Page 21 of Beast

“It’s a long shot,” Axe says.

“They aren’t ghosts. If there is something to find, Bram will find it, and when he does, we’ll stop it before more people start dying.”

“How many deaths so far?” Bear asks.

“For now, this is the only one we know about.”

“It could be some college kid picking up bad dope while partying out of town and bringing it back here,” Bear adds.

“It might be. Let’s hope it is, and it’s not the Psychos bringing their venom into our town.”

“And if it is the Psychos?” asks Viking.

“Then we destroy their operations.”

Another murmur of agreement ripples through the room.

“No one comes into our town and peddles shit under our noses. And we’re going to make sure they hear the message loud and clear.”

And with that, I slam down the gavel and bring Church to an end.

CHAPTER 9

BELLE

Hours pass before Beast reappears,and by now my anger has long surpassed my fear and grief, and I am ready to kill the man who saved me.

When the door opens and his big body fills the doorway, I give him my best right hook and land my knuckles into the sharp contour of his jaw.

Pain ricochets across my bones and shoots up my arm.

Goddammit!

I step back, clutching my fist. It feels broken.

Beast simply raises an eyebrow at me. “Got that out of your system?”

I shake my hand to release the glowing pain in my knuckles.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” I demand.

He walks deeper into the room and turns around to face me.

“I’m the guy who pulled you out of Gaston’s hands and saved your ass from the unthinkable things he was going to do to you.”

Dread spreads through my chest at the memory of Gaston’s hands on me. I swallow, my throat thick with fear as I recall the vile scent of his body as he pushed me over the table.

But I shove the memory away.

Uncle Maurice needs me to stay strong and focused if I’m to get us out of this mess.

“Where is my uncle?” I demand. “What have you done with him?”

“He is safe.”

Relief rushes through me. “He is?”

Beast could be lying.

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