“Sebastian Chase,” I sobbed. “If you don’t tell me what the hell is going on right now, then yes, you have fucked up my life. Because I will always wonder about you until the day I die. And I will never, ever understand what just happened.”
He stopped dead in his tracks. Then he turned. His face was burning with an emotion I couldn’t even begin to fathom.
“You really want to know? You want me to enlighten you?”
I nodded, firm in my resolve. “Whatever this is, I need to understand.”
He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.
“All right. Inside.”
He ushered me back inside the flat at top speed and I shut the door behind us. My heart was pounding. Now it was the moment of truth. I had no idea what he was about to tell me. But I had a feeling it was going to change my entire life, in a heartbeat.
* * *
Sebastian glided swiftly round the flat, checking we were alone. Dahlia must have headed somewhere else after the café, as she wasn’t back yet. Or maybe she’d called Akash to come and help her eat all the waffles. Hopefully she’d leave us in private for a while.
“I think we’re alone,” I said.
Sebastian grabbed my hand and pulled me through to the living room. He pushed my shoulders down so I was sitting on our battered old sofa, then positioned himself next to me.
“There’s no easy way to say this,” he began. “But if you’re who I think you are, then you probably have a right to know.”
I gulped. The air seemed heavy around us.
He cleared his throat. “I’m not going to stick around making your life hell, but you deserve to understand why not. You deserve to know that I didn’t leave because I wanted to.”
The words he used made me feel a little sick. He was talking about leaving me and it seemed so wrong, I could hardly stand it. Yet I had known him for less than twenty-four hours. But logic didn’t seem to enter into it. My heart ached at the thought of not being near him.
“Please,” I whispered. “Don’t go.”
He shook his head and looked at his hands, resting on his knees. “If you knew the trouble being with me would cause, you’d never ask me to stay.”
I started to say no, but he put a finger lightly on my lips.
“I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. And now I’m going to tell you the truth about what I really am. And you’ll probably tell me to get out once you know, so it’ll be easy.”
I took his face in my hands and made him look directly at me. His blue eyes were so sorrowful, it made my heart hurt even more.
“I don’t understand anything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours,” I said. “So one more strange development isn’t going to shock me. Just say it. Say whatever it is you need to say.”
He held my gaze.
“Have you heard of shifters?”
I stared. “Shifters? Like, shapeshifters? Werewolves?”
He winced. “Yeah, like werewolves. Not always wolves. Not always were-animals, controlled by the moon. You’ve heard of them, though?”
I nodded. “Well, yeah, of course. In stories and movies and things. What do you…?”
My mouth fell open and I felt slightly faint. Surely he couldn’t be saying…?
“I’m a tiger shifter, Finola. I’m a man and I’m a tiger. I’m… both.”
My hands shot to my head, then to the side of the sofa. I needed to hold on to something. I was afraid I might just lose my balance.
“Say that again?”
He grabbed my wrists with his hands. “I’m a tiger shifter. I can control it, usually. Very rarely it happens by mistake. Not often.”
“But… how? Why are you… why are you like that?”
“It’s in my bloodline. We’re an ancient family, still carrying the old magic in our DNA. We’re white tigers too, which is even rarer. There’s a genetic mutation in our code which makes us white tigers rather than the usual orange ones. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a freak, Finola.”
My mouth was dry. I licked my lips to try and moisten them.
“That… that was you, wasn’t it? The tiger last night?”
“Yes. It was me.”
“You… god, you hurt that man really badly.”
“Believe me, it was less than he deserved.” He rubbed his temple, a look of pure hatred in his eye.
I yelped, my hands to my throat. “The men. The tiger saved me from… You saved me. It was you.”
Sebastian slid his hands down onto mine. “I’m so sorry, Finola. I’m sorry those men came to you. They came because of me. It was my fault you were attacked. I thought you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But from what you’ve just told me, they’ve set you in their sights too. The vile scum.”
“What? How? Why did the -”
“They want me. They’ve been trying to get me and my kind for some time. They must have tricked your agency contact into thinking one of them was me.” He kissed me on the top of my head. “I didn’t call you in to work. They called you because they knew who you were and they knew you were a sure way of getting to me.”
“What do you mean, they knew who I was?” Tears coursed down my cheeks. My voice cracked as I asked him the question I’d asked myself a thousand times for other reasons. “None of this makes any sense. Who am I?”
“My fated mate,” he said, softly. “My destiny. We’re meant to be together. And Piers Lavery obviously knows that, even though I only found out myself the moment I laid eyes on you. And I can’t resist you, because how could I? We’re tied together by fate. And you’re all I want, and I can’t have you because you’ll be in danger. That’s my curse, not yours. So that’s why I must go, and why you must let me.”
He stood up. I leapt to my feet, grabbing him round the waist.
“You can’t go,” I shouted. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I don’t know if I’m dreaming this insane shit or what.” I buried my face in his neck. “But what I do know is that I can’t be without you. And now I think you feel the same.”
His eyes glittered at me as he stroked my hair and rested his forehead against mine. I wondered if the brighter sparkles in his eyes were tears of his own. But he quickly snatched his hand away and pulled back.
“No,” he croaked. “This can’t happen. Fate can’t get its own way every time. I won’t put you in the line of fire.”
He marched to the door.
“What does this man want from you?” I cried. “Why would I be in danger? What is all this? Please, Sebastian. Please.”
“Goodbye, my love,” he said, opening my door. “I’m so sorry for all this. I promise if we meet again in another lifetime, it’ll be different. We’ll have our time together, in one universe or another.”
Then he was gone, sprinting down the stairs and away. I ran after him, but he was so fast, I couldn’t even see where he’d gone once he hit street level.
That was it? He was out of my life? My so-called destined love, who had made me feel more loved and wanted in a single night than any person on this earth had ever done before?
I sloped back into the hallway, shut the front door and dropped to the floor, sobbing my poor broken heart out.
8
Dahlia got home an hour later, swinging shopping bags and humming to herself.
“Hey babe, what are you… Wait, what’s up?” She saw me on the floor, crumpled and tear-streaked. “Oh my god, Fin! Where’s Seb? Did he… Did he hurt you?”
“No no, god no. Well, not physically. He’s gone, Dahlia. He’s gone because he had to, but I didn’t want him to. And…”
I burst into a new round of sobs.
Dahlia sat on the floor next to me, hugging and cooing sympathetically.
I told her a heavily edited version of events, including ending the relationship with Wayne, being called in for overtime and my car being stolen. I left out the parts about the attackers and the tiger, and the part where Sebastian had admitted to being a shi
fter. It just made my head spin even to think that the tiger had been Sebastian. And I knew nobody in their right mind was going to believe the shifter thing anyway.
I did, though. I believed him. There wasn’t an ounce of evidence to back up my conviction, but I was sure he was telling the truth.
“What a bastard,” Dahlia said at last.
“He’s not a bastard,” I said, fiercely. “He thought he was doing the right thing when he left.”
“Okay, drop your weapons,” she said, ruffling my hair. “I just wish he hadn’t left you in this state. You know, I actually liked him. And I never liked that dicksplash Wayne, so you know I must be telling the truth.” She guffawed loudly. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you a cup of tea and put an old movie on. What do you say?”
“Okay.” I ran to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. Lucky I hadn’t had time to put any make-up on earlier. No point now, as I definitely didn’t intend to leave the house for a while. There was too much to process and get my head around. I hadn’t even begun to work it through in my mind.
As Dahlia flicked through a selection of Doris Day movies on Netflix, there was an incoming call on my cellphone.
“Hello?”
“Miss Malley?” It was a woman’s voice. It wasn’t Lucy though. She sounded well-spoken and calm.
“Yes?”
“I’m calling on behalf of Mr Chase. He wanted me to get in touch with you as soon as possible.”
A surge of adrenaline flooded my body.
“I don’t know who you are, but you can knock it off right now. You pulled that stunt yesterday. I’m not falling for it again. He knows you’re trying to get him through me, you know.”
“Miss Malley, I can assure you I am calling on behalf of Mr Chase. Is there anything I can say to confirm my authority in this regard?”
I thought for a moment.
“Do you know what happened in Mr Chase’s private elevator yesterday?”
“I understand you had, uh, an intimate moment together. Is that sufficient, Miss Malley?”
She knew that? I was startled. Either Sebastian is a big over-sharer, or the elevator is bugged. Either way, eww.
“Look, what is it you want from me? I’ve had a long and tiring night.” I was feeling exhausted again. Dahlia thrust a cup of hot tea into my hand and I blew on it to cool it.
“Mr Chase asked me to warn you that the danger he mentioned may be closer than he thought. He is sending a car to collect you and take you to a place of safety.”
“What? Take me where?”
Thoughts and questions all blurred in my mind.
“How do I know you’re who you say you are? You could be coming to kidnap me. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Mr Chase really must insist -“
“Let Mr Chase tell me himself, if he’s so concerned,” I snapped. “I notice he’s not making the call himself. Well, that says it all. Look, I don’t know who any of you are but I wish you’d leave me alone.”
“A driver named Rufus will be arriving shortly,” the woman went on, in the same calm tone. “He will be wearing a grey uniform and he’ll be carrying identification showing that he is a member of Mr Chase’s staff. Please go with him. You don’t need to take anything. Everything you need will be provided.”
“This is ridiculous,” I shouted, and clicked the phone off. I threw it on to the sofa and threw myself after it, lying flat on my face in a state of complete bewilderment.
“Fin?” Dahlia was at the window. She was peering at something down at street level. “Your car was definitely stolen, was it? You didn’t lend it to anyone?”
“Of course not.” I lifted my head up. “What are you talking about, D?”
She pointed out of the window. “Someone’s just driven it back here for you. Look, they’re parking it up the street. There.”
Panic bit into my stomach with sharp teeth. Whoever stole my car had come here. That means they meant to find me.
And the people who stole my car were the ones who were trying to kidnap me because they knew I was Sebastian’s… how did he put it? His fated mate.
The bad guys were here. And they were after me.
There was a loud knock at the door. I jumped in terror.
Dahlia headed to answer it. I contemplated hiding in a closet, but I could see that whoever was in my car hadn’t quite squeezed it into the tiny space on the street yet. It couldn’t be them at the door. Not yet.
“Miss Malley? I’m Rufus. I’ve come to bring you to safety. Mr Chase sent me.”
I ran into the hallway. “It’s me. I’m Finola.”
Dahlia looked at us both, perplexed.
“Please come with me, Miss Malley.” Rufus was a kindly-looking man in his mid-forties. He wore the grey uniform the woman on the phone had told me he would.
“Do you have ID?” I suddenly remembered she said he’d be carrying something.
Rufus handed me a square of paper. It was a photo of me asleep in bed, with Sebastian lying next to me. He’d taken it himself, arm outstretched at the bottom of the shot. “Mr Chase took this for a memento.”
That was good enough for me. Nobody else in the world could have taken that shot. Not without Sebastian’s consent, anyway.
I slipped my shoes on and grabbed a jacket from the peg in the hall. Then I nodded to Rufus. “I’ll come with you.”
“Fin? What the hell is happening now?”
Dahlia looked horrified. I hugged her quickly.
“Go to Akash’s house, Dahlia,” I said. “Go now, before those people in my car get up here. Call the police if anyone tries to get in when you’re home at any other time. Keep Akash close by. Or go to your mum’s house. Look, I have to go.” I kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Be safe, D. I’ll let you know what’s happening.”
“Fin? Fin!”
I followed Rufus down the stairs. A huge black limousine was waiting right at the bottom of the steps, blocking anyone else’s entry to the building.
Rufus held open the back door of the car and I climbed inside.
Where I was going, I hadn’t a clue. I didn’t even know if I would ever see Sebastian again. All I knew was that he wanted to protect me. Nobody but my adoptive family had ever done that. I’d messed that up, but I wouldn’t mess this up. I vowed this time I’d go to the ends of the earth if Sebastian needed me to.
I settled back on the seat and rested my head on the cream leather. My fate was out of my hands. Perhaps it always had been.
“Settle back, Miss Malley. We’re heading for Battersea, where we’ll meet the helicopter.”
Helicopter?
There was comfort in just obeying orders. I relaxed and closed my eyes. Whatever happened next was up to Sebastian.
Part II
Found
9
“Buckle up, Miss Malley. I’ll get you out of here as quickly as possible.”
Rufus slammed the car door behind me and ducked back into the driver’s seat. I pulled my seatbelt around me and clicked it in.
He seemed fully in control of the situation. No more trouble. I’d be safe once we drove off, I told myself. Safe.
My mouth was dry and I realized I was actually shaking. Shaking with fear, because my almost-kidnappers had come back for me.
The only thing standing between me and them was this kindly driver. And his boss.
Sebastian Chase.
Sebastian, the hottest billionaire bank CEO on the planet. The man who had driven me wild with desire last night. The man who claimed my body over and over again, all night long.
The man who was half-tiger.
Our car engine revved loudly. I jumped, then scolded myself for being so lily-livered. Time to be brave, Finola.
As we sped forward, the force of movement pinned me firmly to the seat. I steadied myself and gripped the arm rest with one trembling hand.
When I’d calmed down a little, I looked around me. This was exactly the sort of car I’d expect Sebastian
to send for me. The ultimate in quality, without being too flashy. Tinted windows. Highly polished wood panels. Rufus the quiet, self-assured driver, with his uniform.
If I hadn’t been so freaked out by the whole thing, I might have smiled about it.
It was the most luxurious vehicle I’d ever sat in. That was a first.
Then again, I’d never been rescued from kidnappers before. Another first.
I’d never fallen hard for a guy the same day I met him, either. Plus, I was pretty damn sure I’d never met a real life shifter before. Let alone slept with one. It was turning out to be a weekend of new experiences.
My head swam with all the weirdness and emotions of the last two days.
As we drove round the corner at the end of the road, I peered through the back window. My building was just visible through the traffic.
Had the men who stole my car gotten into the building yet?
A truck drove into my field of vision and lingered. I couldn’t see the door or my stolen car clearly any more.
Damn. I really hoped my roommate Dahlia had got out before they hammered on our front door, looking for me. I hated the thought that she could be caught up in all this.
“Will you do me a favor, Rufus?
“Of course, Miss Malley.”
“Will you check on my roommate? Or have someone else check on her? I don’t know what Mr Chase likes you to do generally…” I rubbed my eyes and swept my hair back off my face with flimsy hands. “But if you could arrange for someone to look in on Dahlia, I’d be so grateful. I’m a little concerned that the guys in my car might have some interest in her now I’m gone. Well, very concerned. To say the least.”
“Consider it done,” Rufus said, with a grave nod. “Please don’t worry. Nothing has been forgotten. Mr Chase has a keen eye for detail.”
A keen eye for detail. Yeah, he sure did. I blushed slightly, remembering how Rufus’ boss left no detail unattended in bed last night.
“Yeah, okay. That’s great. Thanks, Rufus.”
“Mr Chase has already arranged for Miss Henry to be placed under our protection. She won’t be aware of it, but we will take very good care of her. She’ll be safe to go about her daily business in peace.” Rufus smiled into the rear view mirror.
Tiger Billionaire: The Whole Story (BBW Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Box Set) Page 5
