Beauty and the Billionaire: The Collection by Lauren Landish

Author:Lauren Landish [Landish, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-18T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

GABRIEL

Ican feel his worthless body slump under my hand as I hit him in the chest with the mallet.

I bought the rubber mallet because I knew I wanted to hurt him but didn’t want to actually kill him. Handy factoid, the rubber disburses the power of the strike, causing pain but significantly less damage than a normal hammer or bullet would.

I’d already done research on Russell Carraby, even before this morning. As soon as I knew he could be a threat to Bella, I looked into him and then watched and learned.

He wakes up at eleven, still half-drunk, and has a nasty habit of pissing in his own bushes on his way back inside from collecting the mail. He spends his days smoking and playing video games. He mostly only comes out to buy more drugs, steal shit from any store he’s not banned from, or to bother the decent people unlucky enough to live on the land he owns.

I’d known he was bad news, but Bella was handling it, and honestly, I didn’t want to answer the questions she’d have if I physically jumped in to save her from him. But this morning, everything changed, getting far worse than even I could have anticipated. I hadn’t had a choice.

The one knee had been the smallest taste of what I’d wanted to do, and I’d known I was going back for him without Bella there to witness it. Even if it damns me, I’ll save her. I’ll punish him.

It’s what I do.

And anything I dish out, up to and including death, would be warranted and well-deserved by a piece of shit like Carraby.

I’d swear I took the same precautions before approaching his house that I do with every entry I make, but obviously, I was at least partially distracted. Because now I’ve got Bella, standing in the doorway gawking at me, while I’m over a man whom I just beat unconscious.

And she’s looking at me like I’m some sort of monster.

The truth hurts.

“You shouldn’t have seen this, Bella,” I say, stepping back from Russell and lowering the mallet. “I wish you wouldn’t have seen me like this.”

“Gabe . . . please, don’t kill him,” Bella says, her hands coming up in a prayer-like pose at her chin. Oh, my sweet princess, if you only knew how much better your life would be if you’d let me take care of this asshole.

But I didn’t come here to kill him, and looking in her eyes, I wouldn’t be able to go through with it even if I had.

I sigh, lowering the mallet. “I won’t kill him, hadn’t planned on it. But he . . .” I shake my head, knowing I can’t beat around the bush with this any longer. “Please, I’ll explain everything. At your house. I’ll tell you everything.”

“Why?” Bella asks, her eyes widening as panicked fear pierces her shock. “Oh, God, you’re going to kill me.” She takes a step back, and I force myself to stay still

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