Page 83 of Bastian

Wizz empties his drink and calls out for another. In the meantime, I take advantage that he is busy looking at himself on his phone camera, and I reach for my phone to read Ella’s text that I haven’t had a chance to reply to earlier but then my phone starts vibrating with an incoming call from an unknown number. The same unknown number that’s been ringing me all day. I roll my eyes and answer. “Give up, Sebastian. Not interested.” I hang up without giving him a chance to respond. I quickly save the number as ‘Asshole. Don’t Pick Up’ and quickly finish typing a message for Ella.

Ella: Mommy, I need you to do something for me.

Uh-huh.

I just know this will be a pain for me.

Me: What do you need, Ellaiza?

Ella: Daddy went to surprise you and watch over you because he said black birds will be surrounding you. I don’t want anything to happen to you, but I know Dad won’t let it happen. Please do the same for him. Okay? He needs more laughter, and I know you will make him happy. Please, Mom.

Ahhhhh. I mentally scream.

The tyrant knows what he’s doing and how to get me to comply.

Me: Sure thing, darling girl.

Ella is not here, so she has no way of finding out if I’m a total bitch to her father, and what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her because, as much as Sebastian likes to use Ella to get to me, I also know he won’t hurt her by telling on me.

Ugh, we’re horrible people. That’s for sure.

But he is one of those people that bring out the worst in me.

“That was cold,” Wizz says, crossing his arms.

“The man is a nuisance,” I answer truthfully.

My phone buzzes with a new message.

Sebastian persists.

Asshole. Don’t Pick Up: I see you have lost your manners, darling.

I ignore him because I have no patience to deal with two idiots at the time.

“Se me hace que hay una historia ahí.” Wizz says. I think there’s a story there. I’ve picked up a bit of Spanish from Quinne just enough to understand but not well enough to speak the language.

“Not really.” Leaning forward on the table. “Look, Wizz.” I hate myself at this moment for the words that came out of my mouth. That god-awful stage name. “I would love to stay here all night, but I’m tired and wish to lie down if you don’t mind.” Nonsense. There’s nothing I would hate more, but I don’t say that. Instead, I say, “Do we have a deal?”

He contemplates it for a minute, then nods and offers me his hand.

“Deal. My manager will be in contact so we can figure out all the details.”

Nodding, I rise from my seat and watch as he leaves. Taking a long breath, I sit back down and empty my glass of Ouzo. I shouldn’t drink this much, and I usually don’t, but after this day, I need it.

“Is this seat taken?” A smooth and very familiar voice asks.

Took him long enough to appear out of nowhere.

“Yes.” I snap.

Clearly, a higher being is testing my patience today.

Instead of getting lost, Sebastian pulls a chair and sits down opposite me. “Too bad.” Grinning, “You look stunning,” Sebastian says with a look of hunger in his eyes.

Ignoring his flattery, I say. “So … this is the way you’ve chosen to die?”

He smiles so big it almost leaves me breathless. Almost. “Oh, but what a sweet death it would be to die by your hand.” He gets this look in his eyes, and his grin resembles that of a demon from hell before he snatches your soul. And I know, I just know he’s going to say something that will piss me off more than his presence has. “You know…if you were to kill me, I’d prefer to be under and inside of you when—”

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