Scarred (Unlikely Heroes Book 5) (25 page)

“Margie didn’t recognize you from your movies?”

Sebastian shrugged. “I guess not. I changed my name. Or if she did, maybe she just decided not to contact me. I don’t know. I wondered about that for a while, but I have no idea if she knew who I was or not. If she had contacted me, I would have helped her. I would have visited my son. I wouldn’t have abandoned him.”

“I know. You’re not a bad guy.” Craig continued to eye him sympathetically. “When you found out about Cole, did you help Margie financially?”

“Yes. I sent her a check for a hundred grand.”

Craig cocked a brow. “Did she know who the check was from and what it was for?”

“My name wasn’t on it if that’s what you’re asking. I had my lawyer send it to her. And yes, she knew it was for child support.”

“And she still didn’t figure out it was from you?”

Sebastian shrugged. “I don’t know. My lawyer advised against sending the money to her. He said it would only make her want more and more and before long we’d end up in court. But I never heard from her. I think Travis may have either intercepted the check somehow or threatened her to not contact me. I just don’t know.”

Sebastian sighed. He told Craig about everything, the letters, the photos, the videos, the threats to harm Cole if Sebastian didn’t cooperate.

“I had no choice but to do what Travis wanted. He threatened to hurt Margie and Cole if I attempted to contact them. And then, he followed up on that threat and got rid of Margie so he could move in on my son.”

A long silence stretched after he finished telling Craig everything. “So did you ever try to contact Margie or see your son?”

“Once.” Sebastian lowered his gaze. “But as soon as I arrived in Mobile, my father’s men spotted me. They held me at gun point until my father showed up. He was pissed. He said if I tried to see them again, he would kill Margie and hurt Cole.” Sebastian sighed. “So I stayed away after that.”
Even though I was curious about son. Even though I longed to see him.

He told Craig about the private investigator he’d hired to help him find Cole and how Travis had killed the man. “You see. My father doesn’t make idle threats.” Sebastian drew in a deep breath. “Should I have tried harder to find Cole? Should I have done something different?”

“No. You did the right thing, staying away, even if it hurt. You put your son’s safety above your own wants.” Craig paused. “Sebastian, if you tell the state of Alabama you’re the boy’s father, he will be released into your custody, rather than going into foster care.”

Sebastian turned away. That scared the hell out of him. Margie had raised Cole for the past twelve years. What did Sebastian know about kids? What kind of father could he be?

“I don’t know anything about being a dad. Besides, how do I explain to him where I’ve been the past twelve years? How do I explain the reason why I never came to see him? He probably thinks I abandoned him. He probably hates me.”

Craig eyed him with what could only be described as compassion on his face. “When Karen adopted Damon, he was just a few months old. And when I married her, I became an instant father. I’ll admit it was scary at first. Hell, sometimes it’s still scary, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Being a parent is something you won’t truly appreciate or understand until you experience it for yourself. And I’m telling you right now, you’ll regret it if you don’t at least meet your son. Don’t you think the boy deserves a chance to know his father?”

Sebastian fidgeted with the handcuff, wanting it off. Wanting to be free.

You won’t be free unless you help Craig take down your father.

He glanced up at Craig. “Yeah, I guess.” But what did he have to offer the boy? What kind of parent could he be?

Craig rose. “Think about it. I’m going to get the D.A. now. I want you to tell him everything you just told me. We’re going to take Wade down, Sebastian. You’re going to be free from the bastard once and for all. You can do this.”

He headed for the door.

Sebastian stared after him. Could he really do this? Could he help take his father down? The man who’d terrorized him, beat him since he was a small child? And now controlled him like a puppet on a string?

Not without Emily.

It was true. Emily had given him his soul back, brought his heart to life. Taught him how to feel again.

Where was she? Why wasn’t she here?

Craig reached for the doorknob.

“Craig?”

Craig turned, raising a brow. “Yeah?”

“Where’s Emily? I figured she would come see me.” He tried not to think about the reasons why she might not have come. Did she not love him like she’d said? He didn’t want to believe that, but why else wouldn’t she be here? Despite her betrayal, he still cared for her. He still missed her.

He
needed
her.

So damn much.

Craig lowered his gaze. He cleared his throat. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell you about that.”

Sebastian’s heart sped up. “Tell me about what?”

“She’s gone. Witnesses saw her leaving the fight with Travis.”

Pain slammed through Sebastian’s chest.

No. She wouldn’t do that.

He sucked in a breath. “She left with that son-of-a-bitch?”

“Not willingly.” Craig’s gaze turned serious. “He took her as a hostage.”   

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Emily had failed Sebastian. Miserably. She’d foolishly believed she could somehow sneak him out of the warehouse before the cops arrived, that she could help him escape before Craig showed up with the cavalry. She’d been a naïve fool. According to the news, all she’d managed to do was get Sebastian arrested.

Craig had arrived Saturday night with a team of FBI agents and local law enforcement, who had swarmed the place. The FBI’s arrival had stopped the fight. If they hadn’t shown up when they had, Emily feared the Cockroach would have killed Sebastian.

The spectators had fled, a good deal of them escaping out the back door.

Marty had pressed a gun into her back and ushered her out of the building. Travis had been waiting for them out at the SUV. They’d shoved her inside the vehicle and sped away. They hadn’t traveled far before stopping and embarking, dragging her inside a house in a dark neighborhood. They were still in L.A. somewhere, though Emily had no idea where, since it had been dark out and she didn’t know the area. If the FBI went looking for Travis in Alabama, they wouldn’t find him.

It had never occurred to her that Travis would kidnap her. Or that he’d lock her away in a room by herself. Though it wasn’t anything fancy, Emily had all the comforts she needed: a warm bed, a bathroom complete with toilet, shower, and sink, even a television. A guard brought her food three times a day. But the door to the room was locked from the outside, the window was boarded up. There was no way out.

Though she’d sworn she’d never again be someone’s prisoner, that’s exactly what she was. A prisoner.

At least they hadn’t raped her. And she did have food, a bed, amenities…

But she was bored out of her mind. A person could only watch so much television.

Emily reminded herself she was no longer the scared teenager she’d once been. If an opportunity to escape arose, she’d take it without hesitation. If she had to kill to get away, she would.

Or so she told herself.

Whether or not she would actually be able to do it was another matter.

She hadn’t seen Travis since he’d shoved her into the room five days ago. “I’ll be back to collect what you owe me, Sweet  Cheeks.”

He’d confiscated her phone and purse, then locked her in. She’d overheard him telling Marty, “No one touches her until I get back,” before he’d departed.

She prayed he never came back. Maybe the FBI would catch him before he returned. She had no doubt what he wanted in exchange for getting her into the fight. She would kill him first before she let him touch her. She’d vowed she would never be taken by force again and she’d meant it.

Now that she knew the meaning of true love, had experienced the physical side of love that she hadn’t known was possible, now that she’d experienced such happiness with Sebastian, she wanted no other man but Sebastian to ever touch her again. She belonged to him now. All of her. Their hearts and souls were linked in a way she’d never imagined possible. She loved him. And somehow she’d find her way back to him.

Emily glared at the television as another reporter droned on about how Sebastian had been taken into custody by the FBI five days ago, but his condition and whereabouts were still not being disclosed. Where was Sebastian now? Was Craig with him? Was he even alive?

He
had
to be alive. If he was dead, it would be all over the news, right?

He’d been lying unconscious on the mat, bloody and beaten, when Marty had ordered her out of the warehouse Saturday night. 

Tears blurred her vision. This was all her fault. If she’d stayed away, Sebastian wouldn’t have been distracted by her cry of outrage when Marty grabbed her thigh.

If she’d stayed away, Sebastian might not have been injured so badly.

He might have even won that fight.

Thanks to her, he was now either chained to a hospital bed or locked up in a California jail cell.

Or dead.

She hitched in a breath.

No, he’s not dead. He’s not!

Voices came from outside the room. Emily switched the television off and set the remote on the end table. It wasn’t breakfast, lunch or dinner time, the only time they unlocked and opened her door.

Travis must be back.

She jumped up from the bed, her heart pounding.

The lock clicked. The door swung inward.

Travis entered the room, his eyes glinting with calculated cunning. And meanness. His gaze zeroed in on her.

“Hello, Sweet Cheeks. Your feathers look a little ruffled. Can’t say I blame you. But your days of boredom about to come to an end. It’s time me and you had a little talk.”

Emily took a wary step back as he strode toward her. “Last time I checked, I didn’t have a big ass, so stop calling me Sweet Cheeks.”

Travis paused. He chuckled. “Indeed you don’t. But you do have a fine, sweet ass, so the name is quite fitting.”

Emily snorted. He wasn’t ever going to touch her ass. “What do you want? You have no right to keep me here. I want to go home.”

He halted in front of her. His eyes narrowed, hardened as he stared at her.

Uh oh.

Emily’s heart thundered. The man scared the crap out of her. He was evil and creepy and made her want to flee. How could this man be Sebastian’s father? Other than the physical similarities, they were nothing alike.

“In time, Sweet Cheeks. I’ve got a job for you first.”

Emily took another step back. “Whatever it is, I won’t do it.”

He strode forward, grabbing her arm and yanking her toward the bed. With a soft gasp, Emily fell on the edge of the bed. She tried to scramble away, but Travis pulled her back on the bed and sat next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders to hold her in place. The stench of cigarette smoke clung to his clothes and nearly choked her. The man reeked of foulness and depravity. She fought back a gag.

Emily squirmed, but his arm just tightened around her.

“I reckon you better calm down now or I’m going to have to hurt you. And you probably know by now that I like to hurt things.”

She stopped struggling. “What do you want?”

He chuckled. “Well, let’s see. I want a lot of things. But first and foremost, I wanna find my boy. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Emily leaned away as his foul breath fanned her cheek. “No. Why would I? You’ve kept me locked up here for the past five days. And you took my phone so I can’t contact him.”

“Humpf.” Travis studied her a moment, then let go of her. She scrambled away, bolting to her feet.

Travis remained sitting on the edge of the bed, staring up at her. “Know what I’ve been doing the past five days? Trying to find my boy. The FBI is hiding him somewhere, but I can’t figure out where. I checked all the local hospitals and the county jail, but he ain’t nowhere. That tells me my boy’s alive and well. And that he must be fucking with me.” Travis sighed, his gaze narrowing on Emily where she hesitated near the bathroom door. “If the FBI’s hiding him, it’s either because they don’t want the media to locate him or because he agreed to work with them to take me down. That little fucker!”

He jumped up from the bed and advanced on her.

“What does this have to do with me?” Emily took another wary step back until she was standing in the bathroom doorway.

“Everything, Sweet Cheeks. I want you to tell me everything you know about my boy.”

He snagged her arm and yanked her toward him. “Start talking.”

“I don’t know much about him,” she admitted. “He’s very secretive.”

Travis studied her with those calculating eyes. “You didn’t hear him calling the Feds and telling them about the fight?”

“No. He didn’t do it.”

His eyes narrowed. “You sure about that? He’s been trying to get out of fighting since he was a little kid, and the sneaky little bastard managed to get away from me for awhile. Did he tell you that? He changed his name, moved away…it was over ten years before I found him again and got him back in line. He knows better than to disobey me.”

Emily cleared her throat. “Sebastian is a grown man. He’s not yours to control.”

Travis wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and squeezed. Emily whimpered, her gaze locking on his. “He
is
mine to control. I
own
him.”

You’re delusional.

“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t hurt Sebastian. It wasn’t him. He didn’t call the cops.” If Travis believed Sebastian had tipped off the FBI, he would hurt him somehow. Besides, it hadn’t been Sebastian. Travis’s hand tightened around her neck. He pulled her closer so her face nearly touched his. “You wouldn’t be trying to protect that boy now, would you?”

“N-no. He didn’t do it.”

Travis’s lip curled back in a sneer, exposing yellow teeth stained from years of smoking cigarettes. “And how do you know that?”

“Because I did it.”

His eyes widened. He released her abruptly and she stumbled back.

He chuckled. “What did Sebastian do to piss you off so bad that you want him to go to prison? I thought you two were lovebirds.”

Emily lifted her chin. “I didn’t do it because I want
him
to go to prison. I did it because I want
you
to go to prison.”

He reared back as if she’d slapped him. “What? Me? What did I ever do to you, Sweet Cheeks?”

“It’s not what you did to me. It’s what you did to Sebastian.”

You beat and terrorized a small boy and messed with his psyche so badly that he doesn’t think he’ll ever be free of you. You screwed him up, asshole, damaged his soul, left him so deeply scarred I don’t know if I can save him. But because I love him, I’m going to keep trying. I’m not giving up on him. And I’m going to do everything in my power to help take you down.

Travis snickered. “Is that what he told you? What exactly do you think I did to him?”

Emily didn’t answer. What was the use? He probably thought he had a right to hurt Sebastian the way he had.

After a long tense silence, Travis turned toward the door. “Open up!” he shouted, marching across the room. The lock clicked. The door swung inward.

Travis turned back to her, his gaze filling with lasciviousness as it raked up and down her figure. “Me and you are gonna have some fun real soon, Sweet Cheeks. Don’t go anywhere.” He chuckled, as if he’d said something hilarious, and strode from the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

The door jerked open again. Travis stuck his head back in the room. He leered at her.

“I forgot to tell you about that job I have for you. I knew there was a reason why I kidnapped you.”

Emily glared at him. “And what’s that?” She expected him to say he was going to make her his plaything or something disgusting like that. The thought of that man’s hands on her anywhere chilled her. She’d die first.

He snickered. “As much as I wanna play with you, I’ve got a better use for you right now. You ever gone fishing before?”

Emily hesitated. What did fishing have to do with anything?

“A few times. My dad’s a fisherman.”

Travis nodded, then he smirked. “Then you’ll understand when I say you’re going to be the worm on the hook that snags my boy and lets me reel him back in.”

* * *

Sebastian’s foot tapped the tile floor, his leg bouncing up and down as he sat in the chair on the left side of the table, waiting for Craig to bring Cole into the room. They were using a local police station for the meeting, not only for Cole and Sebastian’s safety, but also to keep the media from finding out about Cole and his relationship to Sebastian. The FBI hadn’t left Sebastian’s side since he’d been released from the hospital two days ago. Until Travis was located, Sebastian was stuck with them. Sebastian had agreed to help take Travis down, but first they’d wanted to get Cole into protective custody. Now the boy was here. Just moments away.

Craig’s team had flown Cole to California yesterday afternoon. Craig had suggested to Sebastian that this would be a good time for him to meet his son.     

Sebastian had never been this nervous before, not even before a fight.

He was about to meet his son.

His
son
.

He was scared shitless.

What if the boy didn’t like him? What if Cole blamed Sebastian for what had happened to his mother?

The door creaked open.

Sebastian tensed, his gaze swinging toward the door.

Craig strode into the room. A boy followed him, his steps hesitant. Gangly limbs. Tousled dark hair that was in dire need of a cut. The kid was dressed in a black T-shirt with the words, “Keep Calm” in white letters across the top, an image of a game controller in the middle, and the words “I Got This” at the bottom. As an avid gamer, Sebastian was instantly intrigued. They had something in common already. Video games.

Sebastian let his gaze travel the rest of the way over his son. Cole wore ragged blue jeans with holes in the knees and well-worn black Skechers. He looked and dressed like a typical twelve year old.