Unlawful Escort (Unlawful Series book 1) (22 page)

She had the nerve calling
him after what she’d done, Sebastian seethed and he was about to tell her just that when an idea dawned on him.

H
is lips curled cruelly, “it depends on what you plan to do when you get here”.

“
I promise I’ll do all your favorite things.”

“Sounds tempting…”

She moaned seductively, “I love it when you talk dirty”.

He gave security clearance for her to enter the building
after she hung up and made a quick call and meted out terse instructions. He paused to stroke Paige’s hair before closing the door lightly behind him and strode purposefully down the stairs; vengeance hardening his features. The sight of Elizabeth perched on the couch greeted him as he entered the living room; clothed in a revealing silk babydoll and her discarded coat on the floor.

His body didn’t even stir at the sight of her partially nud
ity and he turned away from her to pour himself a glass of brandy before meeting her smoldering blue eyes.

“How did
you know Paige’s whereabouts tonight?” she blinked in shock at his question.

“Brad, darling, I’m sure you don’t want to waste time talking about her”, she laughed nervously.

His hand tightened around the glass as he struggled to restrain his flaring temper.

“Now that I think about it, the photo was taken in a pub on a side of town that you never visit”, his brows knitted as if the idea had never occurred to him before now.

She stood angril
y but he placed a stilling hand on her shoulder and she fell back to the sofa.

“Drink”, he ordered as he brought the brandy glass to her lips
and she sipped meekly.

“If you must know I followed her”
she bragged as she stroked his thigh “I didn’t trust her and she was trying to keep us apart”.

“So you lured her to
the pub, paid a waiter to drug her and a thug to pose for the picture.”

She inhaled sharply; her eyes widening in
alarm, “she’s lying…I saw her there and…”

“Come on Elizabeth, I would’ve eventually figured it out
”, his voice hardened, “even if Abigail didn’t lose her nerves and rat you out”.

She flew up out
of her chair, “I will not stay here and listen to your insults any longer…” instead of anger, her blue eyes were as wild as a caged animal.

“Sit down
!” Sebastian raged; his expression as black as death and she obeyed; cringing away from his wrath.

“I didn’t….”- she whimpered

“Silence!” he barked and she scooted away from him, “did you even think of what might happen to her after you left her helpless in that pub with that creep…that he might’ve raped or killed her”.

“No! No!”
she screamed, “he was only supposed to pose for the kiss”, her hands clamped over her mouth as if the words had slipped out by mistake.

A deathly calm washed over him and he retrieved her coat from the floor and hauled her to her feet before draping it over her shoulders and belting it around her waist.

“You’re pathetic”, he spat, “Marsh, she’s all yours”.

She shrieked in alarm as the detective stepped out of the shadows and
read her, her rights as he handcuffed her.

“Brad, please don’t do this”, she sobbed but his heart was as hard as stone, “you know my father will be upset”.

“She’ll lead you to the others”, he informed Marsh, before turning to her, “I hope this will change your outlook on life, teach you how to be humane”.

“You cruel bastard”, she sobbed and he smiled coldly.

“Make sure she’s given the grimiest cell”, Sebastian sneered, “and make sure she doesn’t receive bail until, at least, tomorrow”.

Marsh nodded in affirmation as he dragged her kicking and squealing from the penthouse. Sebastian’s lips thinned in disgust
as he flung the half empty brandy glass into the far wall and it splintered into a hundred little pieces.

He took the stairs, two at a time in his haste to return to her side; dissatisfaction lea
ving a bitter taste on his tongue. Nothing he did would ever erase that man’s filthy touch from her mind, he thought, the notion plaguing him as he sunk into the chair he’d vacated earlier.

Brandon phoned shortly afterwards; enquiring of Paige’s progress and expressing his regret at the situation but grateful
that matters were not worst. He then relayed that the police had discovered that Mike had a record and he was wanted in two states for alleged cases of rape and assault.

They ended the call but not before Sebastian expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Brandon for undertaking what he, Sebastian, had been too engrossed
in self pity to attempt. He then placed a finger below her nose to ascertain that she hadn’t fallen unconscious again in case he was imagining the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Not trusting himself not to fall asleep; he shifted into a comfortable position on the chair so that he wouldn’t miss the slightest motion that would signal that she was reviving.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

SEBASTIAN WAS AWOKEN BY THE LIGHT STIRRING OF PAIGE
in his arms. He’d abandoned his position on the chair when she’d cried out in her sleep during the night. Touched by her agonized cries; he pulled her flailing limbs into his arms, assuring her of his presence and that she was safe. As if she’d heard him through her drugged induced stupor; she relaxed in his arms, her breathing even and shortly afterwards, so had he.

Her eyes fluttered open and she scurried away from him into the far corner of the bed; hugging her legs to her chest. And his stomach wrenched painfully at he the wounded expression in her eyes as the tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks. What could he say to make it better
? He wondered achingly as he restrained the urge to hold her as he sat up in bed.

“Do you remember what happened honey?” he asked gently.

“He… he touched me”, she said, sobbing brokenly.

“I’m so sorry, baby”, he touched her arm and when she didn’t shy away from his touch he edged closer.

“And he put his dirty mouth on mine”, she croaked in disgust.

“It’s
gonna be ok baby, the police got him and he’s gonna go to prison for a long time”, he untangled her limbs and pulled her head to his chest, “just relax”, he crooned.

She
slumped into him, too emotionally and physically drained to do much else as she tried to draw strength from his strong presence. She closed her eyes on the myriad of thoughts racing through her mind; she would analyze her thoughts later, she decided. But at this moment; she needed Sebastian’s strength more than anything else.

He ordered room service and specifically requested that it be delivered to his bedroom as he didn’t want to leave her side. Her stomach lurched at the sight of the food and she refused to drink the broth he tried to feed her but he coaxed her into swallowing a few mouthfuls. He didn’t relent until she drank every
last morsel and she was surprised that she felt a tad better afterwards.

The doctor came shortly afterwards and after checking her vitals; he announced that the worst was undoubtedly behind them. But, just for precautionary measures, he’d take a blood sample and send it to the labs. He left with the instructions that she should rest and although Paige had insisted that she wasn’t tired; she fell asleep shortly after he left.

She awoke much later to see Sebastian seated around a portable desk, a few paces from the bed, his spectacles perched on his nose as he peered keenly unto a laptop screen. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and linen shorts; his feet bare and the sun highlighting his glossy brown hair. He looked like a hot cabana boy only sexier and her heart broke at the thought that he could never be hers.

Sebastian felt her eyes on him and spun to stare at her; a smile on his lips.

“Hey, feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m fine”, she lied; forcing a smile.

“Hungry, I hope”, he grabbed the phone from his elbow, “what would you like to eat?”

“Sebastian, what happened last night?”

His smile faltered and his brown eyes clouded with anguish before he glanced away from her and related the horrible tale from the moment Brandon had called to bringing her back to the penthouse.

Her eyes misted with tears as he spoke; she felt used and violated. He moved towards her but she held up a hand to stop him as she dashed the tears from her eyes and rose to her feet.
She hated groveling; but anything was better than seeing him and Elizabeth together, day after day. She couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Sebastian, please break the contract”, he flinched as if slapped, “I’ll return half of the money now and pay
you the rest once I get a job and you can have the building”.

He turned away from her so she couldn’t see the bleak expression on his face.
He couldn’t explain it, but the idea of her leaving was unthinkable.

“You made a commitment, you can’t just walk away”, he said coldly; facing her.

Her green eyes dulled with pain and his heart constricted, “I could’ve been raped or worst, killed. What would’ve happened to my brother? I’m all he has.”

“I’ll hire a bodyguard”, his tone brimmed on desperation but he didn’t care, “
and you won’t have to worry about Elizabeth, a night in jail has altered her perspective immensely, plus she’ll be busy with the impending trial.”

She stared at him in shock.

“You didn’t think I’d let her get away with what she did to you, did you?” his face contorted with contempt.

It didn’t matter, Paige decided, he and Elizabeth would soon settle their differences as they always did and the sympathy he felt for her would dissipate.

“I have to leave
Sebastian; I’ll only get between you and Elizabeth.”

“There has been nothing between Elizabeth and me since she left eight months ago”, he declared vehemently.

She frowned in confusion; desperately wanting to believe him and for some strange reason, she actually did. But she couldn’t trust her judgment anymore; somewhere between lying about her identity and pretending to be his girlfriend; she’d lost her penchant for honesty. And suddenly; she wasn’t angry at Elizabeth for what had happened to her. She’d lied and schemed just as much as the other woman and none of this would’ve happened if she hadn’t lied about being an escort.

“I have to go Sebastian”, she said quietly
; turning to leave, “it is for the best”.

There was no sense in telling him the truth now, she thought, chances are she’d never see him again after today.

“No! I’m not breaking the contract”, he said harshly, “we’ll continue as planned”.

She whirled to face him in shock, “you don’t need me anymore…never had, now that I think about it. It’s neither here nor there whether I go or stay.”

“That’s not for you to decide”, he barked, “and why would you want to leave at this advanced stage in our agreement and forfeit all that money. After all it’s just another job.”

His words were like a slap to the face but she couldn’t fault him, she was acting the part of an escort, all things considered.

“You don’t understand”, perhaps she should start telling the truth for a change.

“What
’s there for me not to understand.”

“I love you Sebastian!” her voice cracked with emotion and
he blinked in shock; staggering on his feet.

She felt wonderful admitting her feelings, being honest, even though she knew he didn’t share her feelings. She would tell him everything, she decided, and damn the consequences.

CHAPTER FORTY TWO

“YOU CAN’T…LOVE ME”, SEBASTIAN SAID
TERSELY, HIS FACE
a picture of misery and she flushed in embarrassment.

“It’s ok Sebastian, I know you don’t love me and I’m not asking
you to”, she murmured, her eyes wandering to her hands.

She hadn’t realized that he’d moved until he cupped her face in his palms; forcing her to look at him and she inhaled sharply at the pain she saw in his eyes.

“I don’t know how you ended up being an escort…”-

“No I’m…” she interrupted but he placed a silencing finger
on her lips.

“But you exude this radiance, this…this
contagious happiness and vigor for living”, her eyes pooled with helpless tears, “and I’m a bad person”, he released her and turned his back to her, “I’ve done some terrible things. Don’t waste your love on me”, he laughed mirthlessly, “You’ve even convinced me that such a superficial emotion exists”.

“We all have done bad things but there’s good in all of us”, tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks, “you have kindness and compassion, I’ve seen it, Helen, your staff…”

He whirled to face her; his expression hopeless, “I thought you might say that”, he smiled indulgently, “you can’t help but see the good in people but for once you’re wrong. I gave in to my father’s urging to marry Elizabeth because all she wanted was my money and she agreed that eventually she’d give me an heir. Then she ran off with that Frenchman and I came to my senses”, he ended bitterly.