Read Online Taken by the Beast (The Conduit Series Book 1) by Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
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him that without letting on to thinking the place was doomed no matter what.
“I—uh—”
He tilted his head to one side. “You what? Are you at a loss for words, Ms. Bellamy?”
I slammed my fist against the ground between us. “You are extremely aggravating!”
Abram leaned back against the wall, hands folded behind his head, and closed his eyes. “There’s the door,” he said, pointing. “No one’s making you stay.”
That was probably
why
I was so upset right now. Because if I was being honest with myself, a small part of the reason I had done this—a very, very small part—had been because I wanted him to fight for me to stay. Now here I was, trying to convince him he still needed me.
Something wasn’t right here.
And still I tried.
“I get that it’ll be a lot of work—”
“Too much work, Ms. Bellamy.” He brushed himself off and stood up. Even now, after having known him for this long, I was still shocked by the sheer size of him. “And for what?”
“For this!” I answered, waving at the wreckage and hoping he could see it for what it could still be. “You worked really hard on this.”
Well, whenever you weren’t disappearing for the night.
“
We
worked really hard on this!” I added, following him as he marched toward the hallway. “We worked our asses off for this stupid club, and now you’re just going to walk away because things got rough?”
“Is that what you think this is about?” He turned to me so abruptly that I took a step back. His eyes bore into me again, and I could barely catch my breath. “What’s happening here is dangerous. These disappearances, this murder, that howling thing in the woods—this is not pretend, Ms. Bellamy. This is not some dark fairytale you can dismiss or ignore. Real people are
dying
. Do you think I care about this ridiculous club, about these walls and floors? This was supposed to be a place they could go! A place where they would be safe while—” He bit his lip hard and looked at the floor. Looking back up at me, he added. “It was never about this
place
.”
“Then what?” I asked in a small voice. “What is it about?”
“Don’t you get it?” His brow furrowed, as though he was surprised that I didn’t already know the answer to my question.
“It’s about … the people?”
“You, Ms. Bellamy,” he said, softening his tone. “It’s about you, of course. Ever since you fell into my arms, ever since the moment I saw you, with that freckle in your eye and your take-the-world-by-storm nature, it’s been about you.”
My heart jackhammered in my chest, beating so hard I was sure it would shatter my ribcage. Was this actually happening? Was Abram telling me he had feelings for me? But that couldn’t be right.
“What are you saying?” I asked, too stunned to move.
“I’m saying there are things happening here that you don’t know about, that you shouldn’t have to worry about.” He set his jaw. “You need to leave this club, leave this town, and don’t ever look back.” He gave me a long stare—one that I might describe as longing if I was forward enough to believe it—then he added, “Your final paycheck will be in the mail by the end of business today. Have a good life, Ms. Bellamy.”
He turned and lumbered toward the back room. I followed after him just in time to watch him head through the ‘symbol door.’
He was not just going to say that and walk away! I rushed behind him and grabbed the handle, but it scorched my fingers. I yanked my hand back.
What the hell
? It was way too hot to touch, let alone turn.
I chewed my lip, eyeing the door, thinking about shouting at him through the hunk of wood to come back out here. But even the thought of doing that made me feel pathetic. I had come here to quit—to get away from him. And now I was running after him, on the verge of begging him to talk to me?
No, I couldn’t be that girl. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the girl who took
“I—uh—”
He tilted his head to one side. “You what? Are you at a loss for words, Ms. Bellamy?”
I slammed my fist against the ground between us. “You are extremely aggravating!”
Abram leaned back against the wall, hands folded behind his head, and closed his eyes. “There’s the door,” he said, pointing. “No one’s making you stay.”
That was probably
why
I was so upset right now. Because if I was being honest with myself, a small part of the reason I had done this—a very, very small part—had been because I wanted him to fight for me to stay. Now here I was, trying to convince him he still needed me.
Something wasn’t right here.
And still I tried.
“I get that it’ll be a lot of work—”
“Too much work, Ms. Bellamy.” He brushed himself off and stood up. Even now, after having known him for this long, I was still shocked by the sheer size of him. “And for what?”
“For this!” I answered, waving at the wreckage and hoping he could see it for what it could still be. “You worked really hard on this.”
Well, whenever you weren’t disappearing for the night.
“
We
worked really hard on this!” I added, following him as he marched toward the hallway. “We worked our asses off for this stupid club, and now you’re just going to walk away because things got rough?”
“Is that what you think this is about?” He turned to me so abruptly that I took a step back. His eyes bore into me again, and I could barely catch my breath. “What’s happening here is dangerous. These disappearances, this murder, that howling thing in the woods—this is not pretend, Ms. Bellamy. This is not some dark fairytale you can dismiss or ignore. Real people are
dying
. Do you think I care about this ridiculous club, about these walls and floors? This was supposed to be a place they could go! A place where they would be safe while—” He bit his lip hard and looked at the floor. Looking back up at me, he added. “It was never about this
place
.”
“Then what?” I asked in a small voice. “What is it about?”
“Don’t you get it?” His brow furrowed, as though he was surprised that I didn’t already know the answer to my question.
“It’s about … the people?”
“You, Ms. Bellamy,” he said, softening his tone. “It’s about you, of course. Ever since you fell into my arms, ever since the moment I saw you, with that freckle in your eye and your take-the-world-by-storm nature, it’s been about you.”
My heart jackhammered in my chest, beating so hard I was sure it would shatter my ribcage. Was this actually happening? Was Abram telling me he had feelings for me? But that couldn’t be right.
“What are you saying?” I asked, too stunned to move.
“I’m saying there are things happening here that you don’t know about, that you shouldn’t have to worry about.” He set his jaw. “You need to leave this club, leave this town, and don’t ever look back.” He gave me a long stare—one that I might describe as longing if I was forward enough to believe it—then he added, “Your final paycheck will be in the mail by the end of business today. Have a good life, Ms. Bellamy.”
He turned and lumbered toward the back room. I followed after him just in time to watch him head through the ‘symbol door.’
He was not just going to say that and walk away! I rushed behind him and grabbed the handle, but it scorched my fingers. I yanked my hand back.
What the hell
? It was way too hot to touch, let alone turn.
I chewed my lip, eyeing the door, thinking about shouting at him through the hunk of wood to come back out here. But even the thought of doing that made me feel pathetic. I had come here to quit—to get away from him. And now I was running after him, on the verge of begging him to talk to me?
No, I couldn’t be that girl. But I certainly wasn’t going to be the girl who took
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