by Alexa Verde
Rachel shook her head, sending her blonde hair flying. “My friend’s husband, Connor, is on it. He’s a PI.”
Sebastian wanted to spend more time in her company, but he needed to let her rest. And frankly, his eyelids were drooping after a sleepless night.
Reluctantly, he rose to his feet. “Hopefully, this all will get resolved soon enough.” He stepped closer to Rachel. “I know my grandma asked you, but you never gave a definite answer… I’d love for you to spend Christmas with my grandmother and me.”
The way her face lit up was priceless. “I’d love that, too.”
Something shifted inside him. He was getting attached to a woman who might not even stay in Rios Azules for long.
“Good night, Rachel.” He turned to leave for the connecting room before he asked her to stay in town longer.
“Good night, Sebastian.” Her voice was quiet and sad.
By the way it affected him, he knew he was wrong. He wasn’t just getting attached.
He already had.
***
Rachel woke up to a gun pressed to her head.
“Get up and move to the door,” a voice she didn’t recognize ordered her.
Her heart jumped in her throat.
At least she slept in her jeans and turtleneck so she wouldn’t have to change if she needed to run. Right now, it was a small consolation.
Her heart hammering, she slid out of her bed.
She prayed silently.
“Go to the door,” the voice growled.
She needed to give Sebastian a sign, but how?
If she left with her kidnapper, most likely she’d be dead soon. If she fought, most likely she’d be dead now. She’d have to risk it. She had only one chance to throw a punch, so she’d better make it a good one.
She hit with all her might in the direction the voice came from. She missed, with her fist meeting only air.
The next moment, Rachel felt something heavy hit her on the head.
And then she didn’t feel anything at all.
***
Sebastian woke up with a start. Was there a noise in the connecting room?
Or had he imagined it?
He rushed to the door. He couldn’t open the connecting room from his side, so he’d have to go around. He opened the door, but before stepping out, he scanned the hall for anything suspicious.
Sebastian caught sight of a large, bulky man leaving through the fire exit, carrying someone over his shoulder.
A woman with long blonde hair, dressed in black jeans and a turtleneck.
Rachel!
Sebastian’s blood ran cold in his veins.
During years of training, he’d learned to move noiselessly. He rushed to the fire exit, stepping as stealthily as he possibly could. If the kidnapper was armed, and most likely he was, Sebastian needed to get close to him before he was discovered, or both Sebastian and Rachel would die.
He said a silent prayer.
Was Rachel unconscious?
Or… worse?
His heart dropped, but he had to push the worry for her out of his mind. The memory of Tess with a bullet in her forehead shook him to the core, but he pressed forward. He couldn’t fail Rachel. He couldn’t let what had happened to his late wife happen to her.
Sebastian realized he’d left his gun in his room. Big mistake. But it was too late to go get it now.
Once outside, Sebastian zoomed in on the guy who placed Rachel near the car and opened the passenger door. While the perp was straightening, Sebastian saw his opening.
Sebastian sprinted forward.
Oh, no.
Another guy, dressed in a black leather jacket, appeared from the driver’s seat. This one seemed to be more aware of his surroundings. He barked an order to Mr. Bulky Guy, who turned in his direction. Sebastian ducked as a bullet whizzed past him.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Rachel come to and crawl away from the car.
Good.
Hopefully, she’d get out of the way of flying bullets.
Sebastian charged and struck Mr. Leather Jacket’s arm, knocking the gun out of his hands, then struck again, aiming under Mr. Leather Jacket’s chin.
His knuckles met their aim, but Sebastian had to whirl around to block the hit from Mr. Bulky Guy. The block was successful, of course, and then Sebastian responded with one of his signature kicks, careful not to do too much harm. Sebastian needed to knock out the guy but not cause any permanent damage. The perp fell like a sack of potatoes.
Police sirens wailed in the distance.
It was time to finish this fight.
Sebastian headed for the gun the perp had dropped, but Mr. Leather Jacket was closer. In a split second, Mr. Leather Jacket pointed the gun at Sebastian, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Mr. Bulky Guy groaned and stirred. He half crawled, half stumbled into the passenger seat.
“Now, you don’t want to do anything hasty.” Sebastian lifted his arms and tried to sound placating.
He just needed a tiny distraction, and he’d be able to knock the gun out of the man’s hands again.
Mr. Leather Jacket’s eyes narrowed. By the glimmer in the man’s eyes, Sebastian realized he was about to pull the trigger.
The sirens grew nearer.
Sebastian was ready for the most important strike of his life. If anything, while the criminals were occupied with him, the police would get here. Mr. Leather Jacket and Mr. Bulky Guy wouldn’t have time to drag Rachel inside the car.
Then Rachel stumbled forward and stilled in front of him, between Sebastian and Mr. Leather Jacket.
Sebastian cringed. What was she doing? Why was she putting herself in the direct line of fire?
Even though she was tall, her slim figure wasn’t enough to shield him completely. Sebastian didn’t want her to shield him in the first place.
“Rachel, move away,” he screamed.
Instead, she straightened her back and stood glued to the asphalt.
Judging by the earsplitting intensity of sounds, the police were driving up.
Mr. Leather Jacket fired, missing Sebastian by inches, then jumped into a car and took off.
Sebastian was about to get in his car and chase them, but Rachel sagged against him, and he caught her limp body.
Had the perp hurt her? A wave of anger rippled through Sebastian.
As much as he wanted to catch the criminals, Rachel’s well-being was more important. He carried her back to the car, his heart aching for her.
“I’m going to take you to the ER, okay?” he said as he buckled her belt.
She opened her mouth as if to protest, then nodded.
The police cruiser stopped nearby, and Sebastian explained the situation quickly. As soon as the patrol car took off, Sebastian cranked the engine and headed to the hospital.
As he sped along sleepy streets, his gut tightened. No, he wasn’t afraid of the perps, though he did wish he’d managed to stop them from getting away.
But he was terrified of losing Rachel just like he’d lost Tess.
***
Next morning, Rachel had a headache but was grateful to be alive.
After sharing room service breakfast with Sebastian, she curled up in the armchair to call Maya. Sebastian left for the connecting room to give her privacy.
As expected, Maya didn’t seem to like the new developments one bit. “I’m taking off right now for Rios Azules.”
“You can help me by investigating things in Austin.” Rachel rubbed her forehead.
Maya sighed. “I’m not sure about that. Connor talked to several of Marsden’s friends. Nobody has any clue where he is.” Maya sounded guilty at the lack of information. “Connor also went to talk to Mitch Little. Little’s gaze darted around when Connor spoke to him, and he did look guilty, but that’s not much to go on. Butler’s murder is still unsolved.” Maya’s voice dripped with worry. “Rach, I have to be there, or they’ll try to kidnap you again.”
Rachel’s heart skipped a
beat. Last night’s events still gave her palpitations. “I have an idea. Maybe I should be—what do you call it—bait?”
“Excuse me? That’s crazy.” Maya’s voice rose in indignation.
“Hear me out. I need to find out who’s behind all this. If my theory is right, they need me to open one of the homes I worked on. Is there any way to talk to my two clients in McAllen and set up a trap? Especially Carl McPherson? He doesn’t trust safe deposit boxes and has an expensive jewelry and weapons collection at home. I loved working with him, and he was kind to me, but he’s a bit on the paranoid side.” A vague suspicion was nagging at her, but she couldn’t place it. She only felt it was connected to McPherson.
“I’ll have to talk to my superiors, who will—”
“I know. Talk to the local authorities.” It was Rachel’s turn to sigh. “Please try to set up this trap.”
“I’ll do my best. I’m sure Connor will help, too. Oh, and I’ll email you the information you requested about the families.”
True to Maya’s word, several minutes after Rachel disconnected, a new email appeared in Rachel’s inbox. She read it carefully, then sent a reply, typing next to two of the names, I need more information on these.
The rest of the day was blissfully uneventful.
Sebastian and Rachel had a room service lunch and drove to the police station to give statements about last night’s events. As much as Rachel had tried to stay away from the police, she didn’t feel she had a choice here.
After some hesitation, Rachel shared with Aidan Rowe about her suspicions that she might be targeted because of her job. From the way Sebastian introduced Rowe, she gauged Aidan was his friend, and if Sebastian trusted Aidan, she trusted him, too. She mentioned her suspicion that two client homes in McAllen she’d worked on might have a burglary attempt soon, especially the house of Carl McPherson, which had more valuables.
Then they visited Grandma, who of course offered endless cups of tea and endless conversation.
After that Sebastian and Rachel stopped for a quick dinner at the Café, and soon they returned to the hotel. Sebastian headed to his room to call his grandmother, and for a moment, Rachel had an emptiness inside her, as if she missed him already.
Rachel mentally scoffed at herself. Sebastian was just helping out, honorable and courageous man that he was. There was no hope of a relationship between them.
Was there?
Concentrate on present matters.
Rachel got comfortable in an armchair and opened her work email account on her phone. She answered several requests for quotes and information. Even though she was on vacation, ignoring such emails wouldn’t be good for her business.
Neither was the email that had just appeared in her inbox.
She frowned and opened it. As she read the email, her frown deepened. A knock on the door made her look up.
“May I come in?” Sebastian’s voice made her smile, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach after the news.
“Sure.” She hurried to open the chain and waved him in.
“Did something happen?” Sebastian was obviously attentive to her change in mood.
“Another burglary attempt. This time to my client of two years ago in Dallas. It’s my fault these people are targeted. I wanted to make their homes safer, not the other way around!” A stab of guilt was sharp and painful. Even when she tried to do good things, apparently she brought harm to people.
Maybe there was a reason she had a talent for opening safes. Maybe there wasn’t just enough good inside her.
Sebastian took her hand and looked into her eyes. “How many clients did you have?”
Rachel did her best to ignore the tingles that ran over her skin at his touch. “Several thousand.”
“There’s a chance this has nothing to do with you.” He squeezed her fingers slightly, as if to show his support. “And if it does, it’s not your fault. God loves you the way you are. God sees something wonderful in you. Don’t see only the things you can blame yourself for. Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What did you hear?” Sebastian’s eyes softened.
“God loves me. The burglary attempt wasn’t my fault.” A wave of calmness overtook her.
Sebastian’s gaze lingered on her face. “How about we watch a movie? A romantic comedy?”
Rachel felt the corners of lips curve up a little. “Sounds good. Thanks.”
She could guess that it wouldn’t be his first choice in movies, or even his tenth, but she appreciated his effort to distract her.
For the next two hours, Rachel was carried away into a world of fun, love, and laughter.
When the movie was over, she turned off the TV, and Sebastian and she talked about their favorite shows, music, football teams, comedians, and many other things under the sun. Their tastes differed in football teams but were similar in music. He imitated one of the comedians she liked, and she ended up laughing more in one evening than she’d done in a lifetime.
He told her about his family, his three brothers, about summers spent at his grandparents’ house. Unlike her, he seemed to have had a happy, normal childhood.
When he stopped, she asked, “Why did you decide to start taking a karate class? And how old were you then?”
“I was seven. I wish I’d started earlier. I was the oldest of my brothers, but I was short. I wanted to be able to defend my siblings. Instead, I was the one picked on. One of Grandma’s neighbors owned a tiny karate school. You know my Grams. She invited him for tea numerous times, and he talked so much about karate and with so much love that I wanted to be a part of it.”
She liked Sebastian’s honesty, though she couldn’t imagine him being small and weak. “And now you want to pass on that love to others?”
His face lit up. “It’s not just about teaching kids to be strong and quick and able to defend themselves against bullies. I teach some kids who are, well, from dysfunctional families. It’s amazing to see the change in them. It’s about so much more than throwing kicks or breaking bricks, like many people think.”
Rachel hid a smile. She’d been one of those people before she’d met Sebastian.
He continued, “It’s about learning about another culture so different from your own. And yes, about self-esteem, but also about self-respect and respect of others, even and especially of an opponent. It’s not just about physical development but also the search within yourself. It’s about so many things.”
His words touched something inside her. “Why teach kids, though? You could be, I don’t know, competing. Working in a high-paid job as a bodyguard.”
His lips widened in a kind smile. “I love working with children. When my neighbor retired and offered me the opportunity to take over his small school, I agreed without thinking. Besides, it’s good to put my degree in education to use.” He winked at her.
Huh.
Grandma had never mentioned the degree in education. Sebastian was so much more than an attractive appearance and physical strength.
He obviously loved kids. He’d be a great father.
Rachel quickly dismissed the thought.
The more she learned about Sebastian the more she wanted to know. “Tell me about karate.”
He told her about the history of karate, the meaning of some terms, like kyu, kata, kumite, about the history of Japan and its culture. He even taught her several words in Japanese.
As she butchered the words, it dawned on her. “You speak Japanese, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Of course. One day, I want to visit Japan.”
Probably the reason he hadn’t done it yet was because he didn’t want to leave his grandmother for a long time.
“By the way, do you like sushi?” Sebastian asked.
Raw seafood? “Um, no thanks.” Rachel wrinkled her nose.
“How about yakitori?”
“What’s that?”
“Type of skewered chicken.” He smiled. “There’s no Japanese r
estaurant in Rios Azules, but I’d be happy to cook it for you one day.”
“That would be great.” She studied Sebastian, seeing him in a new light. The more she learned, the more she was drawn to the man. “You speak English and Japanese. They are such different languages.”
Sebastian shook his head. “I speak English, Japanese, and Spanish. My grandfather was from Mexico. I was raised to respect my roots.”
The man fascinated her, and she was unable to look away. How was she supposed to leave Rios Azules and Sebastian in a matter of days to flee the mysterious thief?
When really she didn’t want to leave at all…
Sometime in all the conversations, Sebastian reached for her hand, and she let it stay there. From time to time, Sebastian stroked her fingers slightly, and butterflies would flutter their tender wings in her stomach.
She was falling for him.
Rachel knew it and didn’t know how to stop it.
“Rachel…” Sebastian drew her closer to him.
Her heart rate went into overdrive.
She should pull away, but she didn’t want to. She’d learned early on that the next breath, never mind the next day, wasn’t something to take for granted.
If she were to die tomorrow, she didn’t want to do it without knowing how it would feel to kiss Sebastian.
His gaze turned intense, but he didn’t move, as if he didn’t want to push her too much…
CHAPTER NINE
RACHEL MOVED TO SEBASTIAN AND brushed her lips against his.
Sebastian groaned and wrapped his arms around her, as if he never wanted to let her go. And then he kissed her gently but with such abandonment that all rational thoughts left her mind.
Feeling as light as a feather, Rachel forgot about everything. Her every cell sang in delight.
When she finally came up for air, she felt something change inside her. Maybe she wasn’t completely ready to let go of her past yet, but she was on the way to it. Something changed in Sebastian’s eyes, too.
“That was… incredible,” he breathed out.
“It was,” she whispered.
She didn’t mean just the kiss.