Page 72 of Awakening the Beast
My brows pinch and I jerk my head back with a smile, “What? Nothing. I’m fine.” I lie with everything I have.
He sighs, looking aside out of the rain-splattered tinted window beside us as we move through the heaving traffic.
“Is this because of how I spoke to your parents?”
My gaze softens and I move his face with my palm on his cheek until our eyes connect again.
“No.” I say gently. “You were well within your rights to feel the way you do. You went much easier than I did when I saw them last. You’re allowed to be angry, Arlo. I’m still wary too.”
He takes my wrists and gives my hand a firm kiss.
“I know, but they’re still your family, I just find it hard to shut the fuck up sometimes, no matter who it is.” He admits.
As he inhales deeply and lowers his head, I watch him for a moment longer before I respond.
“You’re my fucking family. We are family. And nothing—nothing—is more important than that. Not the blood that runs through our veins, not the people who made us, not the past that haunts us. This—what we have—is everything. It’s ours. And no one can take that away,” his eyes gradually meet mine and when they lock, I carry on.
“Not the family that gave us life, not the world that tried to break us. We are more than what they made us. We are more than the wickedness they passed down. Our connection, our love—it’s stronger than any bloodline, any fucking mistake. We built this the hard way, and we will protect it with everything we have. No one, not even fate itself, will tear our little family apart.”
He just stares at me, and I realize I just made a huge ass speech of passion, which will definitely raise his suspicions again. As his lips part to confront me, the car suddenly stops outside one of his buildings and I lower my eyes again.
“What are you doing today?” he asks calmly, and I lift my eyes.
“I have a small meeting with our link in Boston later on today about a shipment coming in, but I was just going to get some meaningless things done before hand.”
He raises his chin, a sinister glint in his eyes, “How about you join me for the next hour or two?”
“Doing what?” I ask in curiosity, my head tilting to the side.
“I have a couple of murders to commit,” he breathes out, wickedly.
I feel my heart pause in my chest, but I don’t show any signs of how I am feeling as he tries to sniff out any vulnerability. I have never seen him kill before, well, not in his way.
I straighten my back before giving a sharp nod, “Sure. Why not?”
He gives me the faintest sneer before pressing a button on his right, activating the intercom to the driver.
“To the spot.” He says as we keep our eyes locked.
My mind races with what I am about to witness. I’ve heard stories about Arlo, horrendous stories but I never thought I would be able to watch it firsthand and now I’m feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Curiosity, fear, dread, reluctance, and an undeniable thrill.
As we enter our spot, Arlo leads me down the long, densely lit corridor that leads to a room with his hand on the small of my back. Once at the door, the guard steps aside, granting us access and Arlo presses down on the door handle.
Once we enter the huge space, I glance around, taking in the familiar area. Dark, damp and suffocating.
“Get out!” Arlo shouts, ordering all his men to leave.
As his powerful voice echoes through the room, I continue to follow behind him until he stops and steps aside, revealing three men, bound to chairs, all facing one another in a triangle.
Arlo flicks his knife out from his sleeve as he moves around them until he is standing on the opposite side to me. I glance around at all the men. None are gagged and they’re all staring at one another, as if they’re silently communicating, accepting their fate.
“These cunts are head of the Chicago Italian Mafia,” Arlo finally says, looking around at them all in disgust. “They have been trying to fuck with our main lineage for several weeks.”
I stay silent, keeping my expression neutral as I wait for Arlo to continue, “Unlucky for them, peoples loyalty lies with The Hayes. Me. Us.” He adds, waving his blade around carelessly.
I watch him carefully, unable to tear my eyes away. His aura is almost screaming at me, raw and alluring, like I’m seeing a part of him I’ve never fully seen before. He’s captivating, holding my entire focus. Since his return, he’s held it all together for my sake—his supremacy, his dominance, that’s never weakened, but now, there’s something more. A side of him I still barely witnessed before he was ripped away from me. It’s vulnerable, unspoken, yet undeniable—a silent force that draws me in deeper, making me realize just how much I missed him, how much more there is to discover about this man.
The way he now shows me the tenderness and love I need, while remaining true to who he is, only deepens our connection. Every day I spend with him, I feel the unease that once gripped me loosening, replaced by a growing acceptance that we will beokay—that together, we are unbreakable. The effort he’s poured into me, into our family, has been persistent, and I can’t thank him enough for allowing me to truly see him, beyond the cold mask he once wore.
