Stay Toxic

Chapter 26

Markus stays with me while we wait for the help he called.

As the shock leaves me, I notice there”s a motorcycle on the other side of the pavement. It looks too expensive compared to the other cars in the parking lot, and it certainly goes with him, so I assume it”s his.

I clear my throat. ”Thank you for stopping. I”m lucky you were around.”

”Luck has little to do with it. I patrol for that kind of shit. It”s more common than you”d think in southie.”

I blink. ”Seriously? We”re in Thorn Falls.”

”And if you knew how many young, pretty things have been taken from these streets, you”d run back home.”

I don”t tell him nothing could make me run back home.

I expected an ambulance, maybe the police, but instead, we”re soon surrounded by a bunch of black cars. Men wearing identical suits grab Joseph from the back of the van.

I decide not to ask what they”re going to do with him.

”I”m a doctor,” one of them tells me, and I don”t point out that he looks like he”s one of the Men in Black. ”I”d like to check your vitals.”

He asks me a few questions, my name, the date, the president, as he checks my pulse, and eyes.

”You”re a little shaken up, but nothing food and a good night of sleep won”t fix.” The man stands and sighs at Markus. ”Aren”t we done with the whole vigilante thing?”

He shrugs wordlessly.

”Any reason why you involved us rather than the authorities?” the so-called doctor asks next.

”It”s a family issue. I don”t think it”s over. Hold Mr. Grabby for me while I have a little chat with my cousin, would you?”

”Got it,” the doctor says without question. ”Call us once you have directions.”

I decide not to make sense of it all yet.

Less than a minute later, Sebastian”s Porsche stops in front of us, and I”m in his arms.

It”s only then that I let it all out. The fear. The anger. All of the emotions that were numbed come out in the form of uncontrollable sobs. I probably snot all over his shirt, and he lets me, holding me close, into a warm hug.

”What happened?” his voice is tight.

I”m glad Markus answers. ”Some guy wanted to snatch her. I was tracking one of my targets in the area when I heard her. Take care of your woman. But I need answers tonight.”

Sebastian nods, and bends to wrap his arm behind the back of my knees, lifting me up like I weigh nothing and bringing me to the passenger side of his car.

He drives us in silence and does the same in reverse once we”ve arrived. I”m in his arms when I finally notice. ”We”re not in the dorm.”

He shakes his head. ”Too accessible.”

With those words, he leads me to the door of a dark building, long and tall.

A tower.

Inside, everything is traditional; dark wood and leather furniture, bare brick walls, some ancient portraits and fancy statues.

No one says a word, although we encounter plenty of curious faces on our way to the elevator.

Sebastian says, ”Press the last button please.”

I do as I”m told. ”I can walk, you know.”

”I know.” He keeps me in his arms.

The elevator pings, opening onto the largest room, with a sleigh bed and a splendid view of the woods beyond campus.

”Is this your dorm room?”When he nods, I manage a smile. ”And here I thought mine was pretty nice.”

This place is huge; larger than Ari”s entire apartment.

”I”m the president of the wyverns, darling. Let”s just say my house likes to make a statement.”

That explains the Heintzman crystal piano and the freaking Monet on the wall. It doesn”t look like an imitation.

He lowers me down on his bed gently, before bringing his mouth to my forehead. ”You stay here and rest, understood? I”m going to order us food downstairs. Bathroom”s this door if you need it. There”s a full bar, too, but I”ll only be a moment.”

I nod, trying to smile. But when he moves to leave, my hand”s wrapped around his wrist, and doesn”t seem to want to let go.

”Oh, darling… All right. I”m staying right here.”

I”m relieved he sits at the edge of the bed. Who needs food anyway?

Sebastian grabs his phone and starts to type away. ”I”m ordering food. Anything sound good? The kitchen makes Indian on Mondays but I can get them to cook anything at all.”

”Indian”s nice,” I murmur, suddenly exhausted.

I blink, and the next thing I know, everything goes black.

* * *

Sebastian

I”m a nice guy. A sane guy. Compared to most of my family, I”m basically a saint. Sure, I”ve been taught to shoot, and I have a concealed carry license because no one related to the Goltzes should be left defenseless, but I”ve never had any reason to hurt anyone until today.

Now I know the gun is completely useless to me, because I want to feel the flesh I”m crushing with my bare hands. I want to watch as I strangle the life out of anyone who dares hurt her.

Turns out, I”m not that nice after all.

As I watch Hestia sleep on my bed from the armchair next to it, I”m practically vibrating with rage, and a single desire.

I need her to be safe.

And that can only happen after something”s taken care of.

Honestly, I thought I had more time. I started to fix her problems as soon as I became aware of them, but I genuinely believed I could just take care of the surface issues without attacking the cause. I was wrong.

I don”t want to wake her, but when my phone vibrates, I take the call.”Yes?”

My eyes are fixed on her sleeping form. She”s so out of it, she doesn”t even twitch.

”I had my PI look into your heiress and the wannabe kidnapper the last few hours,” Markus says without preamble. ”It”s a fucking mess.”

He”s never been one to waste words.

”You can say that again.”

”You”re ready to do what needs to be done?” my cousin asks.

I know him. We all realize who Auntie M married. We know the ties the Goltzes have, and we”re fully aware of whom Markus works for.

I know exactly what he”s asking, and I don’t hesitate. ”Name the time and place.”