Beautiful Creatures Series

Chapter 16: 14

It was almost 6:00 AM when Stanton came into the house quietly, trying not to wake her, but Aurora had been up all night wondering where he had been. “Where have you been?” She demanded as he closed the door. “Why are you, Hummingbird?”

“Why am I up?” She was stunned by the question and the state in which he was in. “Why are you covered in blood?”

“Don’t worry. It’s not mine,” he said, making his way to the washroom, where he peeled off his bloody clothes.

“Not yours? How’s blood, is it?” He didn’t answer as he threw his clothes on the floor and started the shower. Aurora watched him get in and stand under the water, letting it wash the blood away. “God damn it, don’t ignore me. Whose blood is it?” Stanton just shot her a look, and she knew exactly who’s blood it was. “You went back for him, didn’t you?”

“He deserved what he got,” he told her, taking the body wash from the edge of the tub.

“You killed him?”

Stanton washed the blood off his face and then turned to face her. “Not the first time and probably won’t be the last.”

“It’s murder.”

Stanton turned off the shower and grabbed a towel as he got out. “Don’t give me that self-righteous tone. You have killed people too.”

“To protect myself.”

“Bullshit!” He yelled at her making her jump. “You’ve killed people because you lost your temper,” he pointed at his face. “Look… look what that fucker did to me. I can never get my eye back and why because he was afraid that I would give his punk ass a beat down for insulting my girl. I did a public service killing him, one less asshole in the world,” he snarled as he found some clean clothes and got dressed. Aurora watched as he pulled his boots on. It looked like he was leaving again.

“Where are you going now?”

“Work,” he snapped. “The bills don’t pay themselves,” he opened the door and stormed out, slamming the door behind him so hard a picture fell off the wall, and the frame shattered upon impact with the floor.

Oh… that man.

***

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Aurora,” Aster said as she brought a big bowl of popcorn to the coffee table. Aster had the day off. She had left her assistant in command of her bakery in Aspen, claiming that every once and a while, even the boss needed a day off. So, she had invited Aurora over to rent a movie with the girls. “I’m sure they were careful. It’s not the first body the pack has disposed of.”

“Am I the only person who thinks what they did was wrong?” Aurora asked.

“You said yourself you wanted to kill the guy,” Aster pointed out as she sat down on the couch.

“I might have wanted to, but I didn’t.”

“You’re saying you have never killed anyone?” Charlotte asked from her place on the floor where she was sitting cross-legged and picking at the popcorn.

“I have but only in self-defence,” both women stared at her with the same expression, the one saying they weren’t buying her answer. “Ok, maybe 50% self-defence – 50% anger,” both women laughed. “What?”

“Yeah, we have heard that you have a bit of a temper,” Charlotte giggled.

I had a temper?” She demanded with

snickered. “Oh yeah, I can clearly see

might have a very small anger issue,” she said, reaching

rentals, but in the background, they could still hear what was playing on the TV. The anchorman was talking about a body found in the

immediately. It was the man from the restaurant last night. His name was Rupert Dickson, and he was a son

the guy,” Aurora confirmed. “This

bad,” Charlotte confirmed.

going to want his son’s death investigated,” Aster said. “Were there a

nodded. “The place

be the very first suspect, then you,” Aster explained.

they believe it was an animal attack,”

going investigate,”

was killed by wild animals and found floating in a river. That’s going to make national news,” Charlotte pointed out.

“So.”

going to draw hunters,” Aster

a bad thing.

Aster said, taking out her cellphone. “I have to

***

way things were playing out, but it wasn’t Aurora’s fault. That girl was a frustratingly gorgeous magnet for assholes.

white and yellow roses lying on the passenger seat of his SUV. He picked the bouquet up and got out of

slipping off her shoulder and her hair swept up in one of those sloppy

that this was his life or that she was his girl. He never wanted to lose this, but

at him with relief. It was a look he had not expected. She rushed over to him and framed his face with

me,” Aurora snarled. She was right. He had been ignoring her calls because he hadn’t known what to say to her. Still

white and yellows mean I’m

playful grin.

“Google,” he snickered.

to

think,” Stanton said as he took a seat at the small kitchen table while

homemade gnocchi, stuffed with cheese, and pan-fried in brown butter and sage,” Aurora said as she plated the food that had been cooling in the pan. She brought both to the table, placing a bowl in front of him. It looked like restaurant quality, and

spoil me,” he said, taking up his

took the seat next to him. “Have you heard from

think he called once or twice, but I didn’t answer,” Stanton was getting a bad feeling. “Is there something

“The man you killed….”

about him. It’s over. Let us leave it in

“It’s not over.”

Just let the issue

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