“You?” Josh asked with a snort. “That’s laughable, Sebastian. Don’t let him fool you, kid. Hell, I got sympathy cards when people found out I was going to be his partner.”
Sebastian’s head fell back with his quiet bark of laughter. “Did you now?” he asked folding his arms. “And just who sent you those?”
“Oh no, Baas,” Josh said. “I ain’t saying shit. We’re running low enough on personnel lately as it is.”
Taylor smothered a laugh behind her hand, her gaze darting between the two men. Sebastian grabbed her chin, forcing her attention back to him.
“You’re supposed to be on my side here, traitor.”
She traced the hard lines of his chest as she pressed closer. “I’m always on your side, Sebby.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
“That’s not what your actions say. It’s too late now, darling. Now you are going to have to prove it.”
“Oh come on,” Josh grumbled, turning back toward the stove. “I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet and the two of you are already starting to make my stomach churn.”
“It sounds to me like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Monique piped in as she strolled into the kitchen. “Play nice with my brother,” she said, sidling up to Josh and stroking a hand over the flat plane of his stomach.
His face flushed as she leaned up to kiss his cheek, but there was no denying the sparkle of appreciation shimmering in his dark blue gaze. Taylor snickered harder as Sebastian turned away from them with an exasperated huff and a longsuffering roll of his eyes.
“Give me that,” the blonde said, snatching the spatula from Josh’s hand. “They just got home. The last thing they need is you burning their house down with your attempts to cook.”
Taylor burst into laughter as Josh’s mouth fell open.
“Me?” he choked. “Your brother is the one who was burning breakfast!”
Monique pinned him with a pointed expression. “I find that very hard to believe. You, on the other hand…”
“Seriously?” Josh’s voice raised another octave. “Baas, tell her.”
Sebastian strolled past the pair, mug in hand. “It sounds to me like my poor sister is speaking from experience, Josh. Maybe I should send her a sympathy card the next time I hear you are making dinner.”
“Oh you should.” Monique’s bright green eyes shone with mirth as she nodded. “You definitely should.”
Laughing even harder, Taylor leaned against the island and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her sides throbbed in protest, but it was a good pain.
Despite the first batch of bacon, the rest of the food had turned out perfectly. The lighthearted banter continued while they ate, though Josh dominated most of it with his playful razzing. Content and full, Taylor watched Sebastian polish off the rest of his eggs and down the remainder of his coffee.
Sensing her stare, he glanced up over the rim of his mug. “What would you like to do today?”
Distracted by the clatter of plates and silverware beside her, she looked over to see Monique already starting to clear the table. Muttering a quick apology, Taylor started to stand to help, but Sebastian curled his fingers around her wrist, his touch gentle but halting.
“Sit down and answer me,” he ordered. “My sister wants to help you. Let her.”
“Okay, but she’s not helping. She’s doing everything by herself.”
She paled, seeing his expression harden.
“Easy you two. Just relax, Taylor. I got this,” Josh said, springing to his feet and gathering the rest of the table’s contents in his arms.
“I’m not crippled,” she mumbled.
Sebastian’s intense eyes continued to bore into her like two hard drills. He gave a tense roll of his shoulders before speaking. “No, Taylor. You aren’t,” he agreed. “You seem to move quite well considering how often you keep edging your toes up to the line. Do you need a reminder of what happens when you decide to cross it?”
She lowered her head, twisting her hands under the table. Her stomach started to sink. “No.”
“Good, because I am getting very tired of having this discussion. Next time, I won’t warn you. I will just take you upstairs and we will decide where to go from there. Is that clear?”
Swallowing, Taylor nodded. “Yes, sir.”
She flushed, feeling a somber pall suddenly hang in the air as well as the empathy that rolled off Monique as the blonde stood frozen by the sink. Shame coiled through her. This wasn’t how she’d wanted to start their day, and she certainly didn’t want to feel anymore inadequate in the striking blonde’s presence than she already did. Everything about the woman was so perfect. So beautiful. With her willowy frame, long legs, and a smile that could knock a man dead, Sebastian’s sister was far better suited for some exotic photo shoot than doing menial housework in their kitchen.
Feeling his demeanor grow even more impatient, she grimaced. “I’m sorry,” Taylor mumbled. “I’m just not used to everyone fawning all over me. I don’t mean to come across as stubborn or ungrateful. It’s just that in my uncle’s house, it was always a fend for yourself type thing. No one else knew how to pick up after themselves or do anything.”
“I get that, kiddo,” Josh soothed. “I grew up with the same sort of deal. What you need to realize though, is that’s not us. We look after our own.”
“That we do,” Monique agreed. “Speaking of, I need to run in to town for a while after we finish cleaning up. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to hang out here with Sebastian and Tay?”
“Is that a trick question?” Josh asked, snapping the end of the dishtowel at her butt.
Monique yelped as the pirouetting end missed its intended target. A pout crossed her pixie-like features as she attempted to rub the sting out of her thigh.
“That will teach you to try and avoid me,” he teased.
“I wasn’t trying to avoid you, Josh! I didn’t even move. Jesus! I hope for my brother’s sake that you’re better with a gun than you are wielding a towel. That hurt!”
“Love is a painful thing, gorgeous. You’d do well to remember that.”
The declaration rang far more true than Taylor cared to admit. Hanging her head, she grappled with a painful onslaught of memories, both past and present. Her father leaving, her mother dropping her off on her uncle’s doorstep, the way she’d always felt like an outsider looking in until Sebastian pulled her into his arms and welcomed her into his family…and even that had not come without its fair share of heartache and struggle. Frowning, she cast those thoughts aside.
“I would love to go if Josh doesn’t want to,” Taylor said, eager to change the subject.
“Uh…” The blonde’s eyes darted to her brother, her expression no longer playful but pinched and pleading.
“No.”
Se
bastian’s curt answer took Taylor by surprise. Even Josh glanced between the two of them, his playful demeanor fading beneath a frown. She bit her lip, struggling with a conflicting wave of hurt and anger. The hard glint in Sebastian’s eyes warned her not to question his decision. He’d already made his impatience quite clear, and she had no desire to go upstairs for an attitude adjustment.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat. Monique had shown her true colors as well. Taylor sighed. Sebastian held his sister to very high standards. Maybe the woman was just worried her substandard behavior would rub off on her. It was a very justifiable concern, given the way the morning was going so far.
“Make out a list of the things you want. I am sure Monique would be more than happy to pick them up for you while she is out,” Sebastian suggested.
“Absolutely.”
His sister offered another one of her sunny, reassuring smiles. Lowering her head, Taylor picked the corner of her thumbnail beneath the table.
“Thanks, but that won’t be necessary. I forgot about all those meals you stuck in the freezer. Those should be more than enough to get us through,” she said, looking for an easy way to salvage her dignity. “I could really use a hot shower though. Excuse me.”
Silence followed on her heels. She was grateful when Sebastian made no move to stop her. Padding up the stairs, she struggled to keep her tangled emotions in check. Why had he bothered asking what she wanted to do if he was just going to shoot it down? Obviously going into town wasn’t an option either if he wanted her to give his sister a list. As much as she loved Sebastian, sometimes, the man was beyond frustrating.
The threat with Laychee was over. She’d spent weeks under a virtual lockdown before the attacks and weeks after recuperating behind the walls of SKALS’ headquarters. Too much more confinement and she stood the risk of going insane. Taylor grumbled to herself. Her proximity to Crazy Town was already questionable enough as it was.
After turning the shower on full blast, she stripped out of her clothes. A wince escaped her as she stepped beneath the scalding spray and let the hot needles pummel her skin. Thick billows of steam rose to climb the walls as she squeezed some cashmere-scented shampoo on her palm and started scrubbing her scalp. Her mind still churned, replaying the mistakes she’d made that morning in an agonizing loop. Sometimes life seriously needed a re-do button.