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“Hey handsome, what are you doing back there?” she giggled.
“Checking out the scenery.”
Taylor froze at the unfamiliar voice. Her blood ran cold. A startled yelp burst from her throat as she spun around to confront a man who was definitely not Sebastian. She staggered back a step, then another, as the man prowled after her. Her mind scrambled, searching for a name to put with the face, but she came up blank. Nothing about the hulking blond with an upturned nose rang any bells. A taunting smile rode his lips as he stalked after her.
“Where are you running off to, pussycat?”
She cried out as she crashed into someone behind her. Strong hands steadied her, and she almost sobbed with relief as Josh peered down into her face.
“You alright?” he asked.
Nodding, she ducked behind him and scurried into the cover of the dining room. She somehow managed to drop into her seat before her heart gave out. Tension rolled between the two men as they entered behind her. The look Josh gave the blond was anything but approving as he hissed something through his clenched teeth. She couldn’t be sure, but Taylor thought it sounded like “stupid.” Her knee jittered nervously beneath the table as she glanced around in search of Sebastian. She sighed, sagging into her chair when he strolled into the room a few seconds later. His pale gaze settled on her and her body thawed in response to his slow smile. Just his being near put all of her fears to rest.
“Did you miss me, baby?”
“More than you know,” she admitted. Her answer earned her an adoring wink.
“Don’t worry, Seb,” the blond said with a chuckle. “I kept that hot little number of yours occupied for you.”
The table jumped, and she was pretty sure she saw a pained wince flicker across the man’s face. Her breath caught as Sebastian froze. His head cocked slightly and his smile faltered.
“What was that?” he asked, turning to face the man.
“Baas, come on. Todd is just drunk and being stupid. Let’s have dessert,” Josh pleaded. “This cheesecake looks killer.”
Sebastian shook his head. “No. I want to hear this.” He took a slow, methodical step toward them, his hands folding behind his back as his eyes narrowed. “You did what now?”
“Relax. It was all in good fun. I will say this though, I thought about giving your broad a test drive while you were gone. That sweet little ass of hers fit in my hands like she was made for me,” Todd said, lifting his hands to emulate a crude grope.
Plowing a hand through his hair, Sebastian gave a harsh bark of laughter. The sound chilled Taylor to the bone. It was hollow, crazed, and seemed to echo throughout the stunned room. Her heart leapt into her throat as he rubbed the back of his head and raised his eyebrows until his forehead wrinkled.
“Is that a fact? So, you want to take my girl for a ride, Skippy?” he asked in an almost cheerful tone.
“Fuck yeah. I wouldn’t complain.”
“Yeah? Well come on,” he urged with a bright smile. Waving, he motioned the other man forward. Josh cursed beneath his breath, his chin falling forward to rest against his chest, as Todd obediently ambled to his feet.
“Baas, come on. Look at him. He’s wasted.”
Sebastian chuckled. Waving his hand back and forth, he pointed two fingers in Josh’s direction as if chiding him. “Is that supposed to matter?”
Out of nowhere, a startling crack echoed through the room like a clap of thunder. Taylor blinked, trying to register what happened as Todd staggered backward, cupping his cheek. Sebastian struck with lethal speed, hitting him again before slinging his forearm across the man’s throat and driving him across the room until he slammed against the far wall. A framed picture of a Roman coliseum jarred off its hook and shattered against the floor.
“What did you think was going to happen here?” he asked, leaning into Todd and deepening his hold. “Did you think you were going to take what belongs to me? That I would just sit back and let that happen? Hmm?” Horror and pain stamped the broad face staring back at him. Cold fury sparked in Sebastian’s eyes as he pressed even closer. “Answer me!”
Taylor whimpered, flinching in her seat at his roar. The brief but fearful clamp of her eyes cost her. She opened them to find Todd still pinned as the menacing glint of steel traced a deliberate path down his cheek. Numbly, she wondered where the curved knife had come from, and how Sebastian had pulled it so fast. Her knees knocked beneath the table, shaking almost as badly as Todd’s as he slammed his eyes shut.
“No?” Sebastian asked. “Still no answer?”
The soft, almost tender tone made her heart pound. Josh stood, his gaze flickering uncertainly between his partner and Monique. The blonde looked mortified and well past the point of fear as her lips trembled in a violent quiver.
“Baas…”
“Shut up, Josh,” he warned in a quiet rasp. “If you want to do something, hold him up. He’s going to need all the support he can get.” He tilted his head, studying the man before him as he continued to trace his cheek in an almost gentle caress. “Where do you think I should start?” he murmured. “Maybe I should do you a favor and cut out your eyes. What do you think?”
“N-no…p-please. It was just a j-joke, man.”
“Do I look like I am laughing to you?” Sebastian asked. “Am I supposed to find you manhandling my girl and trying to fuck her funny? Am I supposed to find humor in you disrespecting me in my home in front of my team? Is that what you are telling me?”
A keening whimper of fear rose in her throat. Dear God he was pissed. Rage mottled his face, painting it with various shades of red as he pressed the knife beneath Todd’s left eye. A sinister bubble of blood welled around the tip.
“No!”
“No,” Sebastian agreed with a slow shake of his head. “No, it’s not funny, is it? If you touch what’s mine, if you fuck with my family, you are DEAD!”
Clamping her hands over her mouth, Taylor hit the floor. His fierce bellow threatened to stop her heart. Scooting against the wall behind her, she clenched her eyes shut and tried to smother her te
rrified sobs. Her head thrashed from side to side. It took a moment to realize the wavering pleas she heard came from her own throat. Raw terror throbbed through her veins, making her shake until her teeth chattered.
“Since it’s the holidays, I’m going to be generous and give you a choice,” Sebastian said. “I can cut your heart out and feed it to you or we can get rid of that impulsive little organ between your legs.” He paused and though Taylor wasn’t looking, she could almost see his cold smile. “Your call.”
There was no doubt he meant it. She shook so hard her teeth chattered. She couldn’t remember ever being more afraid, more terrified in her entire life. Part of her wanted to beg him to stop, but she was too damn scared—too much of a coward. An agonized cry broke the silence, and Taylor drew her knees up to her chest, slamming her forehead against them.
“No, no, no…” she cried, shaking her head as she tried to drown out the slow, suffering sounds. She jumped with a scream as someone settled beside her.
Monique clamped a hand over her mouth. Stunned, she regarded the blonde with wide pleading eyes. Tears streamed down the other woman’s face and her slender body rattled against Taylor’s.
“Shh,” she urged, stroking the top of Taylor’s head with a shaky hand. “It’s going to be alright, but you have to be quiet. Just close your eyes, sweetie. Shut them tight and don’t look.”
She drew in a shuddering gasp as the pressure of Monique’s cool hand left her mouth. Her chest jerked in a violent reaction to the fear. The room around her started to spin. Sound droned in and out in a deafening hum.
“Make him stop,” she begged. “Please just make him stop.”
Pity flooded the other woman’s gaze as she hugged her. “I can’t,” Monique said sadly, hanging her head. “No one can.”
She was only vaguely aware of the deep rumble of Josh’s voice as the man’s screaming intensified. Huddled on the floor, she could hear everything with a vivid clarity she wished she couldn’t. She had no desire to see. Broken fragments drifted through the thick wall of fear. Taylor wept, her panic reaching the point of near hysteria.
