A Monster's Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters #3) - Sam Crescent Page 0,71

us in the past couple of years. We’ve found each other, lost one another, and found each other again. I don’t want to waste another moment. The only time my life makes any kind of sense is when I’m with you. I love you. No one else. Just you. You mean everything to me.”

He stared into her eyes, and he saw the real worry, the real concern, and he couldn’t bear for her to ever feel that way, not with him.

“Then I’ll arrange it. You and me, we’ll get married and I’ll deal with Bishop. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, why would I be mad?”

“I feel like I’m ruining all of your plans.”

“Not a chance.” He tilted her head back, kissed her lips. “I love you. I promise, I love you more than anything else in the world.” Bethany began to giggle as she played with one of her toys. “In fact, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.” He turned Robin so she was facing him and he smiled up at her.

“What is it?”

“I want to adopt Bethany. I want her to be my child.”

“You would do that?” she asked.

“For you, I would do anything and I know that now. Don’t go telling anyone just what a great guy I am. I’ve got to keep my reputation intact, you know.”

“I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes, and make me really happy.”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He gripped the back of her head and kissed her hard. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

****

A couple of days later, Preacher went to Bishop’s apartment. He’d known where the kid was living for some time now. Not only had Bishop gotten a job but he’d been getting on his own two feet, and he was proud.

Lifting his hand, he knocked on the door and waited. He’d gone to the feed and DIY store to discover his son spent a great deal of his time here.

He waited.

Bishop flicked the catch of the lock and opened the door.

“Preacher,” he said.

“Son.”

“What brings you here?”

“You know what brings me here and I think it’s time you and I had a talk.”

He watched his son visibly swallow but stepped back, giving him plenty of room to enter. Glancing around the place, he was surprised to see it was tidy. “You know the women at the club were afraid to clean your room. Lots of dirty dishes and unwashed clothes.”

“Yeah, well, back then I felt I was a fucking king and now I know I’m not. The only person I can rely on is myself.” Bishop closed the door, folding his arms. “What can I do for you?”

“Simple, really, the club has made a decision.” It had been a unanimous decision. Preacher hadn’t even had to persuade any of the men to let his son go. They had all agreed Bishop was owed some slack for all of his time and effort he’d put into the club, at least to right the wrong that had been done to them.

Without Bishop, he would have struggled to find the Slaves to the Beasts’ place of rest. Reaper was good at hiding, and he’d made sure all of his men at the club were just as good.

Bishop nodded his head. “I’m ready. Whatever that might be.” He held his hand up. “Wait. I … yeah, I’m ready.”

“You’re sure?”

“No, I want to get something off my chest first. Before I don’t have a chance or whatever. I hated you. For the longest time, I hated the kind of power you had. All you had to do was click your fingers and people came running. Everyone was always afraid of you.”

“And you didn’t like that.”

“I was only ever going to be your son. Your boy. I hated it, but now I realize I should’ve respected it. Because of you, I did have a good life. Don’t get me wrong, you were a shitty father, but what you were like with me is in no way what you were like with anyone else, Robin included.”

He ran a hand down his face. “I messed up with her, big time. I did and said shit I shouldn’t have done. My biggest failure was not helping her when Reaper came calling. I was a monster and I shouldn’t have done what I did. Not only did I let him take her, but I made sure he knew when you were coming. I always kept him one step ahead. Each time, I hated myself for