Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) (35 page)

Resting his head back on the seat, he closed his eyes again and
smiled. He could almost feel her warmth engulf his existence, and he shivered blissfully. He was going home, but he knew that the war
against
the mafia goons was just starting. His stomach tightened at the
unpleasant
thought. He shook his head, and his hand tightened around the
armrest. He was going home to face two very real threats. First, the mob was on his heels, preparing to kidnap Arielle. Then there was Annabel's wretched desire to destroy him using everything possible, including Arielle’s death.

One thing was clear in his mind. He had made a mess of
Arielle’s
life. He should have walked away and let her live a happy, normal
life.
But no, he didn’t do that. A bleak smile tightened his face. He had to accept that he was selfish. He wanted her, and now he had to do whatever it took to keep her safe. Gritting his teeth, he shoved away
every dark thought. There was nothing he could do anymore but accept his destiny. He
needed to get home and shield Arielle from harm, after he gathered her in his arms and felt the warmth of her body melting into his own. That
fed his needs. She was the air that he breathed and the reason for
survival; she strengthened his existence.

His lips were pressed into a thin line. He tried to muddle
through his emotions for Arielle and focus on what needed to be done next.
He would have to design a plan to keep her sheltered and
unharmed. Annabel was still lurking quietly somewhere, waiting for the right
time to strike and obliterate his life by killing Arielle. The Russian
goons were planning on kidnapping her. He just could not believe how his life had taken a turn toward disaster.

He sighed deeply and shook his head, realizing that he couldn’t
allow either of his enemies’ plans to take place. Should he talk to Arielle about the danger or keep quiet to protect her from anguish
and fright? No matter what he decided, he knew that the next few weeks would be brutal, one way or another…

Chapter 1

THE LAST COUPLE
of days had had crawled by, lasting forever. Worse, Sebastian knew that this fight was not nearly over. Jorrit was getting ready to unleash a horde of goons with the sole desire to hurt Sebastian, his business, and those he loved. And then there was Annabel, Sebastian’s ghastly immortal ex who had vowed to make him miserable by abolishing anything that made him happy. Arielle
made him happy, so she was going to die, a promise Annabel
planned
to keep. He felt like he was being dragged under, deep into a
helpless place and desperate for resolution.

He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and closed his eyes. There was absolutely nothing that Sebastian had ever loved or wanted in his five hundred-plus years on this planet more than he desired Arielle. Memories flickered, pounding against his brain, like watching a horror film being played in slow motion right before his
eyes. He was facing two evils and Arielle was right in the middle of both. His mind was muddled, unable to believe what was
happening.
The thought of her being captured by the Russian Mafia and
tortured until Sebastian released the information they wanted drove fury straight into his bones. And Annabel succeeding in her promise to kill Arielle drew the breath out of his lungs. Anger took over and he increased the pressure of his grip on the steering wheel. Troy’s eyes narrowed worriedly.

Sebastian felt something nudging his senses and snapped out of
his horrid thoughts. He realized that he was sitting in the car at the airport parking lot, lost in thought while Troy and Nathan watched him carefully. Silence wrapped all three in a thick blanket for a long moment.

Sebastian sighed vastly and shook his head in frustration. He swept a quick glance over his friends and muttered under his breath, “Sorry.” He didn’t clarify any further. Nathan opened his mouth to ask a question, but noticing the expression on Sebastian’s face, he let
his mouth snap shut. Troy gave him a quick stare, and Nathan
shrugged his shoulders; he had no idea how to make Sebastian break out of his quiet mood.

“Anything wrong?” asked Troy.

Sebastian scoffed. “I wouldn’t know where to begin,” he replied, and his mouth fell into a fierce scowl.

“We just had a successful outcome against some of Jorrit’s goons,” Nathan said, trying to improve Sebastian’s mood.

After a few moments of staring into the distance, he nodded in agreement. “Yes, we did, but they will come back for more.”

Sebastian pushed on the gas, and the car roared to life. He pulled
away, a fretting expression on his beautiful face, as though his
thoughts weighed him down. Silence stretched again inside the small space
and Troy’s mouth settled into a hard line. He knew that Sebastian
was
worried about Arielle and her safety. He didn’t need to read his
mind to understand his concerns.

By the time they pulled into Nathan’s driveway, all Sebastian wanted was to get home to Arielle as soon as possible.

“Sebastian, I understand the issue here,” Nathan said, “but you must have some positive reaction to the events that took place in the last two days. We did deliver a hard hit to Jorrit and Reiner.”

This time Sebastian nodded in agreement, and a satisfied glare danced in his eyes. Troy laughed out loud, happy to see Sebastian snapped out of his dark mood.

“Thanks, Nathan, I appreciate your help,” Sebastian said
sincerely. “Please tell Jasmine hello and hope she feels better soon.”

Nathan nodded and looked immensely relieved at being home. “I’ll make sure to tell her. I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Shutting the door, he tapped the roof of the car with his hand, and turning away, he strode to the house.

When they reached Troy’s house, Sebastian turned and gave him a grateful look. He cleared his throat and managed a smile. “Be sure and say hello to Gabrielle for me,” he muttered. Troy stepped out of the car and shut the passenger door. He hesitated long enough to take a deep breath, and bending down, he motioned for Sebastian to lower the window. Sebastian tilted his head to the side to glance at his friend’s face as he was given a meaningful stare. Sebastian raised an eyebrow quizzically, and quickly, he glanced at the rearview mirror, muscles clenched.

 “What’s bothering you, man?” Troy asked with clear concern.

Sebastian dropped his eyes to his lap and sat as motionless as a stone wall.

“Sebastian!” Troy persisted. “I can see something is really
wrong, so come out with it. It’ll make you feel a lot better, man.”

He finally turned, gave Troy a restless stare, and grimaced. “Ugh…
Troy, I’ve made a mess of Arielle’s life,” he said brusquely. “I feel guilty for being so selfish. I’m a selfish man. I should’ve never come to
Brighton. I
would have just been a guy she met on her holiday, and nothing
more. She would have forgotten about me. And she would now have a carefree life with no anxieties, without crazy people trying to kill her because of me.”

Troy saw a shadow of discomfort on Sebastian’s face. “Sebastian, Arielle loves you,” he muttered quietly.

Sebastian groaned. “This has turned out to be a horrible
nightmare.
Some nights, I stay awake suffocating in my own thoughts.” He winced once again at the elusive gist of his words. Troy was motionless with incredulity, while leaning into the car, resting his elbows at the windowsill.

“Well,” he said calmly with a shake of his head. “I think you’ve got this whole thing terribly wrong.”

Sebastian raised his gaze to Troy. “How so?”

Troy snorted. “I don’t think that Arielle could or would have gotten over you that easy. Gabrielle told me that when she came back from St. Jean last year, she was a mess. She thought that you
just didn’t care. You had smashed her heart into a million shards and had spread
them all over St. Jean. That’s not a girl that would just forget about
you. You are more than a guy she met on the beach, Sebastian. She’s in love with you, man.”

“I hope you’re right, because right now, I’m having a hard time forgiving myself.”

Troy scoffed. “Arielle told me a while ago that she was ready to
take on any crazy immortal who tried to get between you and her.”

Sebastian couldn’t help grin at Troy’s words. “She’s kind of
feisty, isn’t she?” he asked, joy in his voice.

“Yes, she is.” Troy laughed, delighted. “Go home, man. Take her in your arms, and be thankful for having her in your life. I know I’m thrilled to have Gabrielle in mine. I had been sure that I would never find true love. Don’t you hate the thought of moving through eternity searching, but never finding, what we now have with Arielle and Gabrielle?”

Sebastian made a face. “You’re right, you’re right. I guess I just feel sorry for myself,” he said stiffly.

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably, still smoldering, in deep
thought. Minutes passed and Troy wished that his friend would get his head
straight before he drove home. He pulled away from the window,
and
straightening up, he tapped lightly on the roof of the car. “Go
home,” he called out.

Sebastian snapped out of his murkiness. He looked up and
nodded in response. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said quietly.

Troy stepped away from the car and stood in the driveway, staring blindly as Sebastian pulled away. The worry on his best friend’s face, the urgency in his eyes, sent unease flooding through
him. For a long moment, he remained quiet and unmoving. A magnificent mixture
of colors burnished the clear sky to orange as the sun chased the horizon. Suddenly, Troy’s head ached, and he gazed into the distance, blinking away the sun’s glare. He was concerned about
Sebastian. He
was more like a brother to him than a friend. He knew the battle
Sebastian was waging against the Mafia, and Annabel, while trying to protect his company from ruin and keep Arielle safe. With a minor shake of
his head, the immortal decided to go inside. Turning around, his eyes fell on Gabrielle. She stood at the door watching him, dressed in
a pair
of shorts and a sexy tank top. She was a vision of beauty, lovelier
than
anything he could remember. He smiled appreciatively, his lungs locked, and his eyes burned with hunger. She hesitated for a moment before she ran, fell into his arms, and buried her face against
his muscled chest.

“I mis…” she started to say, but Troy interrupted her. His arms came about her, and pulling her hard against his body, he bent down and crashed her lips beneath his, leaving her breathless.

“God! I missed you,” he murmured against her mouth.
Something
inside of him tugged at his senses, and he held her tighter. The
warmth of her body and the sweetness of her lips sent a scorching sensation over him and left him breathless.

Gabrielle gazed into his eyes and saw beyond the passion to the deep concern etched inside. “What’s wrong, baby? Did something happen in Brussels?”

Troy nuzzled her hair, and clasping her hand, he pulled her
toward
the house. “Nothing for you to worry about, love. Let’s go in. We
need to make up for lost time.” He saw the satisfied grin on her face, and her blissful giggle washed over him like summer breeze. He pushed the door shut, and his hands skimmed her thighs as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. She scrabbled for an intelligible thought, but all she could do was moan with need. Troy draped his arms around her thighs and threw her over his shoulder, making her squeak with delight.

“What are you doing?” she asked, giggling.

Troy groaned softly. He wanted her like he had never wanted another woman before. “It’s time for bed,” he answered, his voice filled with need.

Sebastian drove away, his head completely engulfed with heart-
wrenching thoughts. Arielle was exposed to danger and his
selfishness
put her in that situation. He felt a lump of nausea climbing up his throat and a surge of anxiety coursed through his veins and spread like wild fire. He let the rage slither far into the deepest corner of his
mind

All he craved was to spend every single moment of his life
loving Arielle. He never knew ecstasy until he bathed in the blue waters of
her sapphire eyes, submerged himself into the wonder of her
vigorous existence, and experienced the feeling of her sensual body. He was sure the sun rose in the marvel of the endless sky only for her and
that she was the one and only bright star in the center of his
universe. The car hit a bump, shaking him brusquely and bringing his mind back to the present. His arms ached for her, and the thought of her body was so intoxicating his mouth lifted at the corners and his foot pressed the gas pedal harder. His single and most steadfast need right now was to get home.