The Predator (Oakmount Elite #4)

1. Sebastian

CHAPTER 1

SEBASTIAN

I t’s never been a matter of if I’ll kill Tanya, but when. Every person has a limit to the amount of bullshit they can take before they snap, and I’m teetering on the edge, looking down into the abyss.

If I jump, will I ever be the same again?

It’s been pure luck and discipline that’s gotten me to this very point. I was barely sixteen the night she took my virginity, and from then on every disgusting word and touch has been fuel to keep me going, to focus on the future and forget the past. But trying to erase the past without healing from it first is pointless; it’s like trying to heal an open wound while continuing to fuel the infection inside it. Unfortunately not all wounds can be healed. Sometimes you have to physically cut the infection out, lose a piece of yourself to get rid of it.

If I looked at killing Tanya like ridding my body of infection then I could do it. I could end her pathetic life and move on with my own.

It’s tempting, very tempting.

And yet, I shove the thought away. It doesn’t help, not when I can mentally feel her blood on my hands. Warm, wet, soaking my skin.

It's not about the sheer joy I'd feel ripping Tanya to shreds—and believe me, there would be joy—but it's the principal, the fact that no matter what happens she’ll never understand how fucked up she is.

Her bare thighs are pressed against my flannel pajama pants, hugging against them, and the sensation makes me almost gag. Memories swim to the surface of my mind, threatening to drag me down deep into their depths.

I fought too hard to give up this easily.

I rise, shoving my bare feet into the carpet to get the grip I need to shift out from underneath her, and the sudden relief I feel once her body weight disappears is almost frightening. She pops over onto the leather coach and releases a huff of frustration.

She should be grateful she’s still breathing right now.

I stalk across the room to grab a bottle of liquor off the mantle and take a long draw. The pungent smell of bourbon replaces the scent of her perfume, and I know if I drink enough the memory of her will disappear from my mind, too.

I grit my teeth against the raging emotions ripping through me. I hate her. I hate her so fucking much, and it’s crazy because she has no idea. Or maybe she does, and she doesn’t give a shit…that seems more likely.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell her how disgusting, cruel, and fucking vicious I think she is. How she’s ruined me from the inside out. It’s because of her I’ll never find happiness, love, or any kind of solace for my shame. I let my eyes fall closed and try to calm my erratic breathing.

No. No. I’m not that boy anymore. The one she used up and then discarded like trash once she had her fill. I don’t need her love or approval to survive.

She approaches again, the soft click of her heels sounding on the hardwood behind me, and presses against my back, pushing her breasts against me while I stare down into the fireplace, the flames casting an eerie shadow on the wall. My stomach rolls with the memories of a past that refuses to let go. "Tanya, you have one second to get off me before I throw you off."

She huffs again, her cherry scented breath hot against my neck. "Sebby, baby, you know you want me. Everyone wants me. Men and women would die to get me into their beds."

I’m not sure how I do it without tossing her out the window, but I grip her around her waist and shove her back. She stumbles on her towering heels and falls back onto the hardwood floor, her expression stunned.

I stand above her, and for one brief second I consider pressing my foot to her neck, holding her down until the final gasp of air escapes her, but I don’t. That’s too easy a way for her to go, and after all she’s done to me she deserves to feel pain.

To be torn apart, piece by terrible fucking piece.

I want the proof of her destruction staining my hands.

"Good, then you don't need me.” All I can do is shake my head, the rage festering deep in my veins eating away at my resolve. I’m going to snap. I’m going to lose control.

It wouldn’t be a shock at all if Tanya was the reason I went to jail.

In fact, it might be worth it if it makes her disappear from existence.

No, I can't think like that. Bel needs me. Elyse needs me. My friends need me.

I peer down at her, a bubble of fucked up laughter threatening to escape at the way she cowers. Are you fucking kidding me? She blinks up at me through her long lashes, innocence bleeding into her features while she curls her body into herself. When I was young and far more naive, I probably would’ve fallen for the tactic but now, there’s no fucking way she can fool me.

I know her too well to ever see her as the damsel in distress. To me she’ll always be a snake in the grass.

I look away from her and back to my hands. The visions in my mind refuse to go away.

My hands, stained red with her blood.

Something dark and sinister threatens to swallow me whole. I can practically see her lifeless face in my mind. Death is what she deserves, and it’s the only thing she’ll get from me ever again.

I should do it. I’ve killed someone before; what’s another added to the list? I can take her out of the equation, make my life a little easier. It would mean a headache in probate, and I might lose the house, but do I really care? No. No I fucking don’t. It's just a house...it's never been a home.

The day they laid my uncle in the ground is the day they took and buried all the good that ever lived inside this house. After that, I was left with the scraps of whatever Tanya gave me, and I learned shame and humiliation were her favorite gifts.

I look away from my hands and stare at the wall over her head. I can’t kill her. Not yet. I won’t give her an easy way out. "Get out, Tanya. Now. I don't want to see you again. If there is something you need to relay, do it through your lawyer. If you are pregnant, and that’s a big fucking if , I will require a paternity test immediately."

She blinks up at me in disbelief, her throat bobbing as she swallows hard and then scrambles back on to her feet. With deliberate movements, she fixes her clothing, and once she’s standing on those ridiculous high heels, she lifts her chin, narrows her eyes, and tosses her shoulders back like she’s preparing for war.

“Sebastian. We can talk about this.” Her tone isn’t placating; it’s an order. She thinks she can order me around.

I turn to face the fire again because I can’t fucking look at her. Not without wanting to splatter her blood around the room. “No, I’m done talking. I don’t know why I didn’t throw you out the second you showed up again. I can only say I was vulnerable, my friends were in trouble, and that made me lose focus. That’s on me. But now I’m fixing it. Fucking leave.”

“Seb—”

I cut her off. “LEAVE! NOW!”

I don’t raise my voice often, but I have to release some of this tension and understand I’m serious, dead fucking serious. To the point that if she takes a step towards me I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from killing her, which is a shame since she deserves to die slowly, painfully.

There’s silence, blessed fucking silence, broken only by the crackle in the fireplace every few seconds. I wait for her to take a step back, to walk out of the room, to do something, but the seconds tick by, and she does nothing. Even with my warning hanging above her head, she still can’t seem to grasp the danger here.

"Sebastian...I wonder what people will think if they see our little home videos..."

Red hot shame washes through me like a tidal wave, breaking against the hardened exterior I’ve spent years building up. Fuck her. Fuck this. She doesn’t get to hurt me anymore. She doesn’t get to control me with a mere tug of her string.

Turning on my heels to face her again, I give her the lazy, arrogant mask I learned to wear so well.

"Tanya...I wonder what people will think about you raping a sixteen year-old boy?"

She purses her lips and then smiles. "It wasn't rape. You can’t scream rape just because you decide you regret what we did years after."

I sigh and stare her straight in the face. "Get out now, or I will throw you out." I’m so close to cracking, and some small part of me wants to break open and give her what she deserves. One little push.

Stupidly she continues forward, taking another step, and it happens.

Snap.

Taking her by the arm with bruising force, I grip tight, but she goes off balance and falls to her knees. She shakes it off easily enough, staring up at me with clear intent in her eyes. Intent that makes my gut churn. “Anything I can do for you while I’m down here, Sebastian?”

My mind goes blank, and suddenly I’m standing over her, my shoe pressed against the soft meaty part of her neck, holding her down. One little shift and I could crush her windpipe, ending her miserable existence.

She’s clutching my ankle, scrabbling her legs to get free. “Sebastian...” she chokes out.

“Yes, there is something you can do for me. You can fuck off and die.” I lift my foot, and snatch up her forearm, dragging her toward the door while she cries and scratches at my fingers.

I clench my fist tighter, not caring for a second if I leave bruises. She deserves so much worse than this.“Let go of me!!” She struggles and tries to dig her heels in, but she’s no match for me. I’m done with her. With her games. Her lies. This ends now.

With my other hand, I open the front door and release her with a shove. "Leave. I'll send your things to The Embark Hotel.”

I don’t wait for her to say anything. Nothing I’ve said is up for negotiation. Without speaking another word, I slam the front door, her gaping face disappearing behind the heavy wood. Tears streak her cheeks, and red rings her neck and her wrists. I’ll remember that look for a long time.

A smile creeps over my face, the expression sitting unfamiliar on my features. This feels...like a severing. A clean cut into the jagged gashes I've been living with for years of my life. A cut that will heal instead of fester with infection.

Turning, I stalk back into the foyer, and it occurs to me then: where the hell is that bodyguard of hers? He can get the fuck out, too. But I don’t think I’ve seen him in a couple of days, and usually he’s plastered to her back.

Tanya pounds her fist against the door, and the noise only intensifies my annoyance. I should go out there and snap her neck.

“Sebastian. This is absurd. You can’t throw me out of my own house. Legally I’m allowed to stay here.”

“Need I remind you that it’s only half yours?” I raise my voice to make sure she hears me. “Now, fuck off.”

The door knob rattles again. “Please, Sebby. I don’t even have my phone. I won’t be able to call for help. What if something happens to me? Come on.”

“I’ll send it,” I say, this time not raising my voice because I don’t care if she hears me or not.

I’ll need to ensure security knows she is not allowed on the property. At this point though, I’m looking at a complete security overhaul considering all the slip-ups lately.

I flip the lights on as I enter the kitchen, the overheads gleaming off stainless steel and granite. It only takes a second to jog down the stairs to the long hallway ending with the security room. As soon as I reach the door, I pause.

The monitors are on, but the room is empty. A ceramic mug sits on the workstation, steam wafting off of it. Whoever was in here hasn’t been gone long, so maybe they’re doing their rounds? Or maybe they went to see what kind of commotion was happening with Tanya pounding on the front door.

For some reason, a shiver rolls down my spine, setting off internal alarms as I inspect the empty room. Whatever these fucks are doing, they need to get back here now.

It’s eerily quiet in the back halls as I survey the line of rooms on my way back upstairs. A prickling sense of dread seeps into my mind. There’s no one around. No one downstairs. No one in the kitchen.

It’s like everyone has disappeared.

Back in the foyer, I do a little spin, pausing and listening for any sign of Tanya, but I hear nothing. No yelling or pounding on the door. Could she have finally taken the hint and left? When she woke me with a call in the middle of the night, I knew it would be something stupid.

I just never thought it would be this stupid.

Fucking pregnant.

Did she think I’m an idiot? I would never sleep with her, let alone without protection. Not in a million fucking years.

But what if I did?

Doubt creeps in. It wasn’t more than a few weeks ago that I drank too much, and she was nearby to take advantage. I was trying to drown out my desire and need for Elyse and inevitably fucked myself over. It wouldn’t surprise me if she had done something so vindictive. Really, I would expect it of her, like the first time she plied me with wine after my uncle’s funeral when I was sixteen. The night she took my virginity.

I push the memories away, refusing to let them drag me back to that dark place.

I take a moment to shove Tanya into that tiny box in my gut and move towards the stairs. I know it’s stupid of me, that I should go outside and wrangle up security, but I can’t be bothered. Not when all I want is to do is climb into bed next to Elyse.

She’s the only reminder I need that everything is going to be okay.

Once upstairs, I pause outside the bedroom, the air warmer up here thanks to the fire still roaring in the bedroom fireplace. It hits me then how out of control I am, how ramped up with anger and emotion I am. Fuck. I don’t want to carry this into that room. I take a couple of calming breaths. There’s no reason to take all of what I’m feeling in there with her. No reason to threaten this precious peace between us with the truth of my past.

She doesn’t need to know all the vile details. I won’t let Tanya’s darkness taint yet another good thing in my life. I brace my back against the wall and close my eyes, focusing on how Ely feels in my hands. How my Ely feels underneath me, how perfectly she opens for me, letting me fuck her, own her, after so many nights of fantasizing about it.

Elyse is everything. Everything I need. Everything I want.

With her by my side, I can survive this. I just need to keep my head out of my ass and ensure she doesn’t run off. My little prey has a habit of getting spooked, and I know with all these feelings running rampant it will be the first thing she does.

Fuck, that would be both a great and terrible idea. If she ran from me… I’m not sure I’d be able to stop myself from hunting her down and dragging her back to the bed. Of course I wouldn’t end it there. I’d have to chain her to the bed, teach her a lesson, and force her to rely solely on me for her every want and need. I’d fuck her senseless and own every inch of her body, reminding her over and over again she belongs to me.

The longer I think about it, the more appealing the idea becomes. My cock strains against my pajama bottoms. Before we fell asleep everything was good—or it seemed that way, at least. But everyone knows decisions made in the dark can easily become regrets in the light of day.

And the mere thought of Elyse regretting anything we did makes me sick to my stomach.

I don’t know what I’ll do if she rejects me… us . To even consider it is madness. The manic need to claim her, to possess her in every way I can, to embed myself beneath her skin like a tattoo she’ll never be able to erase grips me.

This is stupid. I’m worrying for nothing. Elyse is mine, no matter what, and I won’t let anyone take her from me. Not Yanov, not her father. Not even Tanya.

My phone pings loudly in my pocket and I tug it out. Lee’s name flashes across the screen, and I smile and roll my eyes.

Lee: You left early, you dickhole. Get back here.

I’ll message him back later. With a chuckle, I shove my phone back into my pajama pants. There’s no way in hell I’m going to run around the forest with Lee, not when I’ve got the most beautiful girl in the world in my bed waiting for me.

The reminder gets my brain going once more. Maybe I should wake her up, show her my appreciation all over again. She’ll be sore, but I’ll be gentle. At least this time.

The thought alone gives me the encouragement I need to finally go inside the room. The warmth hits me first and my gaze lingers on the trail of clothes, followed by towels, and dirt. I don’t even try to suppress my smile as I cross the dark room, with only the light of the fireplace guiding me.

Last night was unexpected but everything I needed. I can’t believe I fought for so long against the inevitable. That’s over now. I won’t be fighting against what we have. Not when I’ve barely gotten a taste of what’s to come. Oh no. Ely is mine. All mine.

Once I reach the edge of the bed, I curl my leg up and slide against the sheets, reaching for her. At first, I only find the soft sheets. I try not to panic, but I can feel the alarm building in my throat. I shift my hands around anxiously, but there’s nothing but bedding.

Dread chokes me when I grab the blankets in a big wad and toss them to the floor.

The bed is empty. I scan the dark room for my missing piece, but she’s not here.

“Elyse?” I whisper her name, the word a prayer.

My gaze swings around the room, stopping at the bathroom door. Of course. She’s probably using the bathroom. My shoulders sag in relief. I cross the room and rip the bathroom door open, my heart sinking into my stomach.

The light’s off, and there’s no Elyse..

I try to focus around my swirling emotions.

Where the hell did she go?

Immediately my mind rockets another way. She left. She fucking left me. Anger ripples across every nerve ending in my body.

Oh Ely, you have no idea the mistake you’ve made.

I didn’t lie when I said there was no going back. I smile grimly, looking down at my hands. By the time I’m finished with her she’ll be begging for mercy.