Claim (Fury Brothers #5)

37. Beau

37

BEAU

I listened to the familiar sounds of the gym—the slap of gloves, the grunts and chatter, the clunk of weights.

It was just like any other day.

But so much had changed.

Bell—sweet, strong, vulnerable Bell—had entered my world and changed it.

Now, she was finally safe.

Simon had called. Carr had lost too much blood, and hadn’t survived his injuries. I felt nothing. The man had been a monster, and I wasn’t sorry he was dead. Allie, Karina, and his other victims could now rest in peace.

Bell could live in peace.

I’d left her in my bed—rumpled and exhausted. I should be ashamed of how often I’d taken her during the night. I’d been desperate for her.

Each time, she’d welcomed me with hungry eagerness.

She was safe. She was free.

Now, it was time for me to set her free.

Gio appeared, giving me a look. “You okay?”

“Never better.” I leaned back in my office chair. “A serial killer is off the streets and Bell is safe.”

The older man nodded. “Good. That girl deserves nothing but good.” He slapped the doorframe and disappeared back into the gym.

On that, we could agree.

And despite what my brothers thought, I wasn’t good for Bell. I was a tattooed former merc who was good with his fists. Who’d fought and clawed his way through life. Who came from people whose DNA shouldn’t be shared.

“Hey, Gio.” Bell’s voice just outside my office.

She sounded light, happy. I heard them talking, and heard her laugh. Under the desk, my hands curled into fists. I looked down at them and saw how nicked and scarred they were.

Bell appeared in the doorway. Her dark hair was loose, and her smile was big. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” I replied.

“Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

“You needed it.”

“I know.” Her lips twitched. “But the reason I was tired was so worth it.”

I forced myself to stay cool. I had to do what was right for Bell, what was best. “Simon called.”

I saw her tense a little.

“Carr died in the hospital.”

“Oh.” Her smile slipped and she clasped her hands together. Then she shook her head. “I suppose I should feel something…but I don’t. I hated him, feared him, for so long. Knowing he’s gone, well, it just lifts a weight. I feel relief.”

“It doesn’t make you a bad person to feel that way after everything.”

She nodded.

I pulled in a deep breath. “So, when are you leaving for Texas?”

She blinked. “What?”

“You’re safe now. Like you said, the burden of Carr isn’t weighing you down anymore. You can see your mom. Go back to school. Go home.”

She took a step toward the desk. “I’ve been the happiest I’ve ever been here, in New Orleans.” She straightened. “With you.”

I made a scoffing sound. “You’re too smart to work in the gym, Bell. And too smart to stay with a guy like me.”

She cocked her head. “A guy like you?”

Dammit . She was making this hard. I rose. “Come on, we both know I’m too old for you, too rough, too… You know what I come from, and you deserve to go out there and find the right guy for you. Make the right life for you.”

Her face turned pinched. “I thought I’d found the right guy.”

Her words were like a kick to my chest.

She strode closer, and slapped her hands on my desk. “I thought I’d found a man who supported me, protected me. One who, in bed, lights me up in ways I’ve never imagined. A man who holds me tight in his strong arms.”

Fuck . I looked at the floor. “It was never going to be forever. I don’t do forever.”

“Because you don’t want it or don’t think you deserve it?”

My head jerked up.

“You do, Beau. Your parents might have been bad people, but you aren’t. I know you can’t believe every foster kid out there with bad parents deserves to cut themselves off from love.”

Hell, she made me want to believe. I wanted to grab her and hold her tight.

But I cared enough to do what was best for her.

Fuck, I loved her. I felt a thud in my chest. I loved her so much and wanted everything for her.

“This—” I waved a hand between us “—has run its course, angel. It’s time for you to go home.”

To my horror, tears formed in her eyes. She looked at me—strong and direct—as the glittering tears spilled down her cheeks.

Fuck, they cut deep.

“All the words about having my back, being a team, doing things together was garbage.” A small, painful laugh escaped her. “I was busy falling in love with you, and you’ve been waiting for a chance to shove me out the door.”

Fucking fuck . The breath was knocked out of me.

“I was a coward for running from Carr, from life, for so long. Now, you’re the coward, Beauden. You’ve been running your entire life. You miss all the good stuff when you do that.”

“That’s not what this is.” But it was. She’d hit the target perfectly.

She nodded, and took a step toward the door. “You want me gone, then I’m gone.”

Then she turned and ran out of the office.

I stared at the empty doorway for a long time. My heart was still beating, but it hurt. It hurt with every beat.

I hung my head. This was the way it had to be. What was best for Bell?