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“I don’t want to lose you.”
Sebastian pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. Grateful for the reassuring warmth of his body, Taylor rested her head in the hollow of his shoulder and listened to the slow but steady beat of his heart. He rubbed small circles along her spine with one hand while the other cupped her cheek. Her eyes drifted shut as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“You aren’t going to lose me,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Josh is going to hate me even more than he already does,” she whispered miserably.
His husky laugh filled the room, making his chest vibrate beneath her ear. “He doesn’t hate you.” Sebastian tapped her chin. Craning her head, she peered up at him. “You did the right thing by coming to me and telling the truth, Taylor. As for Josh, I will tell him I saw the marks on your arm and backed you into a corner. You won’t take the blame, and I’ll make sure Josh understands he is to bring any future concerns to my attention. I will be the one to address them, not him.”
“Thank you.”
Sebastian kissed her forehead. Taylor’s heart melted as a tender smile lit his face. His light sage eyes danced and had once again taken on that playful sparkle she loved so much. Settling back into the crook of his shoulder, she traced the rugged planes of his face with her fingers. She was fascinated by the slight indents framing his mouth between his cheekbones and the curve of his jaw. They turned into broad lines whenever Sebastian smiled and cavernous dimples when he laughed. Her lips curled with contentment as she pressed her nose against his shirt and breathed in the warm, subtle smell of his cologne and the more alluring scent that was his and his alone. Never in her life had she felt more cherished or safe.
“A girl could definitely fall in love you, Mr. Baas,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
She could almost feel his smile as he hugged her a little tighter.
“Enough to move in with me?”
Taylor giggled into his chest. “We’ll see.”
IV.
Taylor stretched and groaned in protest as a beam of sunlight filtered through the slatted blinds to pierce her lids. Bit by bit, she felt the tantalizing world of her dreams slip away. Feeling the familiar cradle of her mattress beneath her, she flung her arm out and patted the bed in confusion. Where was Sebastian? The last thing she remembered was drifting to sleep in the warm security of his arms. Paper rustled beneath her fingers as they fluttered across the spare pillow beside her, searching for the man she loved. A frown threatened as she lifted the note, still squinting against the blinding effects of the sun. Sweet mother of Jesus, her eyes felt like someone had spent the entire night scouring them with sandpaper.
That’s what you get for crying, her mind scolded.
Taylor wrinkled her nose. Biting her lip, she tried to silence that annoying inner voice and focus on the bold, sturdy words etched across the page.
Good morning, darling. I wish I was there to greet you, but the team is working on a big project and duty calls. I’m sorry for not saying good-bye, but you looked so beautiful and content. I couldn’t bear to wake you. It was a challenge getting you into bed without disturbing you when all I wanted to do was climb in there beside you. As for my self-restraint…your virtue remains intact. You can thank me later.
Taylor giggled and rolled her eyes. Sighing happily, she continued reading.
I will talk to you soon. Try to have a better day, and stay out of trouble.
~Yours,
Sebastian
Yours. Her mind clung to that word, wrapping around it and replaying it until her cheeks flushed and a pleasant tingle branched through her core. It was humbling and still a bit surreal that a man like him would want anything to do with her. Never had she met someone with such a commanding essence, and those eyes, his beautiful sage eyes, held the power to be mesmerizing one moment and terrifying the next. Taylor shivered and smiled. Yawning, she resisted the urge to burrow deeper into the cozy haven of blankets and sleep the day away. Another ten-hour shift at the truck stop loomed ahead. Given the holiday rush and mass transport of the season, she would be lucky if she found the time to think, let alone dream. She glanced at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock, hoping to steal just five more minutes.
Luck was seldom on her side. Peeling back the plush navy comforter, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed with a begrudging sigh. Her toes curled into the rough beige carpet pile. If it could even be called such anymore. Years of use had matted the yarns flat, and in places, the backing was starting to show through. Hopefully, Sebastian hadn’t noticed it when he’d carried her to bed last night. Her landlord had neither the time nor the inclination to update, let alone fix the things that were falling into disrepair. The plastic bucket under her kitchen sink was a fine testament to that fact.
Tugging her robe sash tighter, Taylor padded into the bathroom to start the shower. The shock of the cold tiles beneath her feet jarred her awake. Still on autopilot, she made her way into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee while the water heated. If she were lucky, it would be lukewarm by the time she was ready to step beneath the spray.
Her head snapped around at the sound of squealing tires and the deep rev of a motor as a car turned onto her street. Glancing at the wall clock, she frowned. The school bus would be coming soon, which meant there was already a gaggle of little ones waiting on the corner. Her thoughts turned to Josh and the encounter they’d had the day before. A crippling wave of anger tightened her chest. If that was him, he wouldn’t have to worry about Sebastian’s lecture. She would throttle him herself. Cursing, Taylor strode toward the front windows in the living room.
A strange popping sound halted her before she could peel back the lace curtains and peer outside. Freezing in midstride, her head tilted. It erupted again, this time much louder and in a rapid hail. Screaming, she hit her knees, scrambling across the floor as plaster and glass shattered inward in a violent hail. Terrified wails erupted next door. Sharp glistening shards flew past her head, littering the carpet as she scurried for cover. A bullet lodged in the far wall, missing her by a matter of inches. Flattening, Taylor sobbed, pulling herself across the floor in a commando crawl.
Broken glass gouged her arms and belly. Dragging herself into the hall, she sat barricaded with her back against the interior wall. Her heart pounded; the furious roar of the blood rushing through her system drowned all other sound. Numb, she listened to the world pulse in and out around her. Then, deathly silence reigned.
Sebastian took a long pull of coffee from his mug before setting it down and leaning over Vince’s shoulder. It had been a late night, and he was going to need more than a fair share of caffeine to get him through the day. As it was, he was having a hard time focusing on anything other than Taylor. Raking a hand through his curls, he blew out a deep breath. He really needed to get that girl under his roof and in his bed before he drove himself insane. Bracing one hand on the conference table, he reasserted his attention and concentrated on the computer screen.
“It looks like everything is in place. Pull up the coordinates on target X. Let’s see what our bad boy is up to this morning.”
The bright monitor reflected Vince’s knowing smile while his fingers danced across the keyboard with dizzying speed. “Let’s just hope he’s at work and not playing hooky like someone else last night.”
Sebastian’s piercing gaze narrowed. “Do I need to reinforce the fact that my personal life is none of your damn business?”
“Relax, Baas. I was just fishing.”
“Don’t wear concrete shoes on a narrow pier.”
Striking the final key, Vince started to lean back until he remembered his teammate still hovered over him. Reclining to the side to give Sebastian a better view, he folded his arms and regarded the screen. “Looks like our guy didn’t make it to work today after all. These numbers are all wrong.”
“Bring the location up.”
&nbs
p; Rapid clacking filled the room as the blond’s lean fingers pounded the keys. “Ah. Here we go. Rosedale Elementary School. He must be at some kind of holiday program for his kids or something.”
“With his wife at home?” The doubt stamping Sebastian’s expression rapidly shifted to one of annoyance as the door burst open. It bounced off the far wall, almost slamming into the flushed man standing in its frame. Sebastian took one look at his partner’s eyes and straightened. Fear lurked in those brooding depths, fear and something much more potent. Rage perhaps? Cocking his head, he looked to him in question.
“You’re going to want to turn on the news, Baas. There was a drive by this morning on Parkview. The locals are being tight lipped, but the initial report is two fatalities and three in transport.”
Not waiting for a reply, Josh strode across the room and grabbed the remote. He aimed it at the television mounted in the corner as Sebastian braced himself on the back of Vince’s chair. His mind whirled, and horror threatened to topple his precarious hold. His fingers tightened, gouging deep into the padded leather. The muscles along his jaw knotted with fury. He’d known that neighborhood was nothing but trouble from the start. It lurked on every corner, infested every crevice. His instincts were never wrong, but he’d relented in some half-ditch effort to appease Taylor, and look where that had gotten them both.
