Inferno (SKALS) Read online

  Monique was forcing herself to her feet, her willowy legs trembling beneath the strain. Her hands shook as they fluttered over Aiden time and again. That was all Sebastian needed. Spinning, he turned to search for Taylor. She’d stumbled to her feet, presumably to head in his direction, but didn’t make it far. His heart stopped as he watched her drop onto the shredded leather remains of their booth. Her eyes were bleak and empty, her chest barely moving.

  Rushing back to her side, he crouched in front of her, his hands racing over every inch in search of injury as the keening wail of sirens broke in the distance.

  “Baby,” he choked. “Talk to me. Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

  Her eyes flickered to his before darting back to the bodies and blood.

  “Taylor?” He swallowed. His throat was closing off. She didn’t look like she’d been hit. He didn’t see any entry wounds or holes in her clothes, but the blood made it so hard to see. Was he missing something? Fighting tears, he lifted her chin and pulled her bewildered stare back to him. “Baby, please answer me. Please…”

  “I…” She trailed off with a silent shake of her head. “I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, searching her face.

  Unable to help it, he cradled her abdomen, spanning it with his fingers. The gesture seemed to pull her out of her daze. Recognition mingled with the horror dimming her mercurial eyes. A deep shudder wound through her, and he rocked back on his heels as she lunged forward and threw her arms around his neck. Her hold was tight, constricting, and her teeth chattered violently beside his ear. It wasn’t much reassurance, but she was alive.

  Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed the top of her head and held on for dear life. “It’s okay now, baby,” he murmured. “Everything’s okay. I got you.”

  CHAPTER 6 ~

  Red and blue strobes flickered through the night, bouncing off the reflective glass storefronts lining the street. They mingled with the slow swirl of red, white, and orange cast by the ambulances and fire trucks. Still stunned, people shuffled from one station to the other, their tear-streaked faces dazed and blank. Most of the restaurant’s patrons had escaped with a few minor cuts and scratches, but the horror of what happened would last a lifetime. Keeping one arm draped around Taylor’s shoulders, Sebastian finished telling the police what he knew. The frustration stamping their faces mirrored his own. Both sides knew the trivial amount of information they had to go on was as good as it was going to get. At least for now.

  A glint of metal caught his eye and he tensed. A hoard of new arrivals were descending on the scene, flashing badges and false smiles along the way. Anxiety crept into his spine, making the space between his shoulders ache. It hadn’t taken the suits long to muscle their way in.

  The little bit he did know about Marx and Blue crashed to the forefront of his mind. Rage forced his hands to clench into tight fists. He needed to get out of here before the accusations started to fly. Turning, he winced at the tightness of the bandages circling his forearms and searched for Josh and Monique among the fray. His partner’s expression was drawn and haggard as he finished giving his side of the story to a set of officers a good twenty feet away. Monique clung to the support of his arm while doing her best to keep Aiden secured against her side.

  Rubbing circles against the outside of Taylor’s arm, he pulled her closer and kissed the softness of her temple. “Let me check on Josh and Monique and we’ll head home, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He frowned. Dodging bullets wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence in his line of work, but it was nothing new. Taylor was different. She’d only been through something like this once before, and the nightmare of that experience had to be fresh in her mind. Despite her efforts to keep it together, she was hanging on by a thread. Shivers continually wracked her slender body and the muscles trembling beneath his hand were unbearably tight. The paramedics had said she was okay, but he wasn’t so sure. He needed to get her home, fed, and in bed. The sooner, the better.

  “Sebastian?”

  He whirled at the unfamiliar voice. His eyes narrowed upon realizing the face he confronted was not as unknown. Flipping through the pages of his memory, he searched to place the grey hair, thick build, and classically handsome features standing before him.

  “Jack Gill, FBI,” the man explained, offering his hand. He flushed a little when Sebastian merely stared back at him, refusing to accept the shake. “We’ve met before, but I’m afraid it was several years back and time hasn’t exactly been kind,” he explained.

  Then it clicked. Forcing a smile, he gripped the man’s hand. “Jack,” Sebastian repeated. “Right. You were the one who recruited me.”

  The other man laughed with a dry shake of his head. “I tried. Tried my damnedest, too, but I still lost your talents to someone else. Sad to admit, but that defeat still stings.”

  Sebastian gave a dry snort in response. “At this point, I’m almost inclined to agree.”

  “Listen, I know you already gave your side of the story to the locals, but I’d really appreciate it if you could take a minute or two to fill me in as well.”

  “There’s not much to tell,” Sebastian admitted. “A dark, late model van opened fire and took off. I didn’t catch the plates.”

  “Do you think this was gang related?”

  Sebastian cast the upscale establishment a skeptical look before pinning the agent with one that was equally as pointed. “What do you think?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t think so either.” Jack shifted his weight, his face donning a wince of discomfort. “They’re saying most of the gunfire was aimed toward the back corner where you and your partner were seated. This may be another absurd question, but can you think of any enemies you might have? Anyone who would want you dead?”

  Sebastian’s cheeks hollowed. Sucking in a deep breath, he held it, tipped his head, and pinned the man with a cold stare. “Take your pick,” he stated. “I can rattle off a list of a hundred people on any given day, including your agency as of late.”

  “Mine?”

  Sebastian forced a pitiless smile. “Do yourself a favor, and don’t play coy, Jack. It doesn’t suit you.”

  The agent gave a stiff nod. “So you know.”

  “I know enough. Let me give you a heads up. You are a nice guy. I like you, but your agency is treading a very fine line. Jeopardizing my family is a problem you don’t want to cause.”

  The man’s brown eyes flickered in Taylor’s direction and flooded with empathy. “I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that. Innocent people are already starting to get hurt, Sebastian. How far does this really need to go?”

  He gave a humorless laugh and spread his hands. “Things are only as complicated as you make them. I’ll get my answers soon. If I were you, I would hit my knees and pray none of this lands in your lap.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  Stepping closer, he bore a terse smile. “You’re a smart man, Jack. You figure it out.”

  “I didn’t do this, Sebastian. I want you on our side. I’ve wanted that all along though, I admit, not everyone is feeling so nostalgic or kind.”

  “I suggest you tell your friends to consider who is holding the cards here before they decide how hard they really want to push.”

  “Lives are at stake, Sebastian. Talk to me. Give me some sort of sign here, some indication you’re the man I thought you to be.”

  A hulking shadow loomed in the distance and Sebastian’s line of vision shifted to meet Marx’s discerning eye. Suspicion loomed in those brooding depths along with a litany of unspoken accusations. Fear coiled and slithered along his spine, inching like a snake across a vine. Taking a step back, he pulled Taylor closer against his side.

  “I am aware of exactly how much is at stake here, Agent Gill. Call your team off and don’t come near me or my family again,” he warned in a low growl.

  Taylor stiffened against him the second she spotted Marx. Tension snapped though t
he muscles beneath his fingers and the tremors wracking her stress-adled body intensified. At least that much was good. As shocked and scared as she was, her senses were still sharp and working on overdrive. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. It wasn’t good. Not for her, and not for the baby. Too much more of this and he was going to lose them both beneath the strain. Sighing, he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered, steering her away from Gill and Marx alike. “You shouldn’t have to hear any of this. Let’s just go home.”

  “BAAS!”

  He froze upon hearing the commander’s sharp bark. Taylor stilled beside him as well, her weary body all but slumping in defeat.

  “Please, no,” she pleaded beneath her breath. “No more. Please no more tonight. I can’t. I just can’t, Seb. I can’t.”

  “Shhh, baby. Stop. It’s okay,” he soothed, pulling her into his arms.

  She shook her head, despite his efforts to still it. “It’s not, Sebastian. It’s not okay. You could have died. Monique…Aiden…” Her teeth clattered. “Blood…there was so much blood…”

  He held her tighter as panic started to set in. “Taylor, listen to me. You have to pull yourself together. Stay strong for me, sweetheart. I know you can. You can fall apart when we get home. I promise. Just not now. Please not now.”

  He hated himself for it. He shouldn’t ask those things of her when she needed to be comforted and held, but it was the only choice he had. Marx was already barreling his way through the crowd, his broad face dark and contorted with anger.

  “What the hell happened here?” the director snapped.

  Rounding on them both, he jostled past Taylor, the edge of his hefty shoulder catching hers and knocking her off balance. She stumbled in her efforts to veer out of the way. Wincing, Sebastian reached for her elbow and steadied her.

  “I’m sure you had surveillance on us. You tell me,” he retorted.

  Marx exhaled sharply through his nose. “I know as much as you do at this point which, apparently, isn’t much.”

  “Maybe that’s why someone popped off a couple of rounds at me. Perhaps they thought my intelligence was lacking as well,” Sebastian snapped. “Either way it was a bad call to make. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would appreciate it if this could wait until tomorrow. I’ve had a shit night, I’m hungry, and I want to go home.”

  Marx’s eyes narrowed. Not getting the response he wanted, he shook his head with a reproachful laugh. “Stop sulking, Sebastian. I will see that you are fed and properly cared for. Agent Lane will take your sister and your…lover home. You and your partner come with me.”

  “Like hell he will,” Sebastian bit back. “If you want me to come in, fine, but no one is taking Taylor anywhere but me.”

  Deep lines settled across the commander’s forehead. Folding his powerful arms, he arched a heavy brow. “You seem to have forgotten one thing. I’m in the one in charge here, Sebastian. Not you. Send the girl home or she will ride to headquarters with me. Those are the only choices you’re going to get. I suggest you pick fast.”

  There were no words for the resentment fulminating in his chest. Thick, black, and smothering, it was too much. It spread like caustic acid, eroding his insides and sanity. His hand twitched and he reached for the wide grip of his gun.

  “Seb.”

  Taylor’s fingers curled around his wrist, bringing him up short. He peered down at her, taken aback by the mixture of empathy and pleading mirrored in her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” she said softly. “I’ll be okay.”

  “Smart girl,” Marx stated. “You would do well to listen to her.”

  His upper lip curled around a sneer. Stalking forward, Sebastian planted his body between them and aimed a finger at the big man’s chest. “If you hurt her—if they so much as breathe on her, I swear to God, I will burn you and your entire fucking empire to the ground. There will be nothing left but ashes. Do you understand me?”

  “Indeed,” Marx said, flashing an uncharacteristically wide smile. “I do.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Taylor stared out the window, seeking distraction and distance from the man seated beside her. Jackson glanced her way, but said nothing. He did, however, switch the temperature to a low heat that helped to ease the biting chill that had settled into her bones. The ride had been quiet and uncomfortable, even with Monique and Aiden in the backseat. Now that they were gone, it was damn near excruciating. Clenching her fists, she bit the inside of her cheeks and tried to focus. Twenty more minutes and she would be home. A long, hot soak and something to eat sounded like heaven.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, you know,” the young man said, glancing at her again out of the corner of his eye.

  She shifted in her seat, her expression questioning. “Were you supposed to?”

  “No,” he admitted with a quiet laugh. “But even if I was, I doubt I could. I respect Agent Baas too much to do anything to jeopardize my position. Not to mention the fact that I have no desire whatsoever to be on that man’s bad side.”

  “Understandable.” She hesitated. “What about Marx?”

  “What about him?” The young man asked, aiming another peek her way.

  Taylor shrugged. “You said you have a lot of respect for Sebastian. What about Marx?” she asked.

  His reluctant sigh drifted between them. He flexed his fingers around the steering wheel as he kept his gaze trained straight ahead.

  “I don’t know what to say,” he admitted. “I don’t know the man that well. Most of my involvement has been limited to Sebastian and his partner so far. I’ll be perfectly honest, though. I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

  She offered a doleful nod. “I can’t blame you there.”

  He steered the car to the left and shrugged the comment off. “Since we’re playing twenty questions here, let me ask you something. How did you and Agent Baas meet?”

  “I sort of stumbled across him and Josh one day in the woods. I’d wandered too far playing paintball with my cousin and somehow ended up on private property. I also ended up running right into one of their operations. When I heard gunshots, I thought Bryce might have been hit by a hunter or something. I was just trying to check on him, but Josh was convinced I was a threat that needed put down. Sebastian wasn’t so sure. He ended up saving my life that day.”

  “Did he?” Jackson asked, aiming a curious look her way.

  Some of the easiness and humor faded between them as she gave his question weight. Sinking lower in her seat, she turned her attention back to the darkened scenery as it rolled by. “I like to think so,” she admitted quietly, “but on nights like this, it’s hard to be sure.”

  “Doesn’t seem like any of it would be easy if you ask me,” he muttered.

  Sitting up straight, she cocked her head. “What does that mean?” she asked, unable to keep her voice from taking on a defensive edge.

  His rich caramel skin darkened in the shadowy confines of the car. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just that Sebastian is…well…Sebastian.”

  Her eyebrows gathered above her tense frown. “You don’t know him, okay? You don’t know anything about him. All you know is the side he lets you see. You have no idea what his life is like or the choices he’s had to make to protect all of us, including you.”

  “Alright, alright!” Jackson exclaimed. “Calm down and relax.”

  “It’s not alright,” Taylor snapped. “He could have died tonight. We all could have, and he got hurt using his body to protect me. He shouldn’t have to make split-second decisions like that. No one should, but you guys all run around acting like people’s lives mean nothing.”

  Jackson leveled her with a look of disbelief. “Okay. I get it, alright?”

  “No you don’t and I’ve had enough. Just pull the car over.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me! Pull the car over and let me out. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

&nbs
p; “Like hell you will!” Jackson argued.

  Taylor jerked her arm away as he double-checked the locks. Her chin jutted and her glare became narrowed and accusing.

  “Look. I’m sorry, but there is no way in hell I am doing anything but dropping you off at your door and making sure you enter that house safe and in one piece. You might not understand this, but it is my ass on the line. He risked his life to save you and if you aren’t there waiting for him when he gets there, I have no doubts whatsoever that Sebastian will end mine. Sorry, lady, but screw that.”

  Taylor bit back a hostile retort and stared out the side window when the young man beside her tromped on the gas. She considered telling him speeding with her in the car wouldn’t earn him any favors either, but decided to let it go. The poor guy was trying. As much as she hated to admit it, Jackson was right. Sebastian would kill him if he let her out of that car, and if she was stupid enough to get out and walk, there was no telling what he might do. One thing was certain. Her protective lover would be madder than a pissed off hornet doused in gasoline, and she’d have no one but herself to blame.

  She shivered. Her nerves were still rattled and her body wound excruciatingly tight. She was tired and hungry and, more than anything, she just wanted the comfort of a man who wasn’t there.

  Jackson maneuvered the car onto her street a few minutes later, and the familiar uphill slope leading home loomed in the distance. The soft, glowing solar lights and stately brick structure had never looked more beautiful and inviting. Unhooking her seatbelt, she turned to Sebastian’s teammate with an apologetic wince.