Sebastian (The Beck Brothers #2)

by Large, Andria

  " Thank god for that," Sebastian snorted.

  Bill agreed. " Okay...I'll let you get back to work," he said then headed back out into the showroom.

  Sebastian lost himself in his work for the rest of the day. Bill came back in at around 8pm, handed him a new SIG and then kicked him out. Sebastian washed his hands and headed home. He walked into his dark apartment, McDonalds in hand. Sebastian kicked the door shut behind him before flipping on the kitchen light. Shit, he was tired. It just seemed to hit him out of no where. He had slept like shit the night before. His mind kept racing with "what ifs" and he kept picturing other scenarios of how everything could have gone differently. He would doze off here and there but never got into a deep sleep.

  Sebastian went and turned on the lamp in his tiny living room. His apartment was small but he didn't need much space when it was just him. The kitchen and living room were one big room with only a counter separating them. He had two bedrooms. The bigger one was obviously his and the smaller one he set up as a computer/work-out room.

  Sebastian sat at the counter and ate his dinner. It was the only thing he had eaten all day. He was too preoccupied with work to stop and eat. Not that he had really been hungry anyway. After finishing the two Big Mac's, a large fry and large soda, Sebastian headed down the hall to his bathroom.

  He turned on the shower then stripped. He set his new SIG on the back of the toilet before stepping into the shower. He groaned when the hot spray hit his back. Sebastian grabbed his shampoo and washed his hair. As he was rinsing his hair, he heard something bang in the living room. It actually sounded like his apartment door closing. Sebastian's eyes shot open as his heart lurched. What the fuck was that?

  Sebastian shut the water off and stepped out of the shower as quietly as possible. He grabbed his gun and went to the door, screw drying off. He opened it a crack and heard movement in the living room. Someone was in his apartment? Seriously? Could it be the other guy that he shot looking for revenge? Could he really have found Sebastian that fast?

  Sebastian gripped his SIG tightly as he eased the door open and crept quietly down the hallway. He heard the fridge door open and close. Sebastian quickly turned the corner, lifted his gun and aimed at the person in his kitchen. His brother Quinn's eyes widened and the beer bottle dropped from his hand. Luckily the bottle didn't break. But Quinn had opened it so beer spewed all over the kitchen floor.

  Sebastian saw red. He slapped the gun down on the counter and crossed the room. He gripped Quinn up by the front of his shirt and slammed him back against the fridge, making bottles in the fridge rattle. " Are you fucking insane?! I almost shot you!!!" Sebastian shouted, slamming Quinn into the fridge again. His heart was pounding so bad he swore it was going to burst out of his chest.

  Quinn grabbed his forearms, his face stricken. " I'm sorry, Sebastian. I knocked and called your name. When I heard the shower running, I figured I'd just wait for you to be done," he rushed to explain.

  " You should have told me you were coming by!" Sebastian yelled, shoving Quinn into the fridge one more time before pushing away from him. Jesus Christ! He had almost killed his brother.

  Quinn watched as Sebastian paced away from him, fingers squeezing the bridge of his nose. His other hand on his naked hip. Sebastian was completely naked and dripping wet. He obviously just got out of the shower and didn't bother with a towel. He also didn't seem to care that he was pacing through a puddle of beer either.

  " I'm sorry," Quinn rasped. He felt horrible for scaring his brother so bad.

  Sebastian turned his angry green eyes to him. There was also something else in his eyes - fear, bone deep fear. " I was seriously a breath away from shooting you in the head, Quinn," he said, his voice trembling.

  That's when Quinn noticed that Sebastian's whole body was shaking. He doubted it was from being cold. Quinn's heart broke for his brother. " Sebastian, why don't you go dry off and get dressed," Quinn suggested quietly.

  Sebastian left without a word, disappearing down the hallway that he came from. Quinn took a deep breath before grabbing the roll of paper towels and cleaning up the kitchen floor. Quinn had seriously almost shit himself when he turned and saw a gun pointed at his face. Never had he ever felt that kind of fear. For a second, he thought that Sebastian actually might pull the trigger.

  Quinn had come by to check on his brother. He had heard about what happened last night and wanted to make sure Sebastian was doing okay. He hadn't even thought that he might be jumpy. Idiot! What the hell was he thinking just showing up like that? Of course Sebastian was going to be jumpy. There was still one guy on the loose. He probably thought that Quinn was that guy, breaking into his apartment. Fuck!

  Quinn shook his head and cursed to himself as he sopped beer and water up off the floor. He tossed the bottle in the recycling bin and then put the soaked paper towels in the trash. He washed his hands. Then he headed down the hall to find Sebastian. Quinn found him in his bedroom, sitting on the end of his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist, his head in his hands.

  " Hey man...you okay?" Quinn asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stepped into the room.

  Sebastian lifted his head from his hands. He looked run down and emotionally drained. " I just...I can't believe how close I came to pulling the trigger," he said, his voice low.

  Quinn sighed. " Shit Sebastian, it really wasn't your fault. I should have called first."

  Sebastian shook his head. " Whatever. Doesn't matter," he said, waving that aside. " I could have killed you, Quinn," he said. His voice was dead and hollow.

  " But you didn't. So just forget about it," Quinn shrugged.

  Sebastian stared at him for a moment before turning away. He got up and went to his dresser where he pulled out a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt. " What are you doing here anyway?" he asked as he pulled his clothes on.

  " I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing after last night," Quinn replied.

  Sebastian gave a bitter laugh. " As you can see, I've become paranoid."

  " With good reason," Quinn said, giving Sebastian a pointed look.

  Sebastian shrugged. " I guess," he muttered and moved past Quinn to go back into the kitchen.

  Quinn followed Sebastian into the kitchen. Sebastian went into the fridge and grabbed two beers. He cracked one open and handed it to Quinn. Quinn thanked him then took a long swig. He needed it to calm his nerves. If it had been Christian here the poor guy would have probably thrown up on the kitchen floor, adding to the beer and water. Sebastian leaned his ass against the counter next to the fridge and took a sip of his beer.

  " I went to a therapist this morning," Sebastian admitted quietly, picking at the label of his beer.

  Quinn's eyebrows shot up. A rare moment where Quinn was actually shocked into showing emotion. " Really?" he asked, stunned that Sebastian even told him that. Usually he would have had to hear it from Henry.

  Sebastian nodded. He was staring down at his bottle while he continued to pick at the label.

  " How'd it go?" Quinn asked.

  " Pretty good. The guy is cool. He wants me to come back on Monday," Sebastian said, lifting his gaze to look at Quinn. " Do you think I'm a pussy for going?" he asked hesitantly.

  Quinn blinked at him. Was he serious?! " What? Hell no. You need to go," he insisted.

  One side of Sebastian's mouth tipped up and he nodded slightly. " Okay...thanks," he murmured, sending Quinn a grateful glance.

  " Wanna watch a movie or something since I'm here?" Quinn asked. He was hoping to get Sebastian's mind off everything for a little while.

  Sebastian shrugged. " Yeah, sure."

  So Quinn and Sebastian headed into the living room. Sebastian pulled up his On-Demand and they picked out a movie to watch. Quinn sat at one end of the couch while Sebastian lounged at the other end. Quinn smiled to himself. He liked hanging out with Sebastian. He didn't do it often enough. He was glad that his brother felt comfortable enough with him to open up a
little. He hadn't expected it. Quinn loves all his brothers to death. He has always been a little jealous of the close relationship Henry and Sebastian have though. He always wanted to be a part of their little click. Maybe this was a start.

  Chapter 3

  Raelynn walked down the corridor of the 3rd floor of the apartment building. She glanced at the numbers on the doors, stopping at number 34A. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she lifted her fist and knocked on the plain brown door. She had no idea why she was nervous but just the thought of seeing who she came to see put butterflies in her stomach. She glanced at her watch. 9am. It wasn't super early, so she hoped that she wouldn't be waking him up.

  The lock clicked and the door swung open. Raelynn's breath caught at the stunning sight in front of her. Sebastian Beck stood in the doorway in nothing but a pair of sweatpants that were slung low on his lean hips. So low that there was no way he was wearing underwear. His upper body was bare, showing off his impressive physique and tattoos. His green eyes looked tired and his blonde hair was mussed. His face was covered in a couple days worth of stubble. He looked rugged and handsome and panty-dropping hot.

  " I hope I didn't wake you," Raelynn managed when she finally found her voice.

  Sebastian covered up a yawn with the back of his hand as he shook his head. " Nah, I just got up before you knocked," he said, his voice lower then normal from sleep, sending shivers down her spine.

  Dammit! Why did he have to be so freaking attractive?! Sebastian moved aside and waved her in. She entered his surprisingly neat apartment and let him shut the door. He shuffled into the kitchen and started setting up the coffee maker. Raelynn couldn't help but check out his very fine rear end. Raelynn had always loved sweatpants on a man.

  " You want some coffee?" Sebastian asked without turning around.

  " Yeah sure," Raelynn answered, moving to sit on one of the stools that was set up at the island counter.

  Sebastian opened the cabinet in front of him and pulled down two mugs. " So what brings you by?" he asked, turning and placing both mugs on the counter in front of her.

  Raelynn sighed. " We've found out the identity of the second man - the one who got away."

  Sebastian froze. His broad back was to her since he had turned back toward the other coffee maker. He had a large tattoo of a hooded man with only his mouth showing. An evil, malicious grin curled the lips of the man. His arms crossed over his chest, a gun in each hand. The tattoo covered pretty much his entire back and it was incredibly detailed. Raelynn wondered how long it took to complete. Sebastian turned his head to the side, giving her his profile. His hands were flattened on the counter top in front of him. And she could practically see the tension coiling his body tighter and tighter.

  " And?" Sebastian prompted.

  " His name is Hector Marquez. He's got a rap sheet a mile long. Has been in and out of jail since the age of 13 and you killed his brother Renaldo," Raelynn said.

  Sebastian bit out a nasty curse and hung his head.

  " Exactly. You could be in serious danger Sebastian. If and when Hector heals from his wounds, he'll most likely come after you to avenge his brother," Raelynn said, watching Sebastian's tattooed back and wondering what he was thinking.

  The coffee pot beeped, signaling that the coffee was done. Sebastian grabbed the carafe, turned and filled both mugs with coffee. His jaw was tight and his eyes were downcast, watching what he was doing. Once the mugs were filled, he put the carafe back and brought over the sugar bowl and two spoons. Then he grabbed the creamer from the fridge and set it on the counter with the sugar. Without a word, he put two spoonfuls of sugar and a splash of creamer in his mug and stirred.

  " I think it would be in your best interest to go into the witness protection program until we can find Hector," Raelynn suggested as she fixed her coffee the way she liked - one sugar and a dash of creamer.

  " No," Sebastian said, his hard tone telling her that he was not going to compromise.

  Raelynn sighed. " Sebastian..."

  " I can take care of myself," Sebastian snapped.

  Raelynn looked up to find him glaring at her. His expression was tight and angry. " I know you can. That much is obvious. But you can't watch your own back 24/7."

  Sebastian shook his head. " I won't let some scumbag deviant dictate how I live my life," he said, his lip curled in disgust.

  Raelynn sighed heavily. She knew he wasn't going to budge on this. The only thing she could do was keep an eye on him herself when she could. She didn't blame him though. She probably would have been the same way if their roles were reversed. Fear was not going to rule his life. She could admire that. She just worried for his safety.

  " Did you get another gun?" she asked, sipping her coffee.

  Sebastian sipped his before answering her. " I got one the next day."

  The shooting happened almost two weeks ago now. She had hoped that he had gotten something fairly quickly. She was shocked though that he got one the next day. Then she remembered that he worked in a gun shop. It couldn't have been difficult for him to get one.

  " That's good."

  Sebastian nodded. He glanced at her as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. " I...uh...I wanted to thank you for recommending Jared. He's helped a lot," he murmured quietly.

  Raelynn smiled softly. " I'm glad."

  Sebastian gave her a tight smile, a small flush creeping up his cheeks.

  " You live here alone?" Raelynn asked, turning on her stool to look around his very masculine apartment. There were no feminine touches anywhere.

  " Yeah. You're in a true bachelor pad," he snorted.

  Raelynn smiled as she turned back around to face him. " Oh yeah?"

  Sebastian nodded. " Yup...no women allowed. Well, other then the occasional Detective that comes knocking on my door," he smirked.

  Raelynn chuckled and shook her head. " Are you telling me you've never had a woman here?"

  " Eh...I can't say that. My sister-in-law comes here. What I meant is that I don't bring dates here," Sebastian said.

  Raelynn rolled her eyes. " Oh. You're one of those guys, huh?"

  Sebastian gave her a bitter snort. " I have my reasons."

  Raelynn raised an eyebrow in question but Sebastian just smiled enigmatically and sipped his coffee. Okay...he was gonna be like that. Fine. It was nice to see him smile though. He had an alluring smile. All sexy and seductive. She wondered if he practiced it in the mirror. Or if he even knew what a smile like that could do to a woman. Dammit, why did he have to be so freaking attractive?!

  Sebastian watched as Raelynn finished off her coffee then brought her mug to the sink. She rinsed it then set it in the sink. She was wearing a tailored black suit with a white blouse and black pumps. Her hair was in its usually bun at the nape of her neck. Her makeup was subtle, highlighting her bright blue eyes. She looked professional and sensual all at the same time.

  " I gotta head out. Thanks for the coffee," Raelynn said and started for the door.

  " No problem," Sebastian muttered, following her.

  She pulled open his apartment door and turned to look at him. He caught her gaze wander over his chest and abs before coming back up to his eyes. He gave her a knowing smirk, making her blush slightly.

  " Watch yourself," Raelynn grunted then walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind her.

  Sebastian smiled. She was something. Beautiful and ballsy. He liked it. He liked her. He'd like to fuck her was more like it. He'd love to see what she had going on under those suits she always wore. He could tell she didn't have a huge chest. Probably just enough to fit in his hands. But that was fine by him. Te wasn't really into huge tits. They were nice sometimes. But they wouldn't have fit on Raelynn's tiny body. And she was definitely tiny. No taller then 5'3 and 115lbs.

  Sebastian got ready for work then headed out to his truck. Sebastian just bought a new fairway green Chevy Avalanche. As soon as he started getting a steady paycheck - he got an apartment and the t
ruck. When he lived in California, he had a convertible. He left it there. It was not a car for the East Coast with all the snow and bad weather that happened there. He had always wanted a truck anyway. Victoria hated trucks and had never wanted him to get one. Now that he was on his own...he would get whatever he damn well pleased.

  It had been over a year since his divorce had been finalized. As soon as the ties were cut he had no more contact with her. There was no reason to. He had to speak with her here and there when the papers were being drawn up and signed but other then that - he didn't want to see her or hear from her ever again. She betrayed him. Cheated on him. He had thought they were happy - that she was happy. God, how could he have been so wrong?

  Sebastian shook his head. He hadn't thought about her in months and he didn't plan to start now. He was over her. He had his own life now. He did whatever he wanted - when he wanted. Didn't answer to anyone. And he liked it that way.