Adventure awaits for those who answer its call, right? And caring for Beast was definitely going to be an adventure.
Chapter Six
~ Beast ~
Day had been long as hell and twice as boring. With my evil nurse not coming in to give me my bed bath and medicine, and my new nurse not turning up, I’d only had Max—our latest prospect—and my revenge plot against the motherfuckers who put me here to keep me company. I was not in a good enough mood when Belle decided to grace me with her presence.
The door creaked open and I glared at her as she came in acting like she had no care in the world and wasn’t afraid of me. But I knew better.
“Took your time,” I snapped as she wheeled the cart over to the side of the bed. She didn’t rise to the bait and instead smiled like I’d just given her a compliment.
My jaw ticked in annoyance as I watched her sort through all the items on the table to make sure she had everything. I knew what was coming next. I knew it was going to hurt and I knew that she had no fucks to give about that. My hands clenched into fists at my sides.
The door opened again and the prospect came in, all smiles and cocky strut as he came toward us, eyes on Belle’s ass as she bent down for something on the bottom of the cart. He threw me a grin and I gave him the finger.
Belle straightened back up, her cheeks going rosy and pink as she caught the exchange between me and the prospect.
“Umm, did you have your pain meds?” she asked, putting down the bottle of cream and going to the end of the bed.
“Did you fucking give them to me?” I bit out, making her blush harder. Bitch had no idea what she was doing. Hands shaking, cream before washing…she was already fucking this up and I was already looking forward to yelling at her and making her feel like shit for her incompetence.
“Sorry, no, I umm,” she stammered, her hazel eyes moving between the board in her hand and me like she couldn’t hold my stare. “I’ll get them now and then I’ll come back to do the bath and such after I’ve done my morning rounds.”
“Fuck it,” I growled, wanting to get this shit over with. “Prospect, gimme a hit so we can get this done.”
“Be my pleasure, brother,” he said, coming forward.
Belle jumped straight into action like I knew she would. Her eyes went wide like saucers and she came between him and the bed, her back to me.
“No, he can’t have that stuff, it’s messing with his real meds,” she stammered again, trying to be forceful.
“Get the fuck out of the way,” I growled.
I expected her to move the fuck out of my way like I’d told her to, but instead she turned to face me, her eyes still wide but her mouth set in a hard line. Wild curls were pinned back from her face, but one had come loose and was angled in front of one of her eyes. Wanted to reach up and brush it away, but I didn’t.
“No, sir, no I will not. That stuff will kill you, and I’m here to keep you alive, so no, you will not be having that today.” She nodded, looking mighty pleased with herself.
The prospect smirked over her shoulder and I glared hard enough that she should have pissed herself. She shook her head at me, her mouth still tight.
I let my gaze move up and down her. That nurse’s uniform was two sizes too big for her and did nothing for her figure so I couldn’t work out if she was hot as hell under it or built like a child.
“No, Belle, what’s likely to kill me is men likeme. You see, men like me, we do things to other people—people we don’t like. We hurt them, make them feel so much pain that they wish for death because it’s a better option than staying alive. And then we go have a beer afterwards and fuck a woman. You feel me?” I said my words slowly and carefully, accentuating each one. Bitch surprised me by shaking her head no, and the prospect snorted out a laugh. I was gonna kill that kid if he didn’t fuck off.
“The drugs are keeping me alive, Belle,” I said darkly, “so get out of the fucking way, now.”
She huffed, unsure what to do then, and I knew that it was a matter of wills. Hadn’t expected her to stand up to me, but that was okay; I liked them feisty like that, and I was going to enjoy breaking her.
Belle finally stepped to one side, her shoulders slumping in defeat and her gaze slipping from mine. “Fine, but you’ll only feel worse afterwards,” she mumbled.
“That’s my problem then, isn’t it.”
Prospect came forward and gave me a hit and I groaned in response, happy as a pig in shit as the dull throb of pain ebbed and flowed away. This was the only release I got. The only time I got a breather from every part of me hurting. I wasn’t stupid; I knew the pain would eventually subside on its own when my body was done healing. I’d get through this like I got through everything: with my teeth gritted and my stubbornness to survive shining through. Hell, I’d made it through the darkest days, and though death was always on the horizon, it wasn’t poking me like a bear in a cage anymore. But still, I wanted the hit. I wanted it to take the pain for a bit. I wanted it so I could get out of my own damned head for a bit.
“Good to go,” the prospect said, and I realized that I must have zoned out for a moment. “I’ll be outside, I don’t need to see your junk.”
I grunted in response, too fucked up from what he’d given me to reply properly. The next thing I felt was the touch of Belle’s fingertips on my overly sensitized skin, picking at the bandages and peeling them away to reveal the delicate skin underneath. It felt like broken glass being dragged across my flesh, tearing open the wounds again. My stomach ached and my blood thrummed through my veins like hot lava. I kept my eyes closed, forcing my mind to go somewhere better than this, like I did every time I had to go through this shit.
I thought of being on my bike again. I tried to remember the feel of the wind on my face and in my hair. Of the rumble of the engine and the heat of the metal between my thighs and the feel of a woman’s tits pressed up against my back. I could smell the scent of engine oil and a woman’s sweet perfume in my nostrils, and goddamn, it was everything and more. The wind, the roar, and the scent of oil—the world stopped for a moment, and if I could have died right then, I would have. It was bliss. Pure fucking bliss.
