Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Possible scenarios fill my mind and do nothing to calm me. They only ramp up my anxiety. Could he be dead somewhere? What if my father got his hands on him?
My breaths become ragged, the tell-tale signs of a panic attack looming in the distance. No, this is just my fear, my trauma. Sebastian wouldn't be taken easily, no matter who tried to grab him. He’s a fighter. Always fighting.
Maybe if he gets home in the next few minutes, he'll be happy I'm waiting here for him. The thought makes me want to run, since that’s exactly what he wants, but there’s another part of me fighting back against that impulse. The one considering what Bel said about Sebastian doing everything in his power to protect me. Yes, he killed his grandfather, but he had to have a reason. He doesn't do anything unless he has a very specific reason. Bel suggested it was because of me, because his grandfather tried to own me.
But is there more to it? Or am I overthinking it all?
There's no way to know when he absolutely refuses to speak about that night.
I give myself another minute to wallow in my thoughts and then choose to go back downstairs because the last thing I want is Bel having to come find me. Straightening my spine, I fill my lungs with air and slowly release the tension, then I head back down to the kitchen.
When I enter Bel is piling tortillas on the counter with a wide, happy grin. And I can't help but smile back. She's infectious with her joy. A feeling I used to know. Okay, fine. It’s not that I'm unhappy now, just...different. My experiences wore down the juvenile innocence I once had. Can’t say it’s a bad thing. It’s probably for the best, since all that did was make me vulnerable.
I slide back onto the stool and grab a plate. "Should we wait for Sebastian?" I clear my throat. "Maybe if you text he'll..."
Bel cuts me off. "Please. That man lives and breathes for you. If he's not texting you back, he's not going to respond to me, either."
My chest is tight at the thought but I don’t comment. Instead I nod, focusing on the food. "Thank you for cooking, it smells amazing." My stomach rumbles so loud they both hear it, freezing at the noise. We all laugh, and the tension from earlier is broken. I can breathe again.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I snatch it out so fast I almost fumble it into a bowl of shredded cheese. I spot Sebastian's name on the screen and immediately hit send.
"Hey, we..."
He cuts me off mid-sentence. "Hey, you with Drew?"
I shake my head and stare across the counter at Bel and Drew's questioning looks. "Yes, I'm at home, waiting for you."
When he continues, something in his tone sends shivers rolling through me, panic churning in my gut. "Good. Stay put. Drew, Aries, Lee, and Bel will be over to keep you company."
I meet Drew's gaze, noticing the sharpening of it, and the way his lips thin as he studies me. "What? Why? What's going on?" I hate the frantic edge overtaking my tone but I'm incapable of reining it in.
"Do me a favor, though, tell Aries I need him to find me the best lawyer in the tri-state area. It seems the sheriff wants me to accompany him downtown to discuss a couple of things, and I don't talk to cops without legal counsel."
I snatch the phone away from my ear and hit the speaker button. "What the hell, Sebastian? What do you mean—he's taking you to jail?" I nearly screech and twist my hands into the fabric of my shirt to try and calm myself.
"Unfortunately, yes. But stay with them. I'll see you soon, babe. Love you."
There's a click, the signal he’s hung up the phone.
Now I’m both confused and frantic. My voice trembles as I speak, "We have to help him. I don’t think either of you understand how powerful my father is. He’ll kill him. Sebastian's the only thing standing between my father and me."
My phone starts to ring again, sliding on the smooth granite countertop. I peer down at the screen. It's an unknown number. Shit. How did my father get this number? It's a new phone. He couldn't have gotten it off Sebastian's phone that fast, right?
With a hammering heartbeat I move to answer it but Drew snatches my hand in mid-air shaking his head at me. "No, you don’t answer to that fucker anymore. Answering his call would be feeding right into his bullshit, and you’re above that. Sebastian has fought tougher villains. He can take care of himself."
I don’t understand why he’s not taking this more seriously. "He's going to jail, Drew!"
He merely shrugs, "Here is the thing about Sebastian. He’s all about strategy. If I had to guess I would assume that’s exactly where he wants to be. He has a reason for the madness, for even talking to your father in the first place. My bet is he would be livid if we did anything to ruin his plans, and you might be capable of listening to his bitching, but my ears start to bleed when I’m forced to endure his whining.”