“I love you, buddy,” he choked. “No matter what, you have to promise me you will never forget that, okay?”
“I don’t want to go,” Christian whimpered, still trying to cling to him as Sebastian rocked to his feet.
“I know. I don’t want you to go either, but your mom’s not feeling well and she has to take good care of your baby sister. You get to sleep early so Santa can come.” He ruffled the boy’s silky hair. “I’ll send your presents from us home.”
“I want to stay here with you…”
“Aw, little man,” Sebastian released a sorrowful laugh and gathered the child in another tight hug. “I love you. Remember that for me and be a good boy, okay?”
Tears rolled down Taylor’s cheeks as Sebastian turned away. She wanted to throw things, to scream, to do anything—anything in her power to erase his pain and make them stay. In the end, all she could do was watch them leave, knowing they had just ripped out a huge part of his heart and taken it with them. Monique sniffled at the other end of the table, her slender body shaking as she fought to hold her emotions in. The blonde glanced up with misery and pleading in her eyes as Josh laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, his big fingers giving it an affectionate squeeze. Numbing silence still gripped the table even after Sebastian took his seat. Taylor prayed it would all just end.
“I apologize,” he stated softly. “For everything. Please let me know if I can warm your plates.”
“Fuck that,” Josh said with a snort. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
A loud round of laughter exploded from the table as his teammates nodded their heads in agreement. For the first time since dinner began, the tension lifted and conversation started to flow.
After clearing the table, Taylor rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher with Monique. Between the two of them, the work went fast, and at times, it even bordered on fun. Her mind was distracted though, her thoughts never straying from Sebastian. The moment they finished she made a quick round, giving refills where necessary, before padding through the house in search of him. She found him in the foyer, a half empty bottle of whiskey dangling from his hand as he stared at the tree. Frowning, she crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pressed against her. For a moment, they just enjoyed the stillness and the comfort of being near.
Sebastian lifted the bottle and took a long swig. She couldn’t help but giggle against his back as he shuddered with a growl of discomfort. Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he lifted his other arm and tugged her around to the front of him. Her eyes searched his face, hating the raw pain still etched there. Reaching up, she stroked his chiseled features. There was no need for words. Even if there had been, there was nothing she could say. This was something he had to process and deal with in his own time, in his own way. Instead, she leaned up and claimed his mouth in a tender kiss. His arms wound around her, squeezing her tight as his lips moved against hers with acceptance and hunger. Several long minutes passed before he pulled back.
“I love you, Taylor,” he murmured, brushing her cheek. “I’m sorry dinner was ruined.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“I do. I wanted tonight to be special.”
“Sebastian, nothing matters to me but you. Are you okay?”
His face itself seemed to shrug. “I will be.”
“That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.”
His shoulders lifted with a humorless snort. “If you want one of those, darling, you’re going to have to take me to bed.”
“I’m not abject to that idea.” Smiling, she snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into his body. A rumbling noise of approval rose from his throat as he used his free hand to cradle her ass and grind her against him. She peered up at him. “Those things she said…were they…” She couldn’t even bring herself to say the rest of it, as if somehow speaking the word might make it true.
Sebastian stared down at her. His jaw tightened as he shook his head. “Don’t, Taylor. I don’t know what she thinks she knows, but that woman has always hated me. Nothing would give her more pleasure than to fill your head with doubts and poison you against me. Don’t give her that satisfaction.”
A sad, forced smile twisted her features. “Yeah,” she said nodding. “Okay. Is your brother really going to go along with this?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he stated flatly. “It’s bad enough he let his wife berate me, but when he turned his back on his family I lost all respect for him. Lucian made his choices, and it would be best for all involved if I didn’t think about him or his faithless cunt of a wife again.”
Taylor’s face blanched, and she bit the insides of her cheeks. An old saying fluttered through her mind, speeding up the forceful hammer of her heart. Sometimes it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. If he had yelled or snarled, his anger might have been easier to process. But that wasn’t Sebastian. He remained as calm and soft spoken as always. It was that forced civility and the low silken whisper of his voice that chilled Taylor the most. Especially when his eyes told a different story. She searched for something to say, some way to ease the turbulence, but Sebastian spared her the agony. Giving her cheek an affectionate caress, he then turned on his heel and strode away.
Blowing out a shaky breath, she followed the sound of laughter into the kitchen. Most of the men had assembled in the great room, drawn in by the masculine leather and the inviting glow of the fire. The smell of alcohol hung heavily in the air. It mingled with the crisp scent of aftershave, cologne, and food. Her stomach rolled with the combination, and Taylor reached for a fresh bottle of wine with shaking hands. A tense knot of dread still coiled in her stomach, no matter how much she tried to forget about the dinner disaster. One could only pray the nightcaps and dessert went better. Seeking some form of familiarity and comfort, she scanned the faces in search of Monique but came up empty.
“If you’re looking for your friend, she’s talking to her brother and laying the kids down.”
Taylor sagged with relief and flashed Josh a thankful smile. Winking, he reclined his solid body against the counter beside her. His keen gaze studied the room as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass. A sweet amaretto fragrance rose from the crystal. Sensing her perusal, he lifted the cup in offering. Taylor blushed, declining with a polite shake of her head.
“Suit yourself.” He took a leisurely sip and sighed. “Try not to be too hard on yourself, kid. What happened tonight wasn’t your fault. That twat has had it in for Sebastian since day one. She’s always been a jealous and vindictive bitch.” Taking another drink, he shrugged. “Either way, he’ll be alright. Baas is one of the toughest bastards I know. Take him upstairs later and let him fuck his brains out. It will make him feel much better.”
Not knowing what to say, Taylor’s mouth opened and closed around an embarrassed laugh as she shook her head.
“You’re laughing, but it’s true, kiddo. I don’t know what you did to the man but he’s got it bad.”
“Apparently it’s my just my mad skills between the sheets,” she retorted.
Taylor stumbled away as Josh choked and his drink blew past his lips in a widening spray. Eyes flared, she patted his arm as he pounded his chest and sputtered for breath. Still coughing, Josh inched away, warding her off with a dismissive wave of his hand as several people turned in their direction.
She grinned as Monique sauntered into the room giving them both a bemused expression. Approaching his side, the blonde stroked one of his biceps in supplication.
“Don’t die before dessert, hero. We need someone to help carry in the trays.”
“Great,” Josh rasped, giving his chest a final thud. “She tries to kill me and you want to work me to death. Can’t a guy catch a fucking break around here? Where’s your brother at anyway? He’d never stand for this kind of treatment.”
Monique laughed at the teasing sparkle in his eyes. “Sebastian will be down in a minute. He’s saying goodnight to Mia.”
&nbs
p; “How’s he holding up?” Josh asked, sobering.
“As good as can be expected. I just spent the last ten minutes soothing him and reassuring him I would never try to take his niece away.” Hanging her head, she rubbed the faint red marks circling her wrists. “He’s a little on edge, but he’ll get through this.”
Draping his arm around her neck, Josh tugged her close and kissed the side of her head. “We all will. I’m gonna go peek in on Aiden and say goodnight. I think it would be best if we got dessert going and cleared the house. I’ll see about bringing Baas down.”
Taylor frowned. Her gaze kept traveling to the marks on Monique’s wrists. She waited until Josh left before turning to the blonde.
“What happened?” she whispered.
Monique paled slightly and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Touching her shoulder, Taylor’s face twisted with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Shrugging out from under her fingers, Monique nodded. “I’m fine. I’m much more worried about my brother.”
With that, she turned and started pulling a stack of dessert plates from the corner cabinet. Taking the hint, Taylor rummaged in the cupboard beneath the sink and pulled out a bottle of cleaning solution. The last thing she wanted was a bunch of people stepping in Josh’s drink and tracking the sticky liquor through the house. Snagging a roll of paper towels, she watched as Monique headed down the hall to start setting the dining room table. Most of their guests took her lead and followed suit.
Brushing her hair out of her eyes with the back of her arm, Taylor straightened with a quiet grunt. It had been a long day, and the outbreaks of tension had made it that much more exhausting. Moving to the tall stainless steel trash can in the corner, she stepped on the pedal and popped the lid open with her foot. She was just about to drop the dirty paper towels in when two hands closed over her ass, giving the globes a forceful squeeze.
“Hey handsome, what are you doing back there?” she giggled.
“Checking out the scenery.”
Taylor froze at the unfamiliar voice. Her blood ran cold. A startled yelp burst from her throat as she spun around to confront a man who was definitely not Sebastian. She staggered back a step, then another, as the man prowled after her. Her mind scrambled, searching for a name to put with the face, but she came up blank. Nothing about the hulking blond with an upturned nose rang any bells. A taunting smile rode his lips as he stalked after her.
“Where are you running off to, pussycat?”
She cried out as she crashed into someone behind her. Strong hands steadied her, and she almost sobbed with relief as Josh peered down into her face.
“You alright?” he asked.
Nodding, she ducked behind him and scurried into the cover of the dining room. She somehow managed to drop into her seat before her heart gave out. Tension rolled between the two men as they entered behind her. The look Josh gave the blond was anything but approving as he hissed something through his clenched teeth. She couldn’t be sure, but Taylor thought it sounded like “stupid.” Her knee jittered nervously beneath the table as she glanced around in search of Sebastian. She sighed, sagging into her chair when he strolled into the room a few seconds later. His pale gaze settled on her and her body thawed in response to his slow smile. Just his being near put all of her fears to rest.
“Did you miss me, baby?”
“More than you know,” she admitted. Her answer earned her an adoring wink.
“Don’t worry, Seb,” the blond said with a chuckle. “I kept that hot little number of yours occupied for you.”
The table jumped, and she was pretty sure she saw a pained wince flicker across the man’s face. Her breath caught as Sebastian froze. His head cocked slightly and his smile faltered.
“What was that?” he asked, turning to face the man.
“Baas, come on. Todd is just drunk and being stupid. Let’s have dessert,” Josh pleaded. “This cheesecake looks killer.”
Sebastian shook his head. “No. I want to hear this.” He took a slow, methodical step toward them, his hands folding behind his back as his eyes narrowed. “You did what now?”
“Relax. It was all in good fun. I will say this though, I thought about giving your broad a test drive while you were gone. That sweet little ass of hers fit in my hands like she was made for me,” Todd said, lifting his hands to emulate a crude grope.
Plowing a hand through his hair, Sebastian gave a harsh bark of laughter. The sound chilled Taylor to the bone. It was hollow, crazed, and seemed to echo throughout the stunned room. Her heart leapt into her throat as he rubbed the back of his head and raised his eyebrows until his forehead wrinkled.
“Is that a fact? So, you want to take my girl for a ride, Skippy?” he asked in an almost cheerful tone.
“Fuck yeah. I wouldn’t complain.”
“Yeah? Well come on,” he urged with a bright smile. Waving, he motioned the other man forward. Josh cursed beneath his breath, his chin falling forward to rest against his chest, as Todd obediently ambled to his feet.
“Baas, come on. Look at him. He’s wasted.”
Sebastian chuckled. Waving his hand back and forth, he pointed two fingers in Josh’s direction as if chiding him. “Is that supposed to matter?”
Out of nowhere, a startling crack echoed through the room like a clap of thunder. Taylor blinked, trying to register what happened as Todd staggered backward, cupping his cheek. Sebastian struck with lethal speed, hitting him again before slinging his forearm across the man’s throat and driving him across the room until he slammed against the far wall. A framed picture of a Roman coliseum jarred off its hook and shattered against the floor.
“What did you think was going to happen here?” he asked, leaning into Todd and deepening his hold. “Did you think you were going to take what belongs to me? That I would just sit back and let that happen? Hmm?” Horror and pain stamped the broad face staring back at him. Cold fury sparked in Sebastian’s eyes as he pressed even closer. “Answer me!”
Taylor whimpered, flinching in her seat at his roar. The brief but fearful clamp of her eyes cost her. She opened them to find Todd still pinned as the menacing glint of steel traced a deliberate path down his cheek. Numbly, she wondered where the curved knife had come from, and how Sebastian had pulled it so fast. Her knees knocked beneath the table, shaking almost as badly as Todd’s as he slammed his eyes shut.
“No?” Sebastian asked. “Still no answer?”
The soft, almost tender tone made her heart pound. Josh stood, his gaze flickering uncertainly between his partner and Monique. The blonde looked mortified and well past the point of fear as her lips trembled in a violent quiver.
“Baas…”
“Shut up, Josh,” he warned in a quiet rasp. “If you want to do something, hold him up. He’s going to need all the support he can get.” He tilted his head, studying the man before him as he continued to trace his cheek in an almost gentle caress. “Where do you think I should start?” he murmured. “Maybe I should do you a favor and cut out your eyes. What do you think?”
“N-no…p-please. It was just a j-joke, man.”
“Do I look like I am laughing to you?” Sebastian asked. “Am I supposed to find you manhandling my girl and trying to fuck her funny? Am I supposed to find humor in you disrespecting me in my home in front of my team? Is that what you are telling me?”
A keening whimper of fear rose in her throat. Dear God he was pissed. Rage mottled his face, painting it with various shades of red as he pressed the knife beneath Todd’s left eye. A sinister bubble of blood welled around the tip.
“No!”
“No,” Sebastian agreed with a slow shake of his head. “No, it’s not funny, is it? If you touch what’s mine, if you fuck with my family, you are DEAD!”
Clamping her hands over her mouth, Taylor hit the floor. His fierce bellow threatened to stop her heart. Scooting against the wall behind her, she clenched her eyes shut and tried to smother her te
rrified sobs. Her head thrashed from side to side. It took a moment to realize the wavering pleas she heard came from her own throat. Raw terror throbbed through her veins, making her shake until her teeth chattered.
“Since it’s the holidays, I’m going to be generous and give you a choice,” Sebastian said. “I can cut your heart out and feed it to you or we can get rid of that impulsive little organ between your legs.” He paused and though Taylor wasn’t looking, she could almost see his cold smile. “Your call.”
There was no doubt he meant it. She shook so hard her teeth chattered. She couldn’t remember ever being more afraid, more terrified in her entire life. Part of her wanted to beg him to stop, but she was too damn scared—too much of a coward. An agonized cry broke the silence, and Taylor drew her knees up to her chest, slamming her forehead against them.
“No, no, no…” she cried, shaking her head as she tried to drown out the slow, suffering sounds. She jumped with a scream as someone settled beside her.
Monique clamped a hand over her mouth. Stunned, she regarded the blonde with wide pleading eyes. Tears streamed down the other woman’s face and her slender body rattled against Taylor’s.
“Shh,” she urged, stroking the top of Taylor’s head with a shaky hand. “It’s going to be alright, but you have to be quiet. Just close your eyes, sweetie. Shut them tight and don’t look.”
She drew in a shuddering gasp as the pressure of Monique’s cool hand left her mouth. Her chest jerked in a violent reaction to the fear. The room around her started to spin. Sound droned in and out in a deafening hum.
“Make him stop,” she begged. “Please just make him stop.”
Pity flooded the other woman’s gaze as she hugged her. “I can’t,” Monique said sadly, hanging her head. “No one can.”
She was only vaguely aware of the deep rumble of Josh’s voice as the man’s screaming intensified. Huddled on the floor, she could hear everything with a vivid clarity she wished she couldn’t. She had no desire to see. Broken fragments drifted through the thick wall of fear. Taylor wept, her panic reaching the point of near hysteria.
Sinister Kisses (The SKALS Series) Page 13
