Sinister Kisses (SKALS #1) (35 page)

“
Son-of-a-bitch!” Josh hissed. “He got us. Let’s get his ass and get out!”

His partner’s rapid footfalls thundered on the other side as they both gave chase. Sebastian watched as the third hooded figure swung out over the stair rail and jumped the steps. Despite the man’s bulk, he moved with startling ease and speed. Too much so. He was also
far too quick and light on his feet for his comfort. Catapulting his weight over the railing, he cleared over half the steps before landing. Josh landed with a grunt directly behind him. His mind whirled as his body took over and acted on instinct. So far, no one else seemed to notice their presence. Opening fire would not only compromise the rest of their team, but the entire operation. Reaching behind him, he pulled his knife from its sheath and launched it into the air after the man.

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. Vin
ce’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.

The
ir 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.

“T
hank 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.”

She batted her eyes and leaned into his hand. “Do I get a reward for
my bravery?”

Sebastian’s
shoulders shook with a soft chuckle. “Yes, darling. You do,” he promised, tracing his thumb over the swell of her lips. “I’ll give you anything you wish, but you’ll have to wait until I’m not dead on my feet.”

“I think I can muster up
enough patience to wait.”

He smiled and took her hand
, tugging her toward the steps. “Come lay down with me. I just want to hold you until I fall asleep.”

Josh’s yawn seemed to drag on forever. His hooded sweatshirt hung crookedly on his frame. The dark color only served to highlight the tired shadows playing on his face. Glancing up, he offered Taylor a lopsided smile as she set a mug of coffee and plate of fresh peanut butter cookies down in front of him.

“Thanks, kid. Keep the sugar and caffeine coming, and I might survive this day yet.”

A soft snort drew their attention, and they both turned to watch Sebastian prowl through the room behind them. “She didn’t make them for you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,
Baas. It’s all about you.” He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Taylor again. “Someone’s still fucking cranky. Didn’t you make sure he got a nap?”

She smothered a giggle behind her hand. “He only seems to be that way toward you.”

“Well aren’t I just the lucky one?” Josh scoffed.

“Watch your mouth,” Sebastian growled, dropping onto the couch beside him.

“What? Now I’m not even allowed to make light around your girlfriend?”

“Make light all you want. What I don’t care for is you talking like a disgruntled trucker around her. Do you use that language in front of my niece and sister?” Sebastian asked, lifting a tawny brow in his direction.

“Well, no, but…”

“Then refrain from doing so in my home.”

“It’s okay,” Taylor said with a soft laugh. “It’s not the first time someone’s dropped the f-bomb around me. In fact, you said the same thing a few hours ago.”

He lifted his head and pinned her with a piercing stare as Josh c
hortled beside him.

“Ahh, the truth comes out,” his partner drawled, his face twisting into a teasing grin.

Taylor lowered her gaze, wishing she could take the words back as Sebastian’s eyes continued to drill into her. She shifted uneasily on her feet.

“I didn’t use the term in casual conversation did I, Taylor?”
he asked in a silken voice.