Page 59 of Beast

“We haven’t set a date. But soon.”

When my feisty bride has a little more time to get used to the idea.

He nods, but his smile fades. “This shit with the Psychos, if we’re going to strike then we need to destroy them completely. Or there will be blowback.”

“That’s why we’re waiting for all the pieces to be moved into place. I don’t want to just hurt the fuckers, I want to fucking destroy them.”

Looking pleased, Viking puts a meaty hand on my shoulder. “Your father would be proud of you, son.”

No he wouldn’t. He would criticize me for waiting. Despite knowing it is the smartest option.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to wait. Especially when all you want to do is burn shit down. And that’s exactly what I want to do. Burn the Psychos and their drug trade to the ground.But until our ducks are in a row, we have to wait and watch and prepare.

The Church doors open, and the prospect stumbles in, looking uneasy. In fact, he’s gone a whiter shade of pale.

“Where’s Belle?”

The prospect looks like he’s gonna be sick. “She’s not coming.”

I feel my last nerve break and have to bite back my rising temper. “What did she say?”

The prospect swallows, clearly worried about how I’m gonna react.

“She said no.”

CHAPTER 22

BELLE

It washard to leave my uncle behind and return to the clubhouse. So when I receive a summons from Beast via the prospect, it makes me feel a little…prickly.

I’m grateful that my uncle is getting the medical care he needs, and I will do my duty and marry the bike gangster as I’m expected.

But I won’t be summoned.

I might have to be here. But I won’t be a pushover.

I know I’m playing with fire. Beast has made it clear that there are consequences for disobeying him, but right now I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready for a fight.

Instead of waiting around for Beast to storm into the clubhouse to yell at me for ignoring his summons, I decide to take a walk in the beautiful garden between the clubhouse and the chapel.

It’s where he finds me when he stalks past on the way to rattle the walls of the clubhouse.

“What did I say about saying no to me?” he growls.

“You told me the last person lost their tongue.” I sharpen my gaze on his. “But after this morning, I didn’t think you would want me to lose mine.”

His expression darkens. “I don’t know where you think you are, but you are not in control here. You do as I say.”

“And if you want to talk to me, then you come and talk to me. But I will not be summoned like I’m at your beck and call.”

“Youareat my beck and call,” he growls.

Still rattled after seeing my uncle so sick, when Beast summoned me via the prospect, it rubbed up against my last nerve.

“That doesn’t make for an even playing field.”

He takes a menacing step closer and with a low rumble says, “Who said anything about an even playing field? There is only one way this works—I say jump and you ask how high.”

---