Page 44 of Sebastian

“A black car with dark windows isn’t very specific. A similar scratch along the side isn’t enough. We can’t take that to court.”

Sebastian’s arm tightened around my waist. “It’s still too much of a coincidence to be ignored. This should at least be enough to get a warrant to seize the footage from the traffic cameras outside the restaurant. You were just making big promises about protecting us, but if this is all the work you’re willing to put in, then we’re probably better off protecting ourselves like we have for the last ten years.” Sebastian scoffed.

The man with glasses, apparently named Agent Long, glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye. “No one is saying that we won’t investigate. We’re just warning you that there’s a good possibility that nothing will come of it.”

Although what he said seemed to be intended as a reassurance for Sebastian and Damien, it was also obviously directed at the other agent as well.

The man, introduced as Agent Adder, just shrugged and nodded.

Agent Long seemed to accept this silent agreement, for his gaze turned a little bit warmer as he focused on me and both of the Roth brothers again. “For now, all three of you need to stay here while we look into it. I’ll let you know what we find.”

“Sounds good,” Damien said as he led Sebastian, and by extension me, toward the door. “Sebastian, why don’t you go upstairs and rest while I see these agents out. I will also need to give Max and Travis a call to let them know I won’t be home anytime soon.” Damien frowned, his lips in a tight line.

“I don’t need to rest,” Sebastian protested. “A single meeting isn’t going to tire me out.”

“Well, why don’t you take Newt upstairs to rest then. He looks like he’s about ready to collapse.”

It was a testament to my condition that I wasn’t sure if Damien was merely using me as an excuse to get Sebastian to rest, or if I really did look as bad as he described.

Probably both.

Thanks to Sebastian’s leg, it took several minutes to guide him up the stairs. Not for the first time, we both cursed whoever decided not to install an elevator in the building. By the time we reached his bedroom, I collapsed onto his bed with a groan of exhaustion.

“Of course this had to be on a day when I met with my sister. Like that wasn’t stressful enough on its own.”

The bed dipped as Sebastian sat next to me. “How’d lunch with your sister go, by the way? You haven’t told me much about her.”

I squirmed across the bed until I could lean my head on his chest.

“There’s not much to tell. She’s a successful lawyer with a movie star fiancé. Her life’s a success, so she thinks she knows the secret of life. Apparently, that gives her the right to decide what everyone else needs in order to be as successful as her.” I sighed and pressed my face against Sebastian’s shirt, inhaling his calming scent. “No. That’s not fair. She means well and just wants me to be happy. Unfortunately, that meant using our lunch to set me up on a date.”

“Excuse me?”

When I looked up, I was afraid Sebastian would be angry, but instead he only seemed amused.

“Yeah. She brought her fiancé’s cousin along. I swear, I didn’t know it was supposed to be a date until the end. No one told me.”

Sebastian pressed a kiss to the top of my head, spreading warmth all the way down my body to the tips of my toes.

“I’m not upset that you were tricked into a date. So long as you corrected them.”

In the chaos of almost being killed, madly running back to Sebastian’s apartment, then explaining everything to a pair of FBI agents, I’d forgotten about the cause of my initial anger.

“I did correct them but they didn’t believe me. I even showed them your picture and told them we were dating, but they thought I was lying. Apparently, the idea of you and I together is too ridiculous to be believed.”

His arm hung around my shoulders, and his thumb drew little circles just above my elbow. It was such a small, absent gesture, I doubted he even knew he was doing it but the action was reassuring nonetheless.

“What’s so ridiculous about it? We get along well and have a lot of similar interests.”

“We’ll, no one expects someone like you to be interested in video games and Disney movies.”

“Someone like me?”

Even without looking, I could hear the smile in his voice. Pouting at him, I smacked his chest. “Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about, Mister Tall-Dark-and-Handsome. Badass private detectives are supposed to end up with the femme fatale. Not the weird little nerd.”

I meant it as a joke, but once the words were out of my mouth I realized how bitter they tasted.

Sebastian pressed another light kiss to my forehead. “I think you missed a few adjectives.” Another kiss on the tip of my nose. “You forgot cute. And funny.”

---