Page 57 of A Monster's Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters 3)

“Oh, Bishop, stop it.” She patted his arm and laughed. It was good to finally laugh. It had been way too long. Why was her life constantly a mess?

“I do have to ask why you’re sitting on a bench in a cemetery, staring out at a lot of graves, rather than going to tell my father the good news. We both know this will make him so happy.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“I don’t think it’s possible for him to be miserable about this.”

; “What about Bethany? What about me? I’m a mess.”

“You’re not a mess, Robin. In fact, I think you’re the perfect match to him in every single way. You don’t take shit. You’re a fighter, and if there’s something I know about my father, he doesn’t like weak people.”

“What if I am weak?”

“Not possible.” Bishop hugged her close. “I rented a car. I can drive you there. Where’s Bethany?”

“Anne’s watching her.”

“Oh, right. Do you want that ride?”

“Yeah, I’d love it.” What Bishop didn’t know was that she still had a pocket knife on her. She had learned long ago the only way to protect herself was to always be armed in some way so no one could get the drop on her. If this was all fake and was Bishop’s way of escaping town and using her as a tool to get what he wanted, he was going to be in for a fucking shock.

They drove together and she kept a close eye on the road and on Bishop. She wasn’t going to let him get away with anything. Taking a deep breath, she waited.

Nothing.

He drove all the way to his father’s without a single pitstop or even a hint of kidnapping.

Progress.

She thanked him for the ride and he smiled at her, wishing her good luck. She waited for him to pull out of the driveway before focusing on the house. She had always loved Preacher’s house. It was private, peaceful, and seeing it now, she felt all the good memories. Yes, Reaper’s taint was here as well, but overall, it wasn’t everything. He would never win.

After walking up the steps, she came to a stop as Preacher opened the door. “Was that Bishop?” he asked.

“Yeah, he dropped me off. I hope that’s okay.” Why was she even asking? It was his son.

“He better not be leaving town.”

“He’s not, believe me. If anything, he’s kind of waiting for your judgment. He knows if he leaves town, he’s a dead guy.” When did it become so easy to talk about things like this? It was completely and totally wrong.

Instead of saying anything more, she walked up the steps to face him. “We need to talk. Is now a good time or do you want me to leave?”

“It’s always a good time with you.” He stepped back and she had to brush past him, feeling the heat consume her body from the single touch.

This was why she could never leave, not now, not ever.

“Where’s Bethany?” he asked.

“She’s with Anne. I figured we could talk in private.” She walked past the sitting room only to stop and turn back. Inside was a play den. “I don’t recall … when did this happen?”

Girly toys filled the area. There was space to move around, but so many toys. It was a kid’s dream.

“I wanted to make sure everything was ready for when you brought Bethany with you. I’m not pressuring you to move back in or anything, but I thought you should know I’m serious about you and about Bethany.”

“Even though she’s part Reaper?”

“She’s part Reaper and all of you. I’m not going to judge a kid based on their dad. Look at me. You know what I told you about my parents. I wouldn’t do that.”