Page 27 of Addicted To His Favorite
Behind him, the door swung open again. Taylor stepped in, his gaze snapping to Lucas’s bloodied face, then to Sebastian’s broad back. He strode forward, his tone sharp with accusation. “What the hell did you—”
He stopped cold as Sebastian roused to his feet, turning to face him fully.
Recognition hit him immediately.
Taylor froze, spine stiffening. “Mr. Graves…” he muttered, his tone instantly respectful as he took an instinctive step back.
Sebastian’s stare hardened, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. “Do you have a problem?” he asked, his voice low but edged with threat.
Taylor swallowed and shook his head quickly, retreating toward Lucas. He crouched beside him, wiping the blood from Lucas’s cheek and helping him stand upright. The wound was deep enough to smear red into his eye, and Taylor murmured something under his breath as he steadied him.
Sebastian ignored them both. In one smooth motion, he slipped his arm under Emily’s legs again and the other behind her neck, lifting her entirely off the ground. She gasped softly, her arms instinctively circling his shoulders. Without a word, he carried her across the room, setting her gently on the plush couch.
From the corner, Harold had gone pale.
Harold’s gaze darted to the bloodied man—Lucas—and then to Sebastian. His brows drew together, recognition creeping in. ‘Isn’t that… my brother?’
His confident smirk from earlier vanished completely. He fumbled to pull his shirt closed, muttering under his breath, “Fuck! Why the hell is he here now?!”
His eyes flicked between Lucas and Sebastian, a thought lodging in his mind. “Wait,” he muttered under his breath, “do my brother and Mr. Cantrell… like the same woman? And I was trying to seduce her too?”
The idea made him wince at once.
He quickly shook his head, muttering, “No… no, that can’t be.” But doubt still pricked at him, gnawing in the back of his mind.
But there was no time to ponder over it at that moment; his first priority was to save his own ass and get out of there before Sebastian saw him pretending to be an escort to get Emily’s attention.
Harold snatched up a plate from the table, holding it awkwardly in front of his face as if it could disguise him. Then, in a hasty blur of motion, he slipped out of the room before anyone could notice his presence.
Sebastian’s focus never left Emily. He knelt beside her, his hands steady as they checked her ankle, gently brushing back the hem of her dress to see the swelling. His voice was low and calm, but there was an unmistakable protective edge beneath it.
“Are you alright? Where does it hurt?” he asked, leaning in slightly so she could hear him over the fading murmurs in the room.
Her answer was wordless—she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his shoulder. Tears wet her lashes, and her shoulders trembled against him.
Sebastian’s voice softened even further. “I’ll take you to the hospital.” He started to bend, ready to lift her again, but she quickly patted his shoulder, shaking her head.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, pulling back and meeting his gaze with watery eyes. “Don’t worry. Jeremy was here too.”
Sebastian studied her for a moment, then gave a short nod. His thumb brushed gently across her cheek, wiping away the stray tears. “Don’t be afraid,” he murmured. “I’m here now.”
The words made her chest ache—safe, grateful, and overwhelmed all at once.
From across the room, Lucas’s jaw clenched so hard it trembled. Every intimate gesture between them, every quiet word, felt like a taunt. The jealousy in his chest roared hotter with each passing second.
Chapter 9 Ex-girlfriend
With a violent shove, he knocked Taylor’s hands off him and stormed forward. His glare locked on Sebastian and Emily.
“You’re interfering in me and my girlfriend’s personal relationship,” he snapped, his voice sharp with possessive rage. “Do you think that’s appropriate, Mr. Graves?”
Sebastian finally turned to face Lucas, his expression so dark and dangerous it could have made a lesser man take a step back. His voice was low, lethal.
“Emily has already broken up with you.”
Lucas’s lips twitched with fury, his eyes locking on Emily’s hand still clutching Sebastian’s.
“She’s just angry with me,” he ground out through clenched teeth, the words sounding more like a threat than reassurance.
