Chapter 66 – Kidnapped by My Mate Series II: His Lost Queen

Filed To Story: Kidnapped by My Mate Novel (Belle & Grayson) Online Free by Annie Whipple

“I’m fine,” I said once again, setting my hand down at my side.

“Do you want one of us to stay here with you?” Liam asked me. “In case something like that happens again?”

Laila nodded. “I would be happy to stay here with you, Belle.”

My cheeks reddened. I was starting to feel like a little kid who was afraid of the dark. “I think you guys have done enough for me already, but I appreciate the offer.

I’ll be fine sleeping on my own.”

It only took a little bit more convincing before they both begrudgingly agreed to leave me alone and warily started to leave the room.

Liam paused in the doorway, looking back at me. “I’m right down the hall if you need anything, okay?”

I nodded, giving him the best smile I could manage. “Okay. Thanks.”

He nodded once, then pursed his lips. “You want me to turn off the light?”

I was about to say yes but hesitated. “Would it be okay if we left it on?” I asked. So maybe I was a little kid afraid of the dark.

“Of course,” Liam replied, taking his hand off the switch. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

He gave me one last worried glance before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

As I laid my head back down on my pillow, Grayson’s words from my dream ran through my head over and over again.

No way I thought to myself. “You can’t escape me, Belle.”~

I got up extremely early the next morning. Unsurprisingly, I hadn’t been able to fall asleep again after my nightmare last night.

The entire night had been spent tossing and turning, trying to get Grayson’s face and voice out of my head. It was like he was haunting me.

I knew he would laugh if he could see me. He would find joy in the pain and turmoil he was still causing me.

Every horrible thing he said to me, every lie he had ever told me, kept playing in my mind on repeat.

What did I do in my past life to get stuck with you? I didn’t even realize how pathetic a human could be until I met you.

Can you not do anything right, you fucking bitch?

The only reason alphas want their mates is for the power they give them. You are here to bring me pleasure and power. That’s it.

And worst of all, “I am physically incapable of causing you pain.”

What a lie.

Pushing those thoughts away, I quickly got up and made the bed. I couldn’t just lie around anymore. As exhausted as I was, I had to get up and get moving. I had to go find a job and a place to stay tonight.

It had to be around five in the morning. Hopefully, Liam and Laila were still sleeping, so I could just leave them a note and sneak out of here without causing them any more trouble.

Once my backpack and suitcase were packed, I quietly made my way out of my bedroom and into the living room. I was wary of the fact that Laila was probably still asleep on the living room couch.

I paused when I looked at the couch and saw it was empty.

“Good morning,” a voice said.

I jumped and let out an embarrassingly high-pitched screech. I whirled around, coming face to face with Laila. She was leaning on the kitchen island, a mug of something steaming in her hand.

Her lips turned up in a smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” she said.

I let out a held breath and glanced to the hallway I had just come from, hoping I didn’t wake up Liam with my scream.

“Don’t worry,” Laila said, following my line of vision. “Liam won’t be awake for at least three more hours.”

I shifted my weight uneasily, feeling awkward. “I was actually just leaving.” I pulled my backpack straps tighter around my shoulders.

“Would you tell your brother thanks for letting me stay here? And sorry again about the whole…nightmare thing.”

Laila waved a dismissive hand. “What’s the rush?” She walked over to one of the cabinets and took out another mug. “Do you like coffee? I’m sure you could use it after the night you had.”

I watched her uneasily. Coffee did sound good, but I had already decided to catch the earliest bus out of there so I could continue my job hunt. “That’s okay. I should really get going.”

Acting as if I hadn’t said anything at all, Laila grabbed the coffee pot and filled the mug up to the brim. She glanced at me. “You need a job, right?”

My brows tugged together. Had she read my mind? “Uh…yeah.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” She pushed the cup of coffee across the island so it was in front of me. “There’s this diner just outside of town that I know for a fact is in need of a new waitress.

“I’ve heard the guy who owns it is kind of a jerk, but it could be what you’re looking for. Interested?”

“Really?” I asked. I took a step forward, my heart beating anxiously in my chest.

“That would be incredible. How did you hear about it?”

“Liam and I eat there a lot. It’s one of the only places around here that our dad doesn’t own. We go there to get away from watchful eyes and listening ears.”

“So your dad owns basically all of Evergreen, then?”

Laila nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. Her eyes looked far away.

“Everything and everyone, it feels like.”

I hesitated. “Is he like…the mayor or something?”

She looked back at me. “Basically, yeah. Might as well be.”

So he was the reason I couldn’t get a job in Evergreen. “Well, thanks for telling me about the job. You have no idea how much that helps me out.”

Laila leaned back on the counter behind her. “Glad to help.” She smiled sweetly. “I can drive you there later today if you want. I have nothing else going on.

“We might want to wait an hour or two, though. I don’t know what time it opens.”

I finally joined her at the island, sitting on one of the stools. I wrapped my hands around the mug. “I would love that. Thank you. Truly.”

Feeling a bit more relaxed now that I had somewhat of a plan, I let myself take a sip of coffee.

Laila studied me for a few seconds before her smile grew. “It’s nice to hang out with you, Belle,” she said softly.

I was starting to really comprehend just how opposite Laila and her brother were.

Liam was loud and energetic, whereas Laila was quiet and calm. They balanced each other out.

I smiled back. “Yes, it’s nice to hang out with you.”

“You know,” Laila continued, leaning her elbows on the counter in front of her, her mug still in her hands, “now that we know you’ll probably be staying nearby, I would love it if we could be friends.”

“Friends?” I repeated. I had never had a girlfriend before. I had never really had any friends before. Not since I was little. I hadn’t had the time after my dad got sick.

“Yeah, if you want. Everyone in this town is either boring or a two-faced liar.” She wrinkled her nose. “Or they got out of here and went somewhere better.

Unfortunately, I’m stuck here. Liam too.”

“Stuck here? Are you kidding?” I glanced around the incredible apartment that had been provided by her obviously very rich father and out the living room window overlooking the absolutely incredible view.

“Evergreen is beautiful. I would love to live here.”

“Trust me, it’s not as amazing as it seems. It might look like this incredible getaway on the outside, but on the inside…”

She shook her head as if she were trying to clear away a bad memory. “Just…not everything is as it seems around here.”

“Oh,” I whispered. “Well…anything is better than the place I came from.”

I could feel the way Laila’s gaze traveled over the large fading bruise that was still taking over half of my face.

“Yeah, I bet.”

I expected her to ask more questions but was extremely grateful when she didn’t push. Instead, she walked over to a kitchen cabinet next to the sink, grabbed some ibuprofen, and handed it to me.

She didn’t ask if I wanted it. Just simply handed it over, followed by a glass of water.

“Thanks,” I murmured. I didn’t argue before swallowing the pills.

We spent the next hour or so chatting. I learned that Laila and Liam were basically like royalty in Evergreen. The Blackwoods were the hierarchy, and their dad was the king.

Laila didn’t act like royalty, though. In fact, it seemed like she didn’t really enjoy talking about her father or all the money her family had, just like Liam.

She was extremely nice. She made me feel comfortable and never pressured me for information about my past.

In fact, she was so sensitive about what she was saying that I had started to suspect that Laila might have had her own past.

There was this sort of dimness in her eyes—a look that told me something else was on her mind, haunting her.

“Wait, you can’t be serious.” I laughed.

Laila giggled with me. “I wish I weren’t. This scarred me for life. Can you imagine?

Liam and, like, eight of his friends—in custody at the police station, all soaking wet and only in their underwear.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s horrible! How could they do something so stupid?” I asked, unable to hold back the large grin taking over my face.

“I asked them that same question. It was one of the hottest days of the year, but still, we live on the beach, for god’s sake! There was no reason for them to use the country club’s pool.

“And then to strip down and accidentally lock themselves in there without clothes?

They were just being idiots, I swear.”

Someone groaned behind us. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

I whirled around, seeing Liam standing at the hallway entrance, looking at us both with a pained expression on his face.

Laila grinned. She popped one of the grapes she had stolen from his fridge into her mouth. “Nope.”

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