Page 13 of Falling for the Beast

She held up her purse. “I have pepper spray in here. I don’t want to use it on you.” Lie. Two lies, actually. She didn’t have any, but she would love to spray some on him.

He held up his hands in a surrender motion. “Woah, chill. I just thought you might want to have some Halloween fun. That’s all.” He backed away from her.

“Like I said, I can’t.” She opened her car door and slid into the driver’s seat, locking the door after her.

Gavin pointed at her, his gaze penetrating. “Next time, then.”

“Sure,” she said under her breath. “When I wake up and we’re in an alternate universe.” She sped out of the parking lot, her hands shaking. He’d never grabbed at her like that before. Sure, he was annoying, but this bordered on something more sinister. She’d have to be more careful around him.

She checked the clock. Eight forty-five. If she topped the speed limit a little, she wouldn’t be too late. Maybe Thaddeus wouldn’t notice.

She was pulling into his driveway when her cell phone rang and she glanced down to see who was calling. Accelerated Employment. What did they want? She stopped the car in her usual spot and picked up her phone. “Hello?”

“Ms. Cox? This is Grace with Accelerated Employment. I’m sorry to tell you the trial run has not gone very well. Mr. Walker would like to sever the relationship. We don’t have anything at this time, but if you call in a couple of weeks, we might be able to find you something else.”

Aribelle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What?”

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

He had fired her? And he didn’t even have the courage to say it to her face? Heat crept up her neck, and she thanked Grace and hung up the phone. If Thaddeus Walker thought he could get rid of her like that, he was wrong.

She stormed out of her car and pounded on his door. “Open up! I know you’re in there,” she yelled, eyeballing his motorcycle.

When he didn’t answer the door, she pounded again. “I can’t believe you. I did everything you asked. I put up with your horrible attitude. I cleaned and cooked for you. I did my job well. You have no reason to fire me!”

The rustling of the leaves was her only answer. She took several steps back and looked up at the cold, stone home. The sunlight glinted off the upstairs window. Had the curtain moved? Was he up there looking at her? “Come down here and tell me to my face that you’re firing me!”

Somewhere in the distance, a bird chirped its lively song as she waited. She blinked and stared at the door. She was going bonkers. Acting like a spoiled child. Why was she even fighting for this job? He treated her badly, and it was just a stupid cleaning job, anyway.

But there was nothing else available in Pleasant Hills. She’d have to start applying for jobs in Carson. She’d probably get stuck working at Walmart. The thought made her frown.

With one last ditch effort, she called up to him. “Are you that much of a coward, you have to have someone else do your dirty work? Can’t you look me in the eye while taking away my only source of income?”

The house sat so still, she wondered if she had imagined the curtain moving. Maybe he was asleep in his recliner. She fought off the urge to shake her fist at his house. He probably wasn’t even aware she was there. Stupid.

She climbed back into her car and started the engine. Now what was she supposed to do? She had no job, no prospects, and no money. She stepped on the accelerator. “Come on, Bunny. We know when we’re not wanted.” The trees blurred as she sped down the winding road to the highway, letting her anger fuel her speed.

Thaddeus Walker could rot, for all she cared. He was a selfish, mean man. How could she ever have fantasized about kissing him? She was delusional. He would always be alone, an angry man, bitter over whatever had happened in his past.

A deer stepped out of the trees onto the road, its eyes trained on her. She startled and swerved, slamming on her brakes. She couldn’t hit a deer. She couldn’t bear the thought of killing an animal like that. The car caught some loose gravel and she slid, screaming. The deer shot off into the woods. A terrible crunching of metal sounded as her Rabbit careened into a tree. Pain flashed through her head as she collided with the windshield.

An eerie stillness settled in as she lay over the steering wheel in an awkward and painful way. Her head throbbed and her chest felt like it was on fire. The car sat at an unnatural angle, but she couldn’t lift her head to look at the damage.

Warm blood trickled down her face. She was going to die. The thought didn’t alarm her as much as she had expected. The pain would stop, and she would be at peace. She could see her father again.

A low purring noise interrupted her thoughts, and she listened as it grew louder, but her brain couldn’t connect the sound to reality. She closed her eyes as the sound stopped and other noises took its place. A loud grinding of metal sounded, and then a crash.

“Aribelle?” His low voice was almost a growl, and she knew it immediately. Thaddeus. She couldn’t answer him, although she tried. Her lips wouldn’t move. He cursed and she felt him lift her, and then her world went black.

Chapter 8

Thaddeus swore under his breathas he carried Aribelle up the hill. Was his life doomed to repeat itself? Was he forever going to watch in agony as the people he dared to care about were torn from his life? Why did fate have to take Aribelle, too?

He walked faster, willing her to stay alive for a few more minutes. He couldn’t do what he needed to do until he was in his home. Aribelle had to live, even if it meant giving up all his secrets.

He reached his door and carried her to the living room, gently laying her on the rug. He placed his hands on her forehead and warmth flowed out of him. Intense pain tore through him and he screamed but forced himself to continue. He’d never tried to heal anyone with such extensive injuries before. Her skull was smashed in and her lungs had been punctured. He wasn’t sure he would live through it.

As Aribelle awoke, she became aware of the heat coursing through her skull, over her shoulders, and down into her chest. It wasn’t uncomfortably hot. It was more like a radiating warmth that started at the top of her head and moved down, like someone pouring warm water over her.

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