Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(25)

Belle and Miles’s eyes swung to the voice that came from door.

There stood James wearing faded jeans and a black t-shirt that fit snug on his chest and stomach. His black hair was tousled. His feet were bare. His powerful body was held stiff and the expression on his face was downright scary.

At the sight of James in all his angry beauty, Belle forgot her current physical predicament and tears crawled up her throat, stung her eyes and she didn’t have the strength to hold them back.

They spilled down her cheeks.

James’s angry gaze swung to her face, he took one look at her and the obvious anger turned to even more obvious fury and he strode purposefully into the room.

“Take your hands off her,” he demanded.

“Fuck you,” Miles returned viciously.

James got close, his eyes locked on his brother and he warned softly, “I’m not going to ask again.”

James and Miles glared at each other and Belle stood frozen watching them as the white-hot current of what seemed to be hatred crackled between them.

Suddenly Miles moved. He tossed Belle toward James with great force, sending her flying across the short expanse and colliding into James’s body.

James’s arms immediately folded around her to hold her close.

“Have her,” Miles snapped, sounding like she wasn’t a she but an it. A toy, a plaything, something you could blithely toss around and throw away.

“We’ll talk later,” James said in a way it was clear anyone in their right mind wouldn’t want to be present at that particular chat and Miles’s ugly expression turned uglier.

“No, Jack, we won’t. Fuck that,” Miles clipped.

“We’re going to have words,” James demanded.

“We’re done talking,” Miles retorted.

“What’s going on?” Joy asked, her concerned voice coming from the door and Belle had had enough.

She yanked out of James’s arms and ran to her bag.

There was stuff in the bathroom but she didn’t care. She’d buy more. She was leaving, immediately, even if she had to walk halfway to town to meet the taxi.

She started to zip her bag but felt the hot touch of James’s hand at the small of her back.

“What’s going on?” Joy repeated in a motherly demand at the exact same moment James murmured, “Poppet.”

At that word, Belle zipped her bag with a sharp movement and whirled around, dislodging his hand, her eyes shooting up to lock on his.

“Don’t touch me,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears.

His hand came up and toward her face as he said gently, “Belle.”

She lifted her own hand, knocking his aside. It registered somewhere that her action made his body jerk and his brows drew together.

“I said, don’t touch me,” she repeated and turned away. Grabbing her suitcase by the handles, she moved to get her purse. “I never want to see you again.” She turned, her gaze sweeping the room to see Miles was still there, Joy was at the door and Yasmin had joined her.

The women looked pale, Miles looked furious, James looked concerned.

All of them were watching her.

“Any of you,” Belle declared then grabbed her purse, hitched it on her shoulder and started to march to the door but James brought her up short with a hand at her wrist.

She stopped and looked up at him.

“Poppet –” he started and at his repeated endearment, something fundamental inside her that was holding together by a miracle broke apart.

“Don’t you dare,” she hissed, the tears clearing from her voice and eyes. “Don’t you dare. You wanted a crack at me?” she asked and James flinched, his eyes shot to his brother in what Belle read as guilt causing her heart to flutter in an altogether too painful way before they came back to her on her next words. “You got it. Three of them if I’m counting right. You won, James,” she told him and his eyes narrowed when she used his real name. “You can stop playing the game. Just note your hash mark on the board, move onto your next victim and leave me alone.”

She yanked from his hold and started to walk away but he caught her by the wrist again.

“Belle, listen to me –” he began when her eyes moved to his.

“No, I listened to you last night when you told me I could trust you,” Belle shot back. “You lied. I’m not listening to you again.”

James’s face changed. It took on a look of frustrated but controlled anger and he used his hand to bring her closer as he looked to the door.

“Get out and close the door behind you,” he ordered.

“Don’t bother,” Belle said immediately to the women who hesitated at the door. “I’m leaving.”

“Belle, we’re talking,” James told her.

That something that was broken inside her started cutting deep, the jagged ends tearing at her insides. The pain was immense and she couldn’t hold on much longer.

“Take your hand off me,” she demanded.

“Belle, we’re talking,” James repeated.

Belle leaned in, overcome by hurt and humiliation, she screeched into his face. “I said, take your hand off me!”

Then, with force, she pulled free and started running.

He caught her just feet from the door with an arm around her waist. Joy and Yasmin had begun to move aside but stopped when he swung her around.