14. Sebastian
CHAPTER 14
SEBASTIAN
A fter the phone call I couldn’t risk causing Elyse any more stress, so I texted her father and told him if he wanted to meet all he needed to do was pick a place and time and let me know. Thus here we are. The public cafe is a smart move on the sheriff's part. If he'd been stupid enough to meet me somewhere alone I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't put a gun in his mouth and gleefully pull the trigger. Problem solved. Well, partially.
I scan the small restaurant while I wait. It doesn't appear to be seeded with any cops, but just because I don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t here. There's no guarantee the sheriff's other associates aren't hiding in here. Men like Yanov, casually sipping on London Fog and acting as if they aren’t sexual predators preying on the innocent. That’s fine. Let them learn who they are up against by siding with the Sheriff...my guess is, though, the man has an ego and comes alone, or maybe with a flunkie, to try and intimidate me into surrendering to him. Surrendering Ely to him. Not going to fucking happen.
I force the thought from my mind before I lose it. I'm not stupid enough to put myself in a situation that would give him the upper hand, anyway. Not with my life or my friends’ lives on the line, but especially not with Ely’s hanging in the balance. I wanted to meet here, force him to drag me out, if he’s man enough, so if the time comes I can claim self defense when the good sherriff inevitably goes too far. Who would blame me...the good ole college football star, the man who stepped up for his family after so much tragedy. I’ll put a bullet in Ely’s father’s head, make him disappear, and the town will still call me a legend.
Which is why I'm sitting here with a paper cup of coffee in my hand, alone . I’m aware I should’ve told my friends of my plan but then they would’ve tried to talk me out of it. No doubt, Drew and Aries both would kill him on sight, crowded cafe or not, and I’m not really in the mood to search for a lawyer today. That or pay off a judge, or whatever else it would take to protect those I care about.
I should really be worried about myself and the effort it’s going to take me to not shoot this fucker in the face the second I see him. If there is anyone deserving death, it’s him. It would almost— almost —be worth the hassle.
I peer around the room once more, twisting in my seat to make sure no no one is creeping up on my back. There’s a window behind me, and I wouldn’t put it past the sheriff to send one of his men through it. I settle into my seat, relaxing when it appears no one is watching me, and nothing seems to be out of place. It’s a little surprising I haven’t received more curious looks, as I've been staring the patrons down like they owe me money.
I glance down at my cell phone. He’s late. If he's going to threaten me and my wife, he should at least have the decency to be on time.
The bell above the door jingles, alerting me to another patron walking into the cafe. I look up to see the sheriff, his gaze roaming over the space until he pinpoints me. He skirts the tables around us and casually comes to stand in front of the only empty chair at the table.
I ensured it was the only one there, back to the room, just to piss him off.
"Mr. Arturo." He greets me, tipping his finger against his hat like an old time cowboy.
I don't return the pleasantries and instead continue to study him. This is the first time I've seen the sheriff up close, and I can see Ely in his eyes. Somehow the similarity pisses me off more than anything else.
"Did you want to get some coffee before we start?" I offer with a blank face.
Shaking his head, he removes his hat and then combs his fingers over his sparse gray fuzz. He's buzzed it short, but it's easy to see there's not much hair left. He's maybe an inch taller than me, his build lean. If it came down to it, and he didn't have his gun, I'd be able to take him easily enough.
He pulls out the chair and sits, leaning his legs out like he's relaxed. "We have a couple of things to discuss, Mr. Arturo. Like the return of my property."
I lean onto the table and take a sip of my almost empty coffee. It's mostly cold dregs now, but it lends to the mask, so I don't care. "I wasn't aware I possessed anything of yours, Sherriff."
Raising one eyebrow as if questioning my sanity, he scans my face. Yeah, you don’t want to see how fucked up I am, I promise you that. I've learned to shove everything so deep no one sees it. I should thank Tanya for that little skill.
"Don’t play stupid with me. You have my daughter, and I want her back."
I roll my eyes up and purse my lips like I'm thinking. "Your daughter? I don’t recall. The only person I have in my possession is my wife."
Slowly I tilt my hand over the table, letting the ring on my left hand catch the light. I would have preferred to have Ely pick out a ring for me, but I needed this to make a point.
"Your wife?" He balks. "Fucking a girl doesn't mean she's yours to keep. The arrangement I had was with your grandfather, not you.”
All I can do is shrug, still keeping the hate I feel for this asshole out of my eyes. "Isn’t that how inheritance works? Anything that was his, now belongs to me? I mean, if I, in fact, had one of your possessions. Which, I don't."
He releases a frustrated sigh and taps his knuckle against the table. "Well, I suppose we can circle back to this in a moment when I tell you the rest of why I'm here to meet you. The carrot, so to speak."
"As opposed to what, the stick? Are we speaking with that tired metaphor?"
He wears his dislike of me thickly on his face, his thin mouth twisting into a nasty grin, one I'm sure would send Ely running, and I hate him a little for it. Though he should know, men like him don’t scare me. They make me hungry for revenge, for power, for death.
"It would appear you’ve run into some legal troubles, Mr. Arturo. I'd like to be of assistance, on account of the long-standing relationship our families have with one another."
I clench my hand into a fist in my lap and shake my head. "Legal troubles? I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. I'm a good, upstanding citizen. Just an all-American good ol’ college football player, and the star running back for Oakmount. Who would have a problem with me?"
His jaw twitches, and his smile slips away. "Your stepmother, Mrs. Arturo, has filed assault charges against you. When she showed up at the station, distraught and beat up, we knew we had to do something. As good officers of the law, my team and I took pictures and recorded everything. Even made sure she saw a medical professional for a rape kit. She named you as her attacker. She says you even caused a miscarriage. Medical records to prove it."
Are you fucking kidding me? I want to scream at him that I didn't touch her, but that's a lie. I didn't fuck her, or let her fuck me, as she would have preferred. But there is no denying I threw her out of my house as brutally as she deserved.
Face like a stone, I stare at him. "Does she have proof of this? I haven't seen my stepmother in some time. Not since she graciously decided to move out of the family estate and into a hotel to make room for my growing family."
Something like disbelief flashes in his eyes. "Family? Are you expecting anyone else besides your... wife ?"
I smile. "Oh you know, young love. It’s early in the marriage but we're just a couple of kids, Sheriff. Sometimes we aren't as safe as we should be, and I have a family legacy to consider."
He stiffens, and I know I've gotten under his skin. If Ely is pregnant, he can't take her back, he can't sell her or her body to anyone else. I’ve essentially spoiled the fruit.
"Well, regardless, your stepmother has named you as her attacker and has formally pressed charges. Of course, in view of your potential cooperation, if we could come to an arrangement, maybe I could help."
I shrug, trading in my usual blank stare, for a smile. "Well, she's lying, and I don't have anything I’m interested in giving you. So..." I shove away from the table and stare down at him. "If there isn't anything else to discuss, I'll be going."
Before I repeatedly smash your smug face into the table until you stop breathing.
"Wait one more moment, Mr. Arturo. I don't think you understand how serious this is. There's been a warrant issued for your arrest. I’ve been dragging my feet with paperwork, but the lady is being insistent you should be arrested. So, if we can't come up with a solution, I'm afraid I'll have to take you to jail and book you.”
I slowly lower myself back into the chair. This fucking asshole. The smile slips off my face, and I let the hate I feel for him enter my eyes. Let him see how much I want to kill him. Brutally. Painfully. Without mercy. I let him see the man he's decided to fuck with, long enough to unsettle him.
Unfortunately, he's a stupid bastard.
"Mr. Arturo, do you have any thoughts?"
I sip the last bit of my coffee and slide my cup back onto the table again. Thinking. The only thing he wants is Ely. And she's the only thing I wouldn't give up for the world.
"What do you want, Sheriff? Be clear."
He tilts his head, grinning now, knowing he has the upper hand for the first time since he sat. "Well, since we are negotiating. As I mentioned before, I want my property. Additionally, I'd take a donation to my reelection campaign. If you’re feeling generous.”
"How much?"
He tilts his shoulder and shakes his head. "Oh, I don't know. Half a million would mean I get to reach the ears of a lot of folks around here. I'd love to be able to spread the word more thoroughly."
Five hundred thousand dollars can buy you a lot of drugs and guns.
"What about a million and we forget about your property?"
He scoffs. "We both know my property is priceless."
"Could have fooled me by how you passed it around to assholes like Yanov."
He resettles at the mention of his dead friend. "Well, we all have debts to pay, of course. Everything was supposed to be returned to me unharmed. Yanov never followed my directions very well."
"I think we're at an impasse if the money doesn't interest you."
He studies me carefully, assessingly, and for all his faults, he's picked something up. Maybe he's finally understanding I won't walk away from Ely. Not for anything.
"Well, I guess we better go downtown then."
And that's it. I slide my phone from my pocket, hit a button, and raise it to my ear. Ely picks up almost immediately.
"Hey. You with Drew?"
She sounds breathless. "Yes, I'm at home, waiting for you."
"Good, stay put. Drew, Aries, and Lee, and Bel will be over shortly to keep you company.” It’s a lie, but I can’t let this dick know she might be vulnerable right now.
"What? Why? What’s going on?”
I sigh and meet the sheriff's eyes. "Do me a favor, though, tell Aries I need him to find me the best lawyer in the tri-state area. It seems the Sheriff wants me to accompany him downtown to discuss a couple of things, and I don't talk to cops without legal counsel."
There's a scuffle. "What the hell, Sebastian? What do you mean he’s taking you to jail?"
She's almost screeching in my ear now, but I don't dare let the man sitting across from me see even a lick of the fear I know Ely is feeling right now. “Unfortunately, yes. But stay with them. I'll see you soon, babe. Love you."
She sputters, and I hang up before she can respond, even though I really wanted to hear her say the words back to me.
I lock the screen and slide it into my pocket. "I'll follow you there."
He stands and shoves the chair hard under the table, sending it into my gut. It burns but I don't respond with anger. It’s what he expects, anticipates.
Unhooking his cuffs, he waves them at me. "No, I don't think so. You'll be accompanying me. Just to make sure you get there all right."
Two more uniformed officers walk into the cafe, and I shrug. "Sure, if that's what you want, Sheriff. I'm sure my lawyer will be there before we arrive."
He leans in, and he’s so close I can smell the bourbon on his acrid breath. "Unless you'd like to reconsider where you stand on things?"
"No, I'm good."
Angrily he grabs my wrists, and I resist the urge to slug him in the face. Fucking asshole.
Pain flares up my limbs when he wrenches my arms behind my back, but all I do is flash a grin at the two other officers, who look way more uncomfortable than their boss. Across the cafe a girl stands, her phone in her hand. She’s filming it, I bet. I give her a wink, because in an hour this will be all around campus, and the Sheriff won't have a leg to stand on.
Golden Boy Gets Arrested. Star Oakmount Player Dragged Away in Handcuffs. I can see it in the Oakmount Tribune .
In this town, the Oakmount Legacy is supreme, and the Sheriff is about to piss off his own donor base. Good. Better he makes himself look like an asshole than have me do it. With a hand to my back, he shoves me forward, and I stumble, going down to one knee as hard as I can. It's nothing, but I grimace and groan, making it look like it hurts. Image is everything.
Hauling me up by the arms, he drags me out of the cafe, and I let him, limping along the entire way to the car. If he’s going to try and pin something on me I didn’t do, then you can bet your fucking ass I will be returning the favor. Two can play this game.