A Monster's Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters 3)

“Please, he always makes excuses. I’m sorry, my dick just magically appeared in my young secretary. She was needy, baby, she needed me, and I couldn’t resist. A man has urges and you can’t hold it against me. Ugh, I’m tired of men always making excuses rather than owning up to who they are. You’ve been an asshole. I don’t even know everything you’ve done to Robin, but I bet she doesn’t deserve whatever crap you’ve said to her.”

“This is still none of your concern.”

“Actually, seeing as I’ve adopted her as my new best friend and she seems to have no one but a bunch of men around her, all with an agenda, no mother to speak of, and the last best friend threw her into this mess, I have declared myself as her mother, best friend, protector, and voice. Whatever you say or do, I will find out about, and I’ll deal with you.”

Anne glared at him. “Robin is a wonderful, sweet, kind, and confused young woman. She’s trying to do what’s right for her child. It’s what any mother would do. All I’ve ever seen from her is her trying to do right. To help anyone and everyone. I don’t know what it is you’ve done, but if you care about her at all, like a father should, then your apology needs to come from the heart. It certainly doesn’t need to be ordered by someone for her to hear it.”

Preacher smiled. “I like you.”

“I wouldn’t. I talk a good talk and I’ll be able to help Robin, but when it comes to my own problems, I’m a complete and total failure.” Anne laughed.

“Do you think Robin will forgive me?” Bear asked.

“It depends. Do you feel you need to be forgiven? The only way you and Robin can truly come past this is if you really believe you said something wrong.”

Bear looked at Preacher.

“No, don’t look at him.” Anne grabbed his attention, forcing his gaze on her. “No offense.”

“None taken.” He was finding this thoroughly entertaining. It had been a long time since Bear was put in his place by a woman he hadn’t fucked. This had a lot of possibilities. He watched them go back and forth.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I think you should understand the entire situation rather than feeling Robin went out of her way to hurt your good friend. She wouldn’t do that. If that had been my daughter, I would’ve been by her side. She’s been through a lot, more than we could’ve ever imagined. I think you should consider her side of things.” Anne got up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go barf.”

Preacher got to making his woman breakfast as Anne left to go throw up.

“I wonder if she’ll have to line up to barf.”

“You need to cut Robin some slack, or better yet, not even bother her with this shit,” Preacher said, turning to face his friend with a bowl and whisk in his hand.

“Come on, you can’t be serious.”

“I’m more serious than I’ve ever been. Robin doesn’t need this crap, not with what we’ve found out. I need you guys to get in position. If Anne’s here, I know Reaper has Bethany. I don’t want to prolong this any more than it needs to be.”

“What if she do

esn’t want you to kill him? What then, Preacher? Will you live in harmony with a woman who has a kid with another dad?”

Preacher added a little butter to the pan and then began to add some pancakes. “She won’t.”

“You don’t know this. You don’t know shit when it comes to my daughter.”

“I know she needs someone strong for her right now and so far, that guy isn’t you. Get your shit together, round up the boys, and do as I’ve instructed. It ends today. I’m not drawing this shit out, not now, not ever. Robin is mine, and once he’s dead, you better understand me, Bear, you will never hold Bethany’s presence against Robin again.”

“You’re just going to take her on? Help her grow? Wear your name?”

“Yes.” He flipped each pancake before turning to Bear. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“She’s got Reaper’s blood inside her.”

“It doesn’t make her like him at all. Robin has your blood and Rebecca’s. She hasn’t turned out like either of you.”

Bear burst out laughing. “Really? You think Rebecca wouldn’t have gotten into bed with him the first chance she got?”

Preacher stared at his friend. “Your wife sold out the club and your daughter, as did my son. We know Robin went through hell. If you cannot learn to keep your fucking mouth shut, once all of this is done, you can hand in your patch once and for all. I’m done playing games.”

“You’re fucking serious about this.”