HURRICANE (Beasts of Prey Book 2)

by LC Lehesaho

  "I'm just worried, that's all," Dad says in a soothing tone. "We need to work together, you know this. Otherwise, we become the prey, not the other way around."

  Huffing out a breath, I shake my arms, loosening up. "Yes, you're right." I give him a smile. "Could you make me pancakes? I need to tell you a couple of things, and I could also use something to eat. I puked my first breakfast out."

  Dad's brows draw into a tight line from worry. "Puked?"

  "Yeah, the withdrawals are messing with my system. Otherwise, I've been feeling a lot better, and I don't think I need the pills after all, but mornings, huh." I shake my head, cold shivers running down my spine even from the memory of the acid taste in my mouth.

  "Hmph." He squints his eyes but nods and stands up. "I'll talk with Doc about it. But let's get you to breakfast then, Angel. You're going to shower first?"

  "Yes, Puma really made me sweat."

  "Not too hard?" He cocks an eyebrow, clearly thinking how he will give Puma a speech about it.

  Rolling my eyes, I throw my palms up. "No! Jeez, what's wrong with you people? I'm not a handicap."

  "You had a screwdriver in your leg, not to mention all the other bruises." Dad deadpans. "We have every reason to be worried about your well-being, kid. By the way, where's Tiger? I was sure he wouldn't let you out of his sight."

  I keep my face straight, even though my mind is filled with flashbacks of what we did all morning. My core is still tingling several hours after it, and my throat is filled with new bruises, but hopefully, no one pays attention to those because it was already bruised for very different reasons—these marks what Tiger left, these I like.

  "He's sleeping, so I sneaked in here," I tell Dad, trying to keep the images of Tiger choking me while fucking me to heaven away from my head, but obviously, I fail epically, and that's all I'm thinking. "Umm, he didn't get any sleep last night, so he was tired and all."

  Dad stares at me, blinking slowly, brows furrowed, but doesn't say anything. Then I realize what it sounded like.

  "Oh, no, no." I wave my hands in the air, flush creeping to my neck. "It wasn't what you think. We didn't do it all night, I mean—oh shit." I slam my palm to my eyes. "Jeez, just kill me." Sucking in a breath, I fan my face and try to look at him with an expressionless face. "I mean, we talked last night about Amelia and everything, and he was a bit stressed out. That's why he is sleeping now."

  Dad clears his throat, sleeking his hair back, and folds his arms across his chest. "Well, it's a good thing you talked about it. He was okay to talk it through? Things between him and Bear got a little bit out of hand last night."

  "Tiger knows it too, and he said he'll talk to Bear about it," I say, incredibly proud about the fact he admitted he made a mistake and is ready to apologize for it. "And when it came to the talking part," I shrug, making a face, "you know, he wasn't super eager, but we got it handled. What about Bear? Is Rose still here?"

  Dad blows out a breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Yes, Rose is staying in Bear's loft for a while. She'll move here soon, I think that's the best in this situation. Bear wasn't too happy about it, but he'll come around."

  My brows pop up, and I stare at Dad gaping. "Rose is moving to Bear's loft? Oh, my fucking god. I think you made an understatement of the year. Not too happy about it? I bet he was furious, oh my. Hard times ahead for all of us, then."

  "You know your brother well." He lets out a laugh. "Yes, he was quite furious." Then he gets more serious. "But Bear is an adult, and he'd better start acting like it. I know he can stand up and handle his responsibilities."

  I agree, but I still feel bad for Bear. Dad will roast him about this for the next few months so hard. I wouldn't want to be in his seat.

  Playing with my towel, which I grabbed from the kettlebell rack, I raise my eyes from it to Dad with a pleading look. "Just don't push him too much, okay? Bear actually cares about the baby, even though he doesn't show it. I'll go to the ultrasound with him in a couple of weeks if it's okay with Rose. Bear said it would mean a lot if I'm there with him."

  Dad closes the distance between us, pulling me into a hug against his hard chest. I wrap my arms around him, smelling the soothing dark cologne and smoky whiskey, though I bet he hasn't drunk whiskey today yet. For some reason, he always smells like it. Expensive. Dignity. A little foresty even. Fuck, it must be his cologne and not the whiskey from his office.

  "You have such a big heart, Angel. Bear is lucky to have a sister like you," he says, petting my hair, before pulling back with a disarming smile on his face. "Now, take a shower and meet me in the kitchen. I'll go make the pancakes ready. Then we're finally gonna talk about you, right?"

  I bounce my head, trying to keep a smile on, even though I know telling Dad about what happened on my two weeks sleepover with psychopaths is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done.

  But Tiger had managed to tell him about what happened to him, so fuck me sideways if I can't.

  I can, and I will because he needs to know everything I know.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Nothing wakes up better than some son-of-a-bitch banging on the door like trying to Hulk their way through it.

  Pushing myself up from the bed, I squint my eyes at the clock on my phone at the nightstand. What the hell? Did I sleep for over six hours?

  The banging keeps going on, cracking my nerves with every hit.

  Then it occurs to me. I take a look around, pulse taking a hike. "Cobra?" I peek into the living room, but there's no one.

  Heartbeat racing a hundred miles per hour, I check the bathroom too. Empty.

  "Open the fucking door. I know you're in there," Bear's voice comes through the door, still hitting it.

  I storm to the corridor, ready to rip the door from its frames and kick the motherfucker’s ass from annoying me, but a white paper taped to the door stops me. Ripping it off, I open the door, so Bear won't bang it again and add the last nail on his coffin.

  "Not a fucking word," I growl, throwing my index finger in his direction and focus on reading the note.

  Hey, handsome.

  Take a breath and calm down.

  I went to the gym with Puma. Grab a coffee and a chill pill and keep your marbles in a bowl, ‘kay?

  I’ll be back. Imagine I said that in Schwarzenegger’s voice.

  Sexy, right? xoxo C.

  Huffing out a relieved breath, I turn to Bear, who stands at the doorway, looking pissed as fuck with his clenched jaw and furrowed brows. His other eye has gotten a darker shade, and the bridge of his nose is slightly swollen. Oops.

  "Okay, yeah." I try to channel some cool vibes into me because I remember what I promised to Cobra. "I don't know why you're here, but I was going to come to find you anyway. So, let's get this over with. I'm sorry about yesterday. I lost my shit in the wrong place."

  His hand flies to my throat before I can dodge, and my back slams on the wall hard enough to make my breath catch for a second, but it doesn't stop my anger from bursting up.

  "I trusted you," Bear fumes to my face, black eyes blazing. "I fucking trusted you."

  Gritting my teeth, I keep myself from snapping his neck right now. "Get your hands off me, and I'll let you walk out of here in one piece."

  Every cell in me vibrates, ready to explode. Still, this fucker stays where he is, hand on my throat, chest to chest, and face so close to mine I can feel his breathing on my lips.

  "Do you have any fucking idea how badly you fucked me over?" he growls, smacking his other palm to the wall next to my head. Yet, the violence oozing out of him is nothing compared to mine.

  Bear should fucking know better than lay a hand on me like this.

  Only by reminding myself he's family keeps me from killing him now.

  Breathing through my nose, I keep my hands on my sides, and for the first time in years, restrain myself from fighting back. "Bear. I don't want to hurt you, so I'm saying this one more time. Get. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off. Me."

/>   Instead of moving away, he leans closer, pressing our brows together. "I've never wanted to kill you more than I do now, brother."

  Dropping the note from my hand, I grab one hand to the back of his neck and another to his jaw. "You don't want to start with me. Daddy is not here to save your ass this time."

  "Maybe I do," he says, and I can smell the licorice from his breath. He's started drinking early today, or he has never stopped since yesterday—bets on the latter. "Ready to snap my neck, dear brother? Go ahead. I know you have the balls to do it."

  Satan, give me fucking patience.

  I spin us around, hitting his back to the wall, anger bubbling in my bloodstream. I lean close to stare at those black pits. "You fucked up, Bear. I'm not the one who knocked Rose up—you did. If you're such a fucking tough guy, then why you didn't drag her to the abortion clinic, huh?"

  His grip on my throat tightens, another hand coming to the back of my head, and he pulls me even closer, ignoring my question. "You and I are the same. You're just as sick of a motherfucker as I am, so I thought I could trust you, and you stabbed me in the back by letting Puma know. You knew he would gut me in any given chance, and he fucking did."

  "Go to hell. We're nothing alike."

  "Oh yeah?" He grins, cocking an eyebrow. "Cassie told me what you did to her when you fucked her. That bitch really likes it rough. So, yes, brother, we are very much alike."

  "This isn't about how we like to fuck. It's about you getting your goddamn shit together and dealing with Rose. It was only a matter of time before Leo would've found out," I say through gritted teeth, skin prickling from anger.

  "I would've told him eventually. The thing is I trusted you more than my fucking blood brothers, and you betrayed me." Bear almost spits the words to my face. "I trusted you, Tiger."

  "What the fuck made you think I'm trustworthy in the first place, asshole?"

  "Because my sister has worshipped you all these years, and Cobra isn't stupid. I was fucking delusional and thought I could trust you too."

  I shake my head, letting out a sigh. "For fuck's sake, man. Fine, I'm sorry, okay?" I release my hold, starting to lean back, but Bear wraps his arms around me, slamming his body to mine into a violent hug. "The hell—"

  "I should fucking kill you for putting me into this position," he growls to my ear, and I could tell him the same. Especially when I feel what I think I'm feeling, right beside my own cock.

  "Bear, I swear to Satan, if you don't back away now, I will kill you."

  He lets go of me, and I take a step back, giving him a once over. It's not even just a semi, nope. He's sporting solid as a fucking rock hard-on. I give him an incredulous look, "You got a fucking boner from this?"

  "Anger does that. Don't act so surprised." He shrugs with a crooked grin, nodding towards my crotch. The boxer briefs aren't covering much. Go figure. "Like you don't get hard from a little mayhem yourself."

  "I just woke up, fucker, I'm not hard ‘cause of this," I snarl back, though he's not entirely wrong. It happens once in a while. "Besides, what are you doing here, anyway? Did you come here just to fight with me?"

  Bear sticks his hands into his jeans’ pockets, eyeing me. "I didn't, but your annoying face gave me no choice. Get dressed. Rose needs to pick stuff from her home, and I can't drive."

  I frown at him. "I'm not your driver. I have better things to do than be an Über for you and your whatever she is."

  Rose doesn't have a driver's license, which is probably the best. She'd probably be one of those dumb bitches who causes accidents by taking selfies while driving.

  "There's no one else, so yeah, you'll be my driver—whether you want it or not." He flashes a nasty grin. "I bet you don't want me to go to Puma. You know how that would end."

  I know very well. Spikes of annoyance ripples through my veins, making me itchy. "How about Wolf? Falcon? Where are they at?"

  "Working and at school. And before you wonder, Dad and Cobra left somewhere together to have a daddy-daughter time, so no, she doesn't need you right now either."

  My muscles tense instantly. "Where did they go?"

  Bear rolls his eyes. "I don't know. C'mon, stop being such a pussywhipped dork. I swear sis has your balls in an iron grip. Get dressed, and let's go."

  "No, it's called caring, which you don't know anything about." I throw him a middle finger before leaving for the bedroom. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand and picking Cobra's new number, I press the phone between my ear and shoulder. Bear swaggers into my room while I pull on black jeans, and the asshole splays himself across the bed, leaning on his elbows.

  "Get off my bed, especially when you have a fucking boner." I glare at him while continuing dressing up. "That's sick."

  He cracks a laugh, not moving. "It was almost wearing off, but the sex smells in here got it hard all over again. Do you have to restrain yourself, or does sis like it rough too?"

  "One more word and you're gonna get an example of just how rough I can be. She's your goddamn sister. Stop thinking about her having sex." I check if the phone is still calling because I'm not getting an answer. It is.

  "So what? It's not like I'm fucking her. And let me point out, she's your sister too."

  "You've had too many hits to your fucking head." I shake my head in disbelief. "We aren't blood-related, like you two. We can do anything we want without it being weird, but you should watch your mouth. Not only, she's your sister, but Cobra is my girl, and I'm territorial as fuck. I can't believe I even had to say this to you."

  Bear gets up, the goddamn grin on his face, adjusting himself. "You said I don't know anything about caring, but you know what? Sharing is caring." My stunned face makes him snicker, and he winks. "Don't worry, I'm just messing with you. I wouldn't touch my own sister, but you should've seen your face."

  "This is precisely why nobody likes you," I huff and stride back to the corridor, getting my Vans on. My phone starts to ring just when we step out of my loft to the hallway, and I pick it up, watching Bear strolling to his loft to get Rose. Cobra's name flashes on the screen as I hurry to answer.

  "Sorry, kitty, I didn't hear you called," Cobra's voice comes through the lines, and her vibrating timbre instantly soothes my nerves until I remember she left without informing me.

  "What the fuck, baby? Where the hell are you, and why didn't you come to tell me you were leaving?" I know she's with Leo and safe, but still, she's with me, so I should be aware of where she is.

  "Kitty, kitty, kittyyy, didn't you drink coffee yet? Do I have to deal with a grumpy cat here?" She dares to joke, and I swear she's gonna regret that when I get my hands on her.

  "Cobra, don't test my patience now. Bear has gotten to my nerves the last half an hour, and I feel like ripping his head off, so the last thing I need is you fucking around and not telling me where you are," I say, gritting my teeth and squeezing the lighter in my fist.

  "Okay, okay, calm down, damnit. Dad took me to meet the cop who had information about the bodies you guys left at the hotel, Silas's guards. We got their identities," she tells me calmly, and the information electrifies every inch of me. We are getting closer. "And go easy on Bear. I told him to ask you to drive them. You know, so you can fix things. You agreed to help him, right?"

  "We almost killed each other already, but yeah, I'm taking them to Rose's place. And thank you very much, baby, you have no idea what I had to put up with."

  Cobra's chuckling is so cute it forces my lips to curve up. "I think I know, but I also know you can handle it. Give him a chance. He's having a hard time, ‘cause Rose is moving in."

  My brows quirks and I turn my eyes to Bear's ajar door. "Really? Here?"

  "Yeah, Dad decided. Oh, but hey love, I gotta go," she says, and I hear Leo's voice from the background, but I can't make sense of what he is saying. "Be nice, okay? I'll be back later, ‘cause we still have a couple of things to do."

  "What things?"

  "None of your business, kitty," she laughs,
making my nerves stretch again. None of my business? She is my fucking business. Before I can tell her just that, she continues. "I love you to Hell and back, and I'll let you know when I'm home. Then we can do some relationship things like ordering those matching joggers or something."

  I scrub my hand through my hair, keeping myself from laughing. She makes me go through an emotional roller coaster every second of the day.

  "Yeah, I love you too, worm. Be safe."

  "Vice versa, love."

  We end the call just when Bear and Rose come out from his loft. She is wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and it sucks her skin like an octopus to its prey. It's obvious why Bear has kept her around so long. Rose is good-looking, but there's a coldness in her that gives me chills. Yet, again, matches well with Bear, so I'm not surprised they fit. She talks all chirpy and smiles like fucking Miss America, but her eyes reveal it's all fake, just like her boobs.

  Some people are hollow shells, and she is definitely one of them. Her appearance is flawless, but I bet there is nothing inside.

  "You ready?" I ask from Bear.

  "Born ready, brother," he retorts, pushing the door close. Rose reaches for his hand, but Bear sticks them into his pockets, ignoring her attempts. She doesn't seem too bothered, just picks up her phone and starts to scroll as we walk downstairs.

  I feel sorry for the baby. If it grows up not turning into a sociopath, it's gonna be the world's eight miracle.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  "Are you happy now, Dad?" I ask, fiddling with the candy paper in my hands, and giving him an amused smirk as he glances at me while changing the gears. The mustang's big engine roars and the sound reverberates through my body, leaving goosebumps behind. I'm not much of a driver myself, but I love the sound of muscle cars.

  "I got to buy a new car, so yes, I'm thrilled. I hope you are too." He tilts his head to the side, a satisfied sparkle in his honey brown eyes.