Page 33 of Sebastian

There was a beat of silence before everyone, including Emma herself, burst out in laughter.

“Wow, the two of you are real originals!”

“In my defense I was just trying to come up with something as silly as his nickname for me,” she laughed, before turning to Seb and placing her hand on his leg. “Although lately he’s probably earned a better nickname. Something like Lancelot or Charming.”

Sebastian’s smiled reached all the way to his eyes as he placed his hand over hers. Someone cleared their throat and a chorus of laughter interrupted their little moment.

Looking at Hawk, she noticed a tattoo on his forearm that was the same as ones she’d already noticed on Stone and Gunner. “Do you all have these tattoos?”

“Yep. All of us except Cap here. Just another reason he fits the squeaky clean Captain America image.”

“Why don’t you?” Emma turned and asked him.

“I don’t like needles,” he shrugged.

“There was this one time, I had to?—”

“Doc, if you value your front teeth, you’ll stop right there.”

Stone laughed. “Yeah, sure thing, Cap.” Turning to Emma he winked and said, “A story for later.”

Sebastian grumbled. “Besides, I don’t need something on my body to remember the brothers we lost. The memory of them is always in my damn head, anyway.”

Emma squeezed his leg. “So, are you all here just for a reunion of sorts? Seems silly to do it in Bell Ridge when Sebastian here could afford to bring you out to some really beautiful places.”

“These knuckleheads are the guys I’m starting Montgomery Defense with. We’ve been working together for years to secure high value targets and deliver them under the radar. While we wait for the property in Silver Springs to transfer over, they’re here for you, Emma.” Sebastian’s voice was calm, but the meaning behind his words was anything but. Her heart started racing with the possibilities of what that could mean.

Secure high value targets and deliver them under the radar. If they forced her to go back to her step-father, if they wanted to take her to him, that would lead Marco right to her. Maybe Marco had already promised them something, some money or valuable connection if they delivered her to him. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t survive.

Her brows burrowed into a scowl and her chair scraped back from the table as she rose to her legs. She held on to the table as her whole body shook.

“What does that mean?” Anger seared in her chest as she tried to calm her mind. “You saved me the other night just to decide to fly out these jacked former SEALs to turn me over to him? You all just sat here and sweet talked me to what? Lull me into a false sense of security before you deliver this high value target.” She jammed her finger into her chest.

“You know he’ll hurt me, Seb….” she swallowed a sob. The last thing she wanted to do was fall apart in front of these men. “Are you willing to do that to me?” Her nails were digging into her arms, but she couldn’t feel anything, despite her mind begging for the pain.

No. Don’t fall apart. Don’t be weak. Could she out run them? Her eyes darted to each of the men, trying to calculate just how far she could get if she ran for the duffle bag in her office.

Sebastian was on his feet, marching towards Emma while the other men around the table stared at her with a mixture of horror and grief plastered across their faces. She moved back from him until her back was against the counter.

“Emma?” His hands were on her arms, prying her fingers away from her skin, but she couldn’t register anything other than the rushing noise between her ears and the burning in her chest.

“Don’t touch me, Seb. Don’t fucking touch me.” Her lungs ached with each pull of air.

“You misunderstood me. They are here to make sure you are safe and nothing happens to you again until we can get everything figured out. So just breathe, Sprinkles. You need to breathe.” Seb pulled her into his chest and rubbed her back in circles, repeating those same words over, again and again, until she finally had control of her breathing.

“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. My team is here to protect you. They are my brothers in every way that matters, and I’d trust them with my life. I’m trusting them with yours, too. They will keep you safe.”

The safety of Sebastian’s arms and his reassuring words were too much for her. No matter how hard she bit on the inside of her cheek, she couldn’t stop the wave of relief that crashed over her. That wave broke the dam and tears poured from her eyes.

“Oh, shit.” Grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, Emma cried. She released the fear, anger, and anxiety she’d been holding on to since the attack. Her legs buckled, and Seb slowly moved with her to the floor. Her body lifted onto his lap and he held her there until all her tears were cried out.

“God, I hate crying,” she let out a soggy laugh.

“Everyone has their limits, and I think you got to yours.” He brushed a tear away from her cheek.

“Everything that happened the other night just sort of overtook me there.” She looked at the men surrounding her. “You all must think I’m a lunatic.”

“Oh hell, beautiful,” Hawk spoke gently. “No one here thinks anything like that. And we’re sure as hell not going to let anything like what happened the other night happen again.”

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