Bound by Vengeance (11 page)

Stopping, he spun on his heel. Josh stumbled back a step, uncertainty flashing in his blue eyes. Worry and fear branded their depths.

“What
are you going to do?”

Sebastian tensed at the hesitant whisper. He gave a disgusted sniff and cast his arms out to his sides. “You tell me.” Tilting his head, he regarded his partner. “You
were there. Do I come across as weak to you? Does the rest of the team see me as soft? Am I losing my touch?”

Josh gaped at him in utter disbelief. “You want the truth? Everyone I know is terrified of you. I’m your partner. I’m the man you chose to look af
ter your family. On some levels, I consider you my best friend, and even
I
don’t want to piss you off. Hell, your own sister can’t even look you in the face half the time. She’s more worried about upsetting you than she is me, even though I’m the one she lives with. Does that tell you anything?”

Sebastian’s shoulders heaved with the deep, measured breaths he drew. His stare narrowed and he snorted. “It tells me you need to seriously step things up at home.”

“Don’t…don’t do this. You know Marx is just trying to drive a wedge between you and everything else. What the hell is that going to accomplish? Do you really want to go back to being walled between work and nothing else? You were one miserable son-of-a-bitch before Taylor came along. Don’t let this shit blow back on her, Baas. It’s not fair.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” he asked, cocking his head. “What is it that you think I’m going to do to her, Josh?”

“God only knows with you,” his partner muttered beneath his breath. “Look, all I’m trying to say is you have a good thing. Don’t screw it up because Marx is crawling under your skin. So what if you love her? You still have your edge at work, and as long as she stays in line at home, that’s where it needs to be. Isn’t that what you always told me?”

“Th
at’s you, not me. It’s a completely different ballgame at my level, or did you miss that part of the conversation? As for you, wise up and lose the inner Dr. Phil before I point out exactly who is getting soft around here and turn you in. Start focusing on your career instead of my personal life. I’m your team leader, not your friend.”

Josh’s lips whitened in a grim press as he offered a slow nod. Spreading his palms, he backed away. “Have it your way, then. Be fucking miserable and unhappy. Hell, throw you
rself under the bus and volunteer for some more reconditioning while you’re at it. You already let them push your sister and niece away. Let them strip away everything else, too. I really don’t care. Just remember one thing. You’re smart enough to call your own shots and take the path you choose in life. Not theirs.”

Sebastian stared after his partner with a mixture of confusion and rage. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the wall and let his eyes drift shut. Maybe there was a small glimmer of truth i
n those statements. He wanted to believe it. His stomach churned as he replayed the conversation with Marx in his head. It was bad enough having his competence called into question, but the thought of them taking Taylor away was too much to bear. He forced a thick swallow. Balling his fists, he thudded them against the painted concrete wall behind him, his thoughts a frantic whirlwind. One thing he did know: he would kill Marx and take out the entire division before he let any of them put their hands on her. The pain and torture he’d endured over the years was one thing. He’d signed on for the job, he’d dedicated his life to working his way up the ranks, but no one was going to subject Taylor to those things—ever.

His head was pounding. Every forceful beat o
f his heart pounded in his skull. He had to reel himself in somehow, get a grip on his emotions. Marx was right. When it all boiled down to it, he had acted out of a moment of weakness and love for his family—for his sister, his niece, and even Josh. The last thought made him grimace. His partner would have a field day if he ever caught on to that one. What else was he supposed to do? How else was he supposed to feel? He depended on the guy every single day to have his back and keep him alive…to keep his sister alive, and so far, he’d done a damn good job of both. Josh was the closest thing to a brother he was ever going to have now that Lucian was gone. Blowing out a deep breath, Sebastian cursed.

There were no easy answers here. Just hard decisions. None o
f which he wanted to make.

Taylor’s laughter rang throughout the house. Tucked into the corner of the couch and wrapped in a soft throw, she sipped her hot chocolate and listened to Irene’s latest stories about the truck stop and their colorful patrons. Listening to her friend talk, she envisioned the knotted wood walls, the dented stainless steel counters, and padded stools. She could even smell the undercurrent of grease, bacon, and coffee that had constantly permeated the diner. Sometimes, she missed it there. Not so much the long hours of work and crappy pay, but the people and the companionship the job had offered. Stretching her legs with a quiet groan, she realized she’d spent the better part of the afternoon talking with the vivacious redhead.

Irene
had all but deafened her with a high-pitched squeal of delight when she’d announced her engagement. It made her feel good to share the news and excitement with someone, but that hadn’t killed the sharp pang of longing she’d felt upon waking up. The one thing she’d wanted more than anything was to share the news with her mother. It had broken her heart when she’d realized she hadn’t talked to the woman in close to a year and wouldn’t even know where to start. Instead, she’d settled for the next best thing. The thought almost made her sputter. There were many adjectives someone could use to describe Irene, but maternal definitely wasn’t one of them.

Her brow furrowed at the sound of the garage door. Squinting, she tried to decipher the time on the decorative
clock sitting on the built in shelves next to the fireplace. A worried frown twisted her features. Sebastian was home early, and he hadn’t even called to let her know he was on his way. The laundry room door opened and shut behind her. She opened her mouth to try to tell Irene she needed to go, but there was no getting a word in edgewise once the coppertop got on a roll. Rocking forward, Taylor set her mug on the coffee table and worked to free herself from the blanket.

An uneasy prickle crawled across the
nape of her neck, and she turned to find Sebastian standing behind her. His expression remained stoic as he regarded her with a curious tilt of his head. Hoping to ease some of the hardness in his eyes, she offered a bright smile. He didn’t return the gesture.

“Who are you talking to?”

She swallowed and tried to tamp down the chill the silken rasp of his voice elicited. “Irene.”

The redhead stopped in midsentence. “Yeah, sugar?”

Taylor pressed her lips together. She didn’t dare answer. Sebastian’s narrowed eyes drilled into her, robbing her of breath and speech. He nodded and snatched the phone from her hand before she could react.

“Irene, is it? Is she more important than me, Taylor?”

His face darkened beneath a wave of fury. Without warning, he hurled the cellphone across the room. She smothered a terrified cry as it hit the fireplace and shattered. Broken pieces of plastic and electronics skittered across the floor. Her heart thundered in her chest. Shaking, she swung her wide-eyed gaze back to him.

“Answ
er me.”

She shrank against the back of the couch when he leaned over her. “N-no, Sebastian. Nobody’s more important than you.”

“No?” he asked, pressing closer. “Is that why you couldn’t be bothered to greet me when I come home? Is this how we’re going to start our new life off together, Taylor?”

“No, Sebastian…please. I was trying to get her off the phone. She just wouldn’t stop talking. I didn’t want to be rude.”

His shoulders shook with silent laughter. The terse smirk spreading across his lips was anything but amused. She shivered. Her stomach clenched.

“You didn’t want to be rude, so you decided to offend me instead. That’s a wonderful way to plead your case, sunshine.”

Taylor whimpered as he ran a gentle hand over the top of her head, smoothing her hair. The affection belied the rage burning in his eyes and the harsh displeasure stamping his face.

“How many times have I told you the only person you need to worry about pleasing
is me?” he asked in a silken whisper.

“I—I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

His smile was condescending and skeptical. Her heart sank when he gave a slow shake of his head.

“No, Taylor. It won’t. You don’t bother greeting me. You haven’t started an
ything for dinner, and the dryer is still running, meaning you haven’t even finished the laundry yet. It seems your priorities around here are starting to slip. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I will get them back to where they need to be.”

She opened her mouth,
but nothing came out. Fear locked her vocal chords. It seemed safer to stay silent at this point than to admit she’d spent most of the day daydreaming about their wedding. Sebastian straightened. He stared down at her for a long moment before motioning to the foyer with a curt inclination of his head.

“Get upstairs.”

A dry desert branched across her tongue. Taylor’s legs threatened to buckle when she stood. She lifted a pleading hand in entreaty, silently begging Sebastian to have mercy. A sob escaped her lips as she tried to force words past the knot in her throat.

“If I have to tell you again, you’re going to get it twice as bad,” he warned, pressing closer.

"Please don’t be mad at me. You’re right. I was just so excited about our engagement that I couldn't focus. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I let my silly daydreams keep me from the things I needed to do, but it won't happen again. I swear. Please, Sebastian. I'm sorry," she whispered, inching backward toward the stairs so she didn’t disobey him any further.

He shook his head, prowling after her. "I’m not interested in your excuses, Taylor. You need help focusing, and I am going to give it to you. Now
move
.”

She startled and tripped when her heel connected with the bottom step. Her hand shook a
s she fumbled for her balance and gripped the railing. Turning, she made her way up the stairs. Her heart pounded a million miles a minute. She swore she could feel Sebastian’s breath fan across the back of her neck and fought the urge to run. Everything in her wanted to scramble to appease. Instead, she was forced to make a slow and arduous journey. A muffled sob bubbled in her throat when they reached the doors to the master suite. Shuddering, she curled in on herself as he brushed past her and flung them open, gesturing her inside with a sweep of his hand. A desperate plea threatened when they reached the bed and his pale sage eyes locked with hers.

Wresting his gaze away, he unfastened the belt to his overcoat and slowly pulled it free. Her legs shook as
she stared, her horror mounting. The heavy leather strap was easily twice the size of the one he’d used last time. Clamping a hand over her mouth did nothing to smother the low whine breaking in her chest. She shook her head, backing away as he doubled the length in his fist.

“Don’t make things worse,” he warned softly. “You know this is for your own good.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed when she took another step back, and she felt the blood drain from her face.

“Do I have to assist you, Taylor?” he rasped, p
rowling closer.

She thrashed her head from side to side, whimpering when her legs bumped against the edge of the bed. “N-no. I can’t help it. Please…I’m scared.”

“You’re scared,” he repeated. He studied her for a long moment before nodding and gesturing to the end of the bed. “Quit dragging things out. Take your clothes off and bend over.”

The room spun. Somehow, she managed to force her trembling hands to comply, but the movements were automated. Her mind was disjointed and already focused on the imminent
threat of pain. Kicking free of the last of her clothes, she started to bend over, but Sebastian’s free hand wound in her hair, bringing her up short. Confusion swirled through her as he hauled her upright and his mouth slashed against hers in a bruising claim. His strong fingers unfurled from her hair and caressed the side of her face as he lightened the pressure and plied her with a passionate kiss. Desire overrode the fear and she moaned, pressing against him as a desperate ache swirled through her core. His hand trailed off her cheek and parted her thighs. A low rumble rose in his chest upon finding her wet. Anxious to please him, she rocked against the gentle probe of his fingers.

“So eager,” he murmured against her lips. “Is this what you want, Taylor?
Do you want me inside you?”

She whimpered, nodding. Her eyes drifted shut and she concentrated on the firm glide of his fingers. Release danced just out of reach.

“Your body knows how to respond, even when the rest of you fails.” He kissed the side of her neck and eased a thick digit inside her. Her knees started to buckle as he added another finger and moved them in a forceful swirl. “You could have had all this and more,” he whispered against her ear. “All you had to do was greet me at the door. One kiss, one touch, and I would’ve gladly taken you anywhere—in any way that you wanted. You think about that and remember it next time,” he growled.