress.
Although guilt for worrying the people she loved most was a constant companion in her mind, in her situation, it was the small things she let herself enjoy, like the smell of fresh linen and the cold, crisp air that drifted through her tilted window.
Sleeping in the quiet house was particularly pleasant and unusual at the same time. At first, she tossed and turned, unable to enjoy the complete silence of the woods. Then, when she noticed the sounds of wild owls and chirping insects, her body finally succumbed to fatigue and drifted into a surprisingly deep sleep, filled with metallic grey eyes and children’s laughter.
***
When she woke up, she felt much more refreshed than on any of her previous days. She took her morning shower in the adjacent bathroom and opted to put on the legging Beast had bought her along with his black sweatshirt. If asked, she would say that it kept her warm, because she would never admit how comfortable those earth-smelling sweaters made her feel.
When she entered the big room, Beast was sitting on the couch, watching a news’ channel on an old TV. In her peripheral vision, she could see the same pictures as yesterday of two missing girls; none were her.
The old entertainment machine had been hidden inside a cabinet yesterday; it appeared to be about twenty years old, and the picture wasn’t very clear. Still, Kat was thrilled to have the option of watching something other than the trees outside the windows.
Beast didn’t look up, but she was sure he had noticed her. She hadn’t seen him since their small falling out yesterday, and she was adamant about keeping her calm demeanor.
The aroma of coffee drifted into her nose, and she followed it into the kitchen area.
Inspecting the dishes in the sink, she narrowed her eyes. There was an
empty coffee cup, and a small plate with bread crumbles on it. So, Beast took off the mask sometimes.
Logically, she should have known that he couldn’t drink or eat with it, but because she hadn’t seen him do that in her presence, she felt oddly surprised.
“There’s coffee left in the machine.” His deep voice startled her out of her reverie.
Kat shot his profile a calculating look. He didn’t appear angry, so she kept her tongue in check.
Beast hadn’t put on his sweater and was lounging on the couch with a grey short-sleeved shirt. His broad chest stretched the soft material, and the intricate designs of his tattoos made a high contrast to his bronzed skin in the daylight.
“Thank you,” she said and took a cup from the cupboard to pour the warm, brown liquid into it. She checked out the windows and didn’t see much besides trees outside. “I didn’t expect you to be here still.” The clock read ten o’clock in the morning, and yesterday he had been long gone by that time.
He huffed in amusement. “Normally I work at night. My sort of occupation doesn’t work out really well during the day.”
“You mean killing people?” Kat replied without thinking and regretted it instantly, as she didn’t want to set on fire the olive branch that he offered by making coffee for both of them. She scrunched her face as if tasting a lime, and took a prolonged sip of her coffee, trying to create a barrier while waiting for his response.
His head turned lazily to the side. “Obviously. That and saving little birds from big, bad wolves. I’m a walking contradiction,” he quipped dryly, and she choked on her coffee. Had he just made some kind of joke?
They stared at each other for a few moments until she couldn’t take his direct gaze anymore and cleared her throat. “So, I’ve been thinking about that phone-”
“No,” he said, as if bored.
“But you don’t even know what I was going to say!” That man was frustrating her like no one before.
“You don’t want to call your family?” He asked as a reply to Kat’s outburst.