Chapter 29 Sebastian
Sebastian
“Thank you, Mrs. Wheaton. I appreciate you working with me on this,” I said, standing from my chair to shake her hand.
“Of course, Sebastian. I’ve known you and your family since you were knee-high.
I want to see you succeed. It benefits both of us,” she laughed.
“I’ll get the updated loan documents over to you for signature later this week.
If you run into any trouble again, come talk to me ahead of time so we can try to figure something out before you get behind. ”
“Will do, although I’m hoping to be past that now,” I said. “Thanks again.”
I walked out of the bank with a smile on my face.
The amended loan was going to give me so much more freedom.
The lower payments would allow me to invest in my business again.
Maybe I would hire a receptionist to help manage the scheduling and collections.
Or if I could get another artist on board, that would increase the revenue exponentially while giving an opportunity for someone to make their livelihood doing something they love.
I wondered if Lindsay would consider coming back.
My phone buzzed in my pocket again. It had rung a few times while I was in the meeting, but I didn’t want to be rude to check who it was. I grabbed it now and saw Wyatt’s name lighting up the screen.
“Hey. What’s up?” I answered.
“Where the fuck are you?” he yelled. The panic in his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I’m just leaving a meeting at the bank. What’s going on?”
“You need to get to SD Ink. Now. Lydia’s fucking ex from New York showed up. He’s at the shop with her.”
What the fuck?
Without thinking, I ran to my car, ripping the door open and smashing the ignition button with far more force than necessary.
“I left her alone there. She’s by herself,” I said, more to myself.
“I’m on my way there now. She’s not going to be alone for long.”
I ended the call with Wyatt, throwing my phone onto the seat beside me.
My vision blurred, heart racing, as I gunned it down the narrow town roads.
I whipped onto Pine Street and was immediately hit with bustling traffic and pedestrians—Calla Bay’s version of rush hour, when people were getting out of work, businesses were still open, and the sun was making its descent from its earlier peak heat.
My leg bounced rapidly as I couldn’t do anything but meander down the road like this was some leisurely afternoon drive.
Finally, as soon as I could, I turned down Washington Street and then again onto Main Street.
Reid pulled up at the same time as me. Wes was right behind him. Luke and Wyatt were already here, thank fuck.
I didn’t bother to find a spot. I just threw my car into park and jumped out.
Lydia needed me. The front door nearly tore off its hinges with the force of my entry, Wes and Reid right behind me.
Wyatt was toe to toe with some asshole. Luke was standing on the far side of the couch, shielding Lydia as she yelled at the man to leave.
If pressed, I couldn’t even describe what her ex looked like. My sole focus was Lydia. Her defiant gaze, her fiery expression.
“You heard the lady. Leave.” My voice was dripping with lethal warning.
He turned around, his eyes widening for a second at the sight of the wall of protectors behind him, before he slipped a smug mask over his face again.
“What, are you all her brothers or something? This has nothing to do with you.”
“The fuck it doesn’t. I’m not her brother. I’m her boyfriend. Now, get the fuck out,” I growled.
He snapped his head to mine, then looked back at Lydia.
“Seriously. You’re going to trade me in for this backwater deviant.
You’re a fucking slut. A joke. I know you were fucking around on me in New York.
Everyone could see it. Even my boys agreed.
Does your boyfriend know you like to whore it up with everyone you meet? ”
“Shut the fuck up,” Wyatt warned. “I’m about to knock this fucker out if he doesn’t get the fuck out of here. Luke, arrest his ass.”
“On what charges?” Luke griped.
“I’ve got him,” Wes said, his long strides eating up the space between them.
“If you touch me, I’m pressing charges for assault and battery,” the dude said quickly.
He leaned back, away from Wes, only to bump into Wyatt’s chest. “Even the cop knows I haven’t done anything.
There’s no restraining order against being here.
I’m just a dude who walked into a shitty little tattoo shop. ”
“Don’t, Wes. He’s serious. He won’t let it go,” Lydia warned.
“You don’t want your cop buddy over here to have to arrest you, do you?” His smug little face was begging to be punched.
“Our cop buddy was arrested for assault and battery himself. It’ll be worth it. Lydia is worth it,” I said. I didn’t give a shit if this dick pressed charges, and I wanted him to know that. Keeping him away from Lydia and getting him the fuck out of Dodge was the only thing I cared about.
“I wasn’t arrested. I was detained,” Luke grumbled where he stood in front of Lydia. “There’s a difference.“
“Not now, Luke,” Reid piped up.
I stood next to Wyatt, ready to haul this guy through the window if necessary. Luke had Lydia. I knew on my life that he would keep my girl safe, and possibly have to stop her from launching herself at this fuckweed. Reid stood on the other side of Wyatt, building a wall between him and Lydia.
“You’re not welcome here. Not at my shop. Not near my girl. And not in this town. This is your last chance to walk out of here on your own two feet,” I told him succinctly.
“Otherwise what?” he replied arrogantly.
“Otherwise, we haul your ass out of here and dump your fucking body in the ocean.” My voice was calm and even.
“Hope you can swim,” Reid added.
A silent challenge lasted for a few heartbeats.
The ex tried to look past us, but he couldn’t see through the human wall we had built.
He turned around. Wes was standing at the door, holding it open.
His hair was down past his shoulders and looked wild and untamed.
His thick beard covered his face. Dark eyes glared back at the fucker, ready to take matters into his own overly large hands at any moment.
“She isn’t even worth this shit. I’ve had better pussy than her loose cunt.”
He stalked away and out the door, all of us following him except for Luke and Lydia. As soon as we hit the sidewalk, I cut in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.
“Don’t ever talk to Lydia again, do you understand me? If I find you in this town again, next time won’t end so politely.” I leaned in, locking eyes with him to make sure he got the message. “I’ll fucking bury you.”
He huffed and walked around me, throwing his shoulder into mine as he passed by. The four of us stood sentinel outside of the shop until we watched him get in his car and drive away.
“I’m going to follow him to make sure he’s gone,” Wes said. Without waiting for a response, he hopped into his SUV double-parked in the street in front of us and drove off.
Inside, Luke had his arm around Lydia. They looked up when we walked in, and my gaze focused on Lydia.
I opened my arms, needing to hold her but not wanting to demand anything.
She let out a strong breath and pulled away from Luke, nestling tightly to my chest. Holding her close felt like my lungs were expanding for the very first time.
I breathed her in, kissing the top of her silvery hair.
“You didn’t all need to come save me,” she sassed.
“Just say thanks, Lyds,” Wyatt smirked.
Lydia rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “Thank you,” she mocked, but a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Are you okay? Did he touch you?” I whispered. I pulled back from her, not liking the minimal distance but needing to get my eyes on her. She looked okay. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a little frazzled, but that may have been my doing when I held her head against my chest.
“I’m fine,” she said before turning to the rest of the group. “Really. I’m fine. He wasn’t leaving, and I needed a little backup. Not a five-man rescue team.” She looked around again. “Where’s Wes?”
I glanced at Wyatt, Wyatt to Reid, Reid back to me.
“Nowhere important,” Wyatt said.
“You guys are ridiculous,” she huffed.
“He hurt you, Lydia. And he had the gall to show up in our town, at my shop, your place of work, and harass you. We didn’t overreact.
We let him walk out that door on his own, so I think we underreacted, if anything.
Because what I wanted to do was connect my fist to his face and haul him out of here over my shoulder like the limp sack of shit that he is,” I said, my words coming in a frustrated growl by the end.
“Agreed,” Luke said.
Wyatt and Reid voiced their agreement as well.
The door opening had us all turning our heads. A woman in her late thirties glanced around, taking in the scene.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I have an appointment with Sebastian,” she said, almost as if it were a question.
Shit. I completely forgot that I had two other clients on the schedule for tonight. After getting that call from Wyatt as I left the bank, my thoughts had been solely focused on Lydia.
“Desiree, right?” I asked.
“Yeah. Is this not a good time?”
Lydia tried to slip out of my hold, but I wrapped my arm around her lower back and held her close.
“I’m so sorry. We’ve had something come up. Could we possibly reschedule?”
“No,” Lydia chided. “I’m fine. Don’t turn a client away.”
“Ignore the woman with the silver hair. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” I joked.
Lydia’s mouth fell open. “Hey.”
Desiree chuckled. “I’ll let the two of you fight that out. Rescheduling is fine with me.”
“Great, thank you. Next Tuesday, same time?”
“Sounds good,” she agreed.
“Thanks again.”
Desiree left, and I made a mental note to add her to the calendar for next week.
“You sure you’re good, Lyds?” Luke asked.
“Yes. I’m fine,” she huffed.
“Alright. Then I’m going to get going. Letty’s been feeling weird lately, and I want to get home to her.”
I reluctantly pulled myself away from Lydia to follow Luke out. Things between us had been good for the past few weeks, but we still weren’t back to normal, highlighted by the fact that I didn’t know that he was concerned about Scarlett’s pregnancy.
We stopped on the sidewalk next to his police cruiser.
“You just getting off shift?” I asked.
“Yeah. I was on my way back to the station to clock out when Lydia called.”
“Thanks, man. I know she’s your sister, and it has nothing to do with me, but… fuck, if something happened to her…” I ran my hand through my hair, the weight of the events catching up to me.
“I know. When Scarlett was at Daisy’s flower shop that night, I was going out of mind,” Luke said. Scarlett had been held hostage by a corrupt police captain and his murderous nephew last year. Luke hadn’t let Scarlett out of his sight for weeks after that. He got it.
“She called me, twice, while I was in the meeting. I felt my phone going off, but I didn’t even check to see who it was. I can’t believe I just let her go to voicemail while she had to deal with that fucker by herself.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Seb. That girl is head over heels for you. She isn’t going to blame you for not being able to pick up her call.”
I huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. I know what love looks like, man. You were the only person in that room that she wanted to comfort her. You were the one she turned to first, even though her brother is a literal police officer. All she wanted was you. You must be doing something right.” He smiled.
I gripped the back of my neck, my shoulders still tense with adrenaline. “I’m so fucking in love with her, man.”
“Welcome to the club,” Luke laughed. “It’s a new adventure every day, but it’s the best damn thing in the world.”
I said my goodbyes to Luke, Wyatt and Reid leaving a few minutes later.
Finally, Lydia and I were alone.
I pulled her me to again, needing to feel her skin against mine. She lifted to her toes, her mouth finding mine in a searing kiss.
“I’m sorry, Lydia. I should have answered your calls. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that yourself. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Honestly? I’m a little shaken. I didn’t like seeing him here, in my space, infiltrating my safety.”
“Me either, baby. He’s gone now. He isn’t going to be coming back.”
I pushed her hair back from her face before I fused my lips to hers, dominant and frantic. Our tongues tangled together like we were fighting the battle of our lives.
Something could have happened to her today, and that thought alone sent ice through my veins.
Lydia’s demanding lips, her soft whimpers that I caught in my mouth, her hands snaking up the back of my shirt, turned that ice to a burning inferno, flowing through my blood until every part of me was tingling with need.
I grabbed the back of her thighs, lifting her into my arms without breaking the kiss. Lydia rocked her hips into me, and I groaned into her mouth. With one hand around my neck, her other hand pulled at the waist of my jeans, undoing the button.
“Lock the door.” Her words were swallowed by my mouth.
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I tossed her lightly on the couch. “Naked. Now,” I grunted, moving to lock the door and shut off the lights. It was still plenty light outside, but fuck it.
Lydia slowly pushed her shorts down her legs, baring herself to me. Christ, this woman was my undoing, but I would happily let her rip my heart out of my chest to hold in her hands. It was hers, anyway. It always had been.