“Hester’s not around to up the ante by taking out their enemies in Tiverton, so we should be able to pay them off to cancel any future attacks.”
“And if they renege on the deal?” Sebastian asked.
“We eliminate enough of them to make it clear not to fuck with us,” Everett said with finality.
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
“Sebastian, when you get to the farm,” Everett slid off the barstool, then stopped, inhaled deeply. “If you see anything that makes it look like Bobby isn’t worshipping the ground Remi walks on, I need you to tell me. Okay?”
Sebastian froze, careful not to tip the man off. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Chapter22
“Remember that time Ike tricked Tucker into getting on the ferry to St. Killian?” Serena asked, laughing. “He made sure the dog got off the boat then had our yacht take him back to St. Felipe.”
Gabrielle hugged her side as laughter shook her body. “And Tucker made it back to King Estate in time for dinner.”
“Ike was so pissed. He didn’t know how the dog kept finding him,” Serena said.
“I wonder if Tucker misses Ike? Have you seen him around?” Gabrielle thought about the white Labrador retriever who’d claimed her brother as his reluctant human.
“Not since Ike left for Miami,” Serena said, the smile fading from her face. “Have you thought any more about signing the papers?”
“No,” Gabrielle said, looking away. “With everything that happened at the beach cottage, I’ve been distracted.”
“Of course, I understand,” Serena said, then took a long sip of her sparkling water. “I’ve been fighting the family for the past two years to make progress with Hullabaloo. What’s a few more weeks … or months.”
The disappointment in her sister’s voice was evident, but Gabrielle couldn’t wrap her mind around the finality of having their parents declared dead. She wished Ike was here to help her. He wouldn’t like the idea any more than she did. But her sister had strong points for making the move and less parental issues.
Being estranged from her parents for years, with only the obligatory calls on birthdays and holidays, left Gabrielle empty now that they were missing. She didn’t like to think that she’d run out of time. That the chance to repair her relationship with her parents had been snatched away. It was the one thing holding her back from going along with Serena’s wishes. Siding with her sister would be official confirmation that she’d squandered the time to build a bridge and reconnect with them.
Gabrielle gazed past her sister toward the bar a few tables away. Sebastian was sitting with a clear line-of-sight to her table and the rest of the restaurant.
“Who are you looking at?” Serena asked, turning to gaze back at the bar. “Lachlan and Everett in an intense discussion with Sebastian. There’s only one topic the three of them could be discussing. That’s you.”
“What?” Gabrielle screeched. “Why would you say that?” Heart pounding in her chest, she couldn’t imagine that Sebastian would be confiding in his friends about their hook-up last night. Did men gossip like that?
“Because of the cruel message left in blood for you at the beach cottage,” Serena said, with a raised eyebrow. “What other reason could there be?”
Gabrielle flushed, heat prickling her face. She was grateful her deep brown skin hid her embarrassment. It made perfect sense that Sebastian would ask the guys to meet him here to discuss the case. He’d already told her he’d planned to get their help.
“Gabrielle,” Serena said, her eyes squinted into thin slits. “Is there something else I should know about you and Sebastian?”
“No.” Gabrielle’s voice hit a higher octave. She rubbed the tense muscles in her aching neck. “Of course not.” She glanced back at the bar and noticed Sebastian staring at her. A smoldering look in his eyes that did nothing to hide his attraction. She looked away, grabbed a bread roll and stuffed a piece in her mouth.
“What’s with that look?”
Gabrielle dropped the roll as she almost choked on the bread. “What look?” Totally busted.
“That dreamy one when you looked at Sebastian. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you looking at him. You haven’t been able to take your eyes off him for more than a few minutes at a time. At first, I thought it was because you were freaked out and felt safer knowing he was close by.” Serena leaned back in her chair, a mischievous grin on her face. “Now, I think something entirely different is going on.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Gabrielle said, trying to dismiss her sister’s accurate intuition. Something marvelous was going on in the midst of the craziness that Damian tried to inflict in her life. Sebastian had taken her over the edge of ecstasy last night. She’d curled up in his arms and fallen into the best sleep she’d had in years. He made her feel safe. Physically safe for sure, but there was more. Safe to be herself. He didn’t judge her. He trusted her instincts and supported her. He knew what she needed, but didn’t push for more.
She hadn’t thought it was possible but she woke without any thoughts of Damian or bloody goat hearts or sick messages. The only thing on her mind had been Sebastian and how connected she felt to him. She wasn’t fooling herself. The past few days had been an emotional rollercoaster. It was possible that after the danger was over, her feelings might change. Even though she couldn’t imagine that happening, she didn’t want to push for anything more with him. What they had right now was good enough.
“I hope I’m being ridiculous for your sake,” Serena said, then beckoned for the waiter. “You want dessert? The make the best mango goat cheese cheesecake in the Caribbean.”
Gabrielle nodded. “And coffee. Do they have Hullabaloo?”
