Page 95 of Back In the Shadows

Inwardly I released a sigh of relief. “That would be nice. I have really missed Cami and my parents. If we can stay for awhile in Portland with the Pied Piper’s protection, then I would like to.” My heart warmed with the idea. “Plus, the place is plenty big for our family and friends.” I gave Sebastian a smile, trying to ease the tension in the room. I could deal with my emotions later. This decision was about survival.

Sebastian tapped the phone screen and then held it to his ear. “Where and when?” He looked up, our gazes connecting as he briefly chatted with the Pied Piper. Once he hung up, he stood and popped his neck. “He wants to meet you, Ella. I’m not sure we have a choice but to be ready for anything. Kip, bring the van around so we can put Xavier in the back. We’ll secure and blindfold him so he can’t pull any shit with us. The sooner I don’t have to lay eyes on the sneaky bastard, the better.” Sebastian walked over and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him.

“Got it.” Kip gave Sebastian a salute before he left the room.

“I love you, baby. Please understand that if giving myself up would keep you and the kids safe, it would have been my first choice.”

I placed my palms against his muscular chest. “I know that. I’m glad it’s not coming down to that, though. I would rather be able to move on and live our lives together—grow old and raise the twins.”

“Not that you need to decide right now, but maybe we need to sell the property in New York. With everything that’s happened, I don’t think it’s the best place for us. We can stay at the penthouse and decide where we want to build our next home.”

I smiled up at him, my heart melting with his idea. “I was thinking the same thing.” I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him. “Let’s get this over with.” I released him and slipped my hand in his. “I won’t lie. I’m a little nervous and very interested to meet the Pied Piper. I just don’t know what he wants with me.”

Sebastian’s expression filled with worry. “Me either.”

49

ELLA

Kip sat in the back of the van with Xavier while I sat in the passenger’s seat and Sebastian drove. Silence filled the small space as we all wondered what the Pied Piper’s plan was. There was no real reason to meet me, but I also realized men like him didn’t make a move without a motive.

A light rain pattered against the windshield as Sebastian maneuvered the back road in the dark. He reached over and took my hand and glanced over at me.

“It’s going to be okay, baby.”

I gave him a tight smile. “We’re giving the Pied Piper what he wants, so I don’t think he’ll try to take me again.” I wish I could believe my words, but there was nothing I trusted about the man who allowed Xavier to keep me in a cage. I peeked over my shoulder and into the back of the van. Sebastian had given Xavier a higher dose of a pain pill to ensure that he was compliant during his move. It seemed to be working so far, and I was a little less jumpy about the situation, but not by much.

“A Piece of Your Shadow” by Roby Fayer and Melosun played through the speakers, and I tapped my foot to the song, appreciating the distraction.

Sebastian pulled the van onto a deserted dirt road, and with each twist and turn, my chest clenched tighter in anticipation. After another half mile, he abruptly stopped and left the headlights on as the engine continued to rumble. My nerves were on edge as I watched a sleek black SUV speed towards us, its tires kicking up clouds of dust in its wake. My heart pounded against my rib cage, threatening to burst through my skin. I took a deep breath and balled my fists, preparing for the inevitable confrontation that was about to occur.

The night pressed against us, broken only by the harsh glare of headlights—Sebastian’s white van against the Pied Piper’s black SUV. We climbed out and Sebastian stood beside me as Kip unloaded Xavier and carried him to the man in black slacks and a white shirt. His short dark hair was peppered with grey and swept back. He appeared to be in his late sixties and exuded strength and power. Goosebumps dotted my arms, and I tried to fight the shiver tiptoeing down my spine.

The Pied Piper stepped forward, each movement calculated. His eyes never left Xavier. He tilted his head, and a man who had remained hidden behind the SUV stepped out into the light and took Xavier from Kip.

“You understand the exchange,” the Pied Piper said. Not a question. A statement.

Sebastian’s voice was raw. “Take him. We’ve done what you asked. We expect the same in return.”

He shifted his gaze to me. That look. I knew that look. He saw something in me. Something he recognized. Something that made my skin crawl. Sebastian placed his palm on the small of my back in an attempt to comfort me.

The Pied Piper’s approach was deliberate, each step measured like a predator calculating its strike. Up close, I could see the intricate details I’d missed before—the slight scarrunning along his jawline, the way his eyes seemed to dissect every inch of me.

“Ella,” he said, my name a whisper that felt like ice against my skin. “You’re more interesting than you know.”

Sebastian’s palm pressed against my back, a silent warning. Protection.

“What do you want?” I managed to say, my voice steadier than I felt.

“Walk with me, Ella.” The Pied Piper held his palm out to me, and I nervously glanced at my husband.

The night seemed to hold its breath. Sebastian’s fingers on my back grew rigid, a coiled spring of barely contained tension. I breathed a sigh of relief that Sebastian was with me instead of Death because he would have cut off the Pied Piper’s hands before he finished blinking. Death would have never let me go alone. I needed my levelheaded husband this time.

“I’ll be right here. It’s okay,” he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly.

The Pied Piper held his arm out to me, and I slipped mine through his, inwardly cringing as he led us away from the cars and group.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the woman strong enough to marry a man like Death and Sebastian.”

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