Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6)

by Lilian Roberts

  “Are you going alone?”

  “No, Troy and Nathan are going with me.”

  “How long this time?” Her voice was full of wretchedness.

  “A couple of days; not long at all,” he said quickly.

  “How am I going to make it without you at night?”

  “If you feel that this will be a major issue, I’ll come home every night.”

  “How? Why? That will be ridiculous.”

  “You know…” his voice lingered, “I can use my own powers and return to Brussels in the morning,” he said and burst out laughing.

  He pulled her down into his arms and held her close. Of course, he was hoping that she would say no. He never liked this kind of disruption when he was involved in a key problem. Arielle was a major distraction for him. She occupied each and every cell in his brain, each and every nerve in his body. He had to be away from her to be able to concentrate on what needed to be done.

  “Don’t be silly,” she said. “I’ll never ask you to do something like that. I know that all three of you can come home in a blink of an eye, but I also know that you have to handle your business. So I’ll have to get used to it.”

  “I love you, Arielle, and I hate being away from you. Sleeping without you is something I’m not looking forward to.”

  “Yes, I think the nights will always be the hardest to get used to,” she said.

  “I know. I hate that as well, but I’ll call you every night.”

  Arielle was quiet as her eyes rested on his face.

  “Do you love me?” he whispered. She jumped back on the bed, making him laugh. She kissed him passionately, so deeply he moaned in ecstasy. She broke the kiss and pulled back to look at him.

  “Do I have to answer your question?” she asked with a giggle.

  “No, I think that you love me,” he said with a playful look in his eyes. She got out of bed again, and picking up her mobile, she called Gabrielle. Sebastian listened in.

  “Hey, Gabby,”

  “Hey, Arielle. I’m so glad you called,” she exclaimed.

  “Something wrong?”

  “No, I wanted to ask you if you would like to spend a couple nights with me?”

  Arielle laughed joyfully. “Gabby, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you that I was calling to ask you the exact same thing.”

  “I understand Troy is going to Brussels with Sebastian in the morning. I hate being alone,” Gabby continued.

  “I would love to do that,” Arielle said, and they both laughed.

  “All right then! We’ll talk tomorrow after class,” Arielle said and ended the conversation. She turned around. Sebastian watched her with a soft smile on his face.

  “Why do you and Eva call Gabrielle ‘Gabby’?”

  “Oh, it’s a name of endearment. She has been Gabby ever since we were young girls.”

  “So you are going to spend your nights with Gabby?” he asked teasingly.

  “Yes, how do you know? You can hear people’s conversations while on the phone? Are you saying that I have no privacy at all?” she asked, eyes wide open.

  “I’m afraid that I’ve no choice in that. If you want to keep secrets from me, you have to make your calls when I’m not here.” He was surprised that she didn’t already know that. Arielle walked up to the bed. She reached down and stroked the side of his cheek with the back of her hand. She ran her finger softly around his lip line. Their eyes locked, and she smiled wide.

  “I’ve no secrets from you, Sebastian. Any time you wish, you can take my necklace off and read my soul.” She walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I’m starving,” she replied. He heard her open the fridge and pull out a couple of boxes of what smelled like kung pao chicken. Chinese food was not her favorite, but Sebastian knew that she didn’t like to cook.

  As she put the boxes in the microwave, he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her and running his lips softly across her bare shoulders.

  “I’ll miss you so much,” he moaned. “I love coming home to you, I love going to class with you, but most of all I love going to sleep with you each and every night.” His voice held longing. She set her hands on top of his, and they rocked gently back and forth.

  “I love snuggling up to you and drifting to sleep. You have spoiled me, and it’ll be hard, but I’ll get through it. Just hurry up, and come home to me.” She leaned back, and their lips met. His mouth was wet and warm, and he kissed her witless. He lifted his head up with difficulty. Arielle blinked and snuggled even closer.

  “I’m very happy you’ll be with Gabrielle, I don’t like you being alone,” he whispered against her lips. “Remember that there is an army of friends that will protect you from anything that might come up. I want you to feel safe.”

  “I do, but I hope that Annabel does not unleash one of her executioners against me this week,” she said nervously. “At least not until you get back,” she added with a hollow laugh.

  “I don’t think she will do that,” he reassured her. “Annabel knows that there are too many people watching her moves. She is not going to let herself be exposed. I wouldn’t worry about her.” He gave her a tight squeeze, making her giggle.

  Sebastian sat with her at the kitchen table, keeping her company while she ate. He drank some salve as he looked through his work papers. He felt the weight of her gaze on him, and raising his gorgeous emeralds, their eyes locked. She drew in a deep breath.

  “What is it, baby?” he asked.

  “Nothing… I was just thinking how much I love you,” she said breathlessly. He smiled widely, revealing a set of perfect, white teeth.

  “Thank you for loving me.” He looked back down at his papers, and she sighed with contentment. Arielle finished her dinner and then threw away her leftovers. He glanced up to see her walk toward the study and then resumed looking over his paperwork.

  Sebastian heard Arielle turn on the telly and settle down on the sofa. He soon heard laughter. Curious, Sebastian walked to the study.

  “What are you watching?” he asked, sitting next to her and wrapping her tenderly in his embrace.

  “'Absolutely Fabulous,'” she replied between laughs. She laid her head on his shoulder, and they watched the show together. He was amused with the show. When it was over, he turned to face her and nuzzled his face in her hair, inhaling the freesia scent.

  “Can we go to bed now?” he asked. “It is getting late, and you have an early class.”

  She looked up, and her eyes fell on his lips. “Yes, I was waiting for you,” she chuckled. Leaning into him, she lifted her head and kissed him softly.

  “That’s not going to work for me.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I need a little more passion in your kiss.” He bent down and crushed her lips beneath his with vigor. She moaned through the kiss, unable to breath. He broke the kiss and laughed out loud.

  “I got it. I got it,” she said. He chuckled as he rose to his feet and pulled her up. He held her lovingly.

  “I’ve to make a couple of calls, and I’ll join you shortly.”

  “Who are you calling this late?”

  “I have to give Troy and Nathan our flight details.”

  “All right. I’ll be waiting,” she said and chuckled.

  Sebastian called Nathan and Troy to let them know that he was picking them up around eight-thirty the next morning. Their flight was at ten o’clock. Then he called Ian.

  “Hi, Ian. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”

  “Hey, Sebastian. No, not at all. Eva and I were watching the telly. What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to ask you and Eva for a favor.”

  “Anything, just ask,” Ian said gladly.

  “I have to go out of town tomorrow morning with Troy and Nathan, and we’ll be gone for at least a couple of days. I would appreciate it if you can watch over Arielle. I’m having tr
ouble with the same scum that sabotaged my company last year. They are back, and they are using different methods to pressure me into giving them secret information. It seems that someone has been following Arielle, taking photos of her when she is alone. I am afraid that they have Arielle on their radar and may try to abduct her. They will use her to force me to give them what they want. I am going tomorrow hoping to get to the bottom of this. Interpol is involved as well. In the meantime, I need you to keep her safe. I will also call Loren, and I spoke already with Christian.”

  Ian had been listening carefully. “Don’t worry, Sebastian; we are not going to let anything happen to Arielle.”

  “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”

  He then called Loren to make sure she knew that he would be out of town. He felt better knowing that there were plenty of people in place to keep Arielle safe.

  He walked into the bedroom and undressed slowly. His thoughts were full of concern about Arielle and her safety. He decided that it was time to tell Arielle about Christian. He slipped under the covers and placed his hands behind his head. Arielle was still brushing her teeth and humming a familiar song. This seemed to be the perfect moment.

  “Arielle, do you remember Christian?” he asked loudly. The humming stopped abruptly. Silence lingered for a moment.

  Arielle nearly choked on a mouthful of toothpaste. She walked to the bathroom door with the toothbrush still in her hand, toothpaste dripping off her chin. She was stunned. Her eyes fell on the beautiful man that was waiting for her. She stepped back quickly into the bathroom, spit out the toothpaste into the basin, and rinsed her mouth. Holding a face towel, she walked back to the bedroom, eyes wide open.

  “What about Christian?” A long pause followed.

  “I think it’s time that we chatted about what Christian is doing in Brighton.”

  She neared the bed in an uncomfortable stillness. “You know him?”

  “Yes, baby. I know him well.”

  “I knew it!” she spat out.

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Never mind what I mean. What exactly is Christian doing in Brighton?” she asked, her sapphire eyes assessing him suspiciously.

  Sebastian came up on his elbow and looked up into her eyes. “Please come and sit down,” he said softly, and he patted the bed with his hand.

  She had absolutely no idea what this was all about, but she was ready to find out. Nothing should surprise her anymore when it came to Sebastian’s strange world, but somehow it always did. She wiped her face and joined him in bed, slipping under the covers. She turned onto her side to face him.

  “All right. I’m here?”

  “Christian works for me,” Sebastian said.

  “He does?” She gasped.

  “Yes, he’s Pier’s little brother.”

  Arielle’s jaw dropped. “Pier…as in the Pier who is your best friend?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh! And what is he doing here?” she said thoughtfully.

  “He’s here to protect you.”

  “Me? Why?” Her eyes widened in amazement.

  “Because he is someone that Annabel doesn’t know. Christian was the solution we all came up with. The guys are tracking Annabel, and when they find her, Troy and I will join them. Annabel knows all of our friends, so it’s nice to keep Christian as a surprise for her or anyone else that might come along.”

  “Does Eva and Loren know about him?”

  “Yes, I told them.”

  “Well…well…you sure have been busy,” she muttered, eyes narrowed. “I knew he was an immortal. What I couldn’t understand was why you were not worried about me when I kept telling you that he was everywhere I went.”

  Sebastian chuckled. “Sweetheart, you and your safety are all I ever think about.”

  “What about the girl?” she asked and held her breath.

  “What girl?” he asked.

  “Oh, Sebastian, do you need everything spelled out? The girl that’s with Christian everywhere he goes. Does she know who and what he is?”

  “Yes, baby, she does. Isabella is his wife.”

  “Oh my God, another immortal…” her voice trailed.

  “Arielle, you can’t acknowledge Christian or Isabella at school; do you understand that?”

  “What are you proposing?”

  “I’m proposing that you act as if they don’t exist. You never know who is watching.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Annabel may have someone watching us, and if she doesn’t know anything about Christian and Isabella, that will be a good thing for you. Do you understand?”

  “Y—Yes, yes I understand.” Arielle gazed at him silently. Her expression changed from amazement to curiosity.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Why did you keep that from me?” she asked.

  “Truthfully?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “We thought that it would be best that you didn’t know. We didn’t want you to make a mistake and expose their cover.”

  “So you thought that I wasn’t capable of handling something like that?”

  “No, Arielle, not at all. I think you are capable of handling anything and everything that comes along. However, this is a bit different and quite out of your league.”

  “Wow…anything else?”

  “No, I swear that’s it. Do you think you’ll be able to avoid looking at them now that you know?”

  “Sebastian, sometimes I feel that you are treating me like a child. I’m a grown woman and a responsible one at that.” He laughed and lay back down.

  “I agree,” he said. “The fact that you are a grown woman is not a secret to me. You are more than that. You’re sexual, loving, incredible, utterly beautiful, and the love of my immortal life.” He gathered her in his arms, and she laid her head in the crook of his neck, spreading her hand over his chest. He smiled wide and let the minutes tick away slowly in a comfortable silence. Arielle was on the peak of sleep when Sebastian’s voice startled her.

  “I’m going to miss you.”

  Arielle snuggled even closer, and lifting her head, she kissed him tenderly on the jaw.

  “Sebastian, why do you bother with airplane tickets when you can go anywhere in the world faster just by using your abilities?” she asked groggily.

  “That’s a great question, but I think I did explain that once before. Haven’t I?”

  “You might have, but I don’t remember,” she whispered.

  “Well, it’s very simple. We try to live normal lives,” he replied sincerely.

  “Um, what time are you leaving?”

  “Eight,” he said as he reached over and grabbed the alarm. He set it for an seven o’clock wake up time. He then settled back down under the covers. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his body, nuzzling her hair. She moaned.

  She heard him whisper, “I love you,” as she drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 15

  RAINER HEINRICH was sitting in his office feeling a sense of deep agitation. Focusing on the documents that were spread across his desk, he knew that he would have to come up with a valid explanation for the failure of his last assignment. Damn. It’s not going to be easy. He thought dryly.

  He stifled a groan and drew a long breath. He hated collaborating with the big boss. He had spent the last ten years serving the Russian mafia’s top man, Nikola Vasilovitch, but the man was unreasonable. Rainer had coordinated all the important assignments because of his expertise in dirty schemes and ruthless undertakings.

  Raking his hand through his hair, he stood up and walked around his desk to the walnut table that held several bottles of alcohol. One hand on the whiskey decanter and the other cupping a whiskey glass, he suppressed an inner struggle. Pouring a generous amount, he gulped it down, wincing appreciatively. The stern, oaky liquid burned its way down his throat, and irritation plucked at him again.

  He groaned and slammed the glass on the table
. He brought both hands up and covered his face, pressing his fingertips against his temples. He had no doubt that Nikola would find a way to humiliate him.

  Pouring another glass of whiskey, he fixed his gaze on the amber liquid inside the glass and focused his mind on the next day’s meeting. Glass in hand, he walked back to his desk and took a seat behind the mahogany desk, muttering with contemptuous disdain. Setting the glass aside, he started to shuffle through the papers once again.

  The ring of his mobile startled him, and he snapped out of his stupor. He drew breath, picked it up, and flipped it open in unadulterated frustration.

  “Rainer here,” His voice crackled with anger.

  “Hey, Rainer, it's Jorrit. Bad time to call?”

  “Hey, Jorrit. No, not at all. I’m just a bit on edge with this assignment. I’m getting a lot of pressure from the top. I hope you have some good news for me.”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. We just finished the background surveillance on the people close to Gaulle, and I’ve all the details for you.”

  “Go ahead. I’m listening,”

  “Would you rather I fax it? It’s quite a lengthy list.”

  “That’ll be fine. Did you have any trouble?”

  “We had no glitches. Like I said, we finished the background surveillance. We discovered that Gaulle has a very important person in his life, his fiancée Arielle Lloyd. I had a couple of my agents following her. They are still in Brighton. We took several photos of the girl throughout her daily routine.”

  “Excellent!”

  “Earlier today, I had an anonymous envelope delivered to Gaulle’s office, but he was in a meeting. I had my guy place it into his private secretary’s hands. She was told that it was of the utmost importance that it was delivered to Gaulle and nobody else. She wanted to know if he was expecting it, and my guy advised that it was private information that he had requested. Inside the envelope, I included several of the photos and a note directing him to cooperate if he wanted to keep her alive. I said we would be contacting him with our demands at a later date. I want him to sit and stew on that for a while.” He snorted arrogantly.