A sarcastic laugh erupted from Sebastian’s lips. It was time for Damian Hester’s reign of terror to end, and he knew how to push the freak’s buttons.
“That’s not what she told me last night,” Sebastian said, stepping closer. “You read her journal. Pages and pages of handwritten notes about falling in love with her bodyguard. You fucked up when you stabbed that cop at the safe house. You got the wrong man.”
Damian removed his hand from between Gabrielle’s legs and snaking his arm around her neck. “Who are you?”
“The man Gabrielle is in love with. The one she wants. The one she’s already given herself to.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Damian screamed.
“Last night, I was the one in her bed. We made love all night. But you don’t know how that feels, do you?” Sebastian taunted.
The gun eased from Gabrielle’s head, shaking in Damian’s hand.
“You don’t know how it feels to have Gabrielle scream your name as an orgasm pulses through her body.” Sebastian moved closer. “I do. I heard her last night and so many nights before it. My name was on her lips. Sebastian.”
Damian flicked the gun toward Sebastian. “I told you to shut the fuck up! Shut up! I will kill you, bastard! I will kill you for touching her!”
Tears streamed down Gabrielle’s face as Damian’s arm tightened around her neck.
“Target locked.” Lachlan’s voice came through the comms.
Sebastian said, “It wasn’t the first time I’d made love to her, and it damn sure won’t be the last. I can promise you that.”
Damian’s eyes turned to dark pools of stone. Sebastian had him right where he wanted him. The gunshot rang through the air.
Gabrielle screamed, “Sebastian! No!”
The bullet slammed into Sebastian’s chest. The impact whipped his body backward. A jolt of pain ricocheted through him as he crashed into the wall.
Two more shots rang through the air.
Damian Hester dropped to the floor, a hoarse scream tearing from his throat as he stared at the stump where his right hand had been. His pant leg was drenched scarlet by the blood pouring from the gunshot wound to his thigh. He clung to the mangled remains of his hand, his eyes wide with shock and terror as he writhed on the floor.
Everett and Kane raced into the kitchen, guns drawn and pointed at Damian.
Gabrielle leaped over Damian’s body, pushing past Lachlan, and rushed to Sebastian’s side.
“Seby, stay with me. Do you hear me? Stay with me,” she whispered between sobs. Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed his tactical gear, trying to tear his shirt open.
He bit his lower lip to hide his smile, then eased his hands around her wrists to stop her frantic movements.
“Gabs, look at me,” Sebastian said.
She stopped and gazed at him, a look of confusion on her face.
“I’m fine.”
“He shot you! You’re not fine.” Gabrielle looked around him, stunned and disoriented. “But there’s no blood. I don’t understand.”
Sebastian shifted slightly, wincing from the pain in his chest, and unzipped his jacket to reveal the Kevlar vest with a shiny bullet lodged inside. “I came prepared. Bulletproof vest. Back up security team.”
Gabrielle moved her trembling hands over the vest, trying to process the horror of what happened. She ripped apart the fasteners with a sharp tug, exposing the ugly purple bruise that now marred his chest. She leaned down and kissed the bruise lightly as her tears left a trail of wetness on his skin. Sebastian pulled her into his arms as she shook with sobs.
“Thank God he didn’t hurt you.” She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“You won’t have to find out,” Sebastian said softly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the feel of her body against his. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. I love you, Gabs.”
She leaned back and stared into his eyes. “I love you, Seby.”
