Page 39 of Taming the Beasts (Crooked Point #3)

Tuesday

Zoey

Titan raised his eyebrow at me. “And you promise you’re going to be good and leave town with Emma?”

“I promise,” I said and held my wrists out to him. He’d tied me up ages ago. When I’d come to the bank, it had been morning. The sun was high in the sky now. I wasn’t complaining about the things he’d done to my body, but I needed to get downstairs and figure out what the plan was.

“I’m serious about this, doll. Otto will be driving you out of town tonight.”

“Awesome.”

He was still looking at me suspiciously.

Which I understood. Because I was lying through my teeth. Kind of. I’d be happy to leave with Emma after we confronted Kebe. It was Titan’s own fault for not being specific enough. Just saying tonight was very vague. That gave me plenty of time to help out.

It was probably bad to lie to him again after we’d finally cleared everything up. But I wasn’t leaving town. Titan’s controlling ass needed to get used to me in his life. And it just so happened that I liked being in control too. Well, most of the time. I certainly didn’t mind being tied up.

I lifted my wrists higher .

Titan shook his head, but slowly untied the knots.

I quickly got dressed. I could feel his eyes trailing over my body.

There was something about the fact that he’d been watching me for over a year that really made me feel so desired.

I couldn’t wait to spend more time with him.

I liked being alone with all of my boyfriends.

But none of them were quite as sinful as Titan. Or as dangerous.

My eyes fell to the scar on his face as I pulled on my jacket. I closed the distance between us and ran my finger down the jagged mark on his left cheek.

He just stared down at me.

“How did you get this?”

“It was an accident.”

“An accident that involved your friends? Or more of a motorcycle accident or something?”

“I don’t ride a motorcycle.”

So one of my other boyfriends had done this to him? Titan didn’t offer any more information. But he didn’t really need to. I knew none of them were quite themselves when they shifted. Whoever it was hadn’t meant to hurt him. Just like whoever had done that stuff in the hay maze hadn’t meant to.

“I think it’s very sexy,” I said.

His Adam’s apple rose and then fell. “It usually scares people.”

“It doesn’t scare me.”

He reached out and ran his thumb along my jawline. “I like you better when you’re not hiding behind a mask.”

I smiled. After being called butterface all those years ago, his words meant a lot to me.

More than he knew. And the way he was looking at me made me think his words meant even more.

It wasn’t just my actual bunny mask he was talking about.

It was about me trying to be sweet. He was saying he liked me exactly how I was. “I like not having to wear one.”

His hand slowly fell. “Let’s go find Otto and see what the plan is to get you out of Crooked Point.”

“Sounds good.” I slid my hand into his.

He stared down at our intertwined fingers.

And I had the oddest sense that no one had ever held his hand before. Just me. I held his hand a little tighter and pulled him toward the doors.

We walked into the bank and down the hall toward the entranceway.

Bennett was standing behind the counter. He raised his eyebrow at us.

I felt my cheeks flushing.

“And how was that?” he asked.

“Exactly like you promised she’d be,” Titan said.

I swallowed hard.

“It looked like you enjoyed yourselves,” Bennett said. “I’ll have to tie her up next.”

Had he been watching us? I should have realized there were cameras up there.

“You should have felt how soaked she was,” Titan said.

I would have been embarrassed about them talking about me this way. But it actually just turned me on all over again.

“Is that true, baby?” Bennett asked. “Were you soaked for my best friend?”

God. I felt myself clench. “Yes.”

He smiled. “It kind of looks like you might want one more round. ”

Honestly, I did. I wanted him to bend me over the counter and fuck me just as hard as Titan had. And I wouldn’t mind his tie around my wrists.

Bennett rounded the counter.

My hand was still in Titan’s as Bennett tilted my chin up and kissed me.

“But it’ll have to wait.” He dropped my chin. “Otto is packing. Callum’s dropping Emma off at the house any minute and Otto will be driving the two of you out of town.”

“Okay.” That did not give me much time at all. “But what’s the plan?”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Too late. I am worried about it.”

“It’ll be fine,” Bennett said. “I promise.”

Maybe he wanted it to be fine. But none of us knew what Kebe was capable of. So his promise was as empty as mine to Titan. Instead of voicing my fears I just nodded. Otto would hear me out. He always did. He’d let me help them confront Kebe.

But just in case he didn’t... I turned to Titan. “Please be careful.”

He didn’t agree or disagree.

“Both of you,” I said and turned to Bennett.

At least Bennett nodded.

I gave Titan a quick kiss and squeezed his hand. And then I kissed Bennett too.

“You guys are having all the fun without us,” Ace said as he Huxley walked through the front doors of the bank. “That video was spicy.”

Had they all been watching me and Titan?

“Perfect timing,” Bennett said. “Will you two walk Zoey back to the house? ”

Huxley nodded. “Of course. Come with us, princess.”

I looked over my shoulder one more time at Bennett and Titan. And I had an awful feeling in my gut. I didn’t want this to be the last time I saw them. But I forced myself to walk out the front doors. I shivered when the cool fall breeze hit me.

Huxley put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close. His warmth immediately comforted me.

I reached out for Ace. He wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me just as close from the other side. Neither of them had a care in the world that people were staring as they passed us on the sidewalk.

“So what are the odds that you two will let me run off and confront Kebe on my own?” I asked.

“Not happening,” Huxley said.

“Zero,” Ace said at the same time.

It had been worth a try. “Will you at least tell me the plan?”

They looked at each other over my head.

Ace cleared his throat. “We’re just going to talk to Kebe. Ask her a few questions.”

“That’s the whole plan? Really?” That didn’t seem like a plan at all.

“It’s a little more involved than that.”

“Does it have anything to do with the relics you guys were looking at earlier?” I asked.

“Just know that we’re going into it prepared,” Huxley said as we turned off Main Street.

That seemed like a yes. Hopefully they could control her mind with the golden pocket watch.

We walked up to their house .

Huxley and Ace’s arms both fell from around me and I was instantly cold again.

“Stay safe, princess,” Huxley said and kissed my forehead.

“Me? You’re the one the needs to stay safe. Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help?”

“The only thing that will help is knowing that you’re safely out of harm’s way,” Ace said and kissed my cheek.

But that meant the two of them would be in harm’s way!

“We’ll call Otto when it’s done,” Huxley said.

When what was done? The talking? Or something else?

Ace opened the front door. “Otto!” he called.

“I’m upstairs!” Otto yelled down.

I assumed he was in his room.

“We’ll see you soon,” Ace said to me.

But what if he didn’t? I threw my arms around him. “I don’t want to go.”

“We’ll be fine,” Ace said.

Huxley pushed my hair off the back of my neck and kissed the spot. At the same time Ace kissed my lips.

“I promise,” Huxley whispered.

It was exactly what Bennett had said. An empty promise they wished they could keep but couldn’t.

“It’s time.” Huxley lightly swatted my butt.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Ace slowly unwound my arms, releasing himself from my embrace.

The two of them stepped away from me as I went inside .

Just like walking away from Bennett and Titan, this felt final for some reason.

They closed the door and I just stood in the foyer.

I couldn’t just run away from this mess. It didn’t feel right. But I didn’t know how to get any more information...

I pressed my lips together. That wasn’t true.

King had information. I knew I’d promised the guys I wouldn’t.

..but I needed to talk to him. Maybe he knew what kind of supernatural creature Kebe was.

He knew stuff. And Kebe may not have compromised him.

King was obsessed with me. He’d be honest. I eyed the stairs.

I just needed to talk to him really quickly.

I pulled out my phone, but there was a knock on the door.

“Coming!” Otto yelled as he hurried down the stairs. “Hey, baby,” he said to me with a smile that was too bright for the occasion. But I knew he was trying to put my mind at ease.

I reached out to open the door.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice serious. “It could be Kebe. Stay behind me.”

Him being serious actually made me feel scared.

He slowly opened the door. But it was just Callum with Emma tucked into his side.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. I got it. I was barely keeping it together either. She was just several days away from her wedding. Her happily ever after. She was probably terrified that future was about to end before it even truly began.

“Promise you’ll take good care of her?” Callum asked.

Otto nodded. “You have my word. ”

Emma shook her head. “Just come with us, Callum. Please.”

“The guys need my help,” he said.

I was glad my boyfriends and Callum had finally found some kind of friendship. Or at least unity in this one situation. But I was worried it was too little too late.

Emma shook her head.

“Baby, look at me.”

Emma sniffed and looked up at him.

“I need you here with me.”

“Then why are you sending me away...”

“And the only way I can make sure you’ll be here with me in a few days is if you leave right now. I need you to be safe. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

I’d never heard Callum sound so broken before.