28. Sebastian
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
SEBASTIAN
Last night was un-fucking-believable.
Not only did I get to shoot one of the Black Veil Society’s members in the head, but I got to be with Stevie again.
I’d been thinking about her obsessively, and finally being able to experience her again, on my terms, when it was just the two of us, was incredible.
But this time—this time was different. This time, every touch, every moan, and every emotion was for me.
I told Stevie that the guys saw her kiss Pete from outside the restaurant window, but I was the one who saw them.
The need to protect her overpowered my judgment, and instead of staying in the car with Hayden, I snuck around to the front to keep her in my sights.
The rage pumping through my veins when I saw how close Pete got to her was indescribable.
It was then I knew my feelings for Stevie had intensified to a new, uncontrolled level.
She needs to be with me. Near me. And although I like to refer to myself as a “good” serial killer, I’m still one with psychopathic tendencies pulsing through my veins as they would with any monster.
Never did I ever think I could be this type of possessive man, but then again no other woman has been Stevie.
The sun peeks up from over the horizon, bringing with it a day welcoming the death of two serial killers who’ve been wiped from this earth. I close the sheer curtains and glance back at Stevie lying peacefully tangled in the white sheets.
She’s beautiful.
She’s perfect.
And now she’s mine. No more faking.
A buzz on the table pulls me from appreciating the view of her naked body and every delicious curve.
I pick up the burner phone Hayden slipped me before Stevie and I left the motel.
“Hey.”
“You got the new burner phone,” Christian says.
I walk out of the bedroom so as not to disturb her. “I did. Now that everyone is leaving, security wasn’t as tight coming back.”
“I figured. The group was set loose last night so there wouldn’t be anything incriminating going on the property, anyway.”
“Yeah. I’m sure our drugged friends woke up dazed and confused, too.”
“Or they’re still out.” He chuckles.
I hear the rustling of the sheets and pop my head through the door, but she’s still asleep.
“I spoke with Hayden last night. He mentioned everything went well and the crew is heading back home this morning. Will you be joining them?”
“No,” I say. “I’d rather be extra cautious and leave the same way we came in. I don’t want to raise any sort of suspicion about our comings and goings.”
“I agree.” Christian pauses, then exhales an audible breath. “Hayden also mentioned how upset you got when something went down with Stevie.”
Of course, the guys talk to each other about everything. I can’t blame them—River and I do the same.
I roll my eyes. “Yes. And?”
“You are sleeping with her, aren’t you?”
“What if I was?”
“You and River…” Christian says our names like he’s scolding a couple of kids.
“Why does it matter to you?”
“Because we run an operation together, and I don’t want anything getting in the way of that,” Christian points out.
I wipe a hand down my face. “I get it. But everything went fine last night. Pete was taken care of, which means Stevie and I have effectively taken out two of the Black Veil Society’s members without causing alarm,” I argue. “So, I believe that’s a success.”
“That’s not the point.”
“And besides, don’t be jealous that we’re with attractive women and you’re a lonely FBI guy.”
“I’m not getting into this again.”
“Then mind your business.”
Christian sighs, knowing I’m right. “When are you guys leaving?”
“In about an hour. I have to wake up my sleeping beauty first.” I glance into the bedroom, but she’s not in the bed anymore.
“Sounds good, see you when you guys get back to the manor,” he says before I end the call.
I toss the phone into my open suitcase, then head into the bedroom.
The sound of water shutting off tells me she’s getting out of the shower.
The door is left ajar, so I take it upon myself to push it open.
Stevie is standing in front of the mirror with a white plush towel wrapped around her glistening, wet skin.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Morning.” Stevie turns around.
I step into the misty bathroom, letting my eyes drink her in. “I would have joined you.”
She arches a brow, wrapping her arms around my waist. “So we’ve now reached the point where we shower together?”
“It’s safe to say we’ve reached the point where we do everything together,” I correct.
Stevie rises onto her tiptoes, bringing her lips to mine. “That might be a little fast for me.”
I give her a soft kiss, then pull back. “It’s too late now.”
“Is it?”
I grab her ass, hoisting her up. Her legs come around me, knocking the towel from her body. “Yes.”
“Again?” She giggles.
“Every day, all day.” I walk back into the bedroom, kissing the soft skin of her neck. “And any time I want.” Then I toss her naked body onto the bed.
Stevie throws her head back in a full-belly laugh. “You’re a handful, Sebastian.”
I drop my boxers, kicking them to the side.
Suddenly, the buzz of the burner phone captures my attention. “Shit.”
“Is that the phone?”
I sigh, jogging to the corner of the room. “Yes, I have to get it.” I pull out the phone and answer it. “This had better be good.”
“It’s Hayden. You two need to get out of there soon. Our guys spotted one of the killers is leaving already.”
“It’s five a.m.”
“Yeah, but unless you want to have a conversation about how they were drugged and you weren’t, or about what the night was like, or why Larry and Pete haven’t returned to their rooms yet…shall I go on?”
“No, you’re right. We need to keep them in the dark as long as we can, because we still have more to take out,” I say, glancing at Stevie. She’s lying in the bed with her hair fanned out behind her, waiting patiently for me. But it’s going to have to wait until we get back to Seattle.
“I’ll send the same car service to pick you guys up. I doubt it’ll be more than twenty minutes, he knew to be on standby this morning,” Hayden tells me.
“Got it.” Then I end the call and turn to Stevie. “We’ve got to go.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
She sits up. “Is everything all right?”
I grab my pants and shirt from the suitcase and get dressed. “That was Hayden. He told me some members have already checked out. And it’s not a good idea for us to be here.” Then I pause. “For obvious reasons.”
“Okay.” She nods vigorously. “I can be ready to go in a couple of minutes.”
Stevie scrambles to get her clothes on while I quickly search the room for any loose belongings. There isn’t much. We kept most of our stuff in the luggage in case we needed a speedy getaway.
Only a few minutes later, we’re both ready to leave. I give Hayden a quick call to make sure our driver is at the front before we leave the room.
He answers on the first ring. “Hey, he’s there.”
“Okay, leaving now,” I tell him, then I slide the phone into my pocket and grab Stevie’s hand. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
I open the door to the room, and to my surprise, Clara is standing in the hallway.
“Checking out?” she asks.
I step slightly in front of Stevie, but keep her hand in mine. “We are.”
“I hope you had a wonderful time at the chateau. We enjoyed having you.” Her voice is annoyingly monotone. Like a steady engine that won’t turn over.
“It was lovely, but we are eager to get back.” I move past her.
“Oh!” Clara raises her tone only to get our attention. “Your host wanted me to give this to you.” She hands me a sealed envelope.
I take it. “Thank you. And please extend our gratitude to Silas for a wonderful weekend.”
“Of course.” She smiles one last time before turning on her heels and heading back down the hallway.
“Shit, she’s creepy,” Stevie comments under her breath, loud enough for me to hear.
“Yeah.” I shove the note into my pocket and lead Stevie down the grand hallway, through the lobby and out to the front of the chateau. “We’ll read it on the plane.”
“Okay.”
We approach the black town car parked on the side of the circular driveway with the same driver from when we arrived two days ago.
“Hope you two enjoyed your stay.” He steps out to greet us, then bends to take our luggage. “Let me grab those for you.”
I open the passenger door for Stevie, then climb in on the other side.
In no time we’re off this hell of a property and pulling onto the tarmac at the small municipal airport. The rented jet waits for us, and I couldn’t be more relieved knowing we’re headed home. I need to be in my own space to collect my thoughts in my office.
Stevie and I step out of the car while the driver removes our luggage from the trunk. The wind whips her hair around, and I can’t help but take a moment to appreciate how beautiful she is. Under the early morning sunlight, her skin glows.
She catches me staring and lowers her sunglasses. “Are we getting out of here or what?”
I push away a few loose curls blown into her face. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
As I’m walking up the stairs into the plane, Stevie turns to me with a concerned expression. “Should we have checked on the others we drugged? Like if they woke up?”
“I’m sure they did. But that’s not our problem. I’ll touch base with Christian when we get back about what our next moves are, but right now, we just get out of here.”
“What about the note?” Stevie slumps into one of the leather chairs. “That might have information in it about what the next event or events are. How long is this killing season anyway?”
I take the seat to her side. “Once we get into the air, we’ll read it.
The captain will most likely want to check in with us before takeoff, and I don’t want any disruptions.
” My hand finds hers again. Our fingers intertwine.
“As for how long the killing season is, Christian mentioned that historically they’re about a month or so. ”
“So, we only have a couple weeks left, right?” she asks.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m anxious to get back home.”
“Good morning, Mr. Thompson!” Captain Boone steps out of the cockpit.
I smile. “Nice to see you again.”
He turns to Stevie. “And Ms. Stevie.”
“Hello,” she returns.
“Well, it’s clear skies this morning, so we should have a smooth trip back up to Seattle,” he tells us, glancing out of the window. “My wife loves coming to Dupara County. That woman can put down some wine,” he jokes to himself.
I appreciate his friendly demeanor, and I give him a friendly smile and a nod. “It was an unforgettable trip.” In more ways than one.
Stevie’s cheeks redden with a blush, but her eyes say something different. She watched me kill two men this weekend, and it must be weighing on her.
There’s so much to unpack once we’re back at the manor—between Stevie and me and coming up with a plan on how to take out a handful more of the members.
Once Captain Boone is back inside the cockpit, I slide the white envelope from the pocket of my leather jacket. Taking one more glance around us, I remove the note and hold it up in front of me.
Stevie leans over the armrest. “What’s it say?”
To my wonderful, like-minded friends,
I hope you enjoyed the weekend in wine country.
My hope is that you built stronger connections with your fellow members while also learning a thing or two about our shared hobby.
I will see you all next weekend back at the library downtown at 10 p.m. for another memorable event.
I cannot wait to hear about your free night out in the country, whether I hear about it on the news or from you. Stay safe, and do not get caught.
Best,
S.
Stevie and I read the letter in silence. He’s comfortable writing a place and time down for us, so we’re gaining his trust. But knowing Silas, he’ll reach out on the burner phone before then anyway.
The paper slides easily back into the envelope, and I place it safely into my pocket. “We have to use this week to take out another member.”
Stevie rests her head against the seat. “I wonder what this event will be?”
“From what we’ve seen already, it could be anything.”
“So, who are we going to go after next?” she asks, moving on.
My mind is coming up with ideas for Harry. A killer who simply shoots people. No explanation or method to his kills, clean and simple. As I relate to that approach, the suicide by firearm setup would serve this man appropriately.
“I was thinking Harry.”
“Harry?”
“Yeah, we could make it look like a suicide, like what was supposed to happen with Larry,” I explain.
“Hmm. Yeah, especially if you’re trying to go for poetic justice,” Stevie teases, resting her head on my shoulder.
I chuckle.
Before long, she’s napping comfortably.
Sleep evades me because my mind is more active than I’d like it to be. And I’m completely surprised by how distracted I am with thinking through our next moves. Could River be right when he prefers to plan over going with the flow? Am I open to this?
There is no way I’m allowing any one of these killers to leave this season alive.