Bound by Vengeance (31 page)

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~Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3) Coming Summer 2013!~

Excerpt below:

CHAPTER 1~

Sebastian stared into the flickering flames of
the candle, his thoughts distant and disjointed despite the laughter echoing around the table. His food sat mostly untouched. Leaning back in his seat, he took a long sip of wine and turned his attention to Taylor, watching her, gauging her mood and reaction as Monique regaled her with stories of their childhood. His jaw tightened as he tried to pull his focus back to the present, but it seemed determined to linger in the past. The smell of fresh paint and new carpet lingered in the air, overriding the spicy Chinese blend wafting from the table. He shifted uneasily in his seat, not caring for the changes around him.

Though Josh and Monique had done a wonderful job of cleaning things up and the rest of the house remained the same, the dining room chairs were
different. A necessity after Laychee’s men had ransacked his home and broken one of the previous set while they’d brutalized Taylor.

Guilt and rage seethed below the surface. Deep down, he hoped Josh and Henderson had made those bastards pay. Fists clenche
d beneath the table, his lean body trembled with silent fury.

“Sebastian?”

He glanced over at Taylor. His brow furrowed with concern as he watched her smile falter. Swallowing, he fought to pull away from the dark tide of his emotions. She’d been through so much over the past few weeks. The last thing she needed was to suffer through one of his violent moods. He regretted their audience, wanting nothing more than to pull her out of her seat and hold her close. Instead, he settled for tucking her hair behind her ear and forcing a smile.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Worry lined her face as she nibbled her lower lip in uncertainty. 

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” he soothed. “I’m just not very hungry.”

She leaned into his touch before turning her head to kiss his palm.
The distinct creak of wood drew his attention, and he glanced up to see his sister squirming across from him. Even Josh gaped his way, his dark blue stare full of questions. Sebastian sighed and pushed his chair away from the table with a quiet apology. Shaking his head, he strode out of the room, carrying only his wine glass with him.

“Do you want me to heat you up something else?” his sister asked.

Turning, he found she’d followed him into the kitchen. “No, Monique. I ordered what I wanted. Dinner was fine. I promise.”

Nodding, she wrung her hands. Apprehension creased her usually flawless features as she draped a tentative hand over his forearm. He tensed, looking at her in inquiry, but he made no move to pull away.

“I won’t insult you by pretending to know what you are going through, Sebastian. I don’t, but I do know how strong you are and how much you hate not being in control.” She lowered her head, her next words coming in a plea. “You aren’t going to be either of those things if you don’t take care of yourself.”

Backing away from her, he raked a hand down his face and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I know that, Monique,” he said in a measured tone. “But I assure you, one night of not eating isn’t going to kill me.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to tell you what you should do. I’m just worried about you.”

He dumped the rest of his wine in the sink and rinsed his glass before setting it on the counter. Needing to stay busy, he snagged a checkered dishtowel out of the drawer and started wiping down the
faucet and handles even though the brushed stainless steel already gleamed. He felt his sister looming behind him, watching him as she waited for some kind of reaction. Flinging the towel over his shoulder, he spun on his heel to face her.

Monique stagger
ed back a quick step. Her already pale skin lightened even further.

“Do you really want to help me?” he asked.

“Yes. Of course I do, Sebastian.”

Nodding, he cast a quick look toward the archway to make sure no one else was within earshot. “Taylor missed h
er birthday when we were recuperating at SKALS’ headquarters. She hasn’t said anything about it. She’s far too sweet to do that, but I want to do something special for her. Something…I don’t know…nice. She deserves that much.”

“What are you thinking here,
Seb?”

He frowned, his shoulders rolling with a helpless shrug. “I don’t know, Monique. A party? A cookout? You tell me.”

“We’ll do both,” she said. “I’ll take care of everything. Right now, you need to focus on yourself and Taylor. Do you have a list of her family and friends or some people she would like invited?”

Plowing a hand through his curls, he tugged and shook his head. “No, and I haven’t had time to replace her phone.”

Monique’s face scrunched with confusion, but she didn’t ask. It was just as well. He didn’t feel like going in to the how and why he’d broken her phone.

“There’s some redhead, Irene, who worked with Taylor in the truck stop diner on the other side of town,” he continued. “They still talk. She might know a few more of Taylor’s friends,
but her family is not welcome here. I don’t want those worthless degenerates anywhere near her. That’s the last thing she needs right now.”

His sister winced at the assessment, but nodded. “Understood. I’ll see what I can do. Is this weekend okay?”

“That will be fine. Thank you.” One side of his mouth lifted with a tired smile as he reached for her and smoothed the top of her honeyed blonde hair. “I appreciate your loyalty, Monique. I spent the entire ride home trying to brace myself for what I might see. I fully expected to walk in to a warzone and find my house turned upside down. There is no way I can ever repay you or Josh for everything you’ve done. I appreciate it more than you know.”

She graced him with an affectionate smile. “There’s
no need to thank me. You’ve taken care of me my entire life. I wish the circumstances were a little different, but I’m grateful for the chance to give something back, Sebastian. No matter how small.”

Biting the insides of his cheeks, he stared down at her
for a long minute, uncertain of what to say or how to respond. A strained swallow pushed past his throat. Forcing his attention elsewhere, he managed a mute nod. Her gratitude made him uncomfortable, and for a moment, he grappled with the memories of their past. Images of their father and his gnarled fists loomed before his mind, along with all the times he’d urged Monique to run and hide while he’d stood his ground.

She was twelve when their father passed away and thirteen when their mother followed eight
short months later. He’d taken the first flight home and, after the funeral, he secured his guardianship, found base housing, and taken his little sister with him.

Things had been so different then. More often than not, he’d barely had two dollars to rub t
ogether, but they’d had each other and that was the only thing that had mattered. It had been rough when he’d served his tours, but thanks to the help of some fellow Marines and their families, Monique was well cared for in his absence. They’d made it through. After his discharge, he’d focused on working and getting his degree so he could put his sister through college. Then, the FBI showed interest; SKALS recruited him, and life, as they knew it, was forever changed. Now, he had more money than he knew what to do with, but he would always fall under the shadow of SKALS’ authority.

There was no escape, and as his family, Monique would always fall under the same dark cloud. The burden fell on him to protect her and see that she stayed in line. It was never fa
r from Sebastian’s mind that if he failed, she would join the rest of their family in the ground. Pulling himself from his thoughts, he forced a small smile for his sister’s benefit.

“It has been a crazy ride,” he admitted, tracing the black granite counte
rtop with his finger. “But I don’t regret it. You’re my family. It’s my job to look out for you.”

“Maybe that’s true, but you didn’t have to do it so well. You’ve always done everything for me,” she said, reaching for his shoulder. “You’ve always went abov
e and beyond.”

Steeling his jaw, Sebastian pulled away with a firm shake of his head. “Stop it, Monique.”

“Sebastian…”

“No,” he said edging away. “I’m not looking for a pat on the back, and I don’t need you to coddle me.”

“I wasn’t trying to,” she whispered, lowering her head to hide the hurt. “I was just trying to say I love you.”

His shoulders shook as he spread his palms. “Then say it. Why beat around the bush? Is it really that hard?”

Monique’s reply was so soft he almost missed it. “You seem to accept that you’re good at your job, but not that there is any good left inside you. You’re a good person.”

He pinned her with a pointed stare. “You’re remembering the man I was, not the one I am.”

“I love you regardless, Sebastian. Please remember that.”

His eye
s narrowed as he studied her for a moment trying to figure out her angle. It wasn’t like her to be so persistent. Was he coming across as soft or just that wounded and desperate? Ever since he’d walked through the door, he’d felt like a damn zoo exhibit put on display for someone else’s amusement. He was tired of everyone watching and analyzing his every move.

Sighing beneath his breath, he nodded. “I’ll try,” he stated in a quiet rasp. “I love you, too.”

“Aw, isn’t that sweet? How about a group hug?”

He w
hirled at the sound of his partner’s voice. Seeing Josh standing there with his arms outstretched, Sebastian leveled him with a fierce glare and brushed past, not caring that he jarred the other man’s shoulder.

He prowled down the foyer, stopping when he s
potted Taylor still seated at the dining room table. She looked so small and lost, huddled in the high-backed padded seat. Her eyes were troubled as she stared at the candles much as he had during dinner, the dancing flames casting shadows across her delicate features.

Frowning, he walked in to the room and eased in to the seat beside her. Taylor glanced up as he poured some wine in her empty glass. “You’re legal now,” he whispered, leaning over to nuzzle the side of her neck.

She arched a brow, some of the light returning to her grey eyes as they met his. “Are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, Agent Baas?”

He snared her chin with a low chuckle. “I’d say there is a very definite problem if I need to ply you with liquor in order to do that.
What part of my job am I not doing right, Miss McAvay?”

She squirmed, cheeks flushing as he brushed his lips across hers in a feather light caress. Her warm breath fanned his skin, luring him away from the temptations of bitterness and rage. Threading his
fingers through the soft silk of her hair, he pulled her head closer and kissed her again.

“I missed you,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. “Just being here and sharing simple moments like this.”

“Me too.”

He glanced up as Josh’s raised voi
ce carried from the kitchen. Seeing Taylor’s smile falter, he sighed. The playfulness lighting her face gave way to a fearful grimace as she tried to peer down the foyer. Tightening his hold on her hair, Sebastian brought her focus back to him with a gentle tug. “No, baby,” he said, with a slow shake of his head. “It’s none of our business. Let them work out their problems on their own. We have enough to deal with.”

“He sounds upset,” she whispered.

Sebastian rubbed the back of her scalp. “Monique probably jumped his case. He tried to lighten things up earlier, but I’m not very good company tonight and I’m afraid my humor is lacking. They’ll work it out.” Taking her hand, he pulled her from her chair. “Grab your drink and come on,” he said.

The smal
l tremble worming through her was not lost on him. Part of him wondered if it was out of fear for Monique or herself. The thought only led to more guilt. Leading her through the house, he pulled open the sliding glass doors off the kitchen and ushered her onto the deck. Fortunately, Josh and Monique had taken their argument into the living room, away from the rest of the house.

The crisp night air washed over them in a cooling wave. He breathed deep as he steered her toward the wooden rail, relishing the in
vigorating scent of spring as it rolled down off the mountains. Easing behind Taylor, he pulled the glass from her hand and set it on the banister. He rested his chin on her shoulder as they shared in the view of the forest and snow-covered peaks looming in the distance. The gold and deep purple shades of twilight painted the sky in lazy swirls.

“Better?”

She nodded and leaned into him, escaping the chill. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he drew her closer.