The Beast

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three
Smitten

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HANNAH

   "That guy has been following us since we left your apartment, Han."

   Quinn snapped me out of my thoughts. "Guy? Which guy?"

   Her nose flared in disgust, and I knew my long-distance friend was seconds from confronting whoever she thought necessary.

   "There." She jerked her head toward the door we came through minutes ago. "Tall guy. Little bulky. Blank face."

   I struggled to hide my grimace before glancing behind her. Unsurprisingly, there Danila stood. I had hoped she wouldn't notice him tailing us, but Quinn was highly perceptive at times, unlike Nico.

   The thought of my roommate had me remembering what Lev warned earlier today. A warning that was completely unwarranted.

   For the last week, I've had movers bring the new furniture into Lev's apartment. But unlike all the other times, some men made innocent conversation with me. Lev hadn't let it continue—something I've noticed ever since he stayed over at my place. Before he'd been possessive, but now, the man was completely mad with insanity.

   He's gone even more protective, for reasons I don't know. There was no evidence pointing to someone breaking into my apartment, besides the smell. In the end, I decided it might have been one of Nico's friends who stopped by. They always come in and out of the apartment, and after confirming with Nico a day later, one of his friends actually do have a key.

   Either way, Lev had gone from implying decapitation of other men to full on threatening them if they look at me. He'd included Nico in that statement, but I again had to make him promise not to touch Nico. 

   When he found out I was going for drinks with Quinn and Nico—who decided on visiting after taking two days off work—the vein in his neck nearly popped. Yet... he hadn't even tried using his threats before letting me go.

   I narrowed my eyes on Danila, forgetting that Quinn was doing the same—for a whole other reason.

   "He's just standing there," she hissed furiously before pressing her fists against the table. "We should tell security—"

   "Tell security what? That you're a bitch?" Nico chirped, sliding into the booth next to me. "It's New York, Phili. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a creep fucker nearby."

   She glared daggers at him, but her eyes quickly lit up when he slid her drink across the table.

   "Whatever," she still grumbled with the straw in her mouth.

   I gave Nico a grateful smile, which widened into a grin when he plopped my drink in front of me. "Drink up, woman. I want you to enjoy yourself."

   "Any reason why you're buying us drinks, Nicolas?"

   He visibly gagged. "Don't ever say my full name, Q-tip."

   "Q-tip?" Quinn looked seconds away from exploding. "You are such a dick—"

   "I'm a dick? You being a buzzkill—"

   "Says the guy who's sensitive about his name—"

   "Sensitive," he scoffed, "Sorry if I don't want a name like Nicolas when I look like this."

   He gestured to his chest, then his face. I broke out in a chuckle while Quinn rolled her eyes. "Han, humble the man."

   "She loves me more than you."