6. Sebastian
CHAPTER 6
SEBASTIAN
E lyse stares at me with something akin to horror. Tears slip down her cheeks again, and each sob makes my heart clench tighter in my chest. “I won’t marry a murderer. I won’t. I don’t want you. I don’t want this. I want to be free. I want to leave. Just let me go. You don’t owe me anything. I don’t want your protection.”
Something twitches in my jaw as I try to keep my tone even. The words pour out before I can stop them. "Not that I need to remind you, Little Prey, but you have no room to pass judgment. Looks like murder is the common denominator between us.”
It’s a low blow, but it’s all I have in my arsenal. That, and she truly doesn’t have any room to judge me. Not when she doesn’t know the truth.
I shove the reminder of that night and the blood on my hands to the back of my mind.
“I don’t care. I won’t marry you!” She thrashes around, and I tighten my hold on her once again, my muscles burning with the effort. My patience slips further and further away with every second that passes. I’ll never get her back to the Mill in this state.
I bite back a growl and shake my head. I hate to do it but I don’t have any other options. Keeping her calm and safe is all that matters. I’ll deal with the repercussions of my actions later. If she grows to hate me after we’re married then so be it; at least I won’t carry the weight of her death on my shoulders.
Turning, I yell for Lee out the window. "Where's your stash?"
He grins back at me from the front of the car. “Around. What do you need? Uppers, downers, something for a good time?"
Lee and his fucking jokes. I glare at him, letting him know I’m not fucking around.
He gets the point and rolls his eyes. “You’re such a cock block, Sebastian. Always brooding, always serious.”
“Don’t do this. You don’t want to marry me.” Elyse says, trembling in my arms, her face a mask of exhaustion and fear. She’s pleading with me to leave her to the wolves, and I can’t. I tried once, when I took her to London, and it didn’t work out. I won’t ever do it again.
I spare her a look. “I do, though. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”
Lee walks over to the window, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a small plastic bag. Without saying a word, he presses a pill into my hand. I bring my hand up to a bit of light, open my palm, and peer down at the little white pill. There’s no lettering on it, nothing to help me identify what it might be.
“What is it?”
"The solution to your problem." He winks playfully.
“I’m serious, Lee.” I growl. “What is it? I don’t want to give her something that might make things worse.”
“Relax. It’s just a Xanax. It’ll calm her down, make her compliant.”
I don’t want to drug her, but I also can’t hold her in place for hours waiting for her to calm down, and once we get back to The Mill and start the paperwork things will get worse.
"Perfect. I’m going to need your car to get us back to The Mill. Text Aries and tell him to get there asap, because we have official Mill business. That should be a good enough excuse to get him out of whatever the hell it is he’s doing with his father.”
“Yes, sir.” Lee smirks, with a mock salute, and then hands me the keys to his Jeep. Easing my grasp on Elyse, I tug the keys to my Porsche from my pocket and pass them to him. His gaze examines me from the inside out. “What’s the plan?”
“Aries will marry us as soon as he gets to the Mill. With my last name, her father won't be able to touch her.”
His expression sobers. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? Marriage is commitment.”
That’s a loaded question. Am I sure? No. I’d love to do things the right way with Elyse, to give her what she really deserves—time, and room for love to grow—but that’s not the option we’ve been given.
“If I could do it differently I would, but I can’t.”
He nods, and I know he understands. Life is nothing more than trial and error. Things don’t always work out the way you hope, but I have to believe they work out the way they’re supposed to. That’s the way it is.
Turning my attention back to Elyse, I ready myself for a fight and pinch the pill between my fingers. She’s staring down at her hands, a haunted expression on her face.
Does she see blood on her hands? Does she feel guilt?
I hate knowing she went through all of this alone, that she was forced to protect herself when it was my fucking job. My self-flagellation won’t ease her pain, though, or make her forget what she did. I can’t change the past, only the future, and that’s what I plan to do. Ensure her safety for as long as she is breathing. It’s going to be a while before she makes peace with what she had to do, but eventually she’ll be okay.
"I know you’re afraid of what’s going to happen next, but you don’t have to be. You’re not alone. I’m right here. I’ll protect you.”
“Protect me?” She shakes her head. “Protect me so you can kill me later? No, thanks. I’d rather spend my life on the run.”
“I won’t hurt you, Elyse. I want to help you, but in order to do that, I need you to calm down. Lee gave me a Xanax to give you. I’d prefer you take it of your own free will, but if you won’t I will do what I need to do to get it in your mouth.”
This time she glances up at me and then away, like she fears meeting my eyes for too long. I’m waiting for her to react, for her to start fighting, but there’s nothing in her eyes now, only a brief glance at me and then back down at her hands.
"Ely, do we need a replay of the last time we did this? I think you’ve been through enough today. Take the pill, lie down, and sleep for a little while.”
She gives me another furtive glance. “You’re no better than him or my father, and you might be able to make me marry you, but you can’t make me love you.”
I can tell she means it, but it doesn’t matter. Her feelings and opinion mean little to me when it comes to her safety. It fucking hurts, but I’ll deal.
Almost viciously, she snatches the pill from my fingers and shoves it between her lips. Her throat bobs as she swallows it dry, before I can give her the bottle of water in the front seat cup holder.
“I know you’re upset, but it will help. I promise.”
“No. Nothing will help me. I’m damned no matter what I do. I’ve freed myself from one monster only to be captured by another.”
I hate her projection of me, but it’s what I get for waiting until her memories of that night returned. Does she remember everything? Is that why she hates me so much now?
“If you think I’m a monster, then so be it. I’ll play whatever part you want me to if it means you’re safe.”
“I don’t think anything! I know you’re a monster. We’re all monsters now. ” She spits the words at me like she thinks they’ll hurt me, but she doesn’t know the half of it. Nothing she says will ever have the impact that realizing she was kidnapped had on me.
I grab the door handle, opening it while maintaining my hold on her. As much as I hate to let her go, I have to if I want to get us back to the Mill. So while it pains me, I push the open passenger door, arrange her on the seat, then rush around to the driver’s side, climb in, and start the Jeep.
To my surprise, Ely remains unmoving where I leave her. Either she’s exhausted or she’s devising a plan for escape. I put the car in drive, and we roll forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drew standing in the open door of the hotel room while Lee wanders down the motel sidewalk, maybe hunting for witnesses.
I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. I should stay to help them, but I can’t. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to focus. Now I've got her back, every cell in my body is demanding I make sure she is safe and reclaim her as my own. The only thing that matters to me right now is ensuring no one touches her again.
As I continue driving, I glance over at her, noticing the way her chin is tucked into her chest. Even with blood caked beneath her nails, she looks so fucking vulnerable and tiny.
I try to ignore the tears staining her cheeks, but they’re all I see.
Her tears kill me. They make me itch with violence and the need to destroy whatever is causing her pain. How did we get here? From last night, which was the most amazing night of my life, to this point right now? Everything was perfect, until Yanov, and Tanya.
Tanya.
I grip the steering wheel so hard the leather creaks. Was this all part of her plan? Distract me long enough for Yanov to get in and steal Ely away? I don’t even have to think about what I’ll do if I find out that’s what she did. By the time I’m finished with her she’ll be begging for death.
Something sinister unravels inside of me. The predator lingering beneath my skin calls for revenge, for desperate measures to ensure Elyse remains at my side. It’s fucked up. I know it. Morally, what I plan to do is wrong, and it doesn’t make me any better than Yanov or her father, but I gave her the opportunity to escape. I told her to run, told her to stay away, and she didn’t.
Now she’ll suffer the consequences. She’ll have no choice but to be my wife, and once all the plans are in place—maybe a fertility drug, and finally putting my baby inside her—will ensure she’ll forever be mine.
I hadn’t realized until I saw that test that a baby was even something I might want. With Ely, though, I want it all. And I’ll do whatever I have to do to get it.
The speedometer climbs as we hurtle down the road, and all I want is to get her home, somewhere I can make sure she is safe.
A few minutes later, I pull into the Mill driveway with a screech of tires and a swirl of dirt in the air. When I hop out and walk over to the other side of the car she’s only half lucid, the pill already working. Even so, she still fights against me, batting my hands away feebly as I try to reach for her.
"Come on, Ely. Let me help you out of the car. There’s no need to be stubborn." She shakes her head, her eyes foggy with fear.
"Relax. There is no need to look at me like I’m going to hurt you. I could’ve done that at any point before now.”
"No, you’re right. Instead, you’re gonna force me to marry you. How long before you grow tired of me and make the decision to kill me, too? Since it doesn’t matter if you’re family or not. Murder knows no boundaries, right?” Her words slur slightly, and while I know she’s trying to give me a dirty look, that’s not what she achieves.
I clench my hands into tight fists, fighting against the desire to drag her from the fucking car by her hair. But her words sink in. She doesn’t remember everything. "That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll never grow tired of you, Elyse. Never. And I’m not forcing you to do anything. We both know you’ll be the one to sign your name on that marriage certificate. And not only because part of you still wants me, but because you need my protection, and you know it. Now get out of the car, or I’ll remove you myself. I’m trying to be patient with you, but even I have my limits.”
Tires sliding over rocks catches my attention, and Aries pulls into the driveway behind us. In seconds, he’s standing beside the Jeep, his chin length curly hair damp, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans.
“Lee said there was important Mill business. I’m assuming this is what he was referring to?” He tips his head towards Elyse.
“Yes. You’re going to marry us,” I announce, and grab Elyse's ankle to tug her toward the door. When she moves to kick at me with the other foot I catch that, too, and pull her across the seat. I can feel Aries’ eyes on me, but he makes no further comment.
He knows better, and he has zero room for judgment.
Leaning forward, I pull her up so I can look into her red-rimmed eyes. "You belong to me, Elyse. All of you. Every single inch and I don't plan to let you go. Call me evil, call me a murderer, call me an asshole. Call me whatever you want. I don't care. It doesn’t change what we are, or what happens next. You are mine, and I am going to take care of you. I will keep you safe."
She blinks at me, her gaze unsteady. “It's not like I can stop you, anyway. You don’t care what I want.”
“I care more than you think. I care so much, but I won’t leave you to fight this battle on your own.” If only she understood how deep my obsession and desire for her are. Aries is still standing there, hovering, waiting. Quickly, I pull her out of the car and pick her up, then turn around to face him.
“Did I hear you wrong a minute ago?” He asks gruffly.
I shake my head. “Nope. You heard me correctly. We are getting married. Now."
Aries blinks once the only indication of surprise on his face. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we’re getting married, and you’re going to be the one to do it.”
He lets out a sharp bark of laughter and shifts on his feet. "Whoa. That ordination thing was a joke."
"Joke or not, all that matters is if it’s legal. Is it?”
"Well, yes."
"Great. That’s all that matters. Get inside the house so you can marry us.”
He narrows his eyes. "For someone who needs a favor, you’re being a real fucking dick, Arturo.”
"I don't give a shit, Haverford. It's been a bitch of night and morning so far. Right now, I want you to marry us so I can make sure no one comes for what's mine again."
His dark eyes ping-pong between Elyse and me. If he says no I will lose my shit. But there’s no one that understands obsession quite like Aries, and he gives a slow tip of his head.
"Whatever. I’ll do it, but only because you asked me so nicely. I don’t want to hear any bitching and moaning when this is over. Remember, you asked me to do this.”
"Noted."
With a disappointed shake of his head, he starts down the path into the house, and I follow, carrying Ely in my arms. Once we’re inside, I feel a little more at ease. Walking over to the leather couch, I gently lay her down. Her head lolls to the side, and her eyes flicker open and closed. The Xanax is doing its job, thank God. After a moment, I face Aries, who is standing in the kitchen staring at me like I’ve lost my fucking mind.
"Okay. How does this work? What do you need?"
"Nothing, asshole. Just stand there."
He turns on his heels and jogs up the staircase. Turning my attention back to Elyse, I tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "You okay, Little Prey? Do you need anything?"
Her gaze narrows, and she tries to focus all of her attention on me. “Yes. I need to go back in time and forget I ever met you.” Her words sting, but I can handle them. She’s upset right now and understandably so. At some point, she will understand why I did this.
Aries returns from upstairs and hands me a sheet of paper and a pen.
I look down at it, realizing it’s a marriage license, the paper still warm from the printer. "Fill this out, I'll sign it, and then pay off whoever I need to, to get it finalized."
I fill the form out then hand it to Ely and point to the spot where she needs to sign, "Sign here, Elyse."
She blinks up at me, and makes no move to reach for the pen. "What happens if I don’t?”
“You already know what will happen if you don't.” Anticipation unravels in my gut. Will I have to force her name on that line or will she do it on her own?
“Your last name will not stop my father. You might think you’re the Almighty God of Oakmount, but you aren’t. He knows people. No one can protect me from him.”
“I don’t think I’m God, Ely. I just know the warning my last name brings, and that attaching it to you will give you the protection you need. I’m not scared of your father. He’s a minor inconvenience to me. I’ll swat him away like the fly he is.”
“And what happens to me? If I marry you? What will you do to me?”
“Signing the paper changes nothing. It makes you my wife, yes, but that’s where we were headed, anyway. Things just went a little quicker.”
She glances away and up at Aries, like he can save her from me. He wouldn’t fucking dare. Aries’ expression softens infinitesimally under her gaze, though. “I doubt it helps to tell you this, but Sebastian won’t let anything happen to you. He’s loyal to a fault, and he protects those he cares about. I mean, you already know that, though, since you’ve been living with him for months.” He shrugs, “Worst case scenario we annul the marriage once shit settles down.”
I glare at Aries. What the fuck? In order to annul a marriage we’d both have to agree to divorce, and there’s no way in hell that’s happening. Aries merely shrugs his shoulders at my icy glare.
Elyse looks between us, her eyes growing heavier by the second.
I pull out my phone and text the doctor to meet at my house. No way in hell am I dealing with Aries and then Drew once he returns to the Mill.
"Damnit, would you just sign the fucking paper so I can get you to the doctor. There’s no choice for you to make. Marry me, and you become untouchable; don’t and your father kills you, slowly but surely wearing you down, one brutality after the next.”
It might seem as though I’m giving her a choice but I’m not. I will forge her name on the dotted line if she refuses. I won’t let her fall into her father’s clutches to be used as a pawn on his chess board. I failed her once before, but I won’t again. Nothing will stand in the way of her safety, not even herself.
Her glazed gaze pierces me, and I can see how helpless she feels in making this decision.
To her, she’s lost it all. This is the end.
What she doesn’t know is all she has to do is turn the page, and a new chapter starts. No longer will she hide behind me. Elyse is a queen, and she deserves to stand at my side, not hide in the shadows.
Even after one night together I knew what I wanted, and what would come. I had planned to charm her into submission, not force her, but time ran out. I can’t say I’m completely unhappy with the situation. Taking her as a wife will not be a regret. It’s more the effect it will have on her that concerns me.
Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Elyse reaches for the pen. I try to help her up, but she brushes my hands away. Taking the pen between her fingers, she signs her name across the line, her hand shaking.
It’s terrible, and it’s fucked up.
I know this, but I can’t help but smile with the knowledge she is mine. Forever and always. Mrs. Arturo.
Reaching for her, I smile, “It’s time to go home, wife.”