Her blank eyes stopped him cold. She wasn’t into this. Melody had reacted on instinct.
Damn Cheklov for tainting sex for Melody. She was probably only doing as she was taught, showing her gratefulness by giving him a hand job. Beast closed his hand over her wrist, stopping her. Did she have sex with him last night because she felt like she owed him?
No. He refused to think that. Both of them wanted each other. Period. Beast grew uncertain. Not a good feeling. He needed a distraction.
She frowned, looked confused as he put her hand aside and got off the bed.
“What’s wrong?” she signed. She looked so small on his bed. Lost and uncertain.
Beast didn’t know how to tell her it wasn’t her fault. A monster turned her into this but he didn’t want to make things worse between them. “I need to go. Something came up.”
She clenched her fists on her lap, seeming frustrated. “You’re leaving?” she signed. “Why?”
“Only for a little while. I’ll be back by afternoon.” Beast walked to the bathroom without looking back. Guilt lay heavy in his heart but he couldn’t bear to look at her any longer.
****
Mel stared at the wall above the bed’s headboard. She’d gotten good at that. Looking at walls for long periods while time slipped by and disappeared. Mel fought Cheklov at first but eventually, she simply shut down, got lost in herself. The way she was doing now.
Mel couldn’t forget how furious Beast looked when she started working his prick. What was wrong with her? With him?
She blinked and bit her lip, realizing her error. Cheklov trained her, turned her into this messed-up, broken thing. Cheklov had beat it to her head that she should show her gratefulness by giving him and his men hand jobs or blowjobs. She’d done a bad thing. Beast was only trying to comfort her, didn’t seem to expect anything else from her.
Beast was different and yet she treated him like he was Cheklov. Maybe that was why he was eager to get away from her. He had finally realized what a flawed shell of a person she’d become. What if he no longer wanted her? Where would she go? What would she do?
Mel buried her face into her hands and let out a shrill, ugly scream until her lungs burned.
God. That felt good. She did it again until her throat hurt.
Why was she still looking at the wall as if it would give her answers? She wasn’t a trapped animal anymore. Beast didn’t put her in a cage. He didn’t have any rules. Mel could go out if she wanted. Explore the property even.
She dragged herself out of bed and took a shower. Blasting ice cold water on her face and skin helped clear her mind a little. She didn’t have any clothes, so she borrowed his. She moved from one room to the next in the cabin, missing Beast’s presence.
Beast filled up the entire space when he was here and that gave her a measure of comfort. Mel knew no one would hurt her while he was around. She found some bread in the fridge and some peanut butter. She made herself breakfast and checked the time again.
She didn’t have a cell phone. There was no way to contact him.
What if he never came back? She stilled, staring at the crusts of bread on her plate. If Beast truly left her here, Mel wasn’t certain she’d be able to survive on her own. Some part of her, the old her, had died in that warehouse. She was ready to give up on life but standing here in Beast’s kitchen, she felt a little different.
She thought back to last night. How he ravaged her, how she responded in return. She’d never been brazen when it came to sex. Hell, she never thought she could ever be near a man again, but Beast brought something out in her last night. Turned her into a wild little demon. For those few moments, she shed the skin of a broken girl and someone new came out. Mel came on to him. Beast was only human, only male.
Her skin grew hot just thinking about his hot kisses on her skin. She touched the bite mark he’d left behind on her collarbone. Funny how the mark didn’t look ugly to her, not when it was from him.
No. Beast promised her he’d come back and when he did, they’d talk. Mel was sick of running away from her problems. She didn’t want to shut down and lose track of time anymore. She wanted to become someone different. Someone new and less broken.
Chapter Seven
Beast rubbed at his eyes and looked at the scope of his rifle again. He’d positioned himself in front of a window. Three-fourths of the glass was covered in dark blinds. His target remained in bed, sleeping in the building across from the one he was. He grunted, annoyed.
He wondered for the hundredth time why he was here, in a rundown apartment that smelled of mold and piss where he could be elsewhere. Back in his cabin perhaps, sinking his dick into Melody’s tight little pussy while she moaned and begged him for more. He’d fuck her demons away, erase the disaster that occurred this morning, but Beast wouldn’t do that. He owed it to himself, to her, to be better.
Last night changed everything, or so he thought. He thought he could fix her. Beast should’ve known better. He’d been arrogant thinking a few days could help her forget the time she’d been under Cheklov’s mercy.
His only consolation was the fact this job paid plenty since it was so last-minute. Too bad money didn’t seem to matter to him anymore. Not since he took Melody. What use was having millions in his bank accounts if he couldn’t have the one thing he truly wanted?
He blew out a breath, feeling like a coward leaving her all alone in that cabin. He’d taken the truck, cutting off any chance of her escaping. She could try the woods on foot but he doubted she’d get far.
Escape didn’t seem to be on her mind. Not yet, but she’d bolt eventually. Beast was certain of it. No one would want to stick around with a monster like him for long. Why would they?
Once she did make that decision, would he hunt her down to the ends of the earth and drag her back to his cabin? Before they fucked last night, he told her she was his. His property, although he doubted she’d be happy to hear him call her that. Beast had never known love, didn’t understand relationships, but he knew one thing.
She meant the world to him.
Shit. Not like she’d been completely at fault either. Beast could’ve acted more civil. He shouldn’t have walked out like someone throwing a tantrum. Maybe they should’ve talked shit out. Women liked that. They could’ve worked out what went wrong. Jesus. His train of thoughts ought to shame him. Beast never cared about what other people thought about him before, but this was Melody.
She’d been through hell and back again. Melody wasn’t normal in any sense of the word and neither was he. Both of them were broken, fucked-up souls trying to make each other better.
One woman was fucking him up. His father would be laughing in his grave.
Beast clenched his jaw. He couldn’t wait for this job to end so he could go about fixing what went wrong with Melody.
It felt like an eternity but in reality, only minutes passed by. Beast caught sight of movement through his scope. Finally. Beast angled the rifle. Just as his target bumbled out of bed and stopped to check his phone, he fired a single, clean shot. The poor bastard who had the balls to sleep with his client’s wife toppled back in bed. Quick and easy.
He sported a neat red hole between his eyes. No one heard the shot. Beast always slapped a silencer on his rifle.
Beast disassembled his rifle and packed his gear. He did it in less than five minutes. He looked out the windows again before he left. No police sirens in the distance. No activity at the foot of the dead bastard’s building. Just everyday folks going about their day.
He checked his watch. Noon. It had taken him half an hour to drive from the cabin to town, and another hour to the city. He’d be back by late afternoon. Would Melody be still there? Did part of him hope she’d wise up and leave him?
Beast shook his head. He’d never questioned himself before or second-guessed. Once he made a decision, he stuck with it. Beast took her from that warehouse of corpses. He’d had two choices. Take her with him or kill her as an act o
f mercy. Beast chose the former and that made him responsible for her.
He left the empty apartment building through the back exit. No witnesses as far as he could tell. He loaded his gear into the back of his truck and texted his client the job was done. Seconds later, he received an email notification telling him his client wired the payment through his bank account.
He got into his ride and drove off. Sometimes, he’d hit his favorite joint for some greasy burgers and fries, beer, maybe catch up with old friends. Well, those people weren’t exactly friends. Beast had none, but they were people in the same industry.
This time, he drove straight out of the city.
Beast drummed his fingers on the wheel. Worry had been gnawing at him all day. He kept picturing coming home to an empty cabin or stumbling across Melody’s corpse in the woods. She could’ve fallen in some kind of freak accident. Tripped and hit her head over a rock or something. Beast was an idiot, a yellow-bellied coward for running when he could’ve made some attempt to fix things.
He drove past the speed limit. No cop stopped him. They wouldn’t dare. Beast’s mood remained foul.
He reached the town then went off road to the woods.
Half an hour later, he parked his truck in front of the cabin. He slammed the door shut and didn’t bother grabbing his bags from the trunk. Beast had left the front door unlocked that morning. He turned the knob and entered, breathing hard. Sweat drenched the front and back of his shirt and he realized he forgot to turn on the air-conditioning in the truck.
Beast half-expected to return to an eerily quiet and empty cabin. Weird to think of it that way since he’d gotten used to living alone and never caring for company.
No sign of Melody in the living room or kitchen. She wasn’t in the bedroom or bathroom either. Panic set in, then anger. He was fucking right. Melody must’ve run the moment he took the truck out. A poor decision.
Beast knew these woods like the back of his hand. Even if she had a couple of hours’ head start, he’d be able to track her easily. Beast didn’t waste time changing out of his clothes. He headed back outside and looked for clues.
He walked around his property and narrowed his eyes as he spotted the boot prints on the ground. They led to the forest. He hunkered down. She didn’t have her own clothes, so she must’ve borrowed his, boots included. Those must be two, three sizes too big for her. Her feet would hurt and bleed eventually. That would definitely slow her down. He hadn’t given up. Beast would find her.
Beast followed her trail. Easy task. She left breadcrumbs without realizing it. A broken branch here and there, even a bright red candy wrapper on the ground. He found a discarded water bottle further on. Hope flared in his chest. Beast hiked faster.
The sound of the water soon reached his ears.
The river. Beast cursed. It rained late last night, so the current should be strong. She wouldn’t cross it, surely? Beast hastened his footsteps and wished he’d taken the time to wear proper boots. He had a knife and gun strapped to him. Beast carried them in case of an emergency, if something went wrong on the job. He doubted he’d need them retrieving one careless woman. Melody wasn’t in the best of health either.
Glimpsing a flash of gold in the distance, Beast let out a low growl. He was right. She must be near the river. A wave of relief filled him. Should be her, unless it was some kind of mirage. Beast had no neighbors and locals and tourists never made it this far into the woods.
Once he grabbed hold of her, Beast would toss her over his shoulder and carry her back to the cabin. Maybe he’d even tie her down just to teach her a lesson. A choking cry sent him running. He spotted a flash of matted gray fur, then a pair of piss-yellow eyes up ahead of him.
Annoyance and anger were replaced by a much more intense emotion. Fear.
Chapter Eight
Spotting the pair of yellow eyes in the bushes made Mel cry out. She fell on her ass as the wolf came out of its hiding place. Feral eyes peered underneath matted gray fur. Foam formed from its muzzle. It opened its jaws, flashing yellowing, sharp fangs at her.
Mel swallowed. She was done for. What was she thinking, coming out here?
She’d wandered into the woods to think. To have some quiet time to herself and consider what she wanted to discuss with Beast. Running into a wild animal hadn’t been part of her plans. The wolf padded closer to her. She remained where she was and didn’t attempt to stand up or move.
That was what one was supposed to do when encountering a predator in the woods, right?
The wolf leaped at her. She cried out, rolled, shut her eyes, and prayed for quick death only to hear a heavy thump next to her. Mel pried her eyes open to see the beast lying a few feet from her. Its eyes remained open, staring at nothing. Blood leaked from the hole on the side of its head.
Mel swallowed, looking up to see Beast striding up to her. He held a revolver in one hand and he looked mad. He reached her, grabbed her arm, and hauled her up to her feet. Beast glowered at her as he tucked the gun back in his belt.
“What were you thinking?” he signed at her.
It took her a few seconds to gather her nerves. “I wanted to take a walk.”
Beast narrowed his eyes at her. “You were running. From me.”
She yanked her hand from his and glared at him. The nerve of this bastard. “I’m mute, not stupid. If I wanted to run, I’d knock you cold and take the keys to your truck.” Mel was so furious her fingers shook as she signed.
Beast frowned and took her hands then looked her up and down, as if checking her for injuries. She walked away from him and started for the cabin again. Mel could hear him trailing after her.
Part of her was relieved he was there. Beast had a gun and knew how to use it in case something came at her, at them, again. That didn’t mean she forgave him. How dare he accuse her of running?
Maybe for the first couple of days she debated going back to the city, but she dismissed that decision eventually. She had nothing to go back to. Besides, she was terrified of Cheklov or his men catching sight of her again. Mel was certain Cheklov was the kind of monster who didn’t like loose threads. He would kill her. For a little while, she thought death wouldn’t be so bad. She prayed every single day for Cheklov’s men to kill her, but now?
Mel felt so alive walking through these woods. She thought she made a wrong turn here and there, but Beast didn’t correct her or stop her. One way or another, she made her way back to the cabin. She finally spun on her heel to look at him.
He was dressed exactly the way he left this morning—all black and she could see a Kevlar vest underneath his jacket. His clothes were soaked in sweat, just like hers. The thin fabric of her borrowed shirt clung to her breasts and her body.
Mel could feel his gaze moving down her face, to the rest of her. She wore his oversized clothes, even his baggy pants which she cinched tight with his belt. No doubt she looked like the least sexy woman on earth right now, but he gazed at her like she was some kind of queen. That gave her a measure of confidence.
“You really just went for a walk?” he signed at her.
“I was annoyed you left me this morning without an explanation. After everything that happened last night…” Melody didn’t know how to continue.
Last night had been a game-changer for her, for both of them, or so she thought.
“You don’t leave a girl after, you know, the most amazing sex.” Her hand faltered. “I know I caused you problems this morning, but I’m ready to talk.”
Mel blushed. She bet her neck and cheeks were red by now. He closed the distance between them but halted a foot from her.
“I’m sorry.”
She blinked, slightly taken aback. Mel didn’t think a man like him was used to giving apologies. It was the other way around.
“Amazing?” he signed to her.
She gave his shoulder a shove as they entered the cabin. “Did you really have a job?” she asked him.
Mel took a seat on the chair by the door
and began to unlace her borrowed boots. She’d borrowed his socks as well but even so, her little walk left her with blisters. Exhaustion began to set in. She had never been an outdoorsy kind of girl and being kept chained up in the dark didn’t help improve her health. That hike took more out of her than she realized.
“I needed to get away.” Beast bent down and took the boots off her feet, then the socks. He ran his hand over the blisters under the soles of her feet, furrowing his brow. “I’ll get you clothes and shoes that will fit you.”
She hesitantly touched his cheek. “Why did you feel like you need to get away from me? I don’t bite.”
“No.” Beast stood back up. “But you’re dangerous.”
Mel couldn’t help it. She giggled. Her? She weighed less than a hundred pounds and nearly fainted from a little walk. It took her a second to realize he meant something else. As she watched him peel off his jacket, then his vest, it struck her that he wasn’t the only one who managed to dig his hooks deep in her skin and her heart. She had that effect on him too.
****
Even standing in the living room, Beast could hear the water running in the bathroom. Never before had he experienced fear of that extent. Even when he came up to his old man with that shovel to clobber him, it didn’t feel like this. That wolf could’ve ended Melody’s life in an instant. Beast would’ve lost her, the only person on this earth who didn’t think he was a monster.
He believed her when she said she had no intention of running. Clearly, she’d thought about it, even considered stealing his truck, but she still stuck around. She still didn’t understand she probably was better off without him in the picture.
Beast walked up to the bathroom, noticing she didn’t bother closing the door, not completely. He turned the knob and opened the door. She lifted her face to the pounding water, eyes closed as she ran her fingers down her long hair. Melody probably didn’t hear him come in.
Stolen Melody Page 4