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“You heard the man,” he bit out coldly. “Get them out of here and get out of my sight.”
“Sir…I…”
Sebastian cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “I’m not interested in your apologies. If you ever point a gun at my head again, someone will be scraping you off the floor as well. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. Extremely.”
Shooting him a dour look, Sebastian shouldered past and made his way into the corridor. Josh was lying in wait. His partner immediately sprung off the wall, his blue eyes wide and bewildered.
“Jesus, Baas,” he said, lifting his hands in a precursory search. “What the hell happened in there? Are you okay?”
Sebastian batted him away without losing stride. “I’m fine,” he muttered. “I’m grabbing a shower and going home. You’re going to have to take things over until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Josh jogged a few steps to catch up. Worry and disbelief crawled across the creases lining his brow. “Are you serious? That’s all the time he’s giving you?”
“Does it look like either one of us are in the mood to joke around?”
“No, Baas. It doesn’t.” Josh scrubbed a hand across his jaw and shook his head. “Jesus. I know the guy is an ass sometimes, but that’s a bit ridiculous. Is Taylor even going to be out of the hospital by then?”
Sebastian froze, causing his partner to stumble beside him. As much as he tried to keep his temper under control, he could feel the venom etch his features. Josh flinched, seeing the same.
“Did you really expect anything different, Josh?” Drawing a deep breath, he reminded himself that none of this was his partner’s fault. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I don’t know. All I know right now is they want to keep Taylor a few more hours for observation. There’s a lot going on and I don’t have any answers.”
“What can I do, Baas?”
“You can start by finding her car. This wasn’t an accident.”
“Wait…what?” Josh said, fumbling to grab his arm. “What’re you talking about?”
“Someone tampered with her car. From the sounds of it, they punched the brakes as well. I want that vehicle swept from top to bottom for prints, fibers, anything that will get me some answers.”
“Yeah, okay, buddy. You got it.”
Sebastian thumped his shoulder in a brief show of gratitude. Josh’s voice halted him halfway down the hall.
“Hey—do you want me to call Mo and see if she will sit with Taylor for a few days?”
He paused and mulled the offer over. As convenient as it would be, he didn’t want his sister on the road by herself. Not until he had a better idea of what was going on and who was behind it. “Not yet. Until we find out what happened, it would be best if you saw to it that she stayed home. I’ll call you later.”
*~*~*
Taylor breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the garage door rolled shut behind them. As heavenly as those first few breaths of fresh air had been upon leaving the hospital, the blinding sun had wreaked havoc on her head. She’d tried to search for Rupert when they’d pulled through the gates, but the light felt like hot pokers lancing her eyes and she’d been forced to close them. Beside her, Sebastian killed the motor and shifted in his seat to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and spring her seatbelt free.
“Stay put, baby,” he ordered softly. “I don’t want you trying to get out by yourself.”
She nodded as much as she could manage. His fingers skimmed her forehead in a gentle caress, his green eyes so wounded and apologetic it damn near broke her heart.
“I’m okay, Seb,” she reassured him, leaning into his hand when it trailed down to tenderly cup the side of her cheek.
“I know,” he said, though his voice didn’t sound nearly as convincing as his claim. “I’m going to grab your bag out of the back first. Just sit tight for a second.”
Frowning to herself, she studied him in the side view mirror as he rounded the back of the Benz. The last few days had taken an unmistakable toll. Grim shadows stretched beneath his eyes, and the chiseled lines of his face appeared even harder and more pronounced. Whatever had transpired between him and Marx had only seemed to amplify that. Even when he smiled, his expression was tired and strained. Her throat tightened knowing she was partially to blame. The accident might not have been her fault, but it was definitely the cause of his stress. He needed rest and a hot, home-cooked meal. What he didn’t need was the added pressure of trying to take care of her.
Slinging the small duffel bag over his shoulder, Sebastian briefly met her eyes in the side mirror as he bumped the back door shut.
The press of his body was warm and comforting as he eased her up the steps in the garage and into the laundry room. Dropping the bag beside the washer, he steered her inside. She breathed deep, relishing the familiar scents of home. Worn leather, wood and clean all washed over her, and her eyes drifted shut in a momentary bid of bliss. Sebastian faltered beside her.
“Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his face looming close and creased with concern. “I’m better than okay,” she said softly. “I’m home.”
Sebastian’s mouth curved, exposing a teasing glimpse of his dimples. “That you are, darling,” he said, kissing the side of her temple. “And you have no idea how glad I am to have you here.”
“You’re just saying that because you didn’t care much for squeezing into my hospital bed or dozing in the chair,” she teased.
Much to her delight, he stared down at her for a long second before shaking his head with a quiet laugh. “There is that. I won’t deny missing my bed, Taylor. Perhaps more importantly, I missed having you in it. Let’s get you upstairs. You are going to take a nice relaxing soak, get washed up, and then in our bed is exactly
where you’re going to be.”
“Sebastian…”
He silenced her, pressing a gentle forefinger to her lips. “Stop. No arguing, Taylor. This is what’s best for you and you know it.”
She did, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Unable to conceal her disappointment, her mouth twisted into a sullen pout. His gaze narrowed, burning into her, and she kissed the tip of his finger.
“I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I just want to be with you.”
Sebastian’s expression softened some. “I know, baby, but this isn’t a negotiation and I’m not discussing the terms.”
She sighed quietly to herself and allowed him to lead her up the stairs. Once in the bathroom, he turned the water on and added a generous amount of her scented oils beneath the churning stream. Taking advantage of his distraction, Taylor peeled out of her clothes, hoping to get as much done as she could before he turned her way. The look in his eyes when they met hers warned he was far from pleased.
“Get in the tub.”
His tone was clipped. Lowering her head, Taylor eased past him. He took her elbow, helping to steady and guide her as she stepped over the ledge. Not needing to be told twice, she eased into the water and sank down until the warm waves lapped against her skin. Sebastian folded a plush burgundy towel and draped it over the ledge of the sunken tub. Curious, she watched as he took a seat beside her.
“Tip your head back,” he commanded.
It took effort not to argue. More than anything, she wanted to tell him that she was okay, that she could take care of herself, but it was Sebastian and she knew it would be pointless. If helping her was what he wanted, that was what was going to happen. Instead, she studied his face, wondering what had happened between him and Marx as Sebastian wet her hair. It was so hard not to press for information, if for no other reason than to just make sure he was okay, but when it came to SKALS, there had always been a very strict ‘don’t ask’ policy between them. If he wanted her to know something, he would tell her.
