Beast's Demands (Crude Hill High Book 3) Page 8

  “I only got it for a couple of months, Ash.”

  “Yeah, and there are women out there who go through life and don’t get it with a single guy. You had it with four. Do you know how amazing that is?” I held out the cupcake. “Stop seeing all that you lost, and start realizing all that you gained.”

  ****

  The memory struck me hard, and I felt myself hyperventilating, screaming. I had to protect Emily. She needed me.

  Something sharp hit my arm, and slowly, the world began to slow until I felt my whole body fall.

  ****

  Earl

  I didn’t take Ashley to the hospital. After the doctor had given her the sedation, I’d carried her up to the room we’d been sharing inside the Monsters’ house. She was still out of it, and I sat by her bedside, waiting. I’d already received word from the men that Emily was fine, or she would be.

  The damage their fathers had inflicted had been quite severe, but that pain was over now. All of them were dead. The contracts on their heads were gone. I’d taken care of everything, and now, my reward lay before me on the bed. I didn’t want to be here anymore. The thought of staying in Crude Hill even one more night was enough to enrage me. Ashley wouldn’t be good until she saw Emily.

  My time here was extended, and it pissed me off.

  Seated in the chair, I couldn’t believe I was actually watching this woman, guarding her. There was a perfectly good hotel room waiting for us, but I was here, watching and waiting. If my grandfather could see me now, I’d get a beating. He’d have Ashley spread eagled and demand that I fuck her raw. That I take her virginity from every single hole, that I force her to take me in her pussy, her ass, her mouth.

  Running a hand down my face, I gave thanks that I’d killed my grandfather.

  Ashley let out a little moan, and I watched as the sedative slowly wore off. She’d been so lost in her pain, it had startled me.

  This woman was supposed to be easy. She was a sweet woman. Compliant. Submissive. Yet, every single step I’d taken with her, I’d come to see there was a lot more to Ashley than I realized.

  Her eyes opened and she lifted her hand with a groan. “What’s going on?”

  “The doctor gave you a sedative. You weren’t handling Emily’s attack very well,” I said.

  She lifted up in bed, her gaze coming to me. Tears were already falling down her cheeks. “Is she okay? Is she awake? She hasn’t died, has she?” The panic started to rise within her.

  Getting to my feet, I moved close to her and sat on the edge of the bed. “The doctor is close by, Ashley. If I need to give you another sedative, I will.”

  “Please, don’t. I just … I promised her. Emily and I, we would protect each other.” I had to wonder what Emily had done to protect this woman from me. She swiped at her tears. “I shouldn’t have let her go, Earl. She got hurt because of me.”

  “Why should you have stopped her?”

  “Because the letter, the vagueness of it. I know these men. They wouldn’t have sent her a letter. They would have come and taken her.” Ashley covered her face and began to sob. “This is all my fault.”

  I could let her stew in her own pain, but this was far from her fault.

  Cupping her face, I forced her to look at me. “Stop!” My voice was sterner than it needed to be, but the noises she made stopped. “This has nothing to do with you. Emily’s attack was not about you. It was about power and revenge. What you got caught up in, and even what Emily got caught up in, is a family fucking dispute. The change of reign. Those boys took over, and they made mistakes. That has nothing to do with you. You’ve been out of the loop for seven fucking years. You have no right to take this on. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

  “But—”

  “No! No buts. No nothing. What went down today has nothing to do with you. Fucking nothing. Do not give me a reason to start a war with these little pricks.”

  She frowned. “What?”

  “You heard me. If you keep trying to take the blame, I will make them pay. You’re not the one at fault. They are.” I was tired of Caleb, Gael, Vadik, and River being a topic of conversation. They had invaded my precious time with Ashley for too long. “Whose fault is it?” I asked.

  She tried to pull away from my grip, but I wouldn’t let her. She wasn’t getting away with this. I wouldn’t let her. Plain and fucking simple.

  “Earl, please.”

  “Answer me.”

  She closed her eyes, counted to ten, and then opened them, looking right at me. “It’s not mine.”

  “Exactly, so who do you have to blame?”

  “The Monsters.”

  “Good.” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “If I think you’re going to take any blame in this, I will hunt them down.”

  I didn’t move away.

  “You can’t keep doing that,” Ashley said.

  “What?”

  “Threatening to hurt the people I love.”

  I paused and looked at her. “You love the Monsters?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “No. Eww. I love Emily. She’s like a sister to me. She’s who I care about. Not anyone else.” She blew out a breath. “If anything was to happen to them, I know Emily would never be the same again.”

  “Then stop taking the blame for shit that’s not yours.”

  She touched her head and groaned. “I feel a little sick.”

  The doctor had warned me this might happen. After climbing off the bed, I helped her to her feet, and we made our way down to the kitchen. There were guards everywhere, but I ignored them. I put Ashley into a seat and went to the fridge.

  “Do you know how to cook?” she asked.

  I pulled out some eggs and glared at her. She held her hands up. “You’ve never cooked for me before.”

  “Ashley, you like things overcooked and burnt.”

  “No, I don’t. I like my eggs overcooked, according to chefs. To me, they are perfection.”

  I didn’t cook.

  I hadn’t cooked in a very long time. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever had a reason to cook for myself. When I was a young boy, food was a reward. My father would toss me some bread, or a snack, or something. Real food came when I went to my grandfather, and again, there were times that was held over my head as some kind of reward. I didn’t get the chance to learn to cook. In the world I was raised, women cooked, not men.

  With her gaze on me, I tried to think of how to cook.

  She tutted at me.

  “You’re doing it wrong.”

  “Then tell me.” I’d rather have her distracted by helping me cook her food.

  “I can do it.” She went to stand up, but I put out a hand to stop her.

  “No. I can cook. Instruct me.”

  She hesitated, almost like she didn’t believe me. I waited.

  “You really want to cook?”

  “Does anyone truly love cooking?”

  “You must think I’m very weird then. I happen to love it.”

  I smiled. “Doesn’t make you weird.” I’d always found her passion for food endearing. There were so many other things that could take away her time. This at least made her happy, and it was easy for me to accept.

  She instructed me on how to make her food. I listened, and she taught me. I ended up smashing shells into the bowl, but she was there to guide me. Telling me how to remove it, and then whisking it up.

  I burned the toast, and the eggs had some dark brown bits on it.

  After plating it up, I put it in front of her and waited with bated breath. She took a bite and smiled. “It’s really good.”

  “You’re lying to me.”

  She wrinkled her nose but laughed at the same time. “Maybe a little.”

  “You don’t have to eat it.”

  “I want to. It’s nice that you cooked for me.”

  After serving myself some, I had to say, they were downright awful. Ashley though, she didn’t complain. She ate the food, and I watched her, tentatively eati
ng my own. They weren’t great. In fact, on the last mouthful, I was close to vomiting.

  Ashley finished all of it.

  I made her stay seated while I made us both a cup of coffee. This wasn’t so hard to do.

  “Is it all really over?” Ashley asked as I put a cup of coffee down in front of her. I sipped at mine and nodded.

  “It’s all over.”

  “That means we’re going to be leaving soon, doesn’t it?”

  “There’s no reason for us to stay here, Ashley. You know that.”

  She nodded and pushed some hair off her face. “Being here, does it make you wish you’d gotten to Emily first?”

  Her question took me by surprise. Being back here didn’t make me yearn for anything other than to get the fuck away from it all. I’d never been attracted to Emily. How did I tell this woman that Emily was just business? They were friends.

  “No. I don’t want Emily.” I finished my coffee, relishing the burn of it.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “It doesn’t seem right,” she said.

  “Now that you’ve seen Emily, do you want to back out of our deal?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  Silence settled between us. This pissed me off. I didn’t want Emily getting between us. “You need to be prepared for us leaving. At the first opportunity, we’re going to leave.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ashley

  “I don’t think you should be going,” Emily said.

  We both sat out in the yard. Guards were all around. Earl was with Emily’s four guys, making arrangements for us to leave.

  “There’s nothing here for me right now, Em.”

  “There’s me. I’m here.”

  I pushed some hair off my face. I still hadn’t cut it even though I’d been tempted. There were times when I was around Earl when he seemed like the nicest man in the world. Then the reality of who he was and what he did set in, making me realize I was naïve.

  “You know I will always love you. You’re more than just my best friend, you’re the sister I never had.” I reached for her, holding her close. I wasn’t going to tell Emily about the threat Earl still had over her.

  The danger of the Monsters’ fathers was all gone, but he was still there. He hadn’t changed his tune, and I would never forget that.

  “Ash, I don’t like this. You’re hugging me as if it’s goodbye.” Emily pulled me away from her and cupped my face. “Tell me what the fuck is going on. What is going on with Earl? I can talk to my guys. If you really don’t want to go, I can make it stop. He’s got no power here.”

  I couldn’t help but rest my hand on her stomach. “You’ve got a little angel growing here.”

  “I can’t believe I’m pregnant.”

  “I can. You’re going to be an amazing mom.”

  Emily snorted. “You think I’m going to be amazing. I don’t even know how to take care of a kid. I’m going to be a disaster. Look how I was raised.”

  “Do you think I’d make a bad mom?” I asked.

  Emily frowned. “No, not at all. You’re going to be amazing. I see you baking pies and treating boo-boos.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”

  “I’m being honest.”

  “And it means a lot, but the fact is, my mom wasn’t great, Em. She left me to my own devices. She would tell me how much of a pain in the ass I was because she wanted to be with her boyfriend and I was a drag to her. You’re not like that. You’re never going to treat your kid like that. I like to think we know the best ways now to treat our kids. No one is perfect.”

  Emily threw her arms around me, and I rubbed her back. “I’m here.”

  “I don’t want you to leave, Ash. I know we’re back home now, but we’re supposed to get through life together.”

  “I’ll be a phone call away.” I made the promise before I could think about it. I really shouldn’t be making suggestions that Earl could take from me. He was the one who held all the power.

  We stayed outside for a long time. Emily wasn’t happy about being locked up in the big house. She liked to have some space, and right now, after the days spent on Earl’s boat, which he kept reminding me was a yacht, I was enjoying the ground not moving around me.

  The sun had started to set when we were called in to dinner.

  There was still tension at the table. Earl and the men would never get along and I didn’t mind that.

  By the time the meal ended, I’d had enough and made my escape to our room. Earl had wanted to go back to the hotel he’d arranged, but with us leaving in a few days, I figured it was the best time to be with Emily.

  I wasn’t alone for long before Earl was in the room. He locked the door, and I ignored him, going to the bathroom. After removing my clothes, I ran the bath. It was still running when he entered the room.

  “Are you going to tell me why you’re giving me the silent treatment?”

  “No reason.” I stepped into the water, wincing at the heat, but I didn’t get out. “I’ve got nothing to say.”

  His arms were folded as he leaned against the doorframe. “Do I need to be worried about you leaving me?”

  “No. I told you, I’m coming with you.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” he asked. “I don’t see what the fuck is the problem.”

  “I’m going to miss my best friend, okay? Is that such a problem for you? A mystery? You know I care about her, and I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone. I don’t know anything about how my life is going to be. Can’t you give me some time for that?” I couldn’t help but tense.

  “You can still talk to Emily on the phone. How about that?”

  It was on the tip of mine to tell him that I’d already negotiated that, but I had a feeling he was going to be pissed.

  “Thank you.”

  The smirk he gave me had me clenching my hands into fists.

  “You don’t think I know you already made that agreement with her?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be. I had every intention of letting you stay in touch.” He stepped into the room, dropping down to his knees beside me.

  I couldn’t help but tense up, but all he did was grab the sponge and the soap. Unable to take my eyes away from him, I watched, mesmerized as he started to work the sponge, lathering it up. Why did him washing me feel so intimate? Shouldn’t I feel like he was treating me like a child?

  When his hands were on my body, they made me melt. I loved the way he touched me. Each time his fingers grazed across my flesh, I came alive. My nipples felt tight, and he didn’t take his time. He washed me almost mechanically.

  He stood when he did my hair, and once I was all done, he grabbed a towel. It was time for me to get out.

  I stood, and he helped me out. Wrapping the towel around my body, I stepped into the bedroom, expecting him to take me to bed.

  He didn’t.

  “I’ll be back,” he said.

  Before I could ask him where he was going, he was gone.

  I was all alone in the room.

  After quickly drying my body, I changed into some pajamas and sat on the edge of the bed. I stared at my hands.

  He didn’t order me to stay in the bedroom or tell me to go to sleep. I wouldn’t be breaking any rules.

  Without talking myself out of this, I left the bedroom. There was a guard outside, and I lingered, expecting him to tell me to get back inside.

  He didn’t.

  I made my way downstairs, and ignoring the conversation coming from the library, I went to the kitchen. It didn’t matter whose kitchen it was, it was the one room in the house that made me happy.

  The moment I entered, I paused.

  Caleb sat at the kitchen counter, nursing a beer.

  He looked up at me but didn’t say anything.

  “I can leave.”

  “Why? I’m not stopping you.”

  I stepped further into the room, going
to the fridge. I’d gotten accustomed to the kitchen quite quickly. With the milk in my hand, I grabbed a saucepan and poured a mugful into the pan.

  Caleb hadn’t left and he wasn’t talking.

  I tried to ignore him, but his presence made it impossible. He had always been scary to me.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He drank his beer while looking at me. This was so hard.

  “I’m fine. Why are you out of your room?”

  My cheeks heated. I felt them start to warm under his gaze.

  “I … I can walk around and do what I want.” Within reason, but I didn’t add that.

  “You think I don’t know the kind of man he is?” Caleb asked.

  “If I couldn’t leave my room, the guard posted outside would have told me.” I turned my back on him, looking at the milk. It was so easy to overheat milk, and it would just boil over.

  “Ashley, do you want to go away with him?” Caleb asked.

  Time. That was what I needed.

  The milk was nice and warm, and the chocolate chips were in a small container, which I grabbed and measured out a couple of tablespoons. After dropping them into the milk, I did the finishing touches to my hot chocolate, pouring it back into my mug before returning my attention to Caleb.

  His gaze was still on me, waiting.

  “Tell me,” he said.

  “I don’t think this is appropriate.”

  He laughed. “You don’t think it’s appropriate?”

  “I’m going with Earl.”

  “But you didn’t pick him. He’s taken the choice right out of your hands.”

  “It’s not like that.” I stared into my mug. It was totally like that. I was taken from a job I loved, and the next thing I knew, I’d woken up on a boat with all of my choices taken away.

  “Then tell me what it is like because I’m coming up with nothing.”

  Rather than answer him straight away, I took a long sip of my hot chocolate, not even caring anymore if it burned me. Caleb and his friends didn’t care about me when they made this bargain, so why would they care now? Because of Emily? I meant nothing to them.

  “This is none of your business.”

  “I’m making it my business.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t a pretty sound either. “Really? The same business it was that got me captured in the first place? How you bargained my life for Emily’s? All you and the rest of your friends wanted was her. I didn’t matter.”