“I love you too,” she whispered. A heavy pause hung between them as she lifted her head and peered down at him, her expression tense and concerned. “Will you be home tomorrow?”
Confused, his forehead furrowed. Then it dawned on him. Dinner. Marx. There was a very good chance after the fiasco Irene had pulled he would be facing another lengthy stay in a cell. The thought filled him with unspeakable sorrow and dread. Doing his best to offer a reassuring smile, he smoothed the back of her head. “There are no guarantees, Taylor, but I promise I will always do my best to come home to you. Either way, I think I’ve given you something to remember me by—at least for a little while.”
“I could never forget you, Sebastian.”
Drained, he dragged her leg over his and wrapped her in his arms. “I will always be with you, baby. Just remember that. Now close your eyes and get some sleep.”
Taylor yawned and burrowed deeper under the comforter with a drowsy mumble. He massaged the small of her back as he waited for sleep to claim him, his spirit calm despite its previous turmoil. Kissing the top of her head, he kept watch as she dreamed. She truly was his anchor. No matter how lost or adrift he might be, Taylor always found a way to bring him back home. He’d spent an entire lifetime riding out the relentless wave of storms. It was nice to finally feel some small measure of contentment and peace and realize that home was exactly where he wanted to be.
CHAPTER 11 ~
Tears rolled down the blonde’s sculpted cheeks the moment she came out of sedation. Seated across from her, Sebastian kept his cool and waited while she glanced around with wide, fearful eyes. A terse smile crossed his lips upon noting the terror in those cerulean depths the second they darted back to him. The shackles binding her wrists and ankles rattled as she licked her lips and struggled to find her voice.
“Hello, Mrs. James,” he stated in a soft voice. “It’s nice of you to finally join us.”
Her throat bobbed and a keening whine echoed off the cold, concrete walls. “Where am I?”
Outside the modified oil silo, a massive storm brewed. Thunder rocked the building’s foundation, making the ground shake beneath his feet. Finding the weather a suitable accompaniment to his mood, Sebastian stood and regarded the woman with a condescending smirk.
“I’m afraid that isn’t important, Colleen.”
Her watery gaze darted to Josh and Vince before widening and flickering back to him. “How…how do you know me? How do you know who I am?”
“We know everything, honey,” Vince said. “Everything about everyone.”
The response unnerved her more. The divorcee bucked in her chair, her sinewy muscles straining with her efforts. After a few moments, she tired herself and gave up. “What do you want? I don’t have much, but you can have whatever money is in my account. Just don’t hurt me,” she rambled, shaking hard enough to jangle her restraints. “Please.”
“I’m not interested in your finances, Mrs. James.” Sebastian strolled closer, not missing the way the woman flattened against the back of the sturdy metal chair. “What I am interested in is locating your ex-husband. A few days ago, two of my men paid you a visit. You gave them a list of names and promised these people would help us get in touch with Patrick. We took you at your word. Now, I’m sure you can only imagine how disappointing it was when those efforts failed to pan out, but I assure you, my displeasure is something I plan on making perfectly clear.”
She paled and a brief look of shock registered on her elegant features. “I told you everything I know.”
“No,” Sebastian stated. His expression hardened, making her wince. Folding his hands behind his back, he came to a stop in front of her. “You sent us to a string of abandoned houses. The names you gave us don’t even register in our system. I’m not sure what game you are trying to play here, Colleen, but I have had enough. I am only going to ask you one more time. Where is Patrick?”
She glanced up as the overhead lights flickered, momentarily robbing the room of its dim phosphorous glow. The thought of being plunged into sudden darkness with three men she didn’t know only served to heighten the woman’s horror. A broken sob burst from her throat as she gave a desperate shake of her head.
“I swear to you, I don’t know. I haven’t had any contact with him in three months.”
Sebastian’s shoulders jerked with his quiet huff. “I had a feeling you might say that. While we failed to locate your husband, we did manage to find another one of your family members. A man named….” He paused and looked to Josh.
“Walter Radcliff. Ring any bells, cupcake?”
Colleen blanched. Her thin body quaked as she tried to squash another sob. Panicked, her eyes widened.
“Wally is my brother. Where is he? Is he okay?”
Sebastian leveled her with a stern glare before shifting his attention to his partner. “He’s been here for what? Three days now?”
“Something like that,” Josh agreed. He pushed himself off the wall. The movement drew their captive’s full attention. “Your baby brother is a tough guy, princess, but he’s already starting to crack. Our team has been coming down on him and coming down hard. I really don’t think he cares for the accommodations.”
She shook her head. Desperation crawled across her face. “Please. Whatever you’re doing to him, please stop.”
Sensing her heartbreak, Sebastian fought a cruel smile. They had hit a nerve. Leaning over her, he braced his hands on either side of her head.
“Not until you give us Patrick,” he murmured, brushing a flaxen curl from her face.
Trapped between his unyielding body and the chair, Colleen slammed her eyes shut. Several tense seconds ticked by before her shoulders slumped. “Okay. I—I’ll ask around. I’ll find him. Just leave my brother alone. He has nothing to do with this.”
Sebastian straightened. She shrank back and cowered beneath his hard glare.
“We will release you under your own recognizance, but Walter will remain in our custody. I suggest you uphold your end of the deal and do so quickly. Every day that passes is another day your brother will suffer at our hands.”
Colleen flinched as Josh stepped forward to wrap a hand around her chin. She whimpered as he forced her teary gaze to his. “We will be watching you every step of the way, princess. You talk, he dies. You lie to us again, he dies. No second chances.”
An unintelligible response escaped the woman. The words were buried beneath her anguished snuffles. After a few minutes, she managed to pull herself together enough to speak. “I understand.”
“I sincerely hope that is true,” Sebastian retorted.
Eager to escape, he spun on his heel and strode toward the door. Like all SKALS holding cells, the steel contraption lacked any windows or interior handles and
was painted the same flat, dismal grey as the walls. He issued the coded knock the guards had given him before entering and waited. A few seconds later, the heavy metal door grated open.
The air inside the metal silo was stifling despite the cooling desert rain. Even in the basin. Sweat already beaded along his skin and traced a languid path down his back. Sucking in a breath of fresh air, he nodded at the guards and stepped past. He stopped short upon seeing their director’s hulking form reclined against the far wall. A cruel smirk dangled from Marx’s lips as he lifted his chin. A fresh coat of blood glistened ominously across the battered scape of his knuckles, and his dark eyes harbored a malicious gleam of pleasure.
“Good work in there, gentleman,” he said, pushing off the wall. “But you aren’t finished.”
“Sir?” Josh asked, his voice holding a note of confusion.
“Mrs. James needs to understand the full gravity of her brother’s situation.”
“With all due respect, sir, I am confident she does. She’s already agreed to get us the information we need,” Vince replied, glancing between Sebastian and their commander in uncertainty.
He tried to warn his teammate off with a guarded shake of his head, but it was too late. Marx prowled forward, all but backing Vince against the wall. Sebastian tensed as Josh stiffened beside him.
“I don’t give a damn what your opinion is, Agent Pellagreeni,” the director snarled. His thick forefinger stabbed the other man’s chest hard enough to draw a wince. “Get your ass back in there and don’t come out again until that woman’s body is as broken as her spirit. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Biting the inside of his cheeks, Sebastian watched his teammate peel himself off the cinderblocks and attempt to squeeze past Marx’s substantial bulk without further riling the man. His brow furrowed. Beating the woman and sending her on her way was a risky maneuver. It was a poor tactical move. Almost as poor as letting Laychee slip through the cracks when they had him in plain sight. His eyes narrowed at the memory and a fury rippled through his lean frame. A quick glance assured his partner was equally as baffled.