Beast’s Demands by Sam Crescent

Chapter Eighteen

Ashley

 

Two weeks later

I was leaving tomorrow. Excitement filled every single part of my body. My hands shook a little. I’d be alone, but there was already a job lined up for me at a restaurant on the other side of London. I wasn’t going back to the place that knew me as my other name. I’d be free to be myself, and I couldn’t wait.

My bags were already packed.

Rather than check on absolutely everything for the sixth time, I’d decided to head to the kitchen to cook one last meal.

A cake was already cooling. I’d made the frosting, and that was waiting to be spread all over. Now I was baking an entire head of cauliflower, crazy but also fun. I’d been trying out a bunch of new recipes the past few weeks after seeing some experiments online. This one I was baking in a tomato roasted sauce.

It sounded so good. My mouth watered for a taste, and the scents coming from the sauce made me hungry.

“I’m going to miss you,” Drake said, coming into the kitchen.

I smiled at him, keeping my hands busy as I made a salad.

Amelia, River’s sister, was also around. I’d rarely seen her. She either kept to her room or ate in the kitchen. She wasn’t mean, but I’d come to realize she was incredibly shy and had a way of sneaking around the house undetected. Three days ago, I’d managed to meet her. She’d been eating breakfast when I entered. For a good ten minutes, she didn’t say anything until she finally spoke hello softly to me.

That was all she said.

I’d kept on talking to help fill the silence. I didn’t know if it helped, but I liked to think it did.

She was … different.

“You’re going to miss my cooking,” I said.

“You can’t cook well. Honestly, it’s disgusting.”

I laughed as he wrinkled his nose. “You’re cute when you lie.”

“Damn, woman, I’m clearly losing my touch.”

“No, you’re not. I get it. You don’t want me to feel bad for leaving and then you’re going to have to find another cook.”

The cook who had been here before I turned up quit. Everyone had asked for me to cook instead. I didn’t even know their name, and I never saw them in the kitchen. At first, I thought they were happy to not have to do any work. Now they lost their job, and I did like cooking a lot.

Emily told me not to worry about it, and so I didn’t. Tomorrow would be the start of a whole new life for me. One I intended to grasp with both hands.

I couldn’t wait.

Earl Valentine.

His name was like a whisper in my ear.

Even as the days were filled with excitement where I held control over what I could think about. If he so much as came close to the surface, I got busy. I made sure I was distracted. He couldn’t invade my thoughts, at least not for too long.

At night, that was a whole different game.

I couldn’t stop him from invading them.

He did so all the time. The nights were always the worst. When memories flooded and desires rushed through my body as if they had a right to. They didn’t.

I hated it.

Even though I was carving an entire life out for myself away from all of this, he still filled my mind.

I wondered all the time if he was okay.

Did he think about me?

“Earth to Ashley,” Drake said, snapping his fingers.

I swatted at his hand but smiled, not letting him see where my thoughts had drifted. “Don’t go snapping your fingers in my face. It’s so rude.”

“I’ve got a call. You were way too off in your own little world. We’ll talk when I get back.”

I laughed. “You don’t have to keep trying to make me feel better.”

“I can see it, Ash. You’re not a very good liar.”

Pressing my lips together, I tried to gain focus once again and forced a smile to my lips. “I’m fine.”

“Are you saying that because you believe it or to make me believe it?”

“Does it even matter which one?” I asked.

I didn’t know what I was doing, why I was even talking to him. He was right, though. I was a bad liar.

Once he left, I looked at the salad in front of me and tuned Earl Valentine out of my head. Thinking of him didn’t help.

With my focus back on food, I went to the fridge. This was going to be a fully loaded salad, with everything on it. Olives, artichokes, salad leaves, avocado, and so much more. I even grabbed some feta.

“Just keep working, Ashley. It’s all you can do. Just keep working.”

The salad was done. The cauliflower was finishing in the oven, and I glanced around, seeing the cake. I tested to see if it was cool enough. My hands shook a little, but I ignored them and began frosting the cake.

This was what I was still doing when Caleb entered the kitchen.

“Hey, Ashley.”

“Hey.”

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“Fine. You?”

“I’m great.”

“Good.”

Silence.

I was happy with the silence. He’d moved behind me. I heard the coffee pot being taken out of his holder, poured, and then pushed back in.

I ignored his presence. My attention was on the cake in front of me.

I could never get smooth sides. It sucked. I continued to do so though, using it as a way of not having to talk to Caleb.

I should have known my life wouldn’t be that easy, though.

“Can we talk?” Caleb asked.

I paused and stared across the kitchen at the doorway, looking at the potential escape. I could just leave. “No, we can’t talk.”

“I know you’re angry and you’re hurting.”

“Stop it,” I said.

“Ash, you’re Emily’s best friend.”

Holding the palette knife, I whirled around and glared at him. “Exactly. I’m Emily’s best friend. You don’t get to call me Ash.”

“Everyone calls you Ash.”

“Not you.”

Caleb frowned. He lowered his cup and placed it on the counter. “And why don’t I get to call you Ash?”

“This is all your fault.” I had promised myself I wouldn’t say anything.

“You’re clearly tired. We’ll talk another time.”

“I’m tired. That’s what you’re putting this down to. You don’t even see what you did, did you?”

“I saved you.”

“And then you fucking sold me,” I said. “I get that you saved me, but it wasn’t because of me. You saved me for Emily, and I am grateful for that. I spent seven amazing years with her. She’s a wonderful friend. I don’t have a problem with you until you negotiated her return.”

He continued to glare at me. “I did what I had to do.”

“You sold me as if you had a right to. My body. Every single part of me.”

“Look, you fell in love with him, didn’t you?”

“And you think it makes it okay?” I asked. “You sold me for my piece of flesh that was supposed to be my choice. It’s my body, but to save my best friend, I didn’t put up a fight. I never expected to fall in love, and I certainly didn’t want to feel this way. I hold you responsible for all of it. You being the big, bad monster that you are, you should have found another way. I don’t like you. I will never like you. Emily could do so much better than the four of you. So no, I’m not okay with any of you. Nothing you say will ever make any of this okay. You think I forgave you? You think I really wanted to be sold?”

The tears I hadn’t spilled for two weeks came to the surface. I didn’t even realize how much I hated the Monsters’ Crew until this moment.

Analyzing my life, I knew they were the ones who put this crap in motion. Their desire for Emily had set me on a course of pain.

I loved my best friend, and I’d do anything for her.

These men, however, I didn’t owe them a damn thing.

Caleb didn’t say anything. I turned my back on him, and he stormed out of the kitchen. If he thought we were cool, well, I’d just proven we weren’t even on the same page.

“That was a little cold,” Amelia said, appearing around the corner.

“You were there the whole time?”

“Enough to hear.” She spoke so softly as she stepped into the room. She wore a large shirt and sweatpants. Her body was always covered, even when it was warm. Her hair was down, long blonde lengths, almost white in color, and she had shockingly blue eyes.

She was stunning, breathtaking to look at.

“Do you want to have a seat?” I asked.

She lowered herself into the chair. Her hands clasped together as she looked at me.

“Are you okay?”

She always looked ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

“I’m fine. Everyone is sad that you’re leaving.”

“I thought you’d be glad. I’ll be one less person to avoid,” I said.

“I don’t intend to avoid anyone. It’s a habit.”

I noticed how white her knuckles were. “A habit?”

“You only get hit so many times before you start to learn to avoid them.”

“Oh.”

Amelia winced. “Sorry. That was an overshare.”

“You got hit a lot?”

“I was a girl. I was unwanted, and as I grew, I was told I was an ugly baby. Always a disappointment. Compared to River, I didn’t walk as early as him. Nor did I get out of diapers until I was like three, I think. I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’ve always been a disappointment. I’m not as clever as he is.” Amelia tucked her chin against her body.

“Who hit you?” I asked.

“My dad. My mom. My nanny. Anyone who felt I needed to be hit just hit me. It was easy for them.” She whipped out her arm. “So easy. At school, girls do it, so do guys. I’m a punching bag.” She shrugged.

“Amelia, you need to tell your brother.”

She shook her head. “He’s busy with running everything. At least I’m not traveling the world anymore, being left in places and having to wait to be picked up. It’s nice just having a room to myself.” She smiled, and it was so sweet, almost wistful. “My life isn’t so bad anymore.”

I didn’t know what else to say to that.

“I am going to miss you. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for. You deserve some happiness.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that. How much had Amelia heard? What did she know? She didn’t stick around. She gave me a quick hug, which I reciprocated, and then she was gone.

I stood alone in the kitchen. Time passed. The scents of the food filled the air.

Gripping my neck, I tried to massage the kinks that had worked into my body. Nothing eased the tension.

“I can’t believe it’s your last night,” Emily said. “And of course you won’t let us cook for you.”

“I don’t mind cooking.”

“I know.” Emily chuckled. “You always have a way of making us feel better, and I don’t have the first clue what to do to help you.”

“Don’t make this hard, or about you.”

“I’m not that selfish, am I?”

I smiled. “You can be when there’s something you want.”

She released a sigh, putting a hand on her swollen stomach. “I don’t want you to go.”

“Well, I want to.”

“Is it so awful here?”

“Not too much, but this isn’t my home. I’m not happy here, and it’s time I started to live my own life, you know?”

Emily groaned. “What about when I give birth? I don’t want you to miss it.”

“I won’t. You call me, and I’ll be on the first plane back. I promise.” I moved around the counter and went to her side, pulling her in against me and pressing a kiss to her head. “Nothing is going to change. You’re going to see that. You were doing fine when I wasn’t here.” I couldn’t bring myself to say his name.

This was a clean slate. A new beginning. One I intended to take full control of.

She tried to stand up, but I wouldn’t let her. “You need to rest,” I said.

“You’re so bossy. When did you get to be that way?”

“I learned from the best.” I gave her a wink and she groaned.

“You make me sound so awful.”

“Not awful. You always knew what you wanted. There’s no harm in that.” I pulled the casserole pot out of the oven, resting it on top of the stove, and removed the lid. A nice wave of steam came out, and along with it, the delicious smells of dinner.

“I can’t believe you’re going to get us to eat an entire head of cauliflower. I’m expecting my guys to moan.”

“It’s going to taste good.” My mouth salivated. “I’m going to set the table.” I made to pass Emily, but she captured me, pulling me into my arms.

“I’m so sorry he did what he did.”

I held on to her. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is. I should have done something to protect you.”

“It’s no one else’s fault I fell in love. This is all on me.” I rubbed at her back. “I love you.”

“I’m going to miss you.”

I gave her a squeeze. I was going to miss her too.

****

Earl

 

“Fuck you. You fucking piece of shit.”

I listened as Knight spat out the words. I cleaned off my blade from the blood I’d gotten on it. Ashley was out of the country. Landed safely at Heathrow airport, arrived at her apartment without a hitch, and had finished her first day at work. Then her second day. For a week, she’d gotten into a routine, and I knew because I’d been the one to closely monitor her.

As I used her as my distraction, Knight made his move, just as I knew he would.

The shipment of girls he intended to take were fakes. I’d arranged for mannequins to be placed within the cargo hold, and when his men had come to get them, we’d been ready.

I’d sunk the ship with some of his men still alive. There had been cameras on the ship, and I’d made Knight watch as his men drowned.

Some would call me cruel. This was simple payback.

Knight’s attacks had grown in severity and frequency. His patience being tested to the limit and along with it, my own.

I won. Like I always did.

I’d been waiting for Knight at his secure location, which happened to be a beautiful country estate. For the women who had been slaves here, I’d already made the necessary calls to be set free. Their stories would make the news, and Knight’s entire kingdom would fall. Along with it and all stocks and shares, people would be begging for a way out, and they wouldn’t get it. Every single investor would suffer, and just the thought made me smile. Also, I had him tied to the pool table, completely naked as he spewed out his curses.

His body dripped blood. I’d already taken my blade to him, cut him up really bad.

I’d gotten a text alert while I’d been about to take care of his cock. Ashley came first. She’d arrived at her apartment for the evening. I got to watch her for a few short minutes. No sound. Just the way she toed off her shoes, tilted her neck left to right. She’d been struggling with a knot in her shoulders ever since she got to England.

I wanted to help her ease out the tension, to help her relax, but I was miles away. An ocean away.

Closing temptation, I pocketed my cell phone, moved toward the pool table, and clicked my tongue at the man on top. “This isn’t a good look for you.”

“What the fuck do you want? Huh? You want money? You can have it. I’ve got enough to go around.”

“This isn’t about the money, and I’m really disappointed you’d think that.” I ran the tip of my blade across his nipple. One of them was already gone, removed with the single swipe of my blade.

“It’s about the whore!”

I drew my knife back and slammed it into his gut, twisting the handle as I watched him scream.

“No one talks about her like that.”

Knight groaned. “I’m fucking dead anyway. I can say what I want.” He kept on coughing in between each word. I ignored him and looked at his body, thinking about what I could do to him. The kind of damage I wanted to inflict. Part of me wanted to keep him alive. To have him as my own personal toy to torture at will, but once this was taken care of, I had other business to attend to.

Ashley. She was my business.

“You think you can keep her safe? Men like us kill women like her,” Knight said.

I looked at him, and I knew. My grandfather destroyed women, as did my father, and I’d picked up the game because it was what I was meant to do. I’d fought to be different to the men who called me son and grandson, but I wasn’t. I was just like them.

Without another word, I thrust the knife into his neck and stood, watching the life ebb away.

Knight was a good-looking man. A competition for power.

Not anymore. He was useless. Lifeless. A dead waste of space.

And now, no longer my problem.

By the time the press learned of his demise, he’d have been lost in a house fire to which he set himself as he knew the past would catch up to him. The women who’d been used by him would get the chance to tell their story, and no one would care about the billionaire businessman who lost his life.

He was a monster. Killed by me, a beast.

I cleaned off the knife and took a step back. My men were already pouring gas around the building, preparing to start the blaze.

My cell phone beeped again, and I got the single text to say the news headline had started. The knowledge of what he had done would be seen far and wide.

I’d been playing this game in life according to my grandfather’s rules.

It was time to change it up. Time to be the man Ashley needed me to be.

Stepping out of Knight’s mansion, I smiled. I was about to cause an entire shitstorm of trouble for a lot of people, and I didn’t care.