The Beast (Wicked Villains 4)

We can take her if it comes to a territory war; even with Cordelia being relatively untried, the combined experience of the people under her is more than enough to hold us. Plus, we aren’t looking to expand. Defending territory is a whole hell of a lot easier than claiming it.

But there will be lives lost if we go to war. People I might have been willing to walk away from a month ago, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight to prevent their deaths. I couldn’t save Orsino. It didn’t matter how strong I am, how smart, how ruthless. Cancer doesn’t give a fuck about any of that.

I miss that old fucker. I don’t think I’ll ever not miss him. Going back to the territory, to spend time in his home … It’s going to be uncomfortable as hell to be faced with the ever-present reminder of him, but maybe it won’t be all bad. Maybe it’s good to remember.

Maybe someday I’ll get to the point where I appreciate it.

Either way, I won’t allow Ursa to fuck with the territory or the people in it. I’ve never been that great at silent communication, but I can threaten like a motherfucker, and I put every bit of threat I can into the look I send her.

She raises her brows and smiles widely as if I’ve amused her. Before I decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, she rises gracefully from the fainting couch, smooths down her dress, and says something to Alaric that has him climbing to his feet and following her toward the private rooms.

I let out a long exhale and refocus on the two people that matter. “Let’s stay here tonight.”

Beast raises his brows at that, but I give a slight shake of my head. He finally shrugs. “Works for me.”

Isabelle stretches out across our laps, still buzzed out of her mind from subspace. “I think I’ve been bad enough for one night. I’m okay with whatever you two decide.”

“Bad enough for one night.” I snort and stand, lifting her easily in my arms. “Don’t try to play the innocent now. You come down off this high and you’re going to be begging for your next filthy fix.” Beast and I are planning on it by agreeing to play out his fantasy.

“Probably.” She laughs, and for the first time in longer than I can remember, it sounds completely uninhibited. Unencumbered.

Beast shakes his head and moves toward the lounge. He’ll touch base with Meg or Hercules and get us booked in one of the overnight rooms. Normally, I’d prefer to head directly back to my apartment to finish this night, but Ursa has already proven she knows its location and can get to us there. I don’t think she’ll try it tonight, but I know she won’t fuck with Hades’s hospitality. There might be some leniency outside of the Underworld, but only a fool would cross Hades beneath this roof.

Fifteen minutes later, Beast is opening the door so I can walk through with Isabelle still in my arms. I haven’t spent any time in these rooms—I prefer my own bed and the idea of sleeping next to someone was too much of a reminder of sleeping next to Isabelle, which was no longer an option. It’s decorated with the same understated opulence that the rest of the club is. This room is all shades of soothing blue and stark white, its bed large enough to fit me and the other two without issues. Three narrow windows stretch from the floor the ceiling on the other side of the room, giving us a glimpse of Carver City through the sheer curtains. In the corner is a dry bar and a small fridge.

It’ll do.

Isabelle shifts in my arms. She’s coming down, sleepy and cuddly and too fucking cute, and it’s harder than it should be to set her on the bed. She blinks up at us both. “We should talk.”

For the first time since we started this thing, the idea of actually talking it out doesn’t make me want to get the fuck out of the room. “Yeah, I guess we should.”

Beast goes to the mini fridge in the corner and comes back with bottled water. He passes one to each of us and climbs onto the bed next to Isabelle. He barely waits for me to get settled on her other side to drop a verbal bomb on us. “I want both of you.”

Even though I’m expecting it, even though he said something similar in the storage room, I still choke on my drink. “You’re fucking with me.” I’d let myself believe his claim of mine was just another shade of that scene, that it didn’t really mean anything. I really should have known better.

“You heard me.” He looks at me and then her. “I’m done with choices, princess. We tried that before and it blew up in our faces. It’s time for something different.”