The Beast Code: Be Still My Beastly Heart

Chapter 3: Ghost From Daughter's Past

Song: Make Up by The Script

Nicholas POV

"Okay. Night daddy." Arabella said before she was gone to the world. I froze for a minute after she said that. A slow smile spread across my face before I walked out of her room; leaving the door open because I knew she hated sleeping in the dark with the lights off. She had such a vivid imagination that she freaked herself out at night as soon as she cut the lights. So the door was left open in case she needed to run out the room. I chuckled as I entered my office. Picking up the glass I had left by the couch I sighed and walked over to where the whiskey was and poured myself a glass.

"Damn. Shaun is back." I grunted and gulped the whiskey down. He knows he's not supposed to be anywhere near us. Arabella and her mom were finally settled in this place without worrying that someone was out to get them. I'd be damned if they were shaken up and on edge. Not when a relationship was new between Ara and I. Putting the glass down I walked to my desk and got ready to make some calls. The first person I had to call was the person who could sort this whole mess out. Damn, Zachariah isn't the most pleasant of all people to work with. A knock sounded at the front door just as I picked up the phone. I let my hearing reach out and I counted two strong heartbeats. I wasn't expecting anyone which put me on high alert.

Opening my desk drawer I reached for the gun I had hidden in a secret compartment. My cellphone rang and Zachariah's name flashed on the screen. I answered it, "Hello?"

"Nicholas, how are you doing?" what the hell? Zachariah doesn't do small talk.

"On high alert. You?"

"Getting annoyed that you haven't opened the damn door yet. If you're here in the five seconds after I disconnect the call I'm busting in." The call ended and I shot for the front door. As soon as I reached it I unlocked and opened it. Out on the front step was Zachariah and the man who put Arabella in a guarded state. I stepped out and punched Shaun across the face. He bent over and grunted.

"Missed you too, Nick."

"What are you doing here, Shaun. You know the rules. You're supposed to be far away from Ara and her mom as possible. You're dead remember?" Shaun rubbed his jaw and scoffed at me.

"The rules have changed. They know Ara and Badru are alive. And they're getting closer."

"What?" my shocked gaze went to Zachariah and he nodded seriously. "Let's move into my office." The men came inside and I closed and locked the door. Leading the way to my office Zachariah began asking questions.

"Are you aware of what Arabella had done tonight?" I nodded.

"Your men need to keep their training up to date if they can't handle a girl." I grunted.

"She was smart. She used their own strength and bodies against them." he replied in a business tone.

"That's because I taught her well." Shaun bragged with a huge smile on his face and I became irritated. We made it to the office and I closed the door.

"Listen, Shaun. I asked her how she felt after she saw you because she's smart enough to know when a person is alive or not. She said as far as she's concerned you're dead to her so stay away from her, Shaun. I mean it." His body went stiff and his jaw clenched.

"She really said that?" I nodded and sat in my desk chair.

"Yes. She was devastated when you suddenly died but got over it because she decided to take on the responsibility of looking after her mother and herself." Zachariah chose that moment to have the closest thing to a smile on his face for a brief second. That confused me. He never smiled. Ever.

"Arabella is a unpredictable woman. I like it."

"It would be best to stay away from her, Zachariah. She doesn't date. She also hates males who are overbearing and possessive and controlling. If she gets one whiff of how you are she will be halfway across the world within the next twenty-four hours."

Zachariah stilled at that. He turned slowly to look at me. His eyes had darkened considerably.

"And what makes you think I would listen to you? She interests me. I will explore that interest." Shaun looked like he poured a can of red paint over himself by how red he was.

"You will do no such thing." stern voice said from the door and everyone turned to face the mother of the girl everyone was fussing over. "Arabella is more precious than you think. She is someone who if her spirit is ever broken a lot of devastating and dangerous things will happen. None of you have the slightest idea of just how powerful she is but I do. Zachariah, I am warning you, do not approach her. And Shaun she better not see you."

"It's too late for that, Badru." Nicholas ground out. Her eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" she stepped into the room with an angry look.

"There was an incident tonight with Arabelle getting her car hi-jacked. She ran for cover in Zachariah's bar and she saw him. He even called her by name." Badru opened and closed her mouth before she walked over to Shaun and slapped him right across the face.

"You should've stayed dead! Now they know she's alive." she scolded and walked away from him to start pacing.

"Ow! Damn it. Why don't we just wake Arabelle up so she can take a swing at me too?" Shaun shouted and stood up straight again.

"That sounds like a grand idea, Shaun." Our heads snapped in the direction of the door. There stood Arabelle with a murderous expression on her face.

"Oh shit." I swore and Shaun tried to hide his face.

"It's no use trying to hide your face. I've seen you long enough to know you're actually here." he cursed and swung around again.

"Hi, baby girl." he smiled like a fool trying not to get burned.

"Don't 'baby girl' me. I'm not you're baby girl. What are you doing here in my house?" The fact that she called it her house warmed my heart.

"It's a long story." he started.

"Make it short," she cut in, "because I'm a minute away from throwing you out the door." she ground out.

"Arabella, don't talk to your father like that!" her mother scolded.

"I buried my father!" she shouted and turned cold eyes to her mother. She shrunk back at the intensity of it. That was something no one has ever seen before. Badru has faced countless dangerous threats and not once has she ever backed down or shown remotely any fear.

"Everyone dial it down. There's no need to get worked up. Everything can be explained." Zachariah stepped in. Big mistake.

"Who the fuck invited you to the family feud?" she shot at him. His mouth dropped open. She gestured to him. "Well? Are you going to answer or are you going to stand there like a fucking idiot?" she prompted.

"Arabelle, I'm Zachariah Wolfe." Zachariah said taking a step towards her. She gave him such a hard look that he stopped mid-stride.

"I know who you are." she was starting to get pissy.

"I'm here to protect you." he added. She snorted.

"I can protect myself, thank you very much."

"Where's Annabelle?" Shaun asked and the room went silent.

"Dead." Arabelle whispered.