Page 82 of Awakening the Beast
I lift my chin, watching her closely, noting the flicker of jealousy in her eyes.
“But then you came along,” she says, her voice shaking with fury. “Fucking up everything. My future.”
I raise an eyebrow, unimpressed by her self-pity. “So, you actually wanted Arlo, then?” I ask, though I couldn’t care less. I’m just curious to see how deep her delusions run.
She scoffs, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. “Fuck no. I hated that piece of shit. He’s dead inside, and you know it.”
The way she speaks about Arlo, my Arlo, stirs something dark inside me. My fingers instinctively tighten around the grip of my gun. I fight the urge to pull the trigger but I can't just yet. This isn’t over. Not quite.
“But he held everything I needed in the Elite world. We would have been unstoppable together,” Savannah continues. “I would’ve ridden that dick to Timbuktu just to hold his power.”
I maintain my expression, cold and unreadable, though the rage inside me tightens like a coil ready to snap. Her words, her fucking audacity—it would be so easy to end her right now, but that’s not what I’m here for. I need to hold out just a little longer.
Savannah watches me, her smile twisted, as if she’s won some small victory in getting under my skin. But she doesn’t realize that she’s already lost. She’s been lost from the moment she tried to take what’s mine.
“I’m sure that was your plan,” I say calmly. “But power doesn't belong to those who take it. It belongs to those strong enough to hold on to it, Savannah.”
Her eyes narrow, but I don’t give her the satisfaction of rising to her bait. Instead, I sit back, the weight of my gun reminding me of how close she is to her end.
“And you?” she mocks. “You think you’re strong enough?”
“I know I am.” I retort without hesitation. “And you? You’re nothing. A footnote in a story you never had the strength to be part of.”
Savannah’s deranged chuckle echoes in the cold room, but I stay silent, watching her with patience.
“So this ‘promise’ you were given,” I continue smoothly, “was that from Arlo himself?”
Her laughter dies in her throat, and she sits back, her expression falling.
“You know,” she begins slowly, “I talk about Arlo’s power, but the more time went on, I realized how weak the man really is.” Her words drip with disgust, and my teeth clench, but I hold steady. “How easily manipulated he was. Everyone controlled his life.”
I keep my gaze fixed on her as she continues.
“I knew,” she says, “that marrying him would mean tying myself to a fucking fool, but it didn’t matter. I would’ve taken it all from under him, just like his parents did. Arlo was always too blind to see it coming.”
Her words hang in the air, and then I see it—realization flashing across her bruised and battered face. Her eyes widen, if only for a second, before she lowers her head.
And there it is... She fucked up.
I lean forward slightly, locking my gaze onto her. “So that’s it, huh? You never wanted him—you all just wanted to dismantle everything he had, everything he fucking was.”
I grip her face tightly, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Who the fuck got that cop involved?” I demand.
She winces but remains stubbornly silent. I release her face with a rough shove, my frustration boiling over. I cock my gun, the metallic click resonating through the room. Her eyes snap to mine, fear finally piercing through her bravado.
“Carter,” she blurts out, her voice trembling. “His family. Arlo’s family…”
Her words come out in a frantic rush, but none of it makes sense. My patience wears thin, and I slam the flat of my hand against the chair.
“Which one!” I shout angrily.
“I don’t know! I was just the one who was there when it all unfolded!” she protests. “I didn’t plan it—I just set up shop after he died!”
“Yes, you fucking did help set him up!” I snarl.
“No!” she cries out. “It was Bridget’s family who got under that cops skin. They were ready to come for you, to get Cree, to get custody, but when Arlo magically reappeared, they backed off and left the States! Carter stayed with me. He loved me!”
Her desperation is clear, but I’m not fully convinced. I’m on the edge, ready to break her down completely to get the truth.
