Always Me (28 page)

Another eruption of pure bliss barrelled through my body as he impaled me and then stopped, shaking through his own release. We were both sated and spent, our breathing ragged.

Sebastian released me, lifted me in his arms, and brought me over to the bed. My skin vibrated from pleasure. He wrapped the blanket and his arm around me and pulled me close, kissing my shoulder.

I moaned and snuggled against him, my ass hitting his cock.

“Little one, I know I’m irresistible, but are you sure you want it again so soon?”

I laughed and pushed into him, rubbing myself against his hardening length. “That depends on if you can handle it or not.”

In one smooth move, I was pushed onto my stomach and Sebastian had his cock back inside of me. He snarled into my neck as he curled his fingers in mine. “I love a good challenge.”

***

“Have you talked to Garrith at all?” I asked Keisha as we sat on my deck.

“No,” Keisha said sadly.

My mother was bouncing Antonio on her lap, listening intently to our conversation. Her shiny black bob was pulled back by a gold head band and she laughed as Antonio tried grabbing it.

I had found out that once Garrith and the feds had gone to her place to get Antonio, she was spouting off swear words that would make a sailor blush.

“It’ll come in time, darling,” my mother told her, patting her arm lightly.

Keisha looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you. I just…”

I looked at her and waited, but she wouldn’t continue. Okay… “Have you tried talking to him?”

She barked a laugh. “Have
you
tried talking to him? That man is difficult. It’s like one thing goes wrong and he runs away. Has he always been like this?”

My mouth opened and closed. She knew him already. “Well he was there by your side when you got shot.”

We had decided to fill her in on all of the missing details as much as we could. We also filled my mom in on everything as well, including Jose kidnapping me two years before. She didn’t need to know that Sebastian and Brett had taken care of him though. I didn’t know the full extent of what had happened anyway.

Keisha’s memories still weren’t coming back, but we took it a day at a time. That’s all we could do for her. I just wished that Garrith would smarten up and try to win her back, fight for her at least. If she didn’t remember him, the least he could do was try to make her fall in love with him again.

“But he’s not here now. I need…I…God, I don’t know what I need.” A sob escaped her lips.

“I know it’s hard. I wish there was something I could do to help,” I said gently.

She shook her head and sighed as my mother placed Antonio in her lap and wrapped her arms around Keisha. “You have been amazing. All of you. But the things I’ve heard about Garrith loving me and all, I just find it hard to believe, you know? He apparently was persistent in the beginning but now, it’s like he’s given up.”

“I know. I can’t help you there. You never told me what your history was like with him. It was rocky. I know that much.”

She stood up and held Antonio tight against her chest, pacing back and forth in front of us.

“Keisha, have you tried asking your brother?” my mom suggested.

“Garrith was his friend first, wasn’t he? And then you met him?” I added.

Keisha nodded. “Yeah, I asked him. He said I met him at a party or something. God,” tears ran down her cheeks. “I don’t remember anything about him, but I feel…I feel drawn to him on a whole other level. I can’t explain it.”

“You don’t need to explain.”

Keisha roughly wiped under eyes and rose to her feet, handing Antonio back to my mother. “I’m sorry. I think…I think I need some time alone.”

I nodded and followed her inside. We walked to the entrance of my house in silence before she turned to me. “If you hear from Garrith, please tell him that I am sorry. I wish I could remember him. I’m trying. Please, Tori.”

A lump formed in my throat at her plea, and all I could do was nod.

She hugged me before leaving, and I watched her walk to her car. She closed the door behind her.

I turned to my mother as she came back into the house. She placed Antonio in his high chair and met me at the door.

My stomach ached, and feeling helpless, I did the only thing I could think of. I hugged my mom and cried. Hard sobs wracked my shoulders. So much had happened in the last month, heartwarming and breaking simultaneously. What human could process it all without cracking?

“Shhh,” my mother cooed, brushing my head softly with her hand. “The love they feel for each other is strong.”

I sniffed and brushed the tears under my eyes. “But Keisha doesn’t remember him. How could she love him?”

My mom grabbed my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. “Just because Keisha’s mind has forgotten him, doesn’t mean that her heart has.”

Chapter 30

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Sebastian asked as I walked around the small room with pictures lining the walls. We took a much needed trip away to New Jersey to visit his friend. My mother was watching Antonio, and ever since he was kidnapped, everyone kept an extra close eye on him. My mother wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. I could tell that she felt guilty over everything that had happened, but I didn’t blame her. I didn’t blame anyone. Except for Jose. But he’d been taken care of, thank God.

It had been a couple of weeks since Keisha got shot. She still had no memory, and Garrith was nowhere to be found. Sebastian said all we needed to know was that he was safe. All I could do was be supportive of my friends, but I needed to get away.

I turned to Sebastian, nervous butterflies flying around in my stomach. “I do.”

“You don’t have to.” He placed a hand on the back of my neck, running a thumb up and down the side.

Shivering under his touch, I turned back to the wall. “I know I don’t have to but I really want one. They sure look sexy as hell on you.”

Sebastian smirked and placed a hard kiss on my lips. “You like my tattoos?”

My skin bloomed. “Oh yeah, and besides, we were in the area, and we did drive all this way.”

“Yeah, I need to talk to the owner about that,” Sebastian grumbled and kissed my forehead.

“Talk to the owner about what?”

I turned to the sound of a deep voice as a large man approached us. I had seen him earlier when we walked in, but he was with a customer giving her some sort of piercing in her cheek.

The air around the man practically shimmered with strength as he took me in. He was dressed head to toe in black and had an eye patch covering what had looked like a scar. He was downright scary looking as the corners of his scarred mouth turned up.

Sebastian took a step toward him. “It’s about time we got some service, asshole.”

The guy glared at him, his one good eye darkening and then to my amazement, he pulled Sebastian in for an embrace.

My mouth dropped.

“Where have you been all of my life?” the guy asked, practically swooning over my man.

Forcing myself in between them, I glared up at the other guy. “Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?”

The guy’s gaze travelled down my body and back up to my face, a huge grin breaking out on his scarred but handsome face. “Well, Sebastian, it looks like you finally met your match.”

I shook my head in confusion and looked behind me at Sebastian, who had a smug look on his face. Looked like he wasn’t the only one that became territorial.

“Will someone please explain what is going on?”

Sebastian laughed and placed a hand on the back of my neck. “Little one, this is Lucas Crane, my tattoo artist. The friend we’re here to see.”

My eyes widened. Well, that explained a lot.

“And Lucas, this is Tori McLeod, my girlfriend,” Sebastian said, running his hand down my back.

Lucas took a step toward me and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet a woman who was finally able to tame Sebastian Chelios.”

I frowned and tentatively returned his handshake. His hand was warm but firm, and his gaze bored into me, showing no hint of emotion.

“Thanks, I think,” I mumbled.

His stare was captivating, like a car crash. I knew I should look away, but couldn’t.

Lucas smirked and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “So, are you getting another tattoo?” he asked Sebastian.

“I am, and Tori is getting her first one,” Sebastian explained.

Lucas’s gaze flicked back to me. A glimmer of something flashed through his eyes, but it was gone so quickly I couldn’t make out what it was.

He clapped his hands together. “Sweet, I love fresh meat.”

My stomach twisted with unease. This guy was messed up in the head.

“Be nice to my girl or else I’ll add more scars to that pretty face of yours,” Sebastian threatened. I gasped, my eyes widening, knowing that Sebastian was not joking—or maybe he was. Sometimes even I couldn’t tell.

A malicious smile spread on Lucas’s face, and he took a step toward us.

My stomach rolled with anxiety. How could Sebastian have said—

Lucas burst out laughing. “God, I’ve missed you. It’s been way too long, fucker.” Lucas shook his head and turned around, walking to a bench, his laughter following him.

Okay…I looked up at Sebastian as we followed Lucas. “You were kidding, right?”

He looked down at me and winked. He grabbed my chin and placed a firm kiss on my lips. “No, I wasn’t joking, but he knows that.”

“Oh…I…oh…” Their friendship was odd for me. I had only seen Sebastian with Garrith but never around someone from his childhood. It was new, but their banter was refreshing.

“So, who do I get to maim first?” Lucas called from his stool.

Sebastian chuckled, leading me to the chair. “Lucas, still with the dry-ass jokes I see?”

“Oh shit. Sorry man.” He looked at me as I sat down. “Did I offend you?”

I scoffed. “Seriously? Have you met my boyfriend?”

“Hey.” Sebastian feigned shock. “I would never say anything offensive at all.”

Lucas and I looked at each other and we both laughed.

“It’s ok, baby. I like your offensiveness,” I reassured him, patting his arm.

“I’ve never heard you complain before,” he said, his voice lowering.

My throat went dry at the hard look of lust in his eyes, and I cleared my throat. “I’m not complaining.”

He smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

Lucas chuckled. “I like her. She has my approval.”

Sebastian grabbed a stool and sat on the other side of me. “Yeah, I kinda like her too.”

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. “You kind of like me?”

“Uh, dude, you sure you want to go there?” Lucas asked, pulling on white gloves. “You know what they say about women and wrath and scorned or some shit. However the saying goes, I learned a long time ago never to get on a woman’s bad side, and I have many scars to prove it.”

“You deserved every scar you have, man.”

Lucas laughed. “True.”

I sighed.

“You can’t fix everyone baby,” Sebastian whispered in my ear.

I looked up at him and smiled. “I fixed you, didn’t I?”

He placed a kiss on my nose. “We fixed each other, little one.”

God, I loved him.

“So, what are we getting done today?” Lucas asked, interrupting our little love fest.

We both turned to him.

“Wait, let me guess.” He looked at Sebastian and then back at me. Tapping his chin, he crossed his other arm over his chest. Tattoos peeked out from between the cuff of his shirt and the glove. I saw the same intricate design on his wrist that Sebastian had on his.
Amore
.

I grabbed Sebastian’s wrist and ran my thumb over the beautiful artwork.

Do you know what you want?” he asked.

“I do.” I turned to Lucas. “Did you still want to guess?”

“Just please tell me it’s not all hearts and flowers or some shit,” he said, making a face.

I laughed. “No, I want a name tattooed on me.”

His eye brow rose. “Oh? Sentimental. I like it. What’s the name, baby girl?”

My cheeks heated. Only Brett had called me baby girl, and that friendship went to shit. Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat. “Antonio.”

“Italian. I love it. Can I ask who he is?”

I looked at Sebastian and then back at Lucas. “Our son,” I said, proudly.

Sebastian grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles.

My heart swelled at the simple gesture.

“Perfect. Now I never thought I’d see the day that Sebastian would be all domesticated and shit,” Lucas joked.

“Well, you see. There’s this fine-assed woman that wouldn’t let me leave and that smartened me the hell up,” Sebastian said, kissing me on the head.

I laughed. “I am kind of stubborn.”

Lucas didn’t say anything but a small smile tugged at his lips. A twinkle flashed in his eyes as if he wished he had the same thing, but the look was so quick I could have been mistaken.

I felt drawn to him. Not in the same way that I felt with Sebastian but it was like I wanted to protect him and I knew that I couldn’t fix everyone but…

“Baby.”

I turned to Sebastian as Lucas quietly said something about needing to get some more ink, leaving us alone for a moment.

Sebastian cupped my cheek. “I love you.”

My cheeks heated. It still amazed me that those three simple words still made my heart flutter. “I love you.”

“I love that big heart of yours, but you can’t fix him,” Sebastian said sadly.

“Why not?” I hardly knew the guy, but I wanted to be his friend. It was strange. I wasn’t sure what it was about him. Maybe because he was from Sebastian’s past, I wanted to get to know everything I could about my guy, so I would start with Lucas.

Sebastian kissed me softly on the lips. “I’ve tried, that’s why.”

***

“Don’t be a stranger,” Lucas chided, pulling Sebastian into an embrace.

Seeing the bond that they shared amazed me. I knew Sebastian was close with Garrith, but this was different. Lucas and Sebastian had clearly been through a lot together. I only hoped I’d get to find out what.