Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(44)

“I wouldn’t put it that way, however, Belle and her family are here, this is their home now and I intend them to feel safe and comfortable. I can imagine by your behaviour four months ago and just now that Belle isn’t feeling exactly safe at the moment. So yes, in essence, what you say is true.” Miles opened his mouth but Jack got there before him and when he spoke his voice was low and vibrating with fury. “And, I swear to God Miles, if you call Belle my ‘f*ck’ again or utter one more vulgar statement alluding to her, I’ll rip your goddamned head off.”

Jack felt Belle’s stiff body go solid before it began to relax at his side but he didn’t take his eyes off his brother.

Miles glared at Jack and Jack calmly held his glare.

Though Jack did not feel calm.

He was even more incensed than he’d been when he arrived at the stables.

He was no longer angry at Belle, but at his f**king brother and, more importantly, at what his f**king brother had interrupted.

When Miles didn’t move or speak, Jack did the latter. “You’re still standing in my stables.”

“My horse happens to be stabled here,” Miles returned.

“Call Olive. Tell her where you want Mystery stabled and I’ll have her transported,” Jack replied.

Miles’s eyes grew wide. “So now you’re kicking out my horse too?”

Jack turned fully to his brother but held Belle closely at his side with an arm tight around her waist.

“I’d like to take the time to explain things to you fully, Miles, so you’ll understand precisely how I feel about you right now and my intent that you and anything of yours you need is gone as soon as possible. But it’s more important I have the opportunity to speak with Belle. So I’m asking you nicely to go, call Olive, tell her what you need and where you want it to be. She’ll arrange everything,” Jack said to his brother.

“You’re asking me nicely?” Miles queried spitefully.

Jack’s voice dipped low with warning when he returned, “If you’d prefer, I’ll make my wishes clear not nicely. However, as I mentioned, I need to speak to Belle and, to make my wishes clear to you, I’d have to ask her to leave.”

Without delay, Miles started to roll up the sleeves of his shirt, his eyes glued to Jack, and he challenged, “Then ask her to leave, Jack. I’d vastly prefer you make your wishes clear not nicely.”

For the first time since Miles arrived, Belle spoke, she did it softly and with a good deal of disgust obvious in her tone, “I don’t believe this is happening.”

Jack looked down to see she was staring at Miles with unhappy astonishment.

Then before Jack could speak, she said to Miles, “You need to grow up.”

“Run along, Belle. Jack and I have things to discuss,” Miles returned, his eyes not leaving Jack.

“I won’t run along while you two beat each other to a pulp. What’s the matter with you?” Belle snapped and Miles’s eyes cut to her.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled sarcastically. “Maybe it’s the fact that my brother, who owns my f**king house and the stables where my f**king horse is housed, is standing with his arm around the woman I used to f**king date. A woman who had his f**king tongue in her f**king mouth not five minutes ago. And who’s also carrying his bastard f**king child, because, within hours of meeting her, she was so gagging for him she opened her f**king legs, that brother is telling me to get the f**k out. Don’t you think that might make you a bit peeved, gorgeous?”

Jack heard Belle gasp but it didn’t register.

He’d heard enough and it had all poured forth from his brother’s mouth.

He was done.

He pushed Belle behind him, his eyes locked on Miles and he muttered, “Go to the house, Belle.”

He felt her hands wrap around his forearm in a firm grip.

“Don’t let him –”

But Jack turned, his eyes pinned her to the spot and he repeated, “Poppet, go to the house. I’ll be there shortly.”

She stared at him a moment, her gaze soft and pleading, and she whispered, “Don’t do this, Jack.”

He felt Belle’s use of his nickname slice straight through his gut.

For some irrational reason he didn’t have the time to process, he realised the feeling was fierce and intensely satisfying.

He still didn’t change his mind.

Instead his hand went to her jaw and his thumb slid along her cheekbone.

“Go to the house, love.”

Her eyes moved to Miles then back to Jack.

Then she nodded, turned on her heel and ran out of the stables.

She stopped at the door and cooed at his dogs, patting her thigh. They ran to her and out the door she closed behind them.

Jack faced his brother.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Miles sneered, slowly advancing.

Jack very much doubted it.

And, in the end, Jack was right.

Chapter Nine

Multiple Personalities

Belle

Belle woke on her side in her big, soft bed at The Point feeling for the first time in her week of living there, strangely pleasant, cosy and safe.

Then it registered there was warmth at her back and a heavy weight on her waist.

She opened her eyes and looked down to see a man’s hand (not any man’s hand, she’d know that strong, long-fingered hand anywhere, it was James’s) dangling at her waist. She saw in the sunlight streaming through her windows that the knuckles were raw and torn, painful-looking scabs forming at the splits.