The Beast
I n a fluid motion, Sir moved Brie behind him as he stepped forward to face the threat alone. “You have no business being here.”
Elizabeth smiled easily, as if she had expected such a negative response. “It’s a free country, Thane.”
“Who is she?” Brie asked, stunned at Sir’s odd behavior towards the woman, suddenly afraid she knew exactly who it was but not able to believe it.
“No one,” he answered angrily, taking Brie’s hand and turning to leave.
“Are you really such a coward, Thane? I had expected you to grow into a man by now.”
The entire gym was now focused on the scene being played out before them.
“Come, Brie,” Sir said with forced calm, guiding her towards the door.
Brie was shocked to feel him literally shaking with rage, the air around him rife with hostility. She kept up with his long strides. They were both desperate to get away from the situation as swiftly as possible.
From behind her, she heard, “Don’t walk away from your mother, boy.”
Sir didn’t break his stride as he pushed through the door and shouted, “I have no mother!”
Brie stole a glance back at Elizabeth. The woman lifted her chin and smiled at Brie condescendingly. A cold chill coursed through Brie’s veins as she realized how easily she had played into Elizabeth’s hands. But she could not fathom how the woman could be Thane’s mother. She looked far too young.
“Keys,” Sir snapped.
Brie dug the keys out of her pocket and handed them to him. “Sir, I didn’t kn—”
“Not now, Brie.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and she automatically slipped into the passenger side, grabbing onto her flowerpot and clutching it to her chest.
“Seat belt,” he barked.
Brie belted herself in as Sir revved the engine loudly and took off with a squeal of tires and black smoke.
He drove like a man possessed, going above the speed limit for the foggy conditions, which were normal that early in the morning. At all times he remained in control, but he drove with a dangerous focus that unnerved her.
Sir did not proceed to their apartment. Instead, he headed for the California hills that overlooked the city. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was alarming. She had never seen Sir so upset. He stared at the road, his jaw set, his eyes narrow—a seething mass of tension. Brie was afraid that if she dared to touch him, he would explode.
She buried her face in the flowers and said a silent prayer.
Sir suddenly pulled off to the side of the road and jumped out of the car. She scrambled out too, unwilling to leave him alone.
He stormed to the edge of a steep embankment and held his arms out wide in the swirling fog, screaming with his fists clenched towards the sky. The sound of his cry broke Brie’s heart. It was full of pain on a level she had never experienced. His screams of agony were swallowed up by the surrounding mist.
Sir roared again, but it was full of a rage that frightened her. He looked around wildly and then focused on the hard trunk of a large tree. He began punching the rough surface in blind anger, not caring about the damage he was doing to his fists.
Brie cried out, wanting to stop him but understanding, on a deeper level, his need to unleash the furious wrath within him. After countless sickening thuds, he fell to his knees and slumped against the base of the tree.
She ran to him then, wrapping her arms around Sir, trying to impart every ounce of her strength to him.
Sir wept—a deep, raw release of emotion that had been buried for years. She didn’t say anything as she held onto him, needing him to know he was not alone in his grief. Finally the sobs ceased and he became silent. Time stood still in the white mist, silent and cold, while he struggled with his grief and pain.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Sir responded by pulling her to him and tucking her into his arms. She lay on the ground, her head buried in his chest. He held her in silence, words unnecessary
I n a fluid motion, Sir moved Brie behind him as he stepped forward to face the threat alone. “You have no business being here.”
Elizabeth smiled easily, as if she had expected such a negative response. “It’s a free country, Thane.”
“Who is she?” Brie asked, stunned at Sir’s odd behavior towards the woman, suddenly afraid she knew exactly who it was but not able to believe it.
“No one,” he answered angrily, taking Brie’s hand and turning to leave.
“Are you really such a coward, Thane? I had expected you to grow into a man by now.”
The entire gym was now focused on the scene being played out before them.
“Come, Brie,” Sir said with forced calm, guiding her towards the door.
Brie was shocked to feel him literally shaking with rage, the air around him rife with hostility. She kept up with his long strides. They were both desperate to get away from the situation as swiftly as possible.
From behind her, she heard, “Don’t walk away from your mother, boy.”
Sir didn’t break his stride as he pushed through the door and shouted, “I have no mother!”
Brie stole a glance back at Elizabeth. The woman lifted her chin and smiled at Brie condescendingly. A cold chill coursed through Brie’s veins as she realized how easily she had played into Elizabeth’s hands. But she could not fathom how the woman could be Thane’s mother. She looked far too young.
“Keys,” Sir snapped.
Brie dug the keys out of her pocket and handed them to him. “Sir, I didn’t kn—”
“Not now, Brie.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and she automatically slipped into the passenger side, grabbing onto her flowerpot and clutching it to her chest.
“Seat belt,” he barked.
Brie belted herself in as Sir revved the engine loudly and took off with a squeal of tires and black smoke.
He drove like a man possessed, going above the speed limit for the foggy conditions, which were normal that early in the morning. At all times he remained in control, but he drove with a dangerous focus that unnerved her.
Sir did not proceed to their apartment. Instead, he headed for the California hills that overlooked the city. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was alarming. She had never seen Sir so upset. He stared at the road, his jaw set, his eyes narrow—a seething mass of tension. Brie was afraid that if she dared to touch him, he would explode.
She buried her face in the flowers and said a silent prayer.
Sir suddenly pulled off to the side of the road and jumped out of the car. She scrambled out too, unwilling to leave him alone.
He stormed to the edge of a steep embankment and held his arms out wide in the swirling fog, screaming with his fists clenched towards the sky. The sound of his cry broke Brie’s heart. It was full of pain on a level she had never experienced. His screams of agony were swallowed up by the surrounding mist.
Sir roared again, but it was full of a rage that frightened her. He looked around wildly and then focused on the hard trunk of a large tree. He began punching the rough surface in blind anger, not caring about the damage he was doing to his fists.
Brie cried out, wanting to stop him but understanding, on a deeper level, his need to unleash the furious wrath within him. After countless sickening thuds, he fell to his knees and slumped against the base of the tree.
She ran to him then, wrapping her arms around Sir, trying to impart every ounce of her strength to him.
Sir wept—a deep, raw release of emotion that had been buried for years. She didn’t say anything as she held onto him, needing him to know he was not alone in his grief. Finally the sobs ceased and he became silent. Time stood still in the white mist, silent and cold, while he struggled with his grief and pain.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Sir responded by pulling her to him and tucking her into his arms. She lay on the ground, her head buried in his chest. He held her in silence, words unnecessary
Similar Books
