by Adriana Noir
He burst into the director’s office unannounced. Several weapons cocked and took aim how way in unison. Marx’s mouth twitched at the corners as he stared back at him, debating how their next course of action would play. Unfazed, Sebastian kept his pistol trained as well, unwilling to back down. His gaze, however, did dart to Josh.
His partner stood to the side, his steely blue eyes revealing nothing as he watched the action unfold. A slight tremble worked its way through Sebastian’s hand upon seeing him. Hurt battled with the anger coursing through him as he saw the man he once trusted edge closer to their director and take a visible stand. This seemed to please Marx and he gestured for the guards in the room to lower their rifles with a slight wave of his hand.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Agent Baas,” he stated calmly. He raised a brow as he settled his substantial bulk back down onto his seat. “I figured you would have some funeral arrangements to make.”
The words cut him to the quick, but he refused to let it show. “Where is she?” he asked, still keeping the barrel of his Desert Eagle aimed at the man’s chest.
Sighing, Marx peered back at him before shrugging and lifting his palms in a questioning spread. “You tell me. I sent you home two nights ago with the ashes. What you did with them after that isn’t for me to say. Through I will admit some small part of me was hoping you would toss them in the trash and move past this.”
He clenched his teeth so hard they hurt. His molars throbbed and a dull ache branched through both sides of his jaw. The muscles in his arm knotted and he could feel his finger tighten on the trigger. It took effort, but he finally managed to calm down just enough to speak his mind.
“I am done playing games with you, you son-of-a-bitch. I know you are lying to me. There’s no proof. Nothing backing your claims that Taylor’s dead. I want her back, Marx, and I swear to God I won’t stop until I find her. I will level this organization and burn your empire to the fucking ground if that’s what I have to do. I will rip away everything anyone in this godforsaken pit has ever cared about. I’m going to ask you this one more time, and one time only…WHERE IS SHE?”
Again, the smug bastard merely spread his hands in quiet supplication, though Josh shifted uneasily on his feet, his gaze darting between the two of them and filling with something close to pleading. Sebastian didn’t care. The prick was lucky he was still breathing. His entire life was unraveling, falling apart at the seams, and not once had Josh called or stopped by to visit. Not even when he was laid up in recovery. The reasons why were all too clear now. He was too busy cozying up to Marx’s side, garnering favor and trying to take his place. The thought was almost enough to make him laugh. If he wanted to reside over the steaming pile of shit Marx was leaving in his wake, the asshole was more than welcome to it.
Still, it hurt to watch him stick that knife in his back and twist. He forced his attention back to Marx.
The commander regarded him with a disgusted shake of his head. “You are more than welcome to search every inch of this place if you insist. Search the black sites, too, if that will make you feel better. Then, when you are finished, I want you to turn your shit in. You’re officially on leave until further notice. If I see you before then, I won’t hesitate to have an entire squad empty their clips in your head. Is that clear?”
A terse sneer inched across his face and his lip hitched on a snarl. “Crystal.”
“If I were you, I would keep that temper of yours and your instincts under wraps, Agent Baas. If your fiancée is alive, as you seem so inclined to insist, I may be the last link to her you have. Keep your finger off the trigger and bear that in mind.”
He wanted to blow the smug look right off the bastard’s face. He wanted to paint the walls with a fresh coat of Marx’s blood, or rip the heart from his chest and slowly skin him alive. It took effort not to do those things, especially when the sadistic leader’s words sank in and rang with the heavy echoes of truth. When it came to retaliation, for the moment at least, his hands were tied. That also meant he had to do everything in his power to make sure the other agencies stood down and bided their time.
It was such a cruel and ironic twist of fate. The one person he wanted dead more than anything was the one person he needed to keep alive...and that was going to be no easy feat. The government wanted Marx shut down and they wanted it now.
Unless he could find Taylor’s location or come up with some sort of leverage to use, they were all living on borrowed time.
CHAPTER 15 ~
Sebastian sat shrouded in the dark shadows of the house. A few quick seconds was all it had taken to pick the lock. Now, his fingers drummed a light beat against the back of the leather couch as he bided his time and waited. Monique had done quite well for herself with the money he’d given her over the years. Of course, that was such a small part of their deal. Now it was time to put up or shut up. The time for payment had come.
A slow smile split his face at the telltale jingle of keys outside the door.
He shook his head as Monique made it halfway across the living room with the groceries she was toting before the little alarm bells went off in her head and told her something was wrong. She froze. A small tremble of uncertainty worked its way through her as she turned her head, scanning the familiar shapes of her home. Knowing she sensed him, Sebastian saw no point in dragging the game out any further.
“Hello, Monique.”
She cried out. The bags she’d been clutching tumbled to the floor as he stood. Plastic split against hardwood, and a thin ribbon of milk dribbled through the slit with a soft gurgle. Sebastian trapped a rolling orange beneath the hard sole of his shoe, his eyes locking on the startled blonde. She edged back, her body shaking as she struggled to maintain the last bits of her composure.
“Sebastian.”
Using the toe of his shoe, he kicked the orange into the air and caught it. He turned it slowly in his hand before returning his gaze to her. “You don’t sound that surprised to see me.”
She gave a shaky exhale. “I’m so sorry about what happened to Taylor.”
“Right,” he stated. “What happened to Taylor. It’s unfortunate. I’m assuming you have been busy and that’s why you haven’t bothered to call or come see me.”
Reaching over, he flipped on the lights. The recessed tracks flooded the kitchen with a warm glow. Using the mess to distract herself, Monique gathered up her groceries and dropped them on the counter. Her hands shook as he approached.
“What do you want from me?”
His lips curled with a ghost of a smile. Leaning over, he trapped her between his body and the unyielding spread of the counter.
“I made the mistake of ignoring my intuition once, Monique, and I ended up losing something very important to me. I lost it, and now it’s gone. Or so I’ve been led to believe.” She opened her mouth, but he silenced her with a look and the press of his finger. “I know what you are going to say. Don’t insult me by trying to speak.”
She nodded in mute compliance. Her body sagged with visible relief as he turned away. Tension radiated from Monique’s slender form while he paced the room in front of her. He whirled without warning, grasping the slender column of her throat. Her green eyes locked with his, pleading, as he squeezed until the delicate column of her windpipe threatened to cave.
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Monique?” His voice remained calm and collected.
She shook her head in adamant denial. Sebastian released her slowly, his gaze boring into her as she gripped the counter behind her to keep from hitting her knees.
“The only reason I allowed the two of you to become friends is because I thought that bond might be useful. I wanted a family. I wanted those ties. I did everything for you. I have taken care of you and provided for you, not to mention doing everything I could to assure you were happy. I did that for you, Monique, and for Josh, but the two of you betrayed me. You turned your backs on me, and still, I was kind enough to let you live. Do you re
ally think I am stupid enough to fall for it twice?”
“Seb-Sebastain, I don’t know what you are talking about, I swear.”
“No?” he asked quietly. “I held up my end of the bargain. I went out of my way to make sure you could still see your daughter. I put a roof over your head and paid your bills. Looking around, I would say I have been more than generous in those accommodations. All of this,” he said, gesturing to the lavish space around them. “And yet, I still don’t have what I asked you for.”
She lifted her hands as he prowled closer. “Sebastian, please, just listen to me.”
He shook his head with a cold smile. “No, Monique. I am done listening.”
“I don’t know what to do here or what to say! What do you want from me?”
A quiet whimper escaped her throat as he leaned over her. The hard lines of his body pressed against hers, driving her against the counter. Tears stung her eyes as he stared down at her and the muscles in his jaw locked with rigid fury.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe that she’s gone? I can still feel her. Did you think that detail would slip my attention? What was the plan, sister?” he asked, reaching up to caress her neck. “Was this a plot Marx and Josh cooked up to break me down and pull me back in line? I will admit it was a brilliant scheme. That monster he loves is back. It’s all that remains. In fact, until I get her back, you and everyone else tied to that organization are going to start dying. I will pick you all off one by one until she is home again.” His lips twitched. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“No. Sebastian, stop! Please, I’ll do anything.”
He smiled and pulled away from her. Sighing, he cast his attention to the ceiling and folded his hands behind his back. “You already had that opportunity. I gave you a chance and you gave me nothing.”
“What do you want from me? Please don’t do this. Please…”
“Where is she?” he roared.
She flinched. His sudden loss of composure frightened her more than anything. He watched as the blood drained from her face leaving it ashen white. He studied her. Even now, there was hesitation, reluctance…and perhaps uncertainty. He cocked his head and regarded her closely.
“If Taylor is dead, then you fail to serve any purpose, and our time here is done.” Tapping the small piece in his ear, he turned his back on her. “Get me a visual on the girl.”
Monique choked back a cry. Clamping a hand over her mouth, she shook her head in desperate entreaty. “No…Sebastian…no. Jesus! Please!”
The call came through on his phone. Swiping the screen, he stared at the video feed of his niece and watched the vibrant little girl running and playing beneath the hot desert sun. A sympathetic smile carved his face as he turned the device Monique’s way. She hit her knees, reaching for the phone with an anguished sob.
“Oh God,” she cried. “Not my baby. Don’t hurt my baby.”
“We all have our weaknesses in life, that one thing we just can’t live without,” he murmured, crouching down before her. “Taylor and our baby were mine.”
Her eyes darted up to his and flared.
“That’s right. She was pregnant,” he stated quietly. “I lost my child and you are very close to losing yours. The clock is ticking, Monique. Choose quickly.”
“I don’t know anything,” she sobbed. He yanked the phone back as her fingers clawed for it. “I swear. Sebastian, I swear to God. I know you are still in there somewhere. I know you are hurting, but you have to fight this and come back from it. Taylor wouldn’t want you to do this. She wouldn’t like the man you’re becoming. You know this. Please. You love Mia. I love you. We both do.”
He rubbed the light golden stubble on his chin before rocking to his feet. His eyes darted to the woman on the floor and pinned her in place. He disconnected the feed with a silent swipe, displeasure stamping the harsh planes of his face. Without warning, he wrenched her from the floor using a thick fistful of her hair. Pressing against her back, he clamped his other hand around her neck, silencing her shrill cry.
“I want what is mine, and you are going to give it to me,” he warned in a silken voice against her ear. “I can still feel her, and my instinct doesn’t lie. I don’t care what it takes, or what you have to do. Josh knows something. You pull her location out of him. One of you better bring her to me, or I will make you watch as I strip away everything you hold dear.”
~*~*~*~
Three more days had passed. He’d watched Marx’s every move until the son-of-a-bitch pulled a quick one overnight and disappeared off the grid. He’d scoured every inch of SKALS headquarters and every black site he could find, but there was still no sign of Taylor. Every day, he died a thousand deaths, but today…today was the worst. Sebastian hung his head as a harsh gust of wind swept across the ground. Steeling his jaw, he stared at the gaudy spread of Astroturf and the earthen hole it surrounded. Even now, Taylor haunted him. Her laugh, her smile, everything about her flittered nonstop through his mind. The images and memories assaulted him, nearly driving him to his knees. His fingers tightened around the rough bark of the tree, gouging until the loose clumps of wood splintered and broke free beneath his grasp. It was the only thing helping him stand.
Everything he loved was gone.
A small crowd had gathered in the cemetery. They huddled together, their faces grim and somber while James Blunt’s Goodbye My Lover played. It had been the most fitting song he could think of, but the lyrics rang with a painful truth and ripped him to shreds. It described their life and everything they’d been through to a tee. Tears welled and his chest jerked in mute agony. How the hell was he supposed to get through this?
Forcing his gaze upward, he staunched the flow and watched the thick grey clouds. They churned overhead, threatening to unleash the heavy burden of rain they carried. Clenching his fists, he cracked his thumbs and turned his attention back t0 the lavish silver coffin. It wasn’t enough. The love of his life deserved so much more. It killed him to know an elongated box filled with satin was the last gift he might ever be able to give her. His heart shattered as he tried not to envision her and their unborn son reduced to nothing but a pile of ashy remains. As much as it terrified him to admit, until he had her back in his arms, that was still a very real possibility.
Branches creaked overhead, their spindly limbs bowing in protest of the wind. His throat swelled, cutting his air off. His eyes lifted to Monique, pinning the blonde. Sensing his attention, she glanced up. A violent shiver wracked her from the inside out, and her slender form trembled as she quickly averted her gaze. Her head bowed with her attempts to hide her face. She was wise to fear him. He hadn’t gotten so much as one condolence from her or call and he was far from forgiveness.
The disgust he felt was a welcome relief over the pain. His eyes narrowed as Monique pressed closer to Josh’s side. Her face lit with an apologetic smile as the man glanced down, one corner of his mouth returning the gesture. Sebastian’s stomach churned as he watched them lean on each other for support, as if it was their ordeal to bear. A rise of acid burned his chest. Anger pulsed low and seething in his veins, forcing him to brood in silence. Several deep breaths helped to curtail his emotions, but only a little. The muscles beneath his jaw corded as he glanced at Taylor’s coffin once again and forced his eyes away.
He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t bear the sight of it. It hurt too damn much.
Reaching up, he twisted the tarnished silver pin on the lapel of his shirt. The shaped metal bones beneath his fingers helped soothe his turmoil and gave him a renewed sense of purpose. This was the sort of situation he was trained for. He would find Taylor. All he had to do was pinpoint her location and flush Marx out of hiding. The problem was deciding where to start and when.
He scanned the pitifully small crowd, inspecting each face, searching for any sign of deception. Time and again, he found his attention drawn to the man behind Monique. Tall and broad in chest and shoulders, he had a chiseled jaw and almost model good
looks. He wasn’t someone from their social circle, but the man was too somber, too subdued. His lips pursed in thought. His gaze probed, searching deeper. Sebastian’s head cocked to the side as recognition hit and he remembered a name to go with the face. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Gavin Bradshaw.
He frowned, his forehead creasing, as he wondered what the man was doing there. There was no denying the anger in those icy blue eyes or the grief. The two came so quickly they often overlapped each other. It was a strange reaction. Especially since Mr. Bradshaw was the one who had sabotaged Taylor’s car. His interest deepened. He didn’t have an answer for the man’s demeanor yet, but he intended to get one.
He turned his attention back to his sister as the services ended. Monique was ravaged by grief and fear. She looked like she hadn’t eaten or slept in days. The willowy stalks of her legs trembled as she approached Taylor’s coffin. Closing her eyes, she kissed the tip of the velvety rose before gently laying it down. Tears fell as she cast an uncertain glance his way. Sebastian gave a curt nod, a terse press tightening his lips. To her credit, she held herself together quite well while exchanging a few brief words with the men who’d stood by her side. She even managed to force a smile or two for their benefit.
Biding his time, Sebastian waited until the vehicles were starting to pull away before levering off the tree to approach his sister’s side. Her attention remained rooted on the patch of grass between her feet.
“Hello, Monique. That was a lovely service, don’t you think?”
