Page 9 of Mercilessly Bred


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“Your turn,” I said when she didn’t respond. “Who are you and how the fuck did you get into my house?” I could almost see the wheels turning in her head, debating whether to answer. I figured she might just give me a fake name, but when she spoke, there was no lie ringing in her voice.

“Belle,” she said with determination as she raised her chin.

I scratched the edge of my grin. “No surname?”

She just narrowed her eyes at me, and the corner of her mouth ticked up in a smirk. Yes, she was tougher than she looked.

“Why are you in the corner?” she asked suspiciously. “Surely you’re not afraid of me?”

“No, but you should be afraid of me.” I left my words lingering in the air, anticipating the next ones to come from her mouth.

She let out a humorless laugh. “Seriously, come out.” She folded her arms across her chest and titled her head. “I can barely see who I’m talking to.”

I considered pushing back and questioning her motives for wanting to see me, but I didn’t want to continue cowering in the corner like a scared child. Why was I so worried? Was I afraid my scars would repulse her? If so, perhaps it was for the best. Her horror would extinguish any lingering attraction I had for her, leaving only bitterness in its wake.

“Fine,” I said tightly.

Then, stepped into the light.

Chapter5

Belle

Ifroze as my eyes ran over the man.Sebastian.

This was the man that I spotted outside. I recognized him even though I never saw his face. I couldn’t mistake a body like that for anyone else. He was big, with a barrel chest and big arms. His thick thighs filled out his pressed dress slacks, and the black shirt he wore clung to his torso, outlining the wall of muscle covering every inch of his body.

There were burn scars visible on the exposed skin of his arms, hands, and neck, and I found myself consumed with curiosity about what caused them. They must have been agonizing.

As my gaze traveled upwards, it landed upon his face—a strikingly chiseled jawline, a mane of thick, jet-black hair, and piercing green eyes that were locked on mine. The intensity of his gaze pulled me in, leaving me dry-mouthed and speechless. There was a magnetic quality to those eyes that made me want to draw closer to him, but I reminded myself that his physical appearance was of little consequence compared to the kind of person he was. Was he someone I could trust, or would he mistreat me?

A jolt of anticipation shot through me as he spoke, his voice low and deep, yet somehow soothing. “Are you ready to talk more now?” he asked, his eyes never leaving mine.

I wasn’t sure why he was so angry that I asked him to come out of the dark corner, but it was clear that I’d already pissed him off.

Not good.

“How did you get here? Why are you in my home?”

Fair questions. Difficult to answer honestly.

“I needed a place to lie low for a while. I hitched a ride here on a truck a couple of days ago.”

“Lie low? You look like shit,” he snapped, and I bristled, even though I knew it was true. “Did someone hurt you? Are you hiding from them?”

Yes.

But what if he kicked me out to keep trouble away from his home? Where would I go?

Even worse, what if he turned me in to them for a reward?

When I didn’t answer, Sebastian ran a hair through his hair in a gesture of irritation and paced the room. I had a feeling he was trying to decide what to do with me, and I wondered if there was any way I could get him to let me stay. Just for a while.

His eyes landed on a shelf nearby where I got the candy I’d been eating. I was sure it was high-quality stuff, probably pretty expensive, which explained the hard look he flashed me before walking over and putting the lid back on the glass container. Even though he didn’t say anything, that single look made me feel like a scolded child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

I folded my arms defiantly in front of my chest and held his stare. He looked annoyed.

“How old are you, anyway?” he asked.

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