“The film was great. I think you’d have enjoyed it.”
“What did you see?”
“Hereafter. It was absolutely amazing.”
“Maybe we can go and see the film together when I get back.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing it again!”
He smiled at her enthusiasm. “When did you get home?”
“We actually just walked in, and both our phones went off at the same time. Gabby is chatting with Troy.”
“But its late; the film couldn’t have taken this long,” he said, voice filled with curiosity.
“We met Paul and Loren, and we went out for a drink.”
“Oh…did you have a good time?”
“We had a great time. The band was awesome, and you wouldn’t believe it but Christian and Isabella were there, pretending to completely ignore me.” She laughed. He felt relieved that Christian was watching her.
“Did anything happen?”
“Funny that you ask. A couple of real good looking guys with an Italian accent tried to pick up Gabby and me,” she said.
Sebastian’s smile faded away and was replaced by a deep frown. The two guys with an Italian accent could have been sent by the Russian goons to get close to Arielle. He ran a hand through his hair, irritation palpable in his tense jaw muscles. The silence lingered until he heard Arielle’s voice.
“Sebastian, are you there?”
Completely distracted by his runaway thoughts, he stammered into the phone. “Yes, baby. Sorry. I thought I heard someone knocking at the door, but no one was there. So what did they say?”
“Who?”
“The two guys that were trying to pick you up.”
“Oh, they just made small talk. They were really nice.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Well, nothing much really; we chatted about school and things we like to do for fun. They seemed to be quite interested.”
Sebastian cursed inwardly. He was not happy about this at all.
“They did ask us to dance,” Arielle went on, a soft giggle escaping her.
Sebastian flinched, and it took every bid of energy to rein in the anger that was overwhelming him. His mind was fixated on difficulties of far greater consequences if these men got closer to Arielle.
“Did you dance with them?” he shouted, losing the struggle to remain calm.
There was a long silence, and then her soft voice cut through the haze that was filling his mind. “Why are you yelling at me?”
Sulking over this would solve anything. “I’m sorry, Arielle, I got carried away with my jealousy,” he said, trying to cover up the real reason he was so upset.
“But Sebastian, we didn’t dance with them. And in any case, Loren, Christian, and Isabella kept a watchful eye on us like three faithful watch dogs,” she said and humphed.
Sebastian heard the tone of her voice, and despite his thoughts, he chuckled. “Arielle, they were only doing what I asked them to do. Please understand that I’m worried about you when I’m not around.”
“Christian scrutinized them as if they were bloodcurdling monsters.”
Sebastian tried to suppress laughter. He was glad to hear that she was safe.
“They were nice,” she reiterated.
He sighed as irritability now edged his voice. “Arielle, some of the nicest and best looking men have turned out to be the scum of the earth.” He was pretty sure that they were not talking about two nice guys but two goons who were there to learn all they could about Arielle and Gabrielle. His hands were clenching and unclenching as crazy thoughts kept swirling in his head. This was taking top priority, more so than Annabel’s wrath.
“Well, they were awfully nice,” Arielle said again.
Sebastian ignored the statement. “Are you in bed?” he asked.
“No, not just yet. As I said, I just walked in, and I didn’t have a chance to get ready for bed. I’m going to jump into the shower as soon as I hang up.”
“Mmm…the thought of you in the shower alone is a crime.”
She giggled in response. The sound washed over him like a warm blanket on a cold night. Arielle swallowed hard. “I know that if you use your immortal abilities, you can be here before I even get into the shower.” Her voice quivered.
“Easy, love. You are wounding me. Do you really think that I don’t want to come home?”
“I love you, Sebastian. I just wish you were here. I’m actually looking at your picture right now. I brought it with me to Gabrielle’s, because I can’t sleep without you.”
Eyebrows furrowed. “What picture?”
“I have several from our last vacation. I chose the sexiest one and framed it.” Her giggling once again sent warm waves of desire through him. Arielle sighed. “Oh God, I need you,” she murmured.
“I need you, too, baby.”
“Do you know that every time you aren’t with me, I put your photo under my pillow and pretend that you are there. It helps me fall sleep,” she said cheerfully.
Sebastian was stunned. “Are you serious? And here I thought that I knew everything about you.”
“Well there you go. You just never know what you might find out about me.”
“You’ve never told me that before.”
“It never came up until now,” she huffed in response.
“It's an interesting concept. If that works, I should have a picture of you with me.”
“Don’t you?” Arielle sounded shocked, but he could hear that she was smiling.
“Well…” Sebastian started to say, but he was lost for words.
“I guess you don’t need me as much as I need you,” Arielle said with mock disappointment.
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He pondered her words, trying to find the right thing to say. Suddenly, the sound of her delightful laughter caught him and plunged him into her alluring web of pleasure. “I’m joking, my love; lighten up.”
“Arielle, don’t do that to me. I worry.”
“Check your suitcase; you may find yourself blissfully surprised.”
“What?”
Arielle chuckled. “I have to take a shower. If you want to take a shower with me, you can be here in the next few minutes.”
“I could and I would, but I need to stay here. I don’t seem to have any control over my thoughts and responsibilities when I get close to you.”
“Do you remember how much I love you?” she asked.
“How could I forget when all I do is think about you?” She giggled blissfully. “Miss me,” he said softly and hung up. He stood still for a short moment, trying to sort out his thoughts. He took in a long breath and then exhaled deeply. He picked up his mobile one more time and rung Troy. It went directly to voicemail, so he was sure that he was still on the phone with Gabby.
Sebastian put the phone down and stood lost in thought for a long moment. He then walked swiftly to the bed and opened his suitcase. He pulled a clean T-shirt out, and he smiled wide. There it was. He picked up the picture frame, and a huge grin parted his lips. Her lovely blue eyes stared right back at him, making him anxious for her. “For eternity. Arielle,” she had inscribed across the bottom of the frame. She was his life, the reason for his existence, and her name was carved into his very soul. He was still beaming blissfully when his phone rang.
Troy’s name appeared on the screen.
“Hey, did you talk to Gabrielle?” he asked.
“Yes, I just got off the phone with her. What’s up?”
“Did Gabrielle tell you about the two guys at the pub?”
“Yes, she did, and I know what you’re thinking.”
“Troy, I find it noteworthy that two guys with Italian accents happened to be interested in their school activities and personal hobbies,” Sebastian said. He felt filled with frustration.
“Um…let’s not jump to any conclusions right now. You have Christian watching them while we are here. From what Gabrielle said, Christian, Isabel
la, and Loren did an awesome job in keeping them under their radar.”
“Yes, that’s what I heard from Arielle. That’s the only thing keeping me here tonight.”
Troy chuckled. “I can tell. Try to relax, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
The conversation ended, and Sebastian put the phone down. He was still holding Arielle’s picture frame in his hand. He stared at her striking face and found himself lost in the blue ocean of her eyes. He let out a deep-throated groan. Setting the frame down on the nightstand, he walked into the shower, unable to wipe the passion off of his face.
Chapter 18
A STEADY RINGING NOISE woke Sebastian from a deep sleep. He snapped his eyes open and blinked. He tried to get his bearings, but his attention was drifting helplessly toward the annoying sound. Filled with anxiety about Arielle’s safety, he didn’t get to sleep until the early morning hours. Ugh! That bloody ringing noise again! Pressing his palms against his ears, he looked around the room. As he adjusted, he realized that the ringing sound was coming from the connecting room.
A weak beam of light slipped through the window curtains. Lifting his hand, he stared at the screen of his watch. The time was five-thirty in the morning. He lay silently staring at the ceiling, trying to put some order to the thoughts that were whirling in his brain. Nathan should be arriving shortly. They would have to venture out to pursue their plans. His gaze drifted slowly from the ceiling to the picture frame on the nightstand and locked onto the pair of bright sapphire eyes staring right back at him. Arielle’s picture was so real that his pulse picked up speed and a warm sensation swept through his body. The mere sight of her took Sebastian’s breath away.
Every night he went to bed wishing that he could dream, wishing that she could occupy every moment of his sleep, but as an immortal, that wish would never come true. He was irrevocably and overpoweringly in love with her. He was dumbfounded to discover that no matter how many times they made love, it was never enough. He couldn’t imagine his life without her, he couldn’t think of a day without her smile. She seemed to be his only passion, his single desire in his long, complicated life. His sole need was to have her by his side.
He had spent most of the night awake, worrying. It was difficult to separate the conflict of his emotions. Was it because Arielle and Gabrielle were simply chatting with two strange men? Or was it a disturbing, gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Suddenly, he felt the urgency to hear her voice. He was obviously losing his mind, because this was turning into an obsession. His eyes found the picture once again, and the sight of her eyes nearly stole his breath away. He chuckled, bemused with himself, recalling that he found it impossible to put two rational thoughts together when she was in his arms.
He had believed that maybe his passionate response to her would ease as time went by, but that hadn’t occurred over the last year. If anything, the passion had become more potent and more intoxicating. He stared at his arms in shock; he could actually feel the emptiness her absence was creating. He ran his hand through his hair, and an oath escaped his lips. He needed to work through this inexplicable fixation that had encompassed him, and he needed to do it quickly. Troy and Nathan would arrive shortly. Anyway it was way too early to call, he thought, and most likely she would be asleep.
His gaze rested briefly on her picture. Running his tongue over his dry lips, he decided to get up and get into the shower. He pushed the covers away and sat up at the edge of the bed, running his hand through his hair one more time. Being away from Arielle made him unhappy, but this was something that needed to be done. It wasn’t just the company’s future that was in jeopardy but the lives of Arielle, Gabrielle, and Paul. He wasn’t worried about the rest of the group since they were immune to destruction, but the thought of losing Arielle or any of her friends made his lungs lock. He shook his head and tried unsuccessfully to snap out of the heartbreaking thoughts. He rose to his feet and walked into the bathroom, palms clammy from anxiety.
Another curse escaped his lips. He needed to let the hot water run on his agitated body. Maybe the shower would calm his nerves and soothe his muscles. He closed one hand around the handle and gave a quick turn to begin heating the water. When he stepped under the spray a few minutes later, water enveloped his body, sending a comforting feeling across every muscle. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of it.
His mobile rang, but he didn’t move to answer it. Taking a towel off the glass towel shelf, he wrapped himself in it and stood in front of the mirror, staring beyond his reflection to somewhere in the distance.
His mind wandered as a sense of loneliness washed over him. Almost, he could feel Arielle’s soft lips brushing against his while her silky, soft body settled tenderly in his warm embrace as she did every night. He could hear her soft, even breaths that caressed his face, and he smiled wide. Oh, God…he wanted her badly. He needed her close to feel complete.
His body tensed when his phone rang again, snapping him out of his haze. Walking into the bedroom, he picked up his mobile, and answered,
“Hello!” Troy’s voice came strong from the other side. “Did I wake you old man?” he joked.
“No, for God’s sake, I’ve been up for a while,” Sebastian replied absentmindedly. “I was about to shave. What’s up?”
“I’ve been up since five o’clock this morning,” Troy said grouchily.
Sebastian snorted. “Join the club. If you were up for the same reason that I was, we should have gone home last night.”
“I think you’re right,” Troy said. “I have a bad feeling about those two guys, and I can’t shake it.”
Sebastian humphed while Troy continued. “It wasn’t so much the fact that the girls were talking to them as the motives that propelled them to want to know so much about our fiancées whereabouts.”
“I had the very same thought,” Sebastian said. “Have you heard from Nathan yet?”
“Yes, he called a couple of minutes ago. He said he had tried to ring you, but there was no answer.”
“I heard the phone, but I was in the shower. So what did he say?”
“He’ll be here shortly.”
“All right,” Sebastian replied. “Come over then when you’re ready.”
“I’ll see you in a few. I want to call Gabrielle first.” Troy ended the call, and Sebastian went back to shaving. Walking out of the bathroom, he glanced at his watch briefly. He got dressed to kill time until Nathan showed up. He then picked up his mobile and speed dialed Arielle. Her sleepy voice answered on the third ring. “Hello.”
“Hello yourself,” Sebastian said. “Did you dream of me?”
“Hi, baby. I missed you terribly. Please come home. I hate sleeping alone.”
“I’ll be home tonight. I just needed to hear your voice before I start my day.”
Arielle sighed, “I love you.”
Before he had a chance to reply, a knock at the door made him look up. “Just a moment,” he called out. “I have to go, baby, Troy is here. Remember that I love you, and please miss me,” he said affectionately and ended the conversation.
Walking to the door, he swung it wide open. Nathan and Troy stood at the threshold. Sebastian waved them in and pointed to the sofa.
“How is Jasmine?” Sebastian asked Nathan.
“She’s a bit better. She was happy to see me last night.” He looked at Sebastian with a thankful smile.
“I’m happy to hear that,” Sebastian said.
“What did you all do? Did you go out?” Nathan asked glancing between them.
“No, we just went to bed,” Troy said gloomily.
“Did something happen?” Nathan asked. “You have a strange look on your face.”
“Well…” Troy’s voice trailed. He appeared lost in thought. Nathan looked at Sebastian for some kind of an answer.
“We spoke with Arielle and Gabrielle last night,” Sebastian said. “They informed us that they went to a pub with Loren and Paul, and while there, two
guys with Italian accents approached them and tried to pick them up. Troy and I have the sickening suspicion that something is not right about the whole thing. They were asking a lot of questions about their school schedules, activities, and hobbies,” he added thoughtfully.
Nathan was listening without interrupting. “But you had asked Christian and Isabella to watch after them, and Loren was with them. Did anything happen that has you all worked up?”
Sebastian heaved a sigh as he dropped into the seat across from them. He cringed. “No, nothing happened last night, but I think they are trying to set their plan in motion.”
Nathan nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm, it does sound a bit suspicious to me as well. But we will sort it all out shortly. ”
Sebastian’s nervous laugh didn’t escape Nathan. “Now let's see those names,” he said, and his eyes flashed to Sebastian.
Taking a steady breath, Sebastian dug into his pocket and fished out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Nathan who gave it a quick glance and passed it on to Troy. “Have you seen this list?” Nathan asked.
Troy stared at the paper. The street address was the same for all four men, but the apartment numbers were different. “It’s either an apartment complex or a hotel,” Troy remarked, pointing at numbers on the list. Sebastian nodded in agreement, and taking the paper, he slipped it back into his jean pocket.
“Where do you propose that we begin this morning?” Nathan asked.
“We’re going to focus exclusively on this list,” Sebastian said, tapping his hand against his pocket. “We know that two of the men are in Brighton, so we will concentrate on the other two.”
“What if they’re not there?”
Sebastian’s lips stretched into a thin line. “I have a gut feeling that they are. If they are not there, we’ll check their rooms and retrieve all the information by going through their stuff. After that, we’ll follow our instincts.” There was nothing in Sebastian’s tone to suggest that he worried about the outcome.
Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) Page 19
