It sailed past and lodged into the wall as he turned. Sebastian cursed beneath his breath, yanking his weapon from the wall on the way past. Vince’s voice was a flurry of activity in his ear. The technical guru served as his voice, since neither him nor Josh could call out their locations or request back up. His heart hammered. The roaring pulse of his own blood became all he could hear. He caught the door on its backswing and burst into the yard. His gaze darted over the abandoned trailers and rusted cargo trains, searching for any sign of movement. Josh panted quietly beside him. Several silenced pings bounced off metal, steering them in the right direction.
They dashed across the yard in a full-blown sprint. Sebastian’s heart sank as he spotted their target leaping into a vehicle parked outside the fence lining the perimeter. Someone had been waiting for him. The nondescript Toyota gave a shrill bark of its tires and lurched down the street. Shoulders and chest heaving, he stared after the disappearing glow of taillights.
“Get a fucking chopper on that car, now!” he snarled.
Whirling, he slammed his fist into the side of a J&L Rails car. The pain nearly doubled him over. Groaning, he clutched his battered fist. Josh’s hand fell across his back. For a brief second, he fought to draw comfort from the heat and reassurance.
“It’s gonna be alright. We’ll find him, Baas. Right now, we got to get out of here.”
He nodded. Besides praying, it was all he could do.
Taylor nibbled her bottom lip and tried to keep her focus trained on making a pot of coffee. It was hard when her attention kept drifting to Sebastian and the huge bear of a man parked in a chair in their great room. Her lover’s shoulders were slumped. Much like the night before, the sight of him so dejected broke her heart. He kept his elbows braced on his knees, but his hands scrubbed a constant path over his face or through the wild curls on his head. His hair stood on end, and whenever his eyes met hers, they were fearful and troubled. It was something she understood all too well.
Their houseguest was beyond intimidating. His glittering ebony stare missed nothing. Huge muscles strained against the front of his open dress shirt and pushed against the sleeves. Even his forearms were thick and corded. The only hint of softness he bore was the warm, glowing chocolate of his skin.
“You’ve always had a lovely home, Sebastian.”
Her head swiveled around at the deep boom of his director’s voice. She gripped the counter to still a fearful tremble. Part of her wished to God that they’d never had that talk last night. It would have been so much easier to believe this man was his boss and a guest in their home. Instead, her mind clung to thoughts of torture and death. Ignorance really was bliss.
“Thank you.” Sebastian’s voice was quiet, subdued.
“I’ve always enjoyed my time here.” Marx leaned against the back of the chair, making the polished leather crackle. His massive fingers tented beneath his chin, as if he were deep in thought. “But as lavish as your surroundings are, I’m sure they are infinitely more enjoyable when shared with such a beautiful woman.”
Sebastian’s head snapped up. Taylor’s breath caught at the fierce look suddenly creeping into his eyes. The muscles in his jaw locked and bulged in rigid fury as he leaned forward.
“Leave her out of this,” he warned, his voice coming in a low growl.
The director merely regarded him with a cold smile.
“Relax,” he said with a rumbling chuckle. “That wasn’t the point I was trying to make…at least not yet.”
“Not ever,” Sebastian countered, his eyes still full of venom. “Don’t forget, you are the one who trained me. I know all your tricks, and I assure you I’ve learned quite a few of my own.”
Marx hitched a thick eyebrow. His generous mouth quirked at the corners, making his close-cropped moustache twitch. “I’ve always admired that about you, Baas. You have a tremendous amount of fight and ambition. There’s an unshakable bloodlust and violence in you that never truly dies. The best you can do is try to put it to rest for a while and hope it sleeps.”
“Think what you want.”
The large man shook with quiet laughter. “Oh I don’t have to think. I know. It wouldn’t surprise me if you and I ended up on opposite sides of a loaded gun one day. In fact, I count on it. But, today is not that day.”
The plates rattled in her hands as she attempted to carry the coffee in from the kitchen. A brief spark of empathy flashed in Sebastian’s eyes as he took the plate and mug from her. It vanished beneath something savage and cold.
“Thank you, Miss McAvay,” Marx stated. He stood and approached. Taking the other saucer from her hands, he indicated to the couch. “Please, have a seat.”
Her gaze darted uncertainly to Sebastian. All he offered was a curt nod. Taylor dropped onto the cushion beside him with a strained swallow. She was really starting to hate this room and the memories it harbored.
“As I was saying, I appreciate that hunger and drive. It’s what’s gotten you so far. But right now, you need to retrain that energy and focus it where it needs to be. This morning, your identity was compromised. I won’t get into my annoyance. I’m sure you are equally displeased. We’ve since run the plates on the car. It’s registered to an old high school friend of our target.”
“Which one?”
Marx smirked. “The one you decided to carve up like a festive jack-o-lantern…all over an indiscretion with this lovely woman here, if I’m not mistaken.”
Taylor paled as he motioned in her direction. She found herself subconsciously pressing into Sebastian’s shoulder in a bid for protection as the director set his coffee on the wooden table and stepped closer. Her eyes drifted shut as a familiar, reassuring hand settled against the small of her back. He was there. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. She clung to that hope, repeating it like some sort of sacred mantra in her head. Despite it all, a shiver of fear threatened. She slit her eyes open and jumped, flinching back, when Marx reached out to brush her cheek. Her stomach clenched into violent knots. Shuddering, she all but crawled behind Sebastian in her efforts to get away. Not only did she not want the hulking beast touching her, but she didn’t want to deal with the potential rage that contact might trigger. The man beside her was already unbearably tense and coiled with rage.
Lifting his arm, Sebastian shoved her to the other end of the couch as he sprung to his feet. Taylor huddled against the arm, watching as he planted his body between her and his director. Marx shook his head with a soft chuckle.
“She’s a skittish little colt, isn’t she?”
“Taylor knows my views as well as you do. Unfortunately only one of you seems to abide by my wishes.”
Marx’s skin took on a renewed glow as he threw his head back with a loud bark of laughter. “Ah yes, your views. Those are what got us into this predicament in the first place.”
“Don’t keep pushing me,” Sebastian warned. He leaned back, jerking his head to the side as the other man reached out to ruffle his hair. Eyes narrowed into furious slits, he prowled in a slow circle.
“That’s the rabid pit bull I like to see. Hold onto that anger. Keep your priorities straight and channel that rage where it belongs so you can focus on what needs done.”
“You’re the distraction,” Sebastian growled. “The only thing I’m thinking about is right now is how much I want to kill you.
Get out of my house and let me get some sleep so I can do my fucking job.”
Marx’s eyebrows shot up and a genuine smile broke across his face. He nodded at his protégée as a proud parent would when acknowledging their child. Taylor stiffened as his dark stare pivoted her way. Swallowing, she lifted her chin. He smirked.
“See to it that you remain loyal to this man and his career, Miss McAvay. It would be a shame to see such fierce passion put to waste.”
Staring at the plush carpet, she nodded. Taylor sucked in a breath of relief as Marx left the room. It took her a moment to regain her senses, but she stood and trailed after Sebastian as he escorted the man into the foyer. Their house shook, echoing with a thunderous peal when he slammed the front doors on the director’s heels. He wasted no time punching in the security code. His gaze remained trained on the decorative glass panels flanking the doors until the gates swung shut behind Marx’s Jaguar and his vehicle had cleared the street. Fury still radiated from him as Sebastian snarled beneath his breath and turned to face her.
Taylor winced and took an uncertain step back.
“Come here,” he ordered, pointing to the spot in front of him.
Her face knitted with worry, but she pressed closer. Gratitude washed through her as he opened his arms and drew her into a warm embrace. His lips settled against the top of her head. She could feel him breathing deep, pulling her scent into his lungs. Closing her eyes, she relished the feel of his body as Sebastian swayed in place, hugging her against him until his tension ebbed. His hands threaded through her hair when he stilled, and he gently tugged her face back.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that, baby. He insisted on meeting you.” His fingers trailed over her jaw in a reverent caress. Holding her stare, he winked. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she insisted.
“Yes you did. You came to me. You trusted me to protect you.” He presented her with a beautiful smile that highlighted the chasms in his cheeks despite his exhaustion. “A lot of grown men find Marx intimidating. I could tell you were scared, but you didn’t back down and let him touch what isn’t his. You remembered that you are mine.”