But she didn’t.
The door opened. This time, it really was Sebastian. He wore a big smile on his face.
That smile turned to fury when he saw me held at gunpoint.
“Lavery?” he said, incredulously.
“Yes, yes. You all thought I was dead. Well, I’m not. Whoop-de-doo. Come in and shut the door, sunshine.”
“Get your hands off her right now,” Sebastian snarled, in a terrifying tone. His tiger growl reverberated all around the room, from deep inside his chest.
“Oh, you’re such a bore, Sebastian.” Lavery pressed the gun harder into my head. “That’s exactly what I’d expect you to say. Yawn-a-rama.”
“I’m warning you,” Sebastian said. “Don’t make me angry again, Lavery. You already know what happens when I’m angry.”
Lavery laughed his hollow, scraping laugh. “Ooh, my knees are knocking. Please don’t hurt me, ickle wickle pussy cat! Fuck you and your tiger bullshit, Chase.”
Sebastian growled his long, low tiger growl again. I watched the tips of his fingers turn to claws and back again.
Lavery tutted melodramatically.
“If you insist on this shifting nonsense, then I’ll have to explain why that’s a bad idea.” He turned to me. “Reach into my pocket, dear. Not that one. The other one.”
I didn’t move at first, but he jabbed my head with the gun again. I reached into the pocket he indicated.
“Ooh, she had a good rummage while she was in there, Chase! Probably not satisfied by the mangy moggy she’s screwing. Fair play to her.”
Sebastian’s eyes flashed, pure cold hatred dripping from his stare.
“Show him what you just found in my pocket, Finola dear.”
I held up a small glass vial. It contained a clear liquid. I had no idea what it was.
“Don’t play games, Piers,” Sebastian said, in a withering tone. “Some of us have better things to do.”
Piers laughed again. The sound set my teeth on edge.
“Oh, you’re so masterful, Chase! Oh! No wonder the ladies love you! Well, not all the ladies. Just the desperate ones.”
Sebastian growled again sharply.
“I’m getting to the point,” Piers said. “This vial contains a wonderful substance called Anti-Finola.” He smiled with raised eyebrows, as though delighted with himself. “Isn’t that just precious?”
“What are you talking about, you wretch?”
“I sequenced your girlfriend’s DNA. And then I made a lovely potion that will kill just her and nobody else. It’s poetic, really.”
Sebastian stared.
“You’d better be joking.”
“Joking!” Piers mimed a theatrical gasp. “He thinks I’m joking! Want me to prove it?”
He placed the glass vial on the floor carefully and raised his heel over it, as if to stamp on it.
“Once the glass breaks, the pathogen will turn to gas and fill the air. And she’ll come tumbling down. Nobody else will be harmed. Isn’t that adorable?”
Sebastian growled again. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“It’s not magic, either. It’s hard science. Much better than all your elves and wizards nonsense. Oh, and I should warn you: if you shift, I will definitely stamp on it. Then I’ll cut out your heart while you sob over her body like poor Romeo. Boo-hoo-hoo.”
“Goddamn it, Piers, you fucking piece of shit.”
Sebastian seemed barely in control of his shift at this point. Flashes of tiger stripes streaked across him and away again. His hands sprouted claws for a second at a time, then returned to fingers. I watched as dark lines appeared across his forehead, then dissolved back to skin color.
“You probably shouldn’t have dismissed all your security guards,” Piers chuckled. “I’m surprised at Rufus. What a rookie error, to confirm a death without a body.”
“Who was driving your car?” Sebastian’s fists were clenched so hard, he must have drawn blood every time his claws appeared.
“My maid! It doesn’t do to be too conspicuous when you’re on a manhunt. I lent my priceless car to my lowly little maid to ferry my laundry around and run errands. Isn’t that hilarious? You murdered a skivvy and you thought it was your nemesis! I take my hat off to you, Chase. You’re awfully comical, for a dull office worker.”
Sebastian was right on the verge of an accidental shift now. I had to play for time, or he’d turn to tiger and then we’d both be dead.
“Why are you doing all this?” I asked, hiding the tremor in my voice. “Why white tigers? Why collect their hearts?”
Piers Lavery stopped for a moment.
“That’s a good question, doomed Finola. Would you like to know the answer?”
“Yes please.”
I held my nerve, just like Rufus had told me to as we drove to the heliport. How I wished sweet Rufus was here now. Preferably with a new batch of hired tough guys, so Sebastian didn’t have to face my possible death alone.
“Then I shall tell you,” Piers said.
“Take your foot away from the vial,” Sebastian snarled.
Piers tutted, but he did it. The gun was still pointed squarely at my skull, though.
“Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll tell you a story. My father was one of your kind.” He nodded at Sebastian. “Filth. White tiger filth. I’m ashamed to have your revolting genes, Chase. Ugh. I take Epsom salt baths to cleanse me of their repugnant influence.”
I pleaded silently with Sebastian not to rise to any of Piers’ provocations.
“So,” he went on, “the white tiger screwed my poor, trusting mother and left. Now, my mother was a lion shifter. A proud, strong, beautiful lion. She deserved so much better than a douche of a white tiger. That’s for sure.”
“What has this got to do with me?” Sebastian said. “Just because I’m a white tiger too? You’ve got to do better than that, you lunatic.”
“Actually, he was your uncle,” Piers said. “You look exactly like him too. I bet you’re every bit as callous and hateful as he was.”
Piers’ father was Sebastian’s uncle?
“You’re… you’re cousins?” I exclaimed.
The two men stared at each other, mutual hatred written plainly on each of their faces.
“You’re a tigon,” said Sebastian. “We thought as much.”
“Oh yes, I’m a tigon,” Piers said bitterly. “If it hadn’t been for your playboy uncle, my mother would have married a lion. I’d have been a true lion too. Strong. Powerful. Invincible. Not living out this miserable half-breed existence, waiting for the next body part to fail.”
I looked sideways as far as I could. He looked almost pitiful when he talked about his own frailty.
“You can’t shift, can you?” I said, softly.
“No I bloody can’t,” he said. “And his sort are the reason why. His uncle couldn’t leave well alone and go for one of his own type. No, he had to seduce a lion. Well, thank you very much, Messrs Chase.”
“I am not my uncle,” Sebastian said. He was a little calmer. The claws and stripes had stayed away for a few minutes now.
“You’re his closest living male relative and you look exactly like him,” Piers spat. “So handsome. So charming. So despicable. So repugnant. You may as well be him. And he’s already dead, so I can’t kill him. It’s unfortunate, but there it is.”
“What do you hope to achieve with this madness?” Sebastian asked. “How does cutting out hearts make you feel better?”
“Oh my goodness, Chase. Do you not know the healing power of vengeance? If I cut out a thousand of your worthless hearts, it might make up in some tiny way for my mother’s broken heart. Do you see? It’s poetic justice. She killed herself when I was eight, having never got over the loss and the shame of what your uncle did.”
“I’m sorry,” I said automatically.
“Don’t pity me, witch. Oh yes. Witch. I mapped your DNA. I know exactly what you are.”
Sebastian snarled again, but I
caught his eye. Don’t, I mouthed.
“It’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard,” said Sebastian. “You were taking hearts to avenge the breaking of a heart? It’s like the lyrics to a bad pop song. One that never charted.”
“I didn’t set out to take your dumb hearts. That was later.”
“Then what the hell did you mean to do originally?”
Lavery sighed again, rolling his eyes upwards as though he was so tired of the questions. But he was clearly enjoying the limelight. He seemed to love being listened to. Perhaps it was the first time anyone had taken an interest in his crackpot ideas.
“Originally, I planned to synthesize a drug that would allow me to harness the wholly undeserved powers on my father’s side of the family. Your family. I was going to harvest one of your hearts for myself, plus tiger immune factors to stabilize it. Then I would have had it transplanted it into me. It would have overridden some of the main genetic failings I endure, due to my half-lion heritage. I have a weak heart, and liver, and various other things, because your filthy blood pollutes my noble lion blood.”
“And you failed? You failed to make that drug?”
“I have yet to realize that aspect of the endeavor,” Piers said, haughtily. “Once I started cutting hearts out, though, I noticed how much fun I was having. Slicing you arrogant fucks down to size became my life’s work. I’ve enjoyed every minute.”
Sebastian shook his head again, pure revulsion on his face. I felt slightly sick. The tip of the gun was no longer cold, but it was still pointing right at my brain.
“So what is you want now, Piers?” Sebastian said wearily. “Get on with it.”
“I’ll - ahem - cut to the Chase, shall I?”
Lavery tittered at his own joke. Sebastian’s face was like the darkest moment of a storm.
“Mmm. Tough crowd. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to come willingly with me, Chase. I’m going to tie up your lovely girlfriend, but otherwise leave her unharmed. That’ll be your one reward. Then you and I will head out to a little party I’ve set up. There might be the tiniest smidge of fun before I rip your heart out. Then we all live happily ever after. Well, not you two. Me. I will.”
“You really are a psycho,” I whispered, tears pouring down my face.
“And,” he went on in a sing-song voice, “what if you do-on’t? Then I break the vial, the witch dies and I still get to kill you, by virtue of having a fucking gun. Although,” he added, thoughtfully, “you’d have a small chance of biting my head off before I fired the fatal shot. In some ways, that’d be the more entertaining option.”
Sebastian’s eyes met mine again.
“Break the glass,” I shouted. “Break it. I’m going to die soon anyway, right? My visions told us that. Break the glass and rip this bastard’s head off.”
“NO.” Sebastian’s claws razored out and back again.
Control the shift, I begged him silently. Don’t let it control you.
“Interesting move by the witch there. Now, I must admit, I didn’t see that coming.”
Seb took a step toward us.
“Break it,” I hollered. “Get him, Sebastian.”
He shook his head at me.
“I can’t.”
Lavery laughed his unhealthy laugh once more.
Sebastian moved two steps toward us.
“I love you, Finola. I will always love you.”
He took another step forward.
What was he doing?
“Don’t go with him,” I sobbed. “I can’t lose you.”
Sebastian took another step. “Oh yeah. What was your answer? The candles?”
I half-choked on my tears. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes, I will marry you, Sebastian Chase.”
We both knew it must be impossible now.
Sebastian took the last few steps over to us. “Put the gun down, Piers. I’ll come with you.”
I screamed “NO” at the top of my lungs. But Sebastian wouldn’t stop walking.
I tried to stamp on the vial myself, but Lavery snatched it up and put it in a briefcase. From that same briefcase, he took out a roll of black tape and a long syringe.
“First, I need to tie her up. Keep quite still on that spot, Chase. If you interfere in any way, I’ll shoot her right in her pretty face.”
Sebastian grimaced as Lavery taped my wrists together, then my ankles, gripping the gun between his teeth. Finally, he taped over my mouth.
“I love you,” I cried to Sebastian, just before Lavery sealed my lips.
He gave me a shove and I toppled onto the bed, all out of balance.
“Now it’s your turn, Chase. Give me your arm.”
“What the hell is that?”
“It’s a tranquilizer. The same stuff zookeepers give tigers in captivity, so they can have their way with them.”
From my position on the bed, I could just see what was happening through a curtain of my hair. Sebastian glared as the needle drew close.
“Oh, don’t be a big baby,” Piers said. “It’s not going to kill you. Believe me, I have a much better death in mind for you. I’ve organized the most wonderful magical ritual. When I take your heart, I’ll have the strength of all the tigers I’ve killed! Hey presto!”
“You’re insane. There’s no magic at all that would do that.”
“Wrong! This is dark magic. Not the elementary Magic 101 you and your vile kind might use.”
Then he jabbed the syringe into Sebastian’s arm. I screamed into the tape.
Sebastian looked confused for a moment. His eyes drooped and his head rolled forward.
Then he dropped heavily to the floor. I sobbed with anguish.
Lavery dragged his unconscious bulk with great difficulty towards the door.
“Just popping him in his box, dear.” He reached behind the ornamental screen and pulled out a gigantic trunk on wheels. It was big enough for a man to climb inside.
No. NO. Don’t put Sebastian in there. NO.
My nerves jangled with fear for him.
Lavery opened the trunk and pushed Sebastian inside, limb by limb. It took a while and he looked tired by the time he got him fully inside.
I wondered if I could force the tape off my mouth by rubbing it against the bedcovers. It was worth a try.
One corner of tape popped up. Lavery noticed what I was doing.
“My dearest witchy-poo. If you scream, or utter a single word from now on, I shall seal this trunk with padlocks and drop it into the River Liffey. If you call the police at any time after I’ve left, I shall drop the trunk down an elevator shaft. Don’t make me prove what an honorable man of my word I am.”
I shook with sorrow and terror and rage. Sebastian’s unconscious head lolled sideways in the open trunk. His gigantic frame filled the entire space. Lavery had to push his arm down to close it.
“There are ventilation holes, you big fusspot. Don’t worry. I plan to keep him in peak condition for the ritual, believe me.”
He pressed a button on his phone and two men rushed in. They tipped the trunk onto its end and wheeled it up to the door.
Had these men been the ones who helped attack me in the parking garage? Possibly. I couldn’t really remember any faces, because it had been so dark.
“I’ll be off now,” said Piers Lavery. “Thanks for your hospitality. It’s been… moderately amusing. Good luck for the future.”
And with that, he and his cronies disappeared. With my beloved Sebastian.
My one true love. My soulmate.
All too briefly, my fiancé.
I shuddered and convulsed with tears of grief and rage, for what felt like hours.
Clearly, I must had fallen into a fitful sleep at some point, my face jammed onto the bedcover and my limbs numb from the binding.
It looked a lot like mid-morning by the time Isabel appeared. The sun was halfway up the sky, from what little I could see of the window from face-down on the bed.
“Oh my GOD,
Finola,” Isabel shouted as she ran over to me. She turned me over and peeled off my mouth tape with small, fast movements. “What the hell happened to you? Where’s Sebastian?”
“He took him,” I croaked, as Isabel tore off my other bindings with hastily-extended tiger claws. “Piers Lavery. He’s not dead. He’s got him. He’s got Sebastian.”
Part IV
Freed
31
I was free. I rubbed my wrists, flexing my hands open and closed to circulate the blood.
Isabel hugged me tightly. She patted my back as I sobbed.
“Okay. I know this is difficult. But you need to tell me exactly what happened. Take as long as you need.”
It was a little while before I could catch enough breath to speak. The grief convulsed my whole body. I wondered if I might actually die of it.
Losing Sebastian, because he sacrificed himself to save me.
Watching him drop to the floor, unconscious.
Not being able to stop Piers Lavery stuffing him into a trunk and wheeling him away.
Holy shit. It felt just about agonizing enough to destroy me.
At last, I managed to calm myself a little. My lips were raw from the tape Lavery had used to gag me.
“We all thought Rufus’ security team had killed Lavery. But he’d lent his car to his maid. So it wasn’t Lavery that they killed. It was the maid.”
“Oh, no. God, no.” Isabel’s face was starkly pale next to her wide blue eyes. She clapped her hand over her mouth.
I nodded. “That poor woman. She did nothing wrong. She just worked for the wrong guy.”
We looked at each other in silence. The sheer horror of the situation was overwhelming.
Isabel hugged me again. “Look, we have to find Sebastian. Fast.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” She let me go and stood up. “We need to haul Rufus out of bed and hope his hangover is manageable. He picked a really bad time to get wasted. I don’t know what got into him.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty out of character. Rufus seems like the kind of guy who’d keep himself under control at all times.”
“He usually is that guy,” she said. “The most level head in the whole room. Who knows what the hell happened? Anyway, let’s make a plan. Do you know where Lavery planned to take Sebastian? Did he let any information slip? Anything at all?”
Tiger Billionaire: The Whole Story (BBW Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Box Set) Page 20