Page 25 of The Library

Sebastian

The sound of Derek’s voice, low and impatient, grates at me as he leads Lilith down the hall. Her soft, wavering responses drift back toward me, her attempts to keep the situation calm, to delay him. She doesn’t realize how close I am. How close she is to me.

I move silently, positioning myself near the doorway, close enough to hear Derek’s frustration growing. His breathing turns heavy, his words sharper, as he tries to push her further. My pulse thrums in my ears, the anticipation building, and I can feel it—the moment when everything will shift. When Derek’s game ends, and mine begins.

“Come on, Lily,” he growls, his words slurred. “Don’t act like you don’t feel something for me. I’ve waited for years for this.”

“I just need a minute,” she says, her voice shaking with false calm. “Let me freshen up… make this special.”

Good girl, I think. Stall him.

The bathroom door closes behind her, and I know I don’t have much time. Derek’s pacing now, muttering under his breath about how he’s going to show her what real love is, how no one else will ever love her like he does.

The sound of the shower turning on is my cue. I move quickly, slipping into the bedroom just as Derek turns around, his eyes widening in shock when he sees me. He doesn’t evenhave time to speak before I grab him by the collar, slamming him hard against the wall.

“What the fuck—?” he sputters, but I cut him off with a fist to the gut. He doubles over, gasping for air.

I lean in close, my voice low and menacing. “You thought you could touch her? Take what isn’t yours?”

Derek wheezes, clutching his stomach, trying to catch his breath. “Who the fuck are you?”

I shove him harder against the wall, my grip tightening on his shirt. “I’m the man who’s going to make sure you regret ever laying a hand on her.”

His eyes widen in realization, but before he can say another word, I yank him toward the door. He’s heavier than I expected, but adrenaline fuels me. I drag him out of the apartment, keeping him quiet with sharp jabs to his ribs every time he tries to make a sound.

Lilith is still in the shower. She won’t even know I’m gone. She will know I’ve been there though. I left her a note and her cell phone—something I now almost regret taking. She could’ve called for help, but then I’d have been caught too.

Once outside, I throw Derek into the passenger seat of his own car. He’s groaning in pain, too stunned to fight back as I climb into the driver’s seat and start the engine. My bike is still parked in the complex, but she won’t notice. Not tonight. By the time she does, this will all be over.

I drive in silence, my mind racing with what’s about to happen. The basement of The Library is my family’s little secret—a place where we’ve taken care of our “business” for generations. It’s fitting, really, that this bastard’s life will end there, in the same place where I first laid eyes on her. Where it all started.

Derek starts to stir, groaning as he comes to. His head lolls to the side, and he tries to speak, but all that comes out is a hoarse grunt.

“Where are you taking me?” he slurs, his voice barely above a whisper.

I smirk, keeping my eyes on the road. “Someplace special. Just for you.”

The drive doesn’t take long. The streets are empty, and before I know it, we’re pulling up behind The Library. The building looms in the darkness, its shadow casting an eerie silhouette. I drag Derek out of the car, his legs wobbling beneath him as I force him toward the hidden entrance in the back.

The basement is cold, damp, and dark—the perfect place for what’s about to happen.

I throw Derek into a chair, binding his wrists with thick rope as he starts to struggle. He’s still groggy, but the fear is starting to set in. Good. I want him to be afraid.

“You think you can just take whatever you want?” I say, circling him like a predator, my voice dripping with venom. “You think you can drug her, force yourself on her, and no one’s going to stop you?”

Derek’s head jerks up, his eyes wild with panic. “I didn’t… I didn’t do anything.”

I laugh, dark and hollow. “You were about to. And you’ve been waiting for this moment for years, haven’t you?”

He flinches, his body tensing as he realizes just how fucked he is. “You… you’ve been watching her,” he mutters, his voice shaky. “I’ve seen you. You’re no better than me.”

I lean in close, my face inches from his. “The difference between us is that she’s mine. And I don’t need to drug her to get what I want.”

He spits at my feet, glaring up at me with defiance. “You’re fucking crazy. You think she wants you? You think she’d want any of this?”

I slam my fist into his jaw, feeling the satisfying crack of bone under my knuckles. Blood trickles from his mouth as he groans, slumping in the chair.

“I don’t give a shit what you think,” I say coldly. “But you’re going to learn what happens when you try to take what’s mine.”

---