Bound by Vengeance (SKALS)

by Adriana Noir

  “That was so generous of you,” she said once they were alone again. “That’s probably more money than she’ll see after waiting on five tables.”

  His face flushed with his uncomfortable shrug. “I have it to spare. Are you ready to get out of here?”

  “Not yet. Just listen to me for a second, please?”

  Frowning, he nodded and met her stare across the table.

  “You saved my life that day, Sebastian. Since then, you’ve given me everything that I could’ve ever possibly dreamed of and more. You love me with a fierceness, passion, and honesty that I’ve never known. Yes, you can be scary at times, and what you do for a living terrifies me, but I love you. The man I know is sweet, and generous, and strong, but he also has this boyish grin and these amazing moments of vulnerability that make my heart ache. He’s not a monster. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”

  He blew out a shaky breath. His entire face softened for a moment. Blinking, his mouth flattened into a grim press and he gave a slow shake of his head. His eyes locked with hers, and his lips curved with a gentle smile as he reached across the table to cup her cheek.

  “You’re going to have to keep reminding me of that,” he murmured, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb. “Those things you see aren’t what they want or expect me to be, baby. You know that.”

  “I know.”

  “Regardless, I’m a lucky man. A lucky man whose butt is starting to go numb from these plastic seats. Let’s get out of here.”

  Giggling at his comment and brief bid of humor, she turned to grab her purse from beside the window and froze. Grey locked with jaded hazel and her breath caught. Time hung suspended as she stared at the familiar face peering back at her. Hurt and displeasure stamped her uncle’s grizzled features. He looked like he’d aged an entire decade since she’d last seen him. Unable to move, unable to speak, she forced a strained swallow.

  “Taylor?” Sebastian asked softly.

  Her gaze darted in his direction just in time to see him frown and scan the outside with narrowed eyes. His attention swung back to her, his face questioning.

  “What is it, baby? What did you see?”

  She shook her head, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly around the words. Peeking back outside, she saw no sign of her uncle. He was gone. Her brow furrowed with confusion. Had she imagined him? Biting the inside of her cheeks, her expression tightened. If so, why now? She tucked her hair behind her ears. Her scalp felt hot and sweaty beneath her hat.

  “I don’t know,” she finally managed. “I thought I saw something, but there’s no one there.”

  Sebastian studied her for a moment. “You’re shaking.”

  “I just want to go home,” she whispered. “Please.”

  He finished pulling on his gloves and stood, holding out a hand to help her out of the booth. She closed her eyes as he pulled her close and enveloped her in a hug. His lips pressed against the top of her head. The warm strength of his body made her feel safe and protected. She rubbed her cheek against the soft wool of his coat before tilting her head back to peer up at him. Sebastian curled his fingers around her chin with a smile.

  “Better?” he asked.

  “Much.”

  His grin deepened and, tucking her under his arm, he led her outside. Icy wind assaulted her the second they stepped onto the sidewalk. It coiled through her lungs, robbing her of her breath. Thick, heavy snowflakes battered and blinded her. Choking down a cough, she shivered against the winter assail. Sebastian hugged her tighter against his side as he steered her toward the car.

  “Wait!” a gruff voice shouted behind them, breaking the silence.

  Her heart skidded to a painful halt and leapt into her throat. Knowing what was coming, Taylor dropped her chin to her chest, her body sagging with a rueful slump. She could hear her uncle’s heavy footfalls as he jogged down the sidewalk after them. Thick, gnarled fingers brushed the back of her coat, fueling her panic. Twisting, she lurched in front of Sebastian, almost tripping him. He stumbled with a curse. Uncle Roy’s gravelly voice drowned out the rest of his words, but his annoyance was clear.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, girl? I know good goddamn well you hear me!” her uncle snapped, reaching for her.

  She flinched away. Raw fury stamped Sebastian’s face as he spun.

  “Excuse me?” he asked coldly. Recognition flashed in his eyes before they narrowed into reproachful slits. The muscles along his jaw corded and whitened as he regarded the man in front of him. “Get away from her.”

  “What do you mean get away from her? That’s my niece. Who the hell are you?”

  Sebastian shook his head. “Who I am is not important, Roy. I’m not going to ask you again.”

  Her uncle’s eyes darted to hers. Confusion and anger warred for control on his weather-beaten features. His jaw jutted in a show of stubborn pride. “Taylor?”

  Giving a sad shake of her head, she looked away. Her heart wrenched with guilt and fear. Fear for herself, fear for her uncle, and guilt about the way she was treating him, despite what he had done. Biting her tongue, she fought the rising sting of tears.

  “Taylor, please. Let me explain things…”

  She glanced up as Sebastian shifted, taking another step toward her bewildered uncle. The old man was drunk again. She could smell the sour whiskey rolling off his breath from where she stood. Somehow, the thought filled her with an even greater sorrow. He wasn’t a bad man, just sick. Sick and desperate.

  “Roy,” Sebastian scolded with a soft tsk. “You aren’t listening. Do yourself a favor. Think about what’s best for your situation and walk away.”

  Her uncle sniffed with disdain. His face balled up into a grimace as he sucked in a sharp hock of phlegm and spat at Sebastian’s feet. Horrified, Taylor watched while her lover tensed and regarded her uncle with a questioning tilt of his head. She was glad she couldn’t see his expression. It was bad enough feeling the raw fury that rolled off him. Pressing against him, she tentatively stroked the back of his arm.

  “Sebastian, please,” she whispered. His lean form trembled with rage beneath her touch. “Let’s just go.”

  “You must be the Fed my niece shacked herself up with,” her uncle scoffed. “Let me tell you something, G-man. You don’t get to tell me what’s best for me and my situation. Your fancy clothes and alphabet titles don’t impress me, and this is none of your business. This is a family concern.”

  Sebastian’s shoulders shook in a dry acknowledgement. “I don’t care what impresses you, Roy,” he stated softly. “Taylor is my family now, and I assure you that makes her my business as well as my concern. You lost any claim you had on her.”

  “Claim? She ain’t a piece of property!”

  “No,” Sebastian agreed, prowling forward. “But she is a scapegoat for you and your son to lie to and use as you see fit?” He shook his head. “No, Roy. Not anymore. Those days are done.”

  “Taylor? Is that what you think? You know that’s not true! Money was tight. You know that, little girl. I only made that moonshine to help put clothes on your back and food in your mouth. I did what I had to do to take care of you! The least you can do is help your cousin and me out of this mess. I took you in when no one else would. I gave you a home when no one else wanted you.”

  Tears froze on her cheeks. Shaking, she clamped her eyes shut and smothered a miserable sob. It was so hard not to talk to him. She ached to make things right, to tell him it was okay and she forgave him, but Sebastian’s warning of what would happen if she did still rang loud and clear in her mind. He’d been so furious when her cousin had been busted driving her truck and the BATF had hauled her in. She had no desire to relive that anger again—and family or not, Sebastian was the one she had to go home with. Her head snapped up at the sound of his livid growl.

  “Don’t you dare blame this on her,” he rasped, seizing her uncle and wrenching him up by the front of his coat.

  Taylor shook. Bereft of e
ven the comfort of Sebastian’s back to press to she was afraid her knees would crumble. Her uncle’s ruddy face purpled under the pressure of Sebastian’s hold. His watery stare darted to her.

  “Don’t even look at her,” Sebastian warned through clenched teeth. “You are done. Taylor only sees the good in people. As ludicrous as it is, she feels sorry for you—even after everything you put her through. She’s damn lucky I was there to intervene or she’d be looking at doing hard time. Do you even care about that at all?” he pressed, his grip tightening.

  All her uncle managed was a feeble nod.

  “You’re lying,” Sebastian whispered. “I can see it in your eyes. She was just a means to an end with you. She would have gladly taken the fall for you both. Where would you be then, Roy? Setting up your moonshining still somewhere else and bitching about the inconvenience? Shrugging her off as just another business expense?”

  “I didn’t mean…I never wanted her to get hurt,” Roy choked, sputtering for breath.

  Sebastian’s knuckles whitened as he twisted her uncle’s coat until his face flushed a dangerous hue. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. Taylor may be nothing to you, but she is everything to me. If you ever try to contact her or come near her again, I won’t settle for seeing you locked up. I will give you and that degenerate offspring of yours an experience that will make you beg for death. Think about it carefully, and don’t test my patience again.”

  Her uncle stumbled backwards on a shove. Taylor clamped a hand over her mouth as the once proud man landed in an awkward sprawl amongst concrete and snow. A low sob broke in the base of her throat. Her tear-filled eyes darted to Sebastian’s as he approached. Without a word, he pulled her against his side and steered her away. It took everything she had not to glance over her shoulder. One way or another, she knew she’d probably just seen her uncle for the last time. Yet, somehow, as final as the moment was, goodbye had never felt so incomplete.

  Sebastian flexed his fingers around the steering wheel as he eased the Benz to a stop. The red glow of the stoplight bathed the inside of the car, illuminating Taylor’s tearstained face. He rolled his neck and winced when the bones gave a stiff pop. The movie hadn’t been too bad despite being a low-grade romantic flick. He’d expected silence then, but dinner had been tense and quiet as well. Taylor had spent more time pushing her food around her plate than she had eating, and the only time he’d heard her speak at all was when she gave one of her automated answers. Now, the silence in the car was smothering.

  His grip on the wheel tightened in time with his jaw.

  “Stop sulking.”

  Her head snapped up. “I’m not.”

  Her voice had that defensive edge he hated. His eyes narrowed just as the light turned green.

  “You are, and I’m not going to spend the rest of the night dealing with your mood. We had a good day, Taylor. Stop letting that man screw it up.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to. I just feel bad.”

  “You have nothing to feel bad about, baby,” he said, trying to smooth things over before he lost his temper. “Your uncle made his decisions. Those choices put him where he’s at, not you.”

  “I know, but…” She sighed and shook her head.

  “But what, Taylor? Those people lied to you and they used you. I told you your relationship with them was over months ago. Maybe now you can see why. Your uncle couldn’t even trouble himself enough to come begging for your help sober. Did he even bother to ask how you were doing or apologize for what he did?”

  “No,” she whispered.

  His chest ached as her chin trembled in a miserable quiver, but he refused to back down. She was too close to the situation to see the truth. She had to understand. Setting his shoulders, he turned the car onto the sweeping uphill street that wound to his estate.

  “No, Taylor,” he agreed softly. “He tried to blame you for his actions. He’s nothing but a drunken train wreck who doesn’t give a damn about you or your best interest. I know how much losing family hurts, sweetheart. I’ve been there remember? I got through it and so will you. People like that don’t deserve you, let alone your time. You have me and Monique now, and I promise I will always be there for you.”

  “You always are, Sebastian.”

  He reached over and brushed her cheek. Some of her sorrow had eased as he pulled to a stop outside the wrought iron gates surrounding their home. He gave her a wink before rolling down the window. A blustering rush of snow and frigid air swept through the Benz as he tugged off his glove and pressed his finger against the scanner. Making a show of shivering, he drew a quiet giggle from Taylor. The sound made him smile. He liked making her happy. That’s what today had been all about. He’d been doing a fairly good job at it, too, until her booze-ridden uncle had shown up. He sincerely hoped this drunk wasn’t going to prove to be another case of misguided mercy like Todd. Sebastian shook his head. What the hell was it with people and their liquor anyway?

  The thoughts forced his mind back to trouble and the issues at home. His gaze remained locked on the mirror as he eased up the drive, watching until the gates swung shut and latched behind them. A quick glance around accounted for some of the security team, but not all. The others were likely patrolling the flanks and rear stretch of the premises. His face tightened with a brief scowl. He’d needed them in place to give him some peace of mind when he was away. Knowing Taylor was safe was his main priority. For a moment, he’d had that reassurance, but now…now the trust was gone, and that was a serious concern.

  After parking the car, he led Taylor into the house. The darkened laundry room off the garage offered a welcome blast of heat and the familiar scent of home. He never had been able to peg the smell. It was an odd blend of wood, leather, carpet, and clean. Taking her hand, he tugged her through the short hall into the kitchen. He cut between the island and the counters without any trouble, knowing every inch of the layout by heart. The only time that had ever posed a problem was when his niece or nephew stayed the night. A faint smile threatened at the memory, even if it did involve the pain of stepping on a toy or two.

  He’d loved Christian so much. His heart twisted with guilt. The words “your fault” bubbled to his mind before he quickly tamped them down. He couldn’t do that to himself anymore. It was time to let go. Hell, he hadn’t even seen Mia since Christmas. In some ways, it was easier to believe that was for the best. Brushing the past aside, he focused on the present.

  He stopped at the bottom of the stairs off the kitchen and hauled Taylor against his chest. She squealed, squirming as he trapped her in his arms and chomped at the side of her neck with a playful growl.

  “Go get ready for bed. I’ll be right up,” he murmured, tracing the shell of her ear with his lips.

  He couldn’t help but smile as his little minx grinned up at him. Desire illuminated those beautiful grey eyes, flooding them with promise. Peeling her away from him, he sent her upstairs with a firm swat that hurried her along. Walking back into the garage, he carried in the books she’d selected. At least it would give her something to do until the situation with Laychee was corrected. That was a problem that needed rectified, and soon. Stayed cooped up inside the house had to be driving her crazy.

  Blowing out a deep breath, he shrugged out of his coat and scarf. Tucking his gloves into the pocket, he hung the items up in the closet and snagged a bottle of water. After taking a long drink, he pulled his cell phone out and dialed the head of security. Henderson’s deep voice answered on the other end.

  “We’re back. Were there any problems while we were gone?”

  “I saw you pull in. Welcome home, sir. There’s nothing to report. All is quiet as usual.”

  He bit back a sarcastic remark. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed and nodded into the darkness. “Thank you.”

  “Have a good evening, sir.”

  Sebastian ended the call without responding. He checked the clock. It was just after nine. Josh and Monique would be heading
to bed soon, if they weren’t there already. The thought made him grimace. That was definitely a mental image he could do without. Rather than drag things out and interrupt his partner’s time off with a call, he shot off a quick text.

  Dominic and Vince picked up our houseguest this morning. How’s my sister?

  His phone chimed a few seconds later.

  I hope the bastard enjoys the hospitality. Good, Baas. Everything’s good. You?

  I’m turning in for the evening. Goodnight.

  After double-checking the locks and the alarm, he prowled up the stairs. Anticipation and the onset of desire were starting to flame his system. He pushed open the doors to the master suite and shut them quietly behind him. Taylor was already in bed with the covers modestly pulled up to her chin. He regarded her with a soft tsk of disapproval.

  “Silly girl,” he whispered.

  She’d turned on the fireplace that served as a quarter divider between the bedroom and sitting quarters. Warmth and an inviting golden glow engulfed the room and spilled across their four-poster bed. He stripped down quickly and crawled toward her, tugging the blankets down in his wake. Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath upon seeing the delicate scraps of lace encasing her curves. He rocked back on his heels to get a better view, a small smile of understanding curving his lips. This is why she’d been hiding. He wasn’t a fan of clothing in bed. All it did was get in the way, but there was no denying how much he appreciated this surprise. Reaching up he trailed a finger over the black garter hugging her thigh. A low groan rumbled in his throat as he ran his hands over toned muscles and silky flesh. Inching up her legs, his eyes locked with hers.

  Taylor fisted the sheets with a pleading whimper as he rubbed his thumb against the lacy scrap between her thighs and his breath fell across her skin. Her hips jerked when he ground the rough material over her dampening slit. Capturing the frilly garter between his teeth, he slowly tugged it down while watching her face. Cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink and nibbling the delectable swell of her bottom lip, she was an astounding sight. He ached to rip every last inch of clothing away, sink his fists into that gleaming sable hair, and drive himself deep. His body trembled and he fought to rein it in and go slow. If she wanted to play, he would play.