Gabrielle scrambled forward on her hands and knees toward them.
“Stay back,” Sebastian yelled, then peered over his shoulder. Lachlan raced toward him, gun trained on the man. “Lachlan, get Gabrielle back on the plane. Throw her over your shoulder if you have to!”
Lachlan was on her before she could protest, dragging her up the stairs and back into the plane. With Gabrielle secure, Sebastian turned his attention back to the man whose hands scratched at his arm desperately trying to get more air into his lungs.
“Looks like your day just went from bad to the worst of the fucking worst,” Sebastian said, his voice calm. He pressed his knees harder against the man’s thighs, eliciting a grunt of pain. “Who are you?”
Chapter7
“You … don’t … understand,” the man wheezed. “Cop … cop … I’m … police.”
Sebastian eased off the man’s trachea. “You’re a police officer?”
“Detective … ”
Sebastian rifled through the man’s pocket and slipped the wallet out. Dumping it on the ground, it flopped open to a police badge.
Detective Brad Shannon, St. Xavier Police Department
The name didn’t ring any bells, but it looked authentic.
“Out of your jurisdiction, wouldn’t you say?” Sebastian asked, easing off the man. St. Xavier was one of the main islands in the Palmchat Island chain but the furthest away from St. Killian. The King Family lived in St. Felipe. If any police department was going to send officers for Gabrielle’s arrival, he would’ve expected SFPD, not SXPD. Sebastian brushed dust and dirt from his suit, not bothering to help the detective up.
“I could arrest you … for assaulting … a police officer,” Detective Shannon said, heaving deep ragged breaths.
“No island police should be here. Only airport security,” Sebastian said, noticing a slew of airport security guards racing toward them. Several of the fans who’d come to welcome Gabrielle home were pushing and shoving the protesters, likely thinking that they were behind the man who’d breached the barricades to rush at Gabrielle.
He saw no other credible threats in the crowd or on the runway. Satisfied that the guards could handle the conflict, he gazed back at the man. “So what are you doing here, Detective Shannon? And why the hell were you chasing after Gabrielle?”
The detective leaned forward, propping up on his elbows. His eyes were bloodshot and strained from fighting to breathe. But that didn’t stop him from looking at Sebastian like he wanted to cut his head off. “I have information she needs to know. It could be a matter of life and death—”
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t put a bullet between this fucker’s eyes,” Lachlan said, appearing beside Sebastian with his Glock leveled at the detective’s face.
Sebastian placed a hand on the weapon and pushed it down. He shook his head, then asked, “Is Gabrielle okay?”
“She’s shaken up. It was a bitch to get her to stay on the plane. That’s a feisty one,” Lachlan said, wiping sweat from his brow as he leaned down to pick up the detective’s wallet. “He’s five-oh?”
“That’s what he claims. Says he has information that could be a matter of life and death for Gabrielle,” Sebastian said, then looked down at the detective.
“SXPD? I’ll give Adonis a call and see if I can verify this is authentic,” Lachlan said, sliding his cell phone from his back pocket.
Sebastian gave him a nod. It was a good move. Not only did their friend, Adonis Williams, live in St. Xavier, the man knew just about every person on the island.
If the badge was a fake and Shannon was really here to hurt Gabrielle, Adonis would let them know in minutes. It wouldn’t be long after that Sebastian would make Shannon regret ever coming to the airport to attack Gabrielle. He’d only taken his eyes off of her for a few seconds. But that was long enough for this man to get close to her. Too close. Close enough to scare her and that didn’t work for Sebastian. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
The detective took a step toward the plane. Sebastian stopped him with a firm push to his chest. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“To talk to Gabrielle.”
“The fuck you are. I’m not letting you anywhere near her.”
“You will once you know who I have news about,” Detective Shannon said, a challenge in his gaze.
“I can’t think of one person who would make me change my mind.”
“Really?”
A tremor of unease snaked through Sebastian.
