Bound by Vengeance (SKALS) Read online

  Crawling back up her, he released the garter from his teeth and dropped it beside her head before easing down to capture her lips. He kissed her deeply, loving the way the grip of her fingers told him when her head swam. Dipping his fingers between her legs, he rubbed the wet lace. He inched lower and ran his tongue over the tent of her nipple until it turned into a stiff peak. Taylor gasped, her body arching with an imploring bow as he licked the pebble through the rough material.

  “Seb—Sebastian, please…”

  His low chuckle vibrated against her chest, making her shiver and moan. “Oh no, darling. You wanted to make me work. Now I’m going to make you beg.”

  He alternated between kneading her breasts and twisting her nipples until her breath came in labored rasps. Leaving a trail of kisses between them, he worked his way down the taut drum of her belly. Her hips lifted pleadingly. Breathing the scent of her in, he traced a slow path along the curve of her hipbone with his tongue. Taylor’s fingers twined through his hair, silently urging him on. Hooking a finger through them, he roughly tugged her lace panties aside and sealed his mouth over her glistening sex.

  The room rang with her cries of pleasure as he flicked his tongue across her and speared deep. She tugged his curls harder, drawing a low growl from his throat. The vibrations hummed through her and Taylor’s hips snapped up with her hoarse cry. Feeling her tremble, he eased back, loving the sweet look of torment on her face.

  “Sebby, please…”

  He couldn’t help but smile. She twitched with a helpless moan as he blew on her clit. He waited a few more seconds before torturing her with a light kiss. Her body twisted, seeking to increase the pressure.

  “Please,” she whimpered. “Please, please…”

  He shook with silent amusement. “Mmm. It’s so sexy when you beg,” he murmured against her. “Makes me so damn hot.”

  “Goddammit, Sebastian!”

  He threw his head back with a loud laugh. Still smiling, he kissed the inside of her thighs. “Such foul language,” he chided softly. “Is that how you repay me?”

  “Now you’re just being cruel.”

  “Cruel? No, baby. I can be cruel though if that’s what you’d prefer. Would you like me to punish you for your little slip up, or maybe for pulling my hair?”

  “No, Sebastian. Please. I’ll be good.”

  The demure plea sent a sharp stab of desire straight through his groin. He groaned and rocked off her. The sound of rending fabric filled the room as he tore the thin lace in two. Taylor’s eyes flared. Firelight reflected in their silvery depths. Snaring her slender hips, he jerked them toward his and drove deep. Her strangled cry echoed in his ears. Gritting his teeth against the exquisite feel, he pounded into her in a fevered bid for relief. Taylor arched and writhed, her hands clawing at the comforter. Somehow, he managed to rein himself back in.

  Time crawled by as his slow, deep thrusts rocked her body, making those delicious breasts sway. The sight of them drove him wild. She was so hot, so tight…his mind spun and a dizzying bliss grabbed hold. He kept at it for what felt like hours. Every time her body quivered, he would pull back until exhaustion kicked in and he couldn’t take it anymore.

  Feeling the snug grip of her tunnel grow painfully tight, he picked up the pace. The breathless cries bouncing through the room built into a wavering scream. His name carried on her lips and the world exploded. Darkness threatened as he slammed to the hilt and came with a triumphant roar. Taylor squirmed, whimpering in his grasp.

  He wasn’t sure how or when he’d ended up on his back, but the gentle glide of her fingers across his sweat-slicked chest slowly pulled him back down. His heart still pounded a furious rhythm. Closing his eyes, he savored the moment and the delighted aftershocks still wracking his body. Drawing her against his side, he kissed the top of her head.

  “I love you, baby,” Sebastian whispered hoarsely. He was sure she responded, but by then the numb allure of sleep had already started to close in and draw the curtains on the day.

  Chapter 3 ~

  The coppery tang of blood hung in the air. It mingled with the sour stench of sweat and a heavy undercurrent of fear. Sebastian prowled the dimly lit room, his gloved hands clasped behind his back. The guard struggled against the thick ropes and zip ties binding him to his chair. Blood and snot ran down his battered face, and he shook with another pleading round of sobs. His terrified stare flickered between Sebastian and the solid steel door in a frantic search for reprieve. Leaning against the cement wall behind him, Josh folded his arms and rolled his eyes in bored dismissal.

  “We’ve heard it all before, buddy,” he stated dryly. “I gotta be honest with you, man. I’m a little tired of listening to the same old song and dance.”

  “Please,” the guard choked. His voice crackled and strained with his efforts to speak. “You don’t understand. I have a family.”

  Sebastian spun on his heel and coiled over the man with an abruptness that made him flinch. Instantaneous horror flooded the captive’s hazel eyes. He pressed deeper into his seat in a vain effort to escape. Pain carved across his swollen face as Sebastian snared his cheeks and dug his fingers in until the fleshy folds ground against bone.

  “That was a very bad mistake, Andy,” he warned in a silken whisper. “Do you really want to bring up family around me after you were caught taking pictures of mine?”

  A vicious blow from the back of his fist sent both man and chair capsizing sideways against the floor. Gritting his teeth, Sebastian sent him skidding another foot away with a well-placed kick to the ribs. Andy wailed in between the rattling whoops seizing his body as he fought to suck in a breath of air. Crouching over him, Sebastian seized a thick handful of hair and wrenched the russet locks until the man’s neck bent with a savage bow.

  “You brought this situation on yourself. Nobody threatens my family, least of all some low-life scum like you. You violated my home, my trust, and the people I love. I hope they treated you well over the last three days, because I promise we haven’t even gotten started.” He shook his head and leaned over the man. “You took pictures of my sister and the woman I love inside our home, and you were doing it all for Laychee, isn’t that right?”

  “I al-already told the other pe-people everything I kn-know,” he gasped.

  “I want to hear it for myself. Tell me, Andy, what is it that he was going to do with these pictures once he had them?”

  “I don’t know. Oh God, please…”

  “I don’t believe you,” Sebastian whispered, stroking his head with mock affection. “And nothing is going to save you now. Not even God. Not from me.”

  He stood and walked away, giving himself a chance to cool and his words a chance to sink into the man’s tattered psyche. Josh blew out a slow exhale, and their eyes met across the room. One nod to his partner was all it took. Levering off the wall, Josh jerked their prisoner up and righted his chair. Sobs echoed brokenly throughout the concrete room. Sebastian smirked. The man could scream at the top of his lungs for days on end and no one would hear. Marx had chosen a modified oilrig deep in the desert for this particular operation. Despite the soundproofed walls, nothing but nature stretched around them for miles. It was their own personal hidey-hole, an oasis of torture far away from the rest of the world and its prying eyes.

  “You might want to reconsider what you know,” Josh warned. “My partner enjoys these situations a little too much. You see that gleam in his eyes? That’s not rage, Andy. That’s anticipation. He lives for this stuff. You have no idea just how brutal he can be, and you’ve definitely pushed the wrong button.”

  A wavering scream pierced the air as Josh drove a curved knife through the man’s forearm and buried it deep. The chair rocked onto its hind legs, teetering precariously, as he bucked and thrashed in a fit of pain. Watching him, Sebastian felt a smile threaten.

  Josh accosted their prisoner with a rough pat to the cheek. “Come to think of it, you pushed mine, too.” He forced Andy’s tear-fil
led stare back to his partner. “See what I mean? Look at him. Does that look like a man with empathy or a conscience to you? He’s been trained, conditioned to be nothing but a coldblooded killer, Andy, and so have I. Did they tell you anything about our organization when they brought you in?”

  The man gave a frantic shake of his head, his gaze darting between the two men.

  “Maybe they wanted it to be a surprise,” Sebastian mused.

  “Yeah, maybe they wanted to make him guess, seeing how he likes to play games so much. Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

  He regarded both men for a long moment before gesturing with a sweep of his hand.

  Josh ruffled Andy’s hair. “Sorry about that. My partner isn’t much of a talker. He’s more action fueled, if you get my drift. It’s nothing personal.”

  Sebastian grunted beneath his breath. “Perhaps in your case it is, but you crossed the line, Andy. One there’s no going back from.”

  A brief spark of amusement flashed in his partner’s blue gaze. The sickening thud of knuckles meting flesh flooded the room. Sebastian’s lips twitched in response. Giving his neck a stiff roll, he glanced at the clock. It was the only decoration adorning the walls and the only break from the drab, stained concrete spread around them. Even the door was painted a matching shade of grey. There were no handles on the inside, only a guard stationed on the other side of the door, waiting for their coded knock.

  Blowing out an exasperated breath, he mentally ticked off the hours he’d spent locked in this room. Part of him just wanted to finish the guy off and get things over with, so he could go home. The larger part realized they still had information to extract and a mission to accomplish. They’d spend days here if need be. Sebastian sighed. He sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case. His focus shifted as Josh’s rough baritone flooded the room.

  “…SKALS. Special Kill and Leverage Squad. Pretty neat acronym, huh? We like to torture people, Andy. Physically, mentally, we make them break. Can you guess where the leverage part comes in? Do you remember that precious family you were mentioning earlier? If you don’t start talking, guess what is going to happen to them,” Josh said. A tight leer stretched across his face.

  Andy paled. Sebastian eased off the wall and touched his earpiece.

  “Get me a visual.”

  A few seconds later, his phone chimed and he swiped his finger across the screen. His gaze flickered over the video feed, taking in the plain clapboard house and the little boy chasing a Labrador puppy. A slender blonde watched over the pair as she hung sheets outside on a line to dry. Tilting his head, he swung the phone around so Andy could see. He watched as the blood drained from the man’s face flushing it a ghastly white. Horror and pleading surged in the man’s eyes before dimming beneath a wave of resignation. Sebastian had seen it enough times to know it was the look of defeat. He smirked.

  Perhaps the man understood the value of family after all.

  Taylor grinned upon hearing the quiet whir of the garage door. Filled with renewed energy, she turned down the heat under the potatoes and double-checked to make sure she’d put everything away. The smell of seasoned pork wafted from the crockpot and a tangy apple crisp cooled on the counter beside it. All was good. Her heartbeat quickened with joyful excitement. It had been a long day without Sebastian’s company, and the security restrictions had made it feel even longer. She’d finished an entire book before noon, and then spent the rest of the day getting dinner started and cleaning the house. Everything from the stainless steel appliances to the hardwood floors sparkled with a glossy sheen.

  She froze as Sebastian stepped into the hall. He hadn’t changed out of his work clothes. Her gaze darted to the tarnished silver skull and cross bone pin adorning his banded collar before roaming over the jet-black garments and military style boots. She hated that uniform and loved it all in the same breath. He looked so sleek and handsome, but the clothes only seemed to amplify the air of confidence and authority he carried. They turned his usually imposing presence into something menacing and lethal—something that made her heart stop and the air falter in her lungs. She swallowed and tamped down a shiver. His eyes were so cold.

  He studied her, his head tilted slightly to the side, his expression unreadable. Taylor squirmed and took an involuntary step back toward the counter. “How was work?”

  “Good,” Sebastian said quietly. He regarded her for a moment, his piercing stare pinning her in place. “Is something wrong, Taylor?”

  “No,” she stammered the response, hating how it sounded far more like a question than an answer.

  He nodded. “How long before dinner?”

  “I just have to mash the potatoes. If you want, I can have them ready and on the table by the time you take a shower.” She winced at his frown.

  “I called you so that you could have everything done by the time I got here.” He traced an idle pattern across the top of the granite island with his fingertip.

  “I started boiling them as soon as you called. If you want to eat now, I’ll finish up. The table is set and everything else is ready to go.”

  Taylor’s heart hammered as Sebastian glanced at the counter, assessing the crockpot and then the stove, before turning his attention to her. She didn’t miss the slight tensing of his jaw. Her stomach churned. She wanted to beg him to take a shower and change. Most of the time, that helped wash the day—and these moods away. She tried to swallow past the lump of fear in her throat.

  “No vegetable tonight?” he asked, straightening.

  She sank her teeth into her lower lip, wondering when, if, the interrogation was ever going to end. If he kept at it, she was going to slip up somewhere along the way. She could feel it, and it was only making her more nervous. Wringing her hands, she tried to still their tremble.

  “There’s a green bean casserole warming in the oven.”

  Sebastian nodded, but didn’t move. Uncertainty warred with panic until she couldn’t take it anymore. Her eyes swung up to his despite the cold glint still fueling them.

  “Seb, please,” she whispered.

  “Please what, Taylor?”

  “Please tell me what to do. What can I do to make it…you better?”

  He stared at her for a long minute. His mouth tightened with displeasure or hesitation. She couldn’t tell. Her breath came quicker and she started to feel dizzy. The quiet rasp of his voice was almost shattering.

  “You could’ve started by greeting me like you meant it instead of shrinking away.” She took a step forward, but he halted her with a slow shake of his head. “No, Taylor. Not now. You have ten minutes. I expect to eat when I come down. Is that clear?”

  Blowing out a shaky breath, she nodded. It was going to be a long night. “Yes, Sebastian.”

  There was no nod of acceptance, no whispers of “good girl,” or anything else to ease the tension. Just a hard look on his way past as he turned and headed for the stairs.

  Taylor got the last of the food to the table with seconds to spare. Setting down the serving platter of steaming pork roast, she glanced up as Sebastian strolled into the dining room. Her heart ached at the sight of him. Water had dampened his sandy curls to a dark, glistening auburn, and he looked soft enough to cuddle in a warm cotton shirt and khakis. The subtle hint of aftershave and cologne rolled off him as he circled the table to take his seat. Trying to calm her jittery nerves, she dished the food onto their plates while he poured himself a glass of Chardonnay. Their eyes met and she offered a tentative smile.

  “Did you have a nice shower?”

  He nodded. “I did. Dinner smells good.”

  Feeling some of the dread lift, she clung to the fragile thread of hope the compliment offered. “You smell good,” she countered with a wink.

  “Are we resorting to flattery now?” Sebastian lifted a tawny brow in question.

  “That depends. Is it working?” Biting her lip, she made no effort to mask her hopeful expression or the pleading in her eyes.

  One
corner of his mouth lifted with a reluctant smirk. “That remains to be seen.”

  “I’ll try harder.”

  He snorted beneath his breath. “Eat, Taylor.”

  She kept the wine and food flowing at a steady pace. He rarely went back for more, but tonight he was working on his second plate. She frowned, wondering if he’d had the time to take a lunch. It bothered her to think of him going hungry. No wonder he’d been so touchy. Twirling a piece of meat around her fork, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. They needed to talk. As much as she hated to bother him, the way things were going tonight, it was pretty much now or never.

  “Sebastian…I need to go to the doctor.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Worry branded his face as he dropped his fork and started to reach for her hand.

  “I’m late getting my shot.”

  His brow furrowed. Jerking back as if struck, he pinned her with a bewildered stare.

  “It’s no big deal,” she soothed. “It’s only been a week, but I should probably get things taken care of, just to be safe. I wouldn’t even bring it up, but you don’t want me going anywhere without you until you catch this guy.”

  Shoulders stiffening, he averted his attention back to his plate. “Yeah...no…it’s fine. Where do you need to go?”

  “I usually just hit the clinic. It’s fast and cheap.”

  “I’m not taking you to that place. It’s a cesspool. Call my sister tomorrow and find out where she goes. Make an appointment there. I’ll take you.”