“Carla,” Sebastian groans, holding still.
When I feel him start to calm down, he drops his forehead against mine. “It’s never been like that before. Never.”
He slides out of me before pulling me into his arms as our legs tangle.
“That was amazing. I could get used to waking up like that.”
He chuckles. “Oh, you could. Could you?”
I kiss his chest. “Most defiantly.”
Lying in his arms makes all the worries disappear, replacing it with happiness and gives me a future to hold on to while all the crap of my past keeps interfering.
I fear the worse with Gary. He’s not going to stop unless he’s stopped and I’m terrified someone else is going to get caught in the crossfire.
Holding on to Sebastian even tighter, I try to shut my mind down so I can relax into sleep, but I don’t think that’s in the cards for this morning.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Sebastian mumbles with his eyes closed.
Rising up, I rest my chin on his chest and admit, “I’m scared Seb. I think Gary is going to come after me again and I’m frightened you or someone else is going to get hurt trying to protect me.” I try to blink away the tears, but Sebastian catches them with his thumbs.
“I’m not going to let anything else happen to you.” He pulls me back down on to his chest. “He’s not going to get the chance to do anything to you because from now on you don’t go anywhere without me or one of my brothers.”
“But–” I try and interrupt.
“My brothers and me all grew up fighting,” he chuckles, “and I don’t just mean with each other. Dad had a couple of bags we helped him string up in the barn that we used to kick the shit out of so there’d be less chance of us getting in trouble with the law. The McKenzie men have a temper. So, don’t worry that pretty little head of yours over us, we can take care of you and ourselves just fine, babe.”
Listening to Sebastian does reassure me some, but there’s still the worry at the back of my mind that Gary will get to me, or them.
“Tell me about him.” He asks stroking my back before lingering on my butt.
“You really want to hear about him?” I lift my head to look at him.
“Not really,” his hand tightens on me, “but it might help to know what he’s like.”
I’m not too sure about that, but decide to start with my brother.
“All my life I’ve been good. First of all I did what my parents wanted, and then after they died of smoke inhalation at a fire at our house, I did what Noah wanted. Anything to keep the peace.”
“I had no idea your parents died in a fire.”
“They weren’t supposed to be there. When the fire started, Noah got me out of the house and wrapped us up in a blanket as we watched the house burn. It was an hour later before we found out our parents had been in the house.” I catch a tear, which is on its way down my cheek. “Noah has always lived with the guilt that he didn’t save them. That he left them to burn. It wasn’t his fault. They’d told us they were staying in the hotel overnight, where the reunion was being held. I guess something changed, but we never found out what.”
I kiss Sebastian’s chest trying to get closer to him. He makes me feel so secure wrapped tight in his arms.
“Noah, had just finished college and used the insurance money to basically take care of us and he put me through school and college. He gave up a lot for me and now he’s out there and I don’t know if he’s safe.”
Sebastian puts his hand under my chin and lifts my face to his, giving me a sweet kiss. “I’m sorry you both had it rough, but please tell me how Gary fits into all this.”
I nod and rest against his chest again. “I met Gary when I was in college and we had an off again, on again relationship. Noah never liked him and kept telling me to stay clear. We kind of fizzled apart and then a few years went by when I bumped into him again in a club on a night out with friends and I guess one thing led to another and we were involved again.”
It’s clear that Sebastian doesn’t like this story now as he’s started to tighten up.