“Alright, that’s enough, love birds,” Kane said. “We need to get out of here.”
Sebastian shook his head. “You and Everett leave. We don’t want the island feds to know how much of this rescue was planned. Lachlan stays behind with Gabrielle and me. It’s easier to sell as a hunch that panned out. Once the two of you are gone, we’ll call it in.”
“I don’t like it,” Everett said. “I think we get Adonis out here and erase us. Let the PIIB figure out their own story.”
Gabrielle glanced from Everett back to Sebastian, worry in her gaze.
“I’m not asking Gabrielle to lie to the feds for us. The closer we stick to the truth, the better,” Sebastian said, then caressed Gabrielle’s neck. “Think you can tell what happened and leave out the part about Everett and Kane being here?”
“I can do whatever you need me to,” Gabrielle said confidently. “I don’t want any of you getting into trouble for saving me.”
“You heard the lady,” Lachlan said, then nodded at Everett and Kane. “Get out of here. We’ll take care of the rest.” He laid his gun on the kitchen counter, grabbed his cell phone, and followed the other two men out of the kitchen.
Sebastian helped Gabrielle stand, then walked her to the kitchen door. “Wait outside for me. There’s one last thing I need to do.”
Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to. He’s shot and can’t move. He’ll go to prison again. We stopped him. He’ll go to prison for the rest of his life this time.”
“That’s not good enough for me,” Sebastian said, jaw clenched.
“Sebastian …”
“If you love me, you’ll let me do this. I’m not doing it for you. That bastard thought he could take you from me. I need to show him he was wrong.” Sebastian took a step back from the door. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Gabrielle nodded, then turned and walked toward Lachlan.
Sebastian shut the door, then crossed the kitchen to face Damian Hester. PISCOs were trained in hand-to-hand combat, skillful and deadly with knives, but he couldn’t use his weapon of choice this time. He didn’t want the blood on his hands. He was grateful that Kane had insisted on suppressors for their weapons. The gun molded to his hand like a natural extension of his arm.
He stared down at the man’s face, twisted into a gruesome frown.
“You think this is over?” Damian said through gritted teeth. His left hand moved to his back pocket as Sebastian had expected. “It’ll never be over. Gabrielle is mine! You hear me! She’s mine!” Damian’s hand shook as he pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, sending an errant bullet whizzing left of Sebastian’s body.
“Yeah, I hear you,” Sebastian said, then shot Damian between the eyes.
Chapter56
“Sebastian won’t be upset if you go home and get some rest.”
Gabrielle jolted up from the sofa. She must have nodded off. Microbursts of sleep had overtaken her body dozens of times since arriving at the St. Felipe Police Department. Glancing at Serena, she accepted the paper cup filled with her favorite Hullabaloo coffee. “What time is it?”
“Ten til five.” Serena sat next to her and caressed her arm. “You’re exhausted. I can have the police admin call us as soon as the detectives are finished with Sebastian.”
“I’m not leaving.” Gabrielle counted the hours in her head. Seventeen. That’s how long the detectives had been in the interrogation room badgering Sebastian about what happened last night.
Fear gripped her heart.
She didn’t know what to do if the cops didn’t believe Sebastian. When he’d told her there was one last thing he needed to do, she knew it was killing Damian Hester. Sebastian was an ex-PISCO. She wasn’t naive. He’d probably killed many men in his past. As much as she wanted Damian dead, she hadn’t wanted Sebastian to make that sacrifice for her. It wasn’t worth risking his freedom to spare her from dealing with Damian again.
Yet, the look in his eyes told her not to refuse his request.
He loved her too much to let the man who’d tormented her for decades keep breathing.
As she walked away from the side door, she turned back to see Damian pointing a gun at Sebastian. When the gun fired, her heart stopped. She knew Sebastian was right. Damian would never stop coming after them. As she raced back toward the door, Lachlan grabbed her and lifted her from the ground. She cried and screamed, fighting to get out of his arms and back to Sebastian as Lachlan carried her up the hill. When they were a safe distance from the house, Lachlan whispered in her ear, in his Scottish brogue, “Trust him. Sebastian’s going to be alright. He’s not going to leave you.”
And he’d been right.
Minutes later, Sebastian trudged up the hill and enveloped her in his arms.
“It’s over,” Sebastian said, kissing her head. “Damian Hester won’t hurt you again.”
