“It’s Conrad,” Serena said, referencing St. Felipe’s quaint and cozy town center. “Hullabaloo coffee is everywhere.”
The waiter approached the table and beamed with excitement as he rattled off the handful of types of Hullabaloo coffee they served at the upscale establishment. Gabrielle was pleased to hear her favorite was on the list, Felipe Especiale, made with roasted, rare liberica coffee beans. She ordered a cup, extra hot and black. Serena ordered their dessert to share and a latte, with extra cream and a handful of sugar cubes.
Once the waiter was gone, Gabrielle asked the question nagging at her. “Why do you hope you’re being ridiculous? Do you have something against Sebastian? I mean, you hired him to be my bodyguard. You must like him.”
Serena frowned. “Acknowledging his superior security and bodyguard skills to keep you safe is different from liking him as a person.”
“He’s one of Ike’s best friends.”
A dubious look crossed Serena’s face. “That’s not a check in the positive column for me.”
“You tolerate him because he’s an ex-PISCO, but don’t care for him? What has he done to you?
Serena’s face softened as the waiter brought her latte and placed a steaming mug of black coffee in front of Gabrielle. She inhaled the delectable scent of the coffee, allowing it to soothe her irritation. Nothing like a cup of premier brew to bring her peace. Growing up in the coffee business, her nose was trained to detect the most subtle hints in flavors. She could correctly identify every variety of Hullabaloo coffee blindfolded by smell or taste. It was the one area she excelled over her older sister. Gabrielle raised her cup and took a sip to calm the rage building in her.
“I’m indifferent toward Sebastian,” Serena said with a shrug. “We’re not friends. We’re not enemies. Since I’ve been back, I’ve seen what a top-notch bodyguard he was to Mom. I’ve also seen how he seems to go through women like tissues. Excuse me if I’m not keen on watching my baby sister make googly eyes at him.”
“Googly eyes?” Gabrielle balked, making a mental note to hide her lust for Sebastian when they were in public.
“I’m not blind. Sebastian is an extremely handsome man and you’re in a situation where you need a hero. That’s a dangerous combination. It’s natural to be attracted to him. I don’t blame you for that at all, but also hope you don’t act on it. I think it could be a mistake.”
“I’m a grown woman, Serena. I can make my own decisions and my own mistakes. Pursuing a relationship with Sebastian wouldn’t necessarily end bad for me.”
“Is that what you want?” Serena dug her fork into the decadent cheesecake. “A relationship with Sebastian?”
“I didn’t say that,” Gabrielle sucked in a sharp breath.
“You had sex with him last night, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t say that, either,” Gabrielle pushed Serena’s hand away from the cheesecake and dug her fork in. She plunged the creamy dessert into her mouth to stop from saying anything else incriminating.
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face,” Serena said, concern in her eyes. “We don’t have the kind of sister relationship where I can lecture you about these things.”
Gabrielle bit her bottom lip. “Not yet, anyway.” She liked having a big sister who took an interest in her life and spoke up because she cared, even though she didn’t like Serena’s opposition to Sebastian.
Serena smiled. “So, I’ll stop while I’m ahead. How about that?”
“That’s perfect—”
A hand slammed down on the table, causing the cups of coffee to spill over. Gabrielle stifled a shriek as she looked up into the angry eyes of the man who’d tormented her a decade ago. Terror gripped her as she trembled and reminded herself that this man was not Damian. Damian died. She was there when it happened. He was gone.
This was his twin, Marvin Hester.
Not that it mattered, considering the anger wafting from the doctor.
“You did this, didn’t you,” Marvin screamed, shoving a paper in Serena’s face. “It’s not enough for you that my brother is dead, but you made sure I wouldn’t be able to bury him in the place we grew up, our home, here in Conrad.”
Serena didn’t flinch. “I thought it would be more respectful to my sister if the man who kidnapped and tormented her wasn’t buried on the island that our family founded. I could’ve stopped you from burying him in the Palmchat Islands, but I wanted to show some sympathy for your loss. You are free to bury him in St. Killian, or St. Xavier or the Tiverton cemetery. Take your pick.”
“My fucking pick was to bury him in the cemetery in Conrad where the rest of the Hester family is buried,” Marvin said. “But the King Family always has to use their influence to get your way. To hell with what it might mean for others as long as you’re happy.”
Gabrielle spoke up, trying to defuse the situation. She would say or do whatever it took to get Marvin to leave them alone. “I didn’t ask her to do that. If you want to bury him here, I can help you make arrangements.” Gabrielle glanced back at the bar. Sebastian was gone. Where was he?
“Fuck you, Gabrielle. I don’t want or need your help. I’m going to bury my brother in Toronto where our parents live now.” Marvin glared at her with such hatred that she cowered in her chair. “I can’t wait for the day when the King name can’t buy you out of trouble. That you suffer the real consequences of your actions once and for all.”
“You should leave.” Sebastian’s voice pierced the air, low and menacing. “Now.”
Marvin flinched, then backed away. “Gladly.”
