Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) (29 page)

Larue stormed to his friend’s aid and ran into Sebastian with all the power he possessed. His body bounced back, sending him flying across the room and landing against the far wall to crumble to the floor with a painful groan. The pain was unbearable.
What the hell?
He couldn’t think a rational thought. He couldn’t explain any of it. When his body collided with Sebastian’s, he felt as if a speeding train hit him square in the chest.

Sebastian’s gaze changed from irritated to furious. He glanced at Hahn on the floor and, leaning down, he picked him up by his throat and squeezed. His face contorted in a grimace of fury; it hardened, and slowly his muscles twitched. Blood dripped from the sides of his mouth as he tried to take a breath, but no air was getting through. His eyes widened and finally rolled back on his head, and he was gone. Sebastian let go of him, and he dropped to the floor lifeless.

Larue flinched at the sound of Hahn’s body hitting the floor. He stared from across the room, eyes wild with fear of the unknown. He needed to do something; he couldn’t let this man kill him without putting up a fight. Sweat slid down his back, adding to his fear. What kind of a man was he? He was not a normal human being. There was something very peculiar about him. Larue pulled himself off the floor and pushed away from the wall. His eyes were spitting fire and his anger was overriding any reasonable thought he might have had left. “I’m going to kill you,” he spat out through gritted teeth. He ran across the floor full speed. He lifted his right hand, balled his fist, and landed a hard hit catching Sebastian square in the jaw. A loud scream left Larue’s lips, and horror filled his eyes as his hand connected with what felt like a concrete wall. Larue pulled back, clutching his arm and screaming in agony. His hand was completely shattered. Sebastian grimaced at the goon’s stupidity, and he stared at him, face hard, green eyes icy and level.

“What the hell are you?” Larue cried out, staggering back, trying to reach the wall to steady himself. His legs gave in and he crumpled to the floor.

Sebastian moved quickly, bent down, and picked Larue up by his shirt like a rag doll. Larue lifted his left hand to hit Sebastian in the face. Sebastian moved his head out of the way and Larue’s hand went flying by, plunging into the thin air. He never saw Sebastian’s hand move, but he felt the hard blow in the middle of his chest. The blow was so strong that his feet left the floor. He flew back, crashing on his back against the same wall with a loud thud, and he groaned in pain. The sound of crushing bones drove sheer terror into his body. Before he had a chance to recover, Sebastian pulled him up once again this time by the throat and squeezed until his eyes rolled back and he stopped breathing. Sebastian let go and his lifeless body hit the floor with a loud thump, landing only a few inches away from Hahn’s corpse.

A loud gasp behind Sebastian made him swivel and he came face to face with a trembling Georgiana. Her hand was pressed over her mouth, holding back a scream. Her eyes were wide, filled with horror, and extreme fear registered clearly on her features. When she met Sebastian’s gaze, her knees nearly gave out. She took a few shaky steps backward until her back came in contact with Rainer’s hard body. His arm came about her and held her firmly, preventing her from dropping to the floor. Georgiana let out a breathless whimper as a wave of nausea rolled over her. Unable to watch any longer, she turned and buried her face into Rainer’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and held her close.

They were both trying to breathe, but nothing was coming through. Their lungs were locked. Sebastian could read their thoughts. Georgiana was shivering, afraid for herself and for Rainer. She loved him deeply. She was ready to give her life to save his. Rainer was full of guilt for bringing her into this situation and putting her life on the line. For Rainer, Georgiana was love at first sight. He had spent sleepless nights thinking about
what if?
What if he had not chosen to take this dark path in his life? What if he had been free to make his own decisions, to love whomever he wanted to love and go wherever he wanted to go without any attachments to the Mafia? He couldn’t change a thing about his life, so Georgiana would have to remain just a wonderful dream, a dream that would never become a reality. The pain of it all was excruciating, so Sebastian’s appearance was a welcome event.

Something had clicked in his head the moment Sebastian stepped inside that room. Fear consumed him at first, but suddenly, everything became crystal clear. He knew what was about to happen and relief spread across his brain. He had no illusions about Sebastian. He knew that the intruder was there for revenge and he was ready to be on the receiving side. The casual effort, the speed, and strength with which he killed seven people was almost unnerving. Strangely enough, the fear he originally felt was gone, and a peaceful wave spread across his body. He was glad that he was next, and Sebastian would put an end to his miserable life. He didn’t want to do this any longer. The only way out was the morgue. Nikola had said that phrase over and over again.
How ironic? Here he was facing the end of his miserable life.
He only had one regret. He wished he could have had a chance with Georgian.

“I’m sorry, Georgiana,” he whispered. “If I knew, I would have never asked you to come here.”

 “It’s okay. I want to be with you,” she sobbed and moved even closer.

 Rainer closed his eyes and opened them again, hoping that all this was just a hallucination. He knew that one day he would meet Sebastian and yet, somehow, he had never imagined anything tenuous like this. Sebastian eyes widened as he watched Rainer push Georgiana softly behind him, shielding her body protectively. Something tugged deep in Sebastian’s chest that made his anger slip away slowly.

He held Georgiana’s gaze for a short moment and then his eyes turn to Rainer, who had not moved an inch. He was still standing with his arm around his back, holding Georgiana close to his body. Sebastian wanted to understand the man that was providing such a confusing profile. He stood there watching him carefully. He could read his mind, and he saw no fear, just relief.

“Please do not hurt her. She is innocent,” Rainer said quietly.

“You know who I am?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes,” Rainer answered simply.

“Why are you not afraid?”

“This was inevitable and it’s the best way,” he said, gazing into his eyes.

“No, no, it can’t be. I love you,” Georgiana cried out, moving quickly, and standing in front of Rainer protectively. She held Sebastian’s eyes for a long moment. Tears were cascading down her face and soaking the front of her blouse. Her voice came out broken, pleading, painful. “Please, sir, don’t hurt him. If you need to kill someone, please take me.”

Sebastian dismissed Georgiana’s plea and moved his gaze to Rainer. “What do you mean this was inevitable?”

Rainer looked tired, broken, his shoulders sagging and his expression blank. “I never wanted to be part of this horrible life. I was deeper than I thought I could ever be and then it was way too late. There was no way out. I became a thug and an assassin by name.” He blew out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. “A few years back, I tried to run away, but when Nikola’s men caught up with me, they taught me a lesson that I would never forget. He gave me another chance, but he said that if I ever tried that again, he would be sending me to the morgue. Death was the only way out for me, so go on and get it over with,” he said, closing his eyes and pressing his lips together. “I don’t want to hurt people anymore. I don’t want to see the pain on people’s faces when they lose their loved ones. I hate this life and I hate myself.” He stopped talking for a short moment and opened his eyes to face Sebastian.

 “I was envious of you, Gaulle. Yes, I was envious of you and your life. Free to love and free to be the man you want to be. I wanted the same for Georgiana and me, but I never dared to let her know how I felt. I was afraid to bring her into my world. A world that is muddy, revolting, filled with crime and sadness.” He pulled Georgiana around to face him and wrapped her in his arms.

It was as if the world faded away and he was alone in that room with Georgiana. He held her gaze and, bending down, he locked their lips in a scorching kiss. When he pulled back, there were tears in his eyes. “Georgiana, I love you. I have loved you from the very first moment I laid eyes on you, but I was afraid to tell you. You are so innocent, so beautiful, and I’m definitely not the man for you. Remember that I will always love you.” He bent down once again and locked their lips together. He then pulled back smiled tenderly and pushed her aside. “All right, Sebastian, I’m ready.” He closed his eyes and remained still.

“NO!” Georgiana screamed, stepping forward and dropping to her knees in front of Sebastian. “No, please don’t hurt him.” She sobbed hard.

Strong arms gripped her gently and pulled her to her feet. Sebastian’s eyes were soft, even tender. “Don’t worry, Georgiana. I’m not going to harm Rainer.”

Rainer’s eyes snapped open as he stared at Sebastian rooted in place, lost for words. “But…” his voice trailed. “I was responsible for Arielle’s abduction.”

Sebastian nodded. “I know. I also know that you gave strict instructions for her not to be touched.”

Rainer’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

“I know.”

Rainer glanced around and gulped at the sight of all the broken lifeless bodies. He was not prepared for this. “You mean you’re letting me go?”

Sebastian strode into the room and stood in front of Rainer. “Take Georgiana and go away from here. Somewhere when you can build a new life together.”

Rainer was astonished. He had never envisioned this type of outcome. “But they will find me. And when they do, they’ll kill us both,” Rainer said anxiously.

“No, they will not.”

“But how?”

“Rainer, you’re wasting precious time.”

The confusion and desperation in Rainer’s eyes made Sebastian stop for a moment. “All right, if you really must know, in the next few minutes, there will be no one left that will know you or your association with this organization.”

The hard intake of breath told Sebastian that Rainer understood the meaning of his words and the reality made him shiver. He swallowed hard. “I don’t know how to thank you,” Rainer said. “I owe you my life.”

Sebastian smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was amused by Rainer’s stunned expression.

“Are you leaving St. Petersburg?” Rainer asked.

“Not just yet, but I should be on my way shortly.”

 “Thank you,” Rainer murmured and, grasping Georgiana’s hand, he pulled her toward the door. He never felt so alive. Georgiana sent Sebastian a warm smile of appreciation. He watched them go, feeling pleased with the results.

He heard their footstep rushing down the hallway and chuckled. He glanced at his watch and was shocked to find that only thirty minutes had passed. He fished his phone out of his pocket and texted his friends. “Are you all finished?”

The reply was unanimous. “We are heading home.” He smiled into the screen, and closing it shut, he slipped it back into his jean pocket. He was pleased. He made a quick sweep at Nikola and Rainer's buildings. He was finally rid of one bad nightmare and he felt vindicated. His plan had been executed successfully. His fear of the Russian Mafia harming Arielle had washed away as he stepped out onto the pavement. He was on his way back to Brighton by five-fifteen.

Sebastian arrived home, reeling from his encounter with the St. Petersburg lot. His mind was consumed by thoughts of Arielle. All he really wanted was to hold her and let her know that she was safe. His heart soared as he came through the door and she fell right into his arms.

“Oh, Sebastian… where have you been? Everyone else is already here. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” he said gently. He raised his hand to her face and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. He then tenderly brushed her cheek with his fingers. Her eyes burned stormy and passionate. Her face was soft, warm to his touch. He moved his other hand at her back to enfold her waist and pulled her hard against his body possessively. Her body did unfathomable things to his mind. Without another word, he bent down, and with his tongue, he traced the softness of her lips before he angled his head and plunged inside to taste the sweetness of her mouth. A low growl sounded deep in his throat.

Arielle pulled back letting out a soft gasp. “Our friends are here,” she whispered.

Sebastian suppressed a groan and pressed a soft kiss on her lips before he let her go. Clasping her hand, he pulled her toward the study.

Their friends had assembled in there joined now by Gabrielle, Eva, and Paul. They came together to celebrate the successful outcome of the venture and to enjoy each other’s company before they left for home. Sebastian looked around the room and his gaze swept over each face. “I want to thank you for your help and to let you know that if you ever need me I will be by your side, no questions asked.”

The immortals enjoyed tall glasses of salve. Arielle, Gabrielle, and Paul each took a glass of wine and joined the group.

As the end of the evening drew near, their friends took their leave. The immortals informed Sebastian and Troy that they were not going to spend the night at their homes. They had plans of their own, and when finished, they would be heading home. Hugs and handshakes were in abundance as the group started filing through the doorway.

Sebastian slid his hand around Arielle’s waist and pulled her to his side. They waved goodbye. Finally, the last car drove away and Sebastian pushed the door shut. He yanked Arielle closer until there was no space left between their bodies. He angled his head and closed his mouth over hers, sinking deeper with passion into the kiss. Arielle quivered beneath him, and parting her lips, she let him invade the softness of her mouth. She tasted like honey and sweet wine. Sebastian broke the kiss, and swooping down, he swung her into his arms. “We’re going to bed,” he murmured anxiously.