He contemplated the myriad of meanings her statement could have. Was she taking him to her home? Or his? Could home be a code for some other place? And if it was, did Ike want to go there?
Did the answer to those questions matter?
He would do whatever it took to be with the mystery woman again, even if it could lead to his demise.
He had to know who she was.
Chapter17
Sebastian leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, as Gabrielle slept on a loveseat tucked in the rounded enclave outside the music room. Far away from the family quarters of the main house, the area had no windows and was bathed in dark shadows.
He shuddered, remembering Gabrielle’s scream.
A pained and primal sound, filled with terror and pure fear.
It reverberated off the walls as she stood in the doorway, frozen.
He’d been at her side in an instant. His PISCO training kicked in, thoroughly assessing the scene in seconds. Bloody goat hearts scattered across the living room. Blood coating the floors and furniture. No sign of a struggle. No blood smears or bloodied footsteps. He’d had no doubt that the cottage was empty.
She’d fixated on the message scrawled in blood on the wall, unable to stop screaming. The threat intended only for her.
Wrapping his arms around her, Sebastian pulled her away from the disturbing scene and lifted her into his arms. She didn’t fight him as tears flowed down her face. He carried her, racing the quarter mile across the beach and up the hill to the main house. Her arms clutched around his neck in a death grip as she trembled and shook in his embrace.
His heart broke for the pain she was in. Protectiveness surged through him. He resolved to make whoever had scared her pay. He would hunt the fucker down and stuff a bloody goat heart in his mouth as he choked the life out of him. That was a promise he had made to her at that moment.
He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her ever again.
At the main house, the staff and family were awakened.
Gabrielle had been hysterical, convinced she’d stumbled upon a murder scene in the cottage. Inconsolable from the idea that someone she loved or who worked for her family had lost their life because of her.
It had taken almost thirty minutes to convince her that no one had died. Every family member and all the staff were accounted for. Only then had she stumbled away from him and collapsed in the enclave across from the music room.
Serena immediately went into boss mode, alerting the police and ordering the on-site nurse to give Gabrielle a sedative. Normally, Sebastian would’ve balked at the suggestion, but these weren’t typical circumstances. Gabrielle had come undone. The threat at the beach cottage had splintered her. She needed rest if she had any hope of getting past the trauma.
He yawned, then shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The cops had taken his statement first, then left in hoards to collect evidence at the beach cottage. A command center was erected in the downstairs reception area. No one was to leave the premises until further notice. Given his background, the officers had wanted him to go to the cottage and help navigate the crime scene, but he couldn’t. That would mean leaving Gabrielle alone. There was no fucking way he would do that. Sebastian stayed behind, settling in this spot to watch over her as she slept.
She’d told him he’d been her rock since she returned to the Palmchat Islands. He was the one who’d understood her and supported her. It was a surprise to both of them, but it was a role he had no plans to vacate. When she woke up, he would be the first face she saw. He would comfort her, protect her and be the rock she needed.
“Sebastian.”
He looked over his shoulder to see a uniformed officer, fresh out of the police academy, staring back at him but didn’t answer.
“Detective Shannon wants to talk to you. He’s right across the hall in the music room,” the officer pointed in that direction.
What the fuck? Why was Detective Shannon involved in this investigation? How had the man convinced two police departments to allow him to lead an investigation out of his jurisdiction?
A memory stuck in Sebastian’s mind.
Gabrielle’s face lit up when Shannon stepped onto the plane. She raced down the aisle to wrap her arms around Shannon, who rescued her from Damian Hester a decade ago. Shannon told her that she was unforgettable.
Sebastian didn’t trust the man. Was Shannon working some angle to be close to Gabrielle? One that had nothing to do with his law enforcement responsibilities?
Anger rippled along his aching muscles.
What the fuck was wrong with him?
He couldn’t be jealous of the man. No way Gabrielle had any interest in Shannon. Not with the way she’d looked at Sebastian last night. The unbridled lust and desire for him clouded her eyes.
