In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

Laurent’s eyes went wide, and he shook his head. “No, no! He is my husband. I’m so terribly sorry for all this trouble. Kenneth, I would be forever grateful if you allowed me to take a minute off, so that I could talk to him.”

Mr. Linde looked between Beast and Laurent and stepped behind the counter, wordlessly pushing Laurent out.

Beast already headed for the door, muttering something that sounded like “So now I am your husband after all.”

Laurent needed to move his legs faster if he wanted to catch up. He offered Mr. Linde an apologetic smile, but as soon as they were outside, Beast’s cologne sent his mind in a spin. Oh, how he wished he wasn’t so weak for this man. At least the public nature of this encounter, in front of the pretty old building with green siding, on the main street of Brecon, guaranteed he wouldn’t be tempted into Beast’s lusty arms again. Distance was key.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered to Beast, glad for the warm weather, because he worked in a T-shirt.

Beast frowned and shifted his weight, crossing his arms. “You send me a selfie pretending it was for someone else. Clichéd move, but effective. Does it mean want to talk? We can talk.”

Laurent’s lips parted, and he stared up at Beast for far too long. He should have denied it. With every second of silence, he was losing this battle of wills. “I… I admit it,” he finally choked out. “I am vain and I wanted you to see my new uniform. There. Happy?”

A smile curled Beast’s mouth. “Yes. You look…” He gestured toward Laurent with both hands. “You look very nice. You always do. And what do you do with it? Flirt with another guy right in front of my face.”

Laurent pouted. “I was offering excellent customer service.”

“Where I’m from it’s called something else,” Beast said in a lower voice, and when Laurent averted his gaze from the embarrassment of it all, he spotted Tierra and Mr. Linde watching them without an ounce of shame. They didn’t even bother to pretend they were working!

“I am a man with a child on the way. Do you think I have the energy to flirt with strangers?” Or the capacity to actually be interested in anyone but you?

Beast snorted. “I think you’re trying to tease me by flirting with strangers. Playing real dirty here.”

Laurent flushed and crossed his arms. “So at least you know you were the reason for it. Either way, since we’re actually having a conversation, tell me what you have planned for the day, because I’m guessing you won’t be sitting here and scaring our custome—” he stilled when he realized what he was saying and touched Beast’s arm. So many times, he’d been witness to Beast getting rejected, lied to, asked to leave. He should have known better than suggest such things. “I didn’t mean it that way. You can be rude. And you’re the president of the Kings of Hell MC. People have reasons to feel intimidated by it.” His heart burst into a gallop when he thought he could have hurt Beast with his indelicate words.

Beast sighed, looking away, but the damage must have been done already, because his eyes darkened. “I don’t care. I just want you to stop trying to alienate yourself from me. And calling me an ex? Really, Laurent?”

Laurent groaned. “I don’t know anymore. What’s happening with the trees?” he was insistent on changing the topic, because the one at hand was giving him stomach ache.

Beast remained silent for a bit too long. “Each of us has a job to do. You have too much to worry about anyway.”

Laurent frowned, watching him more attentively. “Have Magpie’s machines arrived? Should I come?”

Beast shook his head. “Those trees… they’re dangerous. Maybe it’s for the better that you’re safe here. I’ll take care of it.”

That sounded ominous at best. All of a sudden, Laurent was desperate to hug Beast. “Wait here a moment.”

Beast didn’t get time to answer, because Laurent rushed back into the café. “Kenneth, may I take that complimentary muffin I was promised?”

Mr. Linde gestured to the treats with a smile and his eyebrows high, so Laurent packed up his favorite in a box and carried it outside.

“Please think of me being all alone with Marcel when making choices that could end up fatal.” He handed Beast the muffin. “It’s the best one. You should try it. And the box has no plastic lining so you can safely recycle it,” he mumbled.

Beast accepted the paper box, but Laurent ran back into the shop before Beast could convince him to drop everything and ride off on the back of his man’s bike. The same way he’d convinced him to not go to his driver’s licence exam.

*

Laurent could hardly think of anything but Beast in the following hours, but he knew he shouldn’t just drop everything and contact him again, particularly when the final moments of their conversation had suggested Beast had plans that he didn’t want to share. But Laurent wasn’t willing to be passive either, so once Mr. Linde ushered him from behind the counter for his lunch break, Laurent whipped out the journal he used for his notes about Baal, the trees, and everything else that could affect their future.