by Katee Robert
“That’s good. Then you won’t mind explaining why Isabelle Belmonte is sitting here in your robe, looking like she’s been run over by a truck.” She spares me the briefest glance. “No offense.”
“None taken,” I say faintly.
“There’s a simple explanation,” Beast interjects. He doesn’t look ruffled, but Beast always shuts down his reactions in stressful moments.
“That’s good. Because from what people are saying, it sure as fuck sounds like you hauled Isabelle out of the Underworld by her hair and have kept her locked up here as some kind of sex slave and, friends or not, I will castrate you right fucking now if that’s the case.” She’s wearing a pair of jeans that look painted on and a cute flouncy crop top, so I don’t think she has a weapon hidden anywhere, but both men tense up as if she just pulled out a gun and pointed it at them.
Beast takes half a step in front of my chair. “It’s none of your business.”
Hook whistles under his breath. “Good luck with that.”
“You made it my business when you sent out an invite to bring me here—an invite, I might add, that sounded a whole lot like a command.” Tink crosses her arms under her breasts. “I talk to Isabelle alone or I walk—and I will be walking right to Meg and letting her know that this fuckery is taking place in her and Hades’s territory. Your choice.”
I fully expect the men to fight her on this. Neither of them takes orders well from anyone other than my father, and Tink’s married to the leader of an entirely different territory. But Beast finally steps back and Gaeton brushes a light hand across my hair. “Tell her whatever she wants to know, Isabelle.”
I twist to look at him. I truly do not understand the power dynamics in the room right now. “What? Why?”
“Because she’s a friend.” He gives a smile that’s almost a grimace. “And she doesn’t bluff.”
Their friend.
Maybe it’s true, but there’s a lot more in the way of undertones here that I don’t understand. Or maybe I simply never stopped to think about what Gaeton and Beast would look like as friends with other people. They socialized with the people that work under them, but that always felt almost like an obligation. Both men keep others at a distance as a matter of course. The fact that this woman is here, is close enough to demand answers without them seeing it as a threat or digging in their heels …
Every new revelation about these two drives home the truth; I really don’t know them as well as I thought I did.
Tink looks around and nods at the door to the bedroom. “In there. Now.” Another cross look at the rest of the room. “Keep an eye on these two, Hook.”
I follow slowly, clutching the robe to keep from flashing her. I’ve been alone with this woman many times in the past, but it feels a little like locking myself in with a tiger as I shut the door behind me.
She frowns at me and lowers her voice. “Look, I know better than anyone how the rumor mill churns in this city, but if you need me to get you out, I will.”
I blink. “Why would you do that? You’re their friend.”
“No shit I’m their friend, and sometimes that means taking a hard line when they’re fucking up.” She hesitates, but finally props her hands on her hips. “I would like to believe that neither of those guys would keep you here if you didn’t want to be, but Beast and Gaeton are fucked in the head when it comes to you, and the Man in Black dying has fucked them up worse. So as much as I’d like to say that they’d never do something so unforgivable, I can’t guarantee it, which is why we’re having this conversation.” She crosses to me and flicks open the robe a little. “So I’ll ask you again and I want an honest answer; are those bruises consensual or do I need to get you out?”
I look down. My body aches from everything we did yesterday, and I barely noticed the bruises. I flush with something like shame, though there’s a level of possessive pride in there. I earned these marks. I meet and hold her green eyes. “It’s none of your business, but I’m willing to give you an answer because I appreciate your offer, unnecessary as it is. The marks are consensual. I’m here because I want to be. If I wanted to walk out that door, they wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
She searches my face for a long time and finally exhales in a rush. “Thank fuck. I hoped they wouldn’t drop into the deep end like that, but grief does weird shit to people and I couldn’t be sure.” She starts to sit on the bed and changes her mind halfway through. “I don’t need any details you’re not comfortable sharing, but I’d like some.”
Most of it is common enough knowledge at this point. Beyond that, it’s not a bad idea to have this woman in my corner. “They left after my father died.” I wrestle down the grief pushing at the inside of my skin, just waiting to spill messily over everything. “Ursa is testing our boundaries, and we need them back.”
“Uh-huh.” Tink is still studying me. “And none of you three got over that mess from a year ago.”
“And none of the three of us got over that, either,” I confirm. It’s difficult to keep my expression locked down. “We agreed on two weeks. It’ll all be figured out by then.”
Tink raises her brows. “Sure it will.” She presses perfect red-painted lips together. “Okay, fine, I won’t hustle you out of here. You know why they called me?”
They haven’t explicitly stated their plan, but I can hazard a few guesses. “I need clothes.” They want to make a statement and Tink’s designs are sure to do that, though I don’t know what she can accomplish on this timeline. None of us have thought through things as much as we need to.
“You need a whole lot more than that.” She shakes her head. “Damn men. We’ll take care of this. Trust me.”
Strangely enough, I do. Tink and I have never been friends. She’s snarly and brilliant and all of our interactions have surrounded her measuring me, making suggestions, and then delivering stunning clothing items when she says she will. That said, I know plenty about her reputation. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with the power players in Carver City, both in and out of the bedroom, is not someone to be taken lightly. “Okay.”
She leads the way back into the main room of the apartment. The men are more or less exactly where we left them. Hook lights up like Tink has been gone a week instead of a few short minutes. Gaeton and Beast just look guarded.
Tink props her hands on her generous hips. “You two are acting like fools.”
“Jeez, Tink, tell us how you really feel.” Gaeton smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Somehow, I know that if this situation wasn’t about me, he’d be fully enjoying her attitude.
“Don’t worry, I have an itemized list.” I can’t see her expression from here, but she sounds fearsome. “I’m going to text it to you, and then you and Beast are going to retrieve every single thing on the list for me. I don’t want you back before then.”
Beast is already shaking his head. “No. We’re more than happy to pay your steep fees to get something put together now, but we’re not leaving.”
“Wrong again.” She pulls her phone out and types quickly. Seconds later, both Gaeton and Beast’s phones chime.
Gaeton’s brows rise as he reads. “This list has twenty things on it. Some of this shit, I’ve never heard of.”
“Get familiar. You want to seduce someone who invests as much into their appearance as Isabelle does—that wasn’t a dig, by the way—you need to figure out the products that they need to accomplish it, and you need to figure it out fast.” A sugary sweet edge filters into her voice, one that doesn’t do a single thing to cover the poison beneath. “Get the fuck out, or I’ll leave all three of you high and dry. And don’t think for a second that I’m not charging you hazard pay for this entire day.”
Beast and Gaeton exchanged one of those silent speaking glances. Finally, Beast shrugs. “You get a few hours on the condition that Hook stays.” He looks at the other man. “I’m assuming you have a team in the building.”
“You assume correctly.”
; “It’ll be enough.” Beast crosses to me and tips my chin up with a finger. “What do you want, Isabelle?”
That’s a question I still don’t have an answer to. I’m starting to fear I never will. I try for a smile, but the expression doesn’t feel right on my face. “Tink appears to have things well in hand.”
He searches my expression and nods once. “We won’t be long.”
Not a single person mentions that it’d be simple to order the items and have them couriered here. There’s a bit of shuffling around as Hook’s people bring up a sewing machine and a rack filled with wardrobe bags. Then Gaeton and Beast are gone, Hook’s team are sent to secure the perimeter, and I’m left with these two people I barely know.
Hook brushes a soft kiss to Tink’s lips. “I’d tell you to be gentle, but I know better.”
“That’s right. You do know better.”
He drops into the chair Gaeton occupied and pulls out his phone. Seconds later, he seems entirely consumed with whatever he’s reading. Tink turns to give me a long look. “You shy?”
“Not particularly.”
“If you want Hook in another room or facing away, it’s fine, but I need you to try on a few things. We don’t have a time to put together a dress from scratch, so we’ll adjust some of the stuff I have on hand.”
I glance at Hook, but he doesn’t seem to pay us the least bit of attention. I know it’s a lie. If he thinks for a second that I’m a threat, he’ll neutralize me immediately. But I appreciate how respectful he’s being. He has a good reputation, both as a man and as a territory leader, and so far he’s living up to it. “It’s fine.”
“I’ll take you at your word. Lose the robe.”
I shrug out of it and drape it over the arm of the couch. Tink circles me and whistles. “They did a number on you.”
Impossible not to blush. “I enjoyed it.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that.” She stops in front of me and narrows her eyes. “You’ve lost weight. I can see that even without measuring you again. You’re not taking care of yourself.”
“It’s been a rough couple of months.” The understatement of the century.
Tink winces. “Right. I’m sorry. My condolences on the loss of your father.”
I never know what to say to people who offer their condolences or apologies. No amount of words in any combination will bring him back or lessen the pain of losing him. Nothing can combat the gaping hole in my chest, though being with Beast and Gaeton helps distract me. Without their presence in the apartment, the darkness nips at my edges, tearing away bits of my armor and what little peace I found in the arms of the two men I love.
I clear my throat. “Thanks.”
If Tink sees the way I blink too often to avoid the wetness in my eyes overflowing, she chooses to ignore it. Instead, she turns to the garment bags and unzips them one by one. “I grabbed everything I have ready. We’ll get you a few options to work with, and when I’m done, you’ll look amazing enough that no one will wonder how you’re feeling.”
She gets it. Somehow, she understands. I manage to smile past the burning in my throat. “Thank you.” This time, I truly mean it.
Chapter 18
Gaeton
We hunt down every single item on Tink’s list. Like she said, it takes longer than I expect. The woman was mighty specific when it comes to cosmetics and all the products that apparently go into the upkeep of hair and body and, fuck, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. It’s also pricey as hell.
Through it all, Beast and I don’t talk much. His head is obviously a million miles away, and I’m still wrapped up in a whole lot of conflict. It’s not until we’re on our way back to the apartment that I finally put the feeling into words. “Are we doing the right thing?”
“There is no such thing as ‘right.’ Not in our world.” Beast shifts the bags around on his wrist. “We’re not the heroes. Pretending otherwise is enough to get people killed.”
I shoot him the look that statement deserves. “Someone’s feeling melodramatic.”
“Sorry, am I stepping on your toes? I know you’re the drama queen of the trio.”
I bristle, ready to snap back, but stop when I catch a faint smile curving his lips. I frown. “You’re fucking with me.”
“I’m fucking with you,” he says. He gives that rasping chuckle that I’m starting to like so much. “There will be plenty of time for serious shit and overthinking. Try to relax. We got this.”
“Do we? Do we really?” I narrow my eyes. “You didn’t answer my question. Are we doing the right thing?”
Beast slows and stops in front of my apartment building, finally turning to give me his full attention. “I don’t know if we’re doing the right thing. I don’t think there is a ‘right thing’ in this scenario. There’s only what we want.” He stands there, steady and oh so serious. “I don’t give a fuck about right. I don’t want to stop. Do you?”
“No, I don’t want to stop.” As much as the last two days have hurt, it’s a sweet sort of pain. It almost feels like this experience might actually lance the festering wound of losing Isabelle the first time. Something I never thought possible.
Then again, I can’t see how losing her a second time won’t make everything worse. It almost killed me to walk away from her before. Doing it again…
Not to mention my feelings for Beast are hardly cut and dried. The more we smudge the lines, the more I see that maybe they never were. Rage and lust can be two sides to the same coin, just like hate and love. Maybe I was never able to admit that before, but I can now.
It’s funny, though I don’t feel much like laughing, but the one thing I couldn’t have anticipated when I agreed to this was that I might miss Beast. No matter what else happens, when this is all over, I’ll never be able to look at him again without thinking about how good he tastes, about how good he made me feel when we were together.
It might feel good now, but that’s just setting us all up for a bigger fall at the end. “There is no happy ending when this is over.”
“Are you so sure?” He starts walking before I can divine what the fuck he means, moving fast enough that I have to hustle to make it to the elevator despite his shorter legs.
I glare at him in the mirrored doors as they slide shut. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The question doesn’t come out as sharp as I intend it. No, I sound like I’m asking him to reassure me.
“It means, Gaeton, that you’re thinking too hard and your emotions are getting the best of you. Enjoy this time we have.”
As if it’s that simple. I turn to face him. He looks just like he always does, cool and calm and collected and far too beautiful to be real. I’ll never tell him as much, but his scars make him more human, more grounded in reality with the rest of us. They aren’t flaws. They’re proof that he’s not some otherworldly being with perfect control who is above making mistakes.
“How did you get your scars?” I blurt out the question before I can think better of it.
He doesn’t seem to breathe for a second. “Some of them are from the reality of a life like ours. You have scars too.”
“Not like yours.”
“No, not like mine.” He holds my gaze. “I made a mistake and paid the price.”
It means everything and nothing. For all his reputation, Beast is human and humans make mistakes. I’ve just never heard him admit as much. “So you can make mistakes.” I knew that. Of course I knew that. But, aside from my personal feelings, the man has been above reproach when it comes how he operates as a general. He’s fearless and bold and his mind makes jumps that I don’t always understand but that always, always seem to be the right calls.
He’s even saved my life a time or two, though neither of us have ever spoken about it.
“Yeah, I can make mistakes.” His eyes go icy. “I lost the person I cared about once, Gaeton. I’ll do anything to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Fucking anything.”
I can understand that, eve
n if it makes some part of me heavier in response. I should have known that Beast wouldn’t let something as mundane as lust get him twisted. He wants me. He wouldn’t have proposed we muddy the waters by fucking if he didn’t. But it’s obvious that’s all it is for him. Fucking.
No reason for that to disappoint me. The last thing this situation needs is further complications. It’s smart as shit to lock my heart away until I know how things will fall out.
Too bad I was never as good at protecting myself as I am at protecting others.
I turn back to face the doors. My voice sounds rougher than I intend it when I finally manage to speak. “I get it. We both want her. That’s why we’re doing this.” It’s what we agreed on to begin with, so I don’t know why it stings to say it aloud. “Don’t think I’ll make it easy on you, Beast. She’ll get both our A-games right up until she makes a choice.”
“Mmm.” The noise he makes means absolutely nothing to me. Apparently he’s not in the mood to elaborate, because the second the doors open, he steps out and leaves me to follow in his wake.
The first thing I notice upon entering my apartment is the faint scent of garlic and marinara that permeates the space. Someone’s been cooking. Then my attention lands on where Tink has set up shop at the table. She’s packing up her sewing machine and doesn’t bother to look over as we walk in. She’s pissed, and part of me feels bad about it, but not enough to change our plans. Beast’s right. We have to see it through to the end.
Hook pulls something out of the oven and sets it on the stove. He glances at me and gives a faint smile. “Figured you three could do with the calories.”
Tink finishes fastening the sewing case and marches over to me. I brace for anything from a sharp word to a punch, but she just pulls me into a hug. She’s so short, she barely reaches my chest, but I let myself enjoy the comfort for a few seconds before she lets go. Tink looks up at me, her expression fierce. “You are fucking up. I don’t care what you decide when it comes to her and Beast, but don’t you dare hurt yourself to make them happy.” She glances at Beast. “The same goes for you, asshole.”