36. Bel
I’m adrenaline and fear braided to a fine point, and I know once it wears off, I’ll be nothing but an exhausted mess. My hands tremble, and my brain reels with all the information revealed. Drew’s father, Lyle, is really Sebastian’s father, and my own mother was arranged to marry him? My father is a man who my mother fell in love with after he saved her life, but that’s disappeared off the face of the earth? I can’t wrap my head around it all. It feels like someone took my brain and put it in a blender. Even thinking about it now gives me a headache. Still, I wish I had my mother to ask these questions.
All the lies, hate, and pain. There’s so much darkness in this room.
I’ll never say Lyle didn’t deserve every bullet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t mourn the scar his death will leave on Drew’s and Sebastian’s souls. More than anything, I feel bad for Sebastian, for the loss he’s suffered, and now I worry about the impact it will have on him. He already carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Drew holds me in his arms, and we sit on the couch and wait for the car. The doctor already wheeled Victoria back to her room so she could rest. I know at some point Drew will need to discuss with his mom who his real parents are, but after everything that came out tonight, I don’t know that we could handle another reveal.
At least he’ll get the answers he’s been seeking, even if it won’t happen tonight.
“Our ride will be here soon. I figure we’re both a little shaken up, a ride is the safest bet,” Drew says.
All I do is nod.
I’m a ball of nerves right now, and I’m trying not to be bothered by Sebastian’s icy demeanor. He has a lot of shit going on. I couldn’t even fathom being in his head at the moment, but that didn’t mean I was willing to let him slip into the dark abyss.
I feel helpless, watching as he paces the room, his phone stuck to his ear. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but I can make assumptions based on recent events. A moment later, Sebastian ends the call and turns toward us.
I hate how tired he looks.
“Cleanup crew will be here soon.”
“Okay. I ordered a ride while you were on the phone. I’ll take her back to your place, and then I can come back here and help with anything.”
Sebastian shakes his head. “No. Go back to the house with her, and I’ll be there shortly. I don’t want her to be left alone.”
Even facing all that he has, his concern for my well being shines through the darkness the brightest. I’d planned to talk about the drugging and what happened once Drew and I had a moment alone together, but I didn”t know if I wanted to leave Sebastian here by himself. I can only imagine how far off the rails this is all going to take him.
At some point we will need to discuss the new information revealed, but I think that can wait till another night. I might be upset with being left in the dark but I think Sebastian has had enough shit tossed on him today.
“Whatever you want. I just didn’t want to leave you to clean up this whole thing on your own.”
It makes me feel good to have them both on the same page, at least for now. I know it won’t stay that way forever but I was terrified for a little bit, that their friendship might end because of me.
“Are you okay?” I ask even while knowing he won’t give me an honest answer.
Sebastian’s been a pillar of strength for me from the beginning, supporting and encouraging me after losing my mom, our mom. It’s my turn to return the favor. To be the strength he needs.
“I don’t think you could handle my answer at the moment, so I’ll say yes, and we can discuss it later.” The steel of his voice vibrates through me.
“I’m just worried. I can’t lose you too.” I hate how vulnerable that admittance makes me but I need him to know that I can’t lose him. That I won’t survive if I do.
He gives me a smile, the one that he saves just for us, and some of the weight on my chest lifts by seeing that little bit of light shine in his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, and nothing will happen to me. I promise. In a couple of days, we can discuss the findings from the PI. I’ll make sure I have some fast food on standby.”
“Don’t try to butter me up.” I playfully grin at him.
“I have to have at least one form of protection against you.”
“And french fries is your weapon of choice?”
He shrugs. “Yes. I’ll just toss them at you like grenades, and eventually, you’ll be so full you’ll forget about getting revenge.”
Laughter bubbles out of me. “Oh, I’ll get revenge, but you’ll never see it coming.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes in a playful way, and then his phone chimes with an incoming text. He stares at the screen for a full minute, his demeanor changing in an instant. He’s wearing the same expression he wore that day when his stepmom/aunt showed up.
“Our rides here.” Drew’s voice drags me away from my thoughts, and before I realize it, we’re moving. He cradles me in his arms as he pushes off the couch.
“You know I can walk, right?” I grumble while secretly enjoying his caveman demeanor. It’s crazy to me that I’m happy instead of sad right now. Someone just died, yet I’m smiling. I try not to think about that, or the person it might make me for not feeling remorse, or guilt at the loss of his life.
“If I want to carry you around for the rest of my life, then I will. You’re my woman, Bel, and I’ll do whatever I please with you.” He smirks, carrying me outside to the waiting car. He gently sets me on my feet, then opens the door. We climb inside together, the driver giving us a strange look as he takes in our attire.
Shit, I forgot we were still wearing wedding clothes. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything on the way over to the house.
“I can’t believe it’s over…” I whisper to Drew.
“Me either. It”s going to take some time before I can wrap my head around him being gone.”
It feels wrong to be discussing death like it’s the weather, but I need to talk about what happened. Otherwise, it might eat me alive. A calmness blankets us, and I lean into Drew’s side, pressing my head against his bicep. Our fingers are laced together, and all I can do is stare down at them.
He’ll never hurt anyone ever again. It’s over. I’m bitter that his death was so quick when my own mother had to suffer for years through hers, but at least he’s gone.
I don’t even realize we’ve pulled up to my house until the car rolls to a stop, and Drew gives me a nudge on the arm. I sit up straight and give him a smile. He thanks the driver and opens the door, but he doesn’t let my feet touch the ground.
He grabs me by the waist and tosses me over his shoulder, carrying me into the house, and I don’t even object. There’s no point. He walks inside like he owns the place, and the guards don’t even blink in his direction. We make it to my bedroom at breakneck speed, and I let out a short laugh when he plops me down on the bed. He turns and slams the door closed behind him, flicking the lock into place.
“Now,” he says and turns back to face me before stalking back over.
Gently, he sets our phones on the bedside table. If I didn’t know him I’d be skittering away by the feral glint in his eyes. “I know there are a million things to be said, and that a lot happened tonight. I also know you’re mentally and physically exhausted, and that you’re most likely pissed off at me. I owe you answers, and an apology but I’m begging you. I’ll give you all those things, but please, right now, I need to touch you, feel you, to make sure you’re really here with me and that this isn’t a dream.” There’s a note of pleading in his tone, and I know this is something we both need.
I gulp hard, and give him a nod. “Oh, I’m more than angry, and we will have a conversation about how you can make it up to me, but for right now, you can start by touching me.”
He does exactly as I ask and roughly shoves my thighs apart, the gauze of the dress stretching across the space. I let out a gasp but am prepared when he throws back the material so he can step between my bare thighs.
My phone vibrates on the bedside table, and with an irritated huff, he snatches it up. I’m about to tell him my passcode when he enters it with a wink.
Of course he knows my passcode.
“It’s a text from Sebastian. He says the doctor is taking my mom back to the hospital.”
Immediately, I’m filled with concern. “Do you want to go? We can get a ride back.”
Drew shakes his head. “I can check on her in a little bit. There’s nowhere else she would be safer than in the hospital, and I’m not a doctor. Plus, all I need right this second is sitting in front of me.”
He quickly texts back and then tosses my phone on the far side of the bed. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me look at you.”
I shove the worry and concern for his mother to the back of my mind and shift so he can access the zipper on the back of the dress.
He peels the bodice off from around my shoulders and down to my waist. Then shoves the bra straps down my biceps and tugs it off at my elbows.
Goose bumps erupt across my skin, and he rubs his hands up my arms to warm me. It’s not necessary, not with his fingers pressing into my flesh and his eyes locked on my bare chest.
“Look at you. Still so fucking beautiful even after all the destruction and chaos,” he whispers. “Do you have any idea how strong and amazing you are?”
As if he can’t get me out of the dress fast enough, he tugs it down, ripping the material in his haste. It doesn’t bother me. I’d be fine if he burned the damn thing. I never want to see it again.
“You too,” I whisper, grasping his tuxedo jacket at the collar to shove it off his broad shoulders. I tug at the loose bow tie until I can strip it away and start on the buttons in a long line down his chiseled chest.
He tugs his shirt out of his pants and I rip it off his arms leaving him in his slacks. His shoes and pants go next until he’s standing in front of me in nothing but black boxer briefs. Damn he looks good. He always has but now, now that I know how so completely he is mine, he looks even better.
I swallow hard and meet his eyes. “Touch me.”
He licks his lips. “I’ll touch you but we are going to do it my way. You trust me with your life, now trust me to give you what you need.”
I lean forward, hoping for a kiss, but he just flashes me a quick smirk and sinks to his knees in front of me. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life worshiping you, and proving how much you mean to me, and I can’t think of a better spot to start than right here.” He grabs me by the ankles and tugs me forward, roughly placing my legs over his shoulders. “Now be a good girl and let me please my pussy.”
Psh...I laugh. “Did you just say please your pussy?”
He smirks and it hits differently as I meet his eyes over the curves of my body. Damn he’s beautiful, and free. So free, like a bird escaping a cage. I speer my fingers through his dark hair, as he places a kiss to the inside of my thigh.
“Yes!” He whispers, almost to himself. “Mine. My pussy.”
There’s an urgency to his words, to the way he touches me, like he’s afraid I might disappear beneath his fingertips if he doesn’t hurry.
His fingers sweep through my folds, moving lower, and then all at once he enters me with two thick digits. I’m not quite wet enough for the rough treatment but the slight sting and the way he does it with absolute confidence means I take it anyway.
“Fuck...” I hiss out, throwing my head back, squeezing my eyes closed.
He makes up for the roughness by sucking my clit between his lips, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin.
I lift my hips, begging for more, needing more. “Drew!”
He flicks his gaze up to meet mine and speaks against my pussy. “What did I tell you, Flower? It’s my pussy. Every inch of you belongs to me.”
When he ducks back down, he takes no mercy on me. His teeth graze my clit with every swipe of his tongue and when my body grows wetter, the muscles relaxing and adjusting he adds another finger. He fucks me with those three fingers, making me climb higher and higher.
I’m full, so deliciously full, but I love it.
All I can do is whimper when he gently eases in a fourth finger. Oh fuck.
“Can my pretty pussy take the whole thing? Can you take my fist in your cunt, Bel? Will you cream all over my fingers, and scream my name while you explode?”
There’s no other option but to take the pleasure and pain that he gives me. The sounds my body makes as he slips in and out of me, they’re embarrassing yet so hot they intensify my pleasure.
“Can you feel it, feel your pussy tightening around my fingers? God, I love seeing you stretched like this. At my mercy… hanging on the edge, waiting for my command.”
My toes curl, and I’m walking a tightrope of pleasure. There’s a burn in my core, and I know what he wants. There’s still one more finger to go. He’s going to stretch me as far as I can go, and make me take it even if I whine, whimper, and beg for him to stop.
He knows my body better than even I do.
His green eyes lock on mine. “Don’t take your eyes off me, Bel. Don’t you fucking dare. Your pleasure is mine, and you’ll come when I say you can come.”
I grit my teeth and blink up at him, knowing exactly what he expects of me. He smiles and oh-so slowly adds his thumb to the other four fingers already inside me. The tinge of pain from being stretched so thoroughly tugs at my nerve endings.
Oh god.My arousal drips down my thighs and his hand. I can feel the pleasure building, threatening to consume me. I fist the sheets below my hands and try to escape the pleasure, but I can’t.
“Drew! Please! I need to come… please…” I whimper, nearly on the edge of tears. With a chuckle, he disappears again, and his lips latch onto my clit again, sucking, drawing the orgasm out of me like a peel carved around an apple. I convulse, my hips lifting on their own, as the juices spill out of me like a damn waterfall.
It’s a damn miracle that I keep my eyes on his, even as mine well up and tears slip down the sides of my cheeks. The pleasure ripples over my body, until it becomes almost painful, and I have to push at his shoulders to get him to stop eating my pussy or risk dying from post-orgasm pleasure.
He takes mercy on me finally and lifts his head from between my thighs. I watch mesmerized and in a haze as he licks the arousal glistening his lips.
“You’re such a good girl, creaming all over my fist.”
All I can do is huff out a breath, my heart still hammering against my rib cage. With a tenderness, he eases his fingers out of me, and I’m left with an emptiness that only he can fill. I reach for him, wanting to return the favor, but he merely shakes his head.
“I’ll fuck you and fill you with my cum real soon, but first we need to have a little talk.”
“I’m still mad at you for drugging me.”
“As expected.”
“It hurt my feelings that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. I wanted to tell you. I needed the element of surprise, and if you followed along with everything I did, I wouldn’t have been able to sell it to him. I needed him to believe that I was finally following along, that I was going to listen.”
I understood that and knew I’d have to accept that the men in my life would occasionally do things to protect me and not tell me because they wanted to ensure I was safe. That didn’t mean I had to like it, though.
“Don’t do it again.”
“Which part? The drugging or the hiding information until the very end?”
I pin him with a glare. “Both. I didn’t like not knowing what was happening, and I was scared when I woke up and we were in your father’s office.”
Drew cradles my cheeks in his hands, his lips hovering above my own. “I’ll do my very best in the future to tell you every single detail of every single thing. Unless it’s unsafe for you to know.”
“Fine.” I smile and press my lips against his. There’s no use arguing, he won’t change his mind on this. I can tell by the rigid set of his jaw and the spark in his eyes. There will be things I can fight him on and things I can’t fight him on. I know this, and I need to learn to compromise with him, but it’s difficult when he’s such a caveman.
The kiss becomes possessive, searing. Like he’s trying to destroy me and piece me back together at the same time. I fall deeper into the kiss, letting it consume me. I’m completely breathless, and tugging on his shoulders, begging for more, when he breaks away from me. I whimper with disapproval, and he shakes his head at me, his restraint barely intact.
“Shower, dinner, and then I’ll fuck you. In that order. It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of, and I take my job really fucking seriously, Flower.”
His dark tone is delicious and makes me want to disobey him just to see what kind of punishment he’ll give me. “What do you want to eat?” he asks.
A smile pulls at the corner of my lips. “Cock,” I whisper.
His gaze darkens tenfold, and he shoves a hand into my hair, tugging the strands hard. I see the lustful haze that appears there and the zing of pleasure I get from speaking to him that way, but more than any of that is the trust and warmth I feel when he touches me. I feel safe with him, and while I’ve always been safe with him in one way or another, it’s never been something I could be one-hundred percent certain of. Now there’s nothing in our way. No hurdles to jump. No secrets or lies to be discovered.
It’s just us.
“I love you, Maybel Jacobs, but if you keep taunting me, I will show you what it’s like to be hate fucked. Now stop teasing me.”
He releases me, and all I can do is smile.
“Fine. Let’s shower, and then we can go downstairs and find something to eat.”
Drew carries me into the bathroom, placing me on the edge of the counter. He opens the glass shower doors and turns the water on, twisting the dial to hot. It doesn’t take long for steam to fill the space, and when he returns, he picks me up and carries me into the shower with him.
“I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for this moment,” Drew whispers against my lips.
“To shower?” I giggle.
He glares, “No. To hold you in my arms without the fear of something dark and sinister hanging above us.”
“Only the most hard-fought love is worth it,” I soothe, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Fuck, I can’t get over hearing you say that you love me.”
“Well, you better get used to it because I’m never going to stop saying it.” I smile and fall deeper into his penetrating gaze. After a while, we take care in cleaning each other and washing away the weight of what happened today.
I’m not sure how long we stay under the stream of water, but we remain wrapped up in one another until the water turns cold. When we get out, Drew wraps me in a fluffy white towel and dries me off before drying himself off.
My belly rumbles loudly, and I grin at him, knowing he heard it too. I grab a T-shirt, pair of panties, and sleep shorts from the dresser, and turn back to Drew. Shit. He doesn’t have anything to wear.
“Why don’t I stay up here, and you go and get the food. I’ll be waiting here with a reward when you get back.” He playfully wiggles his eyebrows at me.
Drew’s awakened a sexual beast inside me.
“Fine. I’ll go get something from the kitchen. You stay here.”
“Hurry…” he teases, and I disappear from the room with a smile.
I’m almost in the kitchen when the sound of shouting filters into my ears. It’s getting late. No one else should be here except the couple of people who stay on for the night if we need anything.
Just inside the threshold of the kitchen, I pause. I take in the entire scene in an instant. Sebastian stands near the black granite countertops, and the maid, Elyse, is near the stainless steel fridge, her small body hunched over, her bleeding hand clutched tight to her chest.
There’s blood on Sebastian’s hand, which I assume is Elyse’s. Did he hurt her? I can’t fathom him doing that, but then again, we all do things differently when the stress on us is different.
“I told you not to touch it, and you did anyway. The only person you have to blame for that cut is yourself!” Seb’s voice is a shout that fills my ears.
The maid turns, tears slipping down her cheeks, dragging mascara with them. “I’m sorry. It’s my job. You can’t just leave broken glass on the floor. It’s unsafe.”
He drags a crystal glass filled with something off the counter beside him and takes a long swallow. “I’m not safe either, but that doesn’t seem to scare you.”
It’s a whip crack of a response, and I gasp.
“Sebastian.”
His eyes find mine, and for a flash, I see guilt there. “Just go, clean yourself up,” he tells her. “If you need stitches, I’ll make sure you get to the hospital.”
The maid gives me a quick glance, then rushes out of the room toward the employee wing.
I’m considering going after her when the back kitchen door swings open and a wave of chilly air slams into me. I’m both stunned and concerned when a tall brunette comes walking, her body teetering on sky-high heels and the tightest red dress I’ve ever seen. Who the hell is this person? A man with a shaved head follows her, wheeling several stacked suitcases in.
“I’m home,” she greets in a liquid honey voice, her eyes all for Sebastian.
“What the hell is going on?” I ask, marching over, instantly seeing the way Sebastian’s shoulders go rigid.
Seb looks worse than he did when we left him. His usually lovely curls disheveled and shoved out of his face. He’s changed, his dress shirt partially unbuttoned, and the black sweatpants he’s wearing are totally out of character.
“Sebastian? What’s going on?” I whisper, barely sparing the new woman a glance.
“Nothing. Everything is fine,” he grits out.
The woman steps forward and extends her hand like she wants me to kiss it, but I shake it instead. “Don’t be rude, Sebastian. Who is your little friend?”
Sebastian looks like he’s going to blow a blood vessel at any second, so I save him from defeat and answer myself.
“Maybel Jacobs,” I tell her.
“Mmm, nice to meet you. I’m Tanya Arturo.”
For once, I consider using the Arturo name because she looks like she doesn’t give a shit about anyone without money or power. Her makeup is perfect to accent her brown eyes, her hair perfectly straight down to her butt, not a gray in sight even though she has to be in her late thirties. Something in my gut tells me this woman is bad news, but I have no confirmation or reason to believe it other than Sebastian’s silence and desire to look anywhere but at the woman or even me.
It hits me then. Was this the aunt Sebastian mentioned one time before? What is she doing here? Not that I have much say in if she comes or goes, as this isn’t my home, but if this was a planned visit, indeed Seb would’ve told me ahead of time, right?
“Tanya, I told you not to come here. There are a number of hotels to stay at. You could’ve chosen any one of them.”
“And miss seeing you?” She pouts. “I think not. Plus, this is my home. I deserve to be here as much as you do.”
“Whatever,” he sneers. “Make yourself at home.”
“Great,” she beams and turns, giving me a smile. I’m temporarily frozen, unsure what to do. I feel this unruly desire to protect Sebastian, but I have no idea what I’m protecting him against. Certainly not this Tanya woman. “It was nice to meet you, Maybel. Maybe I’ll be seeing you around?”
“Definitely,” I reply and make a note of the flash of anger that flickers in her eyes.
“Excellent. Let’s go, Marcus.”
The woman snaps at the bald man with her luggage and starts walking, her high heels clacking as she disappears from the kitchen.
What the fuck was that?
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” I step toward him, but he shakes his head, waving at the shine of glass still littering the floor like he needs the distraction.
“Nothing. I got careless. As I told the maid, I’ll clean it up.”
“Her name is Elyse, and I’m not just referring to the glass. That woman, who is she, and what happened?” I take a deep breath, realizing I’ve just hit him with a lot all at once. “No one would fault you for losing it after everything that happened today.”
“I don’t give a shit what her name is,” he snaps and then sighs almost as if he’s defeated. “I’m fine, Bel. Don’t worry about me, and don’t worry about Tanya. She’s no one, and she’ll be out of our lives as fast as she entered it if I have anything to say about it.”
I feel like there’s this vast distance between us, and I hate it. I know he’s only being an asshole to push me away, and he can be however he wants to be, but I want to make certain he knows I’m not going anywhere. Against his wishes, I take a step forward and wrap my willowy arms around his middle, hugging him as tightly as I can.
“Sebastian. I’m here. When you’re ready, I’m here. And I love you. I’m not going anywhere.”
At first, it’s like hugging a two-by-four, his entire body tense and unmoving, but then he presses his face to the top of my head, the tension easing from his body. I wish the moment would last longer, but it ends as quickly as it happens.
Taking a step back, he severs the connection.
“Try not to worry about me. I’ll be okay. You have your hands full enough with the psychopath.” He gestures toward the way I entered, no doubt indicating Drew.
I hate it, but I can’t make him talk to me. I can’t make him take my support or help. I have to wait until he’s ready, and it sucks so much.
“If you need anything, you know where I am.”
He nods, but I’m not convinced he’ll come to me if he needs something. I leave the kitchen without anything to eat. My appetite is mostly ruined now anyway. Entering the bedroom, I find Drew sprawled out on the bed, one eyebrow raised in question.
“Was the pantry empty?”
I shake my head and cross the space, needing to be closer to him. “No. I didn’t even look.”
“That’s fine. Let’s order a pizza or something,” he whispers into my ear, dragging me onto the bed beside him. I let him, mainly because I’m not sure what I can do to help Seb’s situation right now. I twist out of Drew’s hold and turn to face him.
He stares at me, concern etched into his features. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m really worried about Sebastian. I’m worried about the behavior I just witnessed downstairs, and how he acted toward Elyse. Then Tanya showed up.” I let the frustration pour out of me. “She gives me a bad feeling, and I don’t even really know her.”
Drew nods. “Well, she’s the stepmom/aunt. I’m actually surprised she didn’t show up sooner, given the death of Sebastian’s grandfather.”
I shrug. “I don’t care. I don’t like her. And I don’t like how Sebastian treated Elyse, the maid. She was bleeding.”
Drew doesn’t seem surprised. In fact, he’s as calm as a cucumber. “It’s going to be okay. Bad situations bring out the worst in all of us, and with the added stress, I’m sure whatever happened was an accident. I’ve known Sebastian almost my entire life. He’s as hardheaded as you and even crazier, but he’s strong and smart. He’ll be okay, and if he isn’t, then we will be there to help him.”
“I know, but what if he’s not okay… what if it”s so much worse than we think it is? What if he doesn’t ask for help?”
“Shhh,” Drew soothes, feathering his lips along my throat. “Remember, you can’t save everyone. Let him figure out his problems the same way he let you figure yours out. When he’s ready, and if he needs it, then we”ll be there to help him. He’s never alone, Flower. Not with us, Lee, and Aries at his side.”
The combination of words and his touch melts away the fear and worry inside me. All I can do is be there for him, be the pillar of strength he needs, and when he’s ready he’ll share with me whatever he wants to.
“I love you,” Drew growls, nipping at my ear and dragging me from my thoughts. I look up into his sparkling green eyes, and I know there isn’t a single thing he won’t do for me. He’s gone through so much to keep me at his side, and I’ve never been prouder to call him mine.
“I love you too,” I whisper and let him drag me into his darkness.
THE END