Page 151 of Beast

I reach up to cup her jaw in my palm. “Then why did you leave?”

“You needed proof of the mayor’s plans and I just got it for you.” She pulls out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and holds it up. “You were right. Mayor Boney turned the town against the club because he wants to build a thousand ugly condos on the clubhouse land.”

She shows me the photos on her phone, while I try to process what the fuck she’s telling me.

She went with Boney to do what we hadn’t been able to do. Get beyond the walls of his mansion to find the proof.

I don’t know if I’m angry she put herself in so much danger, or fucking proud of her for getting the proof the club needs to expose his corruption.

“But that’s not the worst of it. He’s the one behind the synthetic phantasia.”

She brings up the recording on her phone and hits play and I hear Boney admit to it all.

“Well, fuck,” I say. Belle didn’t just expose Boney as a liar, she’s revealed his true identity. A fucking drug king pin.

Boney is done. Not only will he lose his mayorship, he’s going to jail. Thanks to my wife.

I run my hand up and down her back.

“We’ll talk about the danger you put yourself in later,” I say.

She gives me a devious smile. “You know it’s going to fall on deaf ears.”

I grip her chin gently. “I’m serious, Belle. You can’t take risks like this. I’ll lose my mind if anything happens to you.”

“Believe me, my risk-taking days are done.” She brushes her fingertips down my cheek.

“I love you,” I say, never meaning anything more in my life.

“I know you love me, I’ve always known. You’ve been tattooed on my heart since I was taken away. I just never realized it. But I remember, Beast. I know this is home. That’s why I needed to save this. Save us.”

I have no words. So I pull her to my chest and plant a kiss in her hair.

My little badass.

No, myold lady.

“What am I going to do with you?”

She pulls back and gives me a mischievous look.

“I suggest you tell me again how much you love me.” She starts to slide off her jacket and raises her eyebrow. “Or even better, how about you show me.”

CHAPTER 61

BEAST

Later,after I’ve spent the night worshiping my old lady’s luscious curves, I leave her soft and exhausted in bed to get us some food.

I pull on a pair of gray sweatpants and head downstairs to the kitchen where I fill my arms with containers of leftover potato salad, cold chicken, and strawberries. I look at the whipped cream and figure it might be fun to play with later so I tuck it under my arm and head back to our bedroom, already thinking about what I’m going to do to Belle’s sweet body after we’ve eaten.

We could live a million years and I’d never get enough of her.

But my heart stops when I walk into the room and find Gaston inside.

With a knife to Belle’s throat.

“Hello, brother.” His voice is rough. His face red, swollen and still bloodied from the beating I gave him at the bar. Half of his hair is missing. Burned away by the fire. His skin is tight and shiny from his burns. “Nice of you to join us.”

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