Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 147673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
The lock clanged, and King pulled back his hand, picking up the mug of coffee before the door opened and Beast walked in. He stopped mid-stride when he noticed them sitting by the little table. Laurent’s eyes went wide when Hound barked, aggressively rushing to stand in front of him, as if he was ready to bite if only his master told him to.
King raised his cup with a wide smile. “Son! I hear you had a little squabble with our dear guest. What could he have possibly done? Just look at him,” he said, gesturing at Laurent.
Beast’s mouth tightened, and he slowly closed the door behind him. “It would be great if you told me you were about to let yourself into my apartment.”
King slurped his coffee loudly. “Technically it’s my apartment. This whole property belongs to me.”
Laurent picked up his cup as well, anxious the moment Hound came closer with his wide black muzzle and started sniffing Laurent’s knee. He wasn’t even sure if he should speak to Beast, and when he looked up and caught the blue gaze pinning him to the sofa, he was quick to look back down into the coffee. Now that he could see Beast’s face so clearly through the glasses, he was sure Beast was definitely not a ‘troll’ as his father had called him. Beast was a man of flesh and bone, even if scarred under all the ink. The Latin inscriptions along with the pictures of hell softened Laurent’s heart whenever he looked at Beast. Despite yesterday’s cruel words, he now knew that the skin in which Beast lived was his personal Inferno, and nothing Laurent did or said could make it any worse.
Hound pressed his nose against Laurent’s thigh, peeking at him with curious dark eyes, but pulled back immediately when Beast called him over with a whistle. Beast pulled a flesh-colored bone off a shelf and gave it to the dog, which made a circle in place before running off to its bed in the corner.
“Look, I understand that this house belongs to you, but it’s also our clubhouse. We don’t know when one of the floors will crumble. There have been no real maintenance works done since the sixties. After forty years of disuse, it does need renovations, whether you like it or not. So we either invest and renovate or find somewhere else,” Beast said, walking up to the table with a bottle of a black drink in hand. Laurent cowered under the look Beast gave him.
“That’s why we’re getting work done in the common room today. You’re such a pain in the ass, you know that? I’m paying for it from my own pocket too.”
Beast took a few sips and shifted his weight, which made the dark aray shirt with long sleeves cling to his chest. Laurent still remember how soft was the fabric Beast wore yesterday and how hard the muscle underneath. “Get over yourself. Sometimes, hard decisions need to be made. We don’t even use most of the building, so why don’t you sell it? Why are you so adamant on keeping this particular place?”
King’s shoulders went rigid, and he stood up. He wasn’t as tall as his son, but Laurent wouldn’t dare stand up to him either way. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. The building is massive, with potential for expansion, huge rooms to hold parties and concerts in. If you had any imagination, you’d look to the future and see what could become of it if we all work hard!”
Laurent cleared his throat. “I have to admit the whole place is incredibly impr—”
Beast’s blue eyes shot toward him, and he pointed his huge index finger at him. “Shut up. This has nothing to do with you!”
King snorted. “Give the boy a break. Seems he’s smarter than you if he sees the potential of this property. I’m not going to even start on all the grounds, which could be converted into a recreational area in the future. There’s no way I’m getting rid of this place to buy some godawful concrete bunker somewhere.”
Beast’s jaw clenched. “Whatever. Tell me next time when you come in like a fucking king of the castle.”
King shrugged. “Oh, I was going out anyway. You can finish the breakfast. It’s delicious. Isn’t that right?” he asked Laurent.
“Yes, it’s very good. Thank you very much, sir.” Laurent nodded quickly, burning under King’s scrutiny.
King gave Beast a slap on the back on his way out. “Come down and introduce him once you’re done eating. Laurent’s our guest, and he’ll be staying here for a while, so treat him as such. And stop freaking him out with the dog.”
Beast put his arms across his chest, watching Laurent in complete silence until King disappeared behind the door. “Did you suck him off that he’s so friendly?” he burst out as soon as they were alone.