“This is f**king ridiculous. We’re talking about women, human f**king beings,” Jack muttered angrily and Miles’s gaze sliced to him.
“Three times, with three women, they were mine and you took them.”
At his words, Belle’s body got tight, she felt Joy’s get tight and she sensed Yasmin and Jack’s getting tight.
“Miles, Yasmin –” Jack started.
“I loved her,” Miles cut him off and Belle, Joy and Yasmin all gasped. “Before you took her, I loved her.”
“Oh my God,” Yasmin breathed.
“You should have –” Jack started again but Miles again didn’t let him finish.
“I didn’t have the time. You saw to that.”
“She wasn’t yours, Miles,” Jack said, his voice less angry. “Neither was Belle and you know it.”
“I don’t know it,” Miles replied.
“You know it, Miles, and there is no third,” Jack returned.
“There’s a third,” Miles retorted.
“Who?” Jack asked.
“There’s a third,” Miles repeated.
“Who?” Jack pushed.
To which, Miles suddenly and frighteningly leaned in and roared, “There’s a third!”
“Fucking hell, Miles, if I don’t know –” Jack began to clip but Miles cut him off.
“You know, you bastard, dig deep down into your goddamned soul and you’ll know precisely who she was and you’ll know she was the worst of all,” Miles bit out.
“Miles, darling, are you feeling quite all right?” Joy asked hesitantly and Miles looked to his mother, his eyes burning in a way that made Belle step back.
Joy saw it too. Belle knew this when she let Jack go and stepped back with Belle.
“No, Mum,” he whispered, his voice strange, sinister, frightening, “I’m not all right. I’ve never been all right and you,” he pulled in breath and seared her with the heat of his gaze, “you’ve always known it.”
And with that bizarre, scary parting shot, he stalked between Jack and Yasmin and strode toward the castle.
“Jack, I think you should go after him,” Joy whispered, her voice trembling and Jack stopped looking over his shoulder at his retreating brother and looked to his mother.
“I will.” His eyes moved to Belle. “Please, love, get them inside.”
Belle nodded.
Jack glanced briefly at Yasmin before he turned and strode after his brother. Baron went with Jack. Gretl stayed close to Belle.
“Let’s do what Jack asks and get inside,” Belle urged softly, hooking her arm through Joy’s elbow and marching her to Yasmin while adjusting the rug under her arm so she could do the same with her friend. Then she led them firmly toward the castle.
“A third,” Yasmin murmured as they walked, all their eyes on Jack and Miles who were now having what looked like a very unhappy conversation beside Miles’s car.
“Do you know what that was all about?” Joy asked Yasmin.
“Some of it,” Yasmin muttered in a way that said she wasn’t feeling like sharing.