Arielle made a poor attempt at smiling. This was the voice that hit the core of her soul like a sublime note from a great composer.
“Hurry back…” her voice trailed.
Sebastian’s brows lifted in amusement. “Ah, you sound eager, are you?” he purred.
She smiled softly, but didn’t make another remark. Sebastian turned to gaze at her mother; her expression would yield nothing. Sebastian held her eyes for a short moment.
“I take it you all want me out of here,” he chuckled. “However, as I said before, I’ll be back soon,” he added, his tone meaningful. He turned and strode out of the room. Stepping outside the revolving doors, he took a deep breath of the cool morning breeze.
It wasn’t until he walked into the house that he realized he never had a chance to speak with Arielle about what story to use with the authorities. Blinking aside his frustration, he cursed inwardly. A frown covered his face. He was not ready to acknowledge that he messed up. Swallowing, he decided that he would have to go back to Arielle’s side before the authorities did.
He showered in a nanosecond, but he couldn’t show up in the hospital this soon. Her parents were there and he didn’t want to make them suspicious. He lay across the bed and closed his eyes, mulling over in his head all that had taken place the day before. If he could only turn back time and change the outcome, he would do it in a second. His body relaxed, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.
His eyes snapped open; an uncanny feeling washed over him, bringing him to his senses. Slanting his unfocused eyes toward the digital clock, he blinked. He did a double take and swallowed a curse. “Christ!” he screamed. “I’m bloody late!” He had slept through the morning. He jumped out of bed and, grabbing a pair of jeans and shirt, he moved around the room like a tornado. Sebastian was in his car and on his way in no time at all.
Back at the hospital, Arielle was becoming more aware of her surroundings. Her vision was still blocked by her swollen eyes and the pain resonated from her head to her toes.
“Mum, how long have I been here?” Arielle asked apprehensively.
“Ian brought you here yesterday afternoon, dear.”
“Am I going home today?”
“No, I don’t think it’ll be today, darling. The doctor is coming this morning to examine you. He’ll then let us know when you can go home,” her mother said and applied a cold compress over her eyes.
The door opened, and Miss Walker stepped inside. Approaching the bed, she spoke softly. “Good morning, Arielle. I’m Miss Walker, your nurse, I’m going to raise your bed to a sitting position,” she said and, reaching out, she patted her hand.
“Good morning,” Arielle murmured.
“I’m going to take your temperature, dear, and then I’ll give you a pain shot. As soon as the pain subsides, I’ll give you a sponge bath. How does that sound?” she asked brightly.
“I…I guess fine,” she replied, unexcitedly.
James Lloyd walked in, holding two cups of tea in his hands.
“Good morning, Miss Walker,” he said and approached his daughter’s bed.
“How are you this morning, Pumpkin?”
“Hi, Daddy!” Arielle mumbled.
He set the teacups on the side table and, leaning over his daughter, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “You sure look better this morning!” he said softly.
“Liar!” Arielle muttered.
Her father chuckled and gave her another kiss on the cheek.
“James, I’m afraid we’ll have to drink that tea in the waiting room. Miss Walker is getting ready to give Arielle a sponge bath. Let’s go, dear,” she said, and taking one of the cups, she headed for the door.
“We’ll come back, pumpkin,” her father said and fell in step beside his wife.
“Okay…” She let her voice fade. She hated been in the dark, but what was the point of complaining about that, over and over again? All anyone could do about that was put cold compresses and wait… She repressed a sigh and, laying her head against her pillow, she tried to wipe every thought out of her mind.
Sebastian came to an abrupt halt as six pairs of eyes pinned him as soon as he entered the hospital room. Arielle’s parents seemed to be in exactly the same place he had left them earlier that morning. Two police officers were standing next to Arielle’s bed. Their expressions were clearly surprised and their eyes widened at the sight of Sebastian. But Sebastian’s expression was poised. Inwardly, he cursed, and a muscle in his jaw clenched. He wondered how much Arielle had told them, and if any of that fell within the story he and his friends had laid out to make sure nothing became complicated.
He strode into the room unhurriedly and smiled gently to the Lloyds.
“This is Arielle’s fiancé, Sebastian Gaulle,” James Lloyd said, stepping forward and making the introductions. “Sebastian, my boy, these two officers are here for some information from Arielle,” he said.
Sebastian didn’t say anything; he just nodded and approached Arielle’s bed. Leaning down, he placed a loving kiss on Arielle’s forehead. His hand clasped hers and squeezed it gently. “Hi, baby, how are you feeling?” he whispered.
“Better now that you’re here,” she murmured, and her lips curved slightly up. She did seem much better, and the swelling was down. The puffiness in her eyes had diminished, but the blue and yellow bruising appeared ghastly.
He then took a seat next to her bed, still clasping Arielle’s hand in his. He gazed over at the two officers and waited.
They seemed completely stunned, and Sebastian knew that his immortal appearance threw them off a bit. He watched them swallow hard and cough to clear their throat. The younger officer looked in his early thirties, while his partner was an elderly gentleman. The officers knew very well who Sebastian Gaulle was. He was well known in London and around most of the world for being one of the richest bachelors and successful businessmen.
The younger office stared at Sebastian, and said firmly, “Mr. Gaulle, do you know if there is someone that may want to harm your fiancée because of you? By that I mean, do you think there maybe someone who wants something from you and your company, or maybe someone who is jealous of you?”
Sebastian shrugged, totally unruffled. “I operate a very successful company. I can’t honestly rule out the possibility of ransom. Dylan Jamison, the head of Interpol Intelligence, has all the details on the case,” he stated clearly. The young officer’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t say anything further; he just made a note in his notepad.
“Where were you yesterday afternoon?” the older officer asked, as if he didn’t hear Sebastian’s statement, pinning him with a quizzical gaze. Sebastian’s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
“I was in a meeting with Dylan Jamison, along with Troy, my coworker. I was notified by our friend Ian that Arielle was brought into the hospital. I came here straight from the meeting,” he said curtly. He didn’t appreciate the tone of the officer’s voice.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the officer said. “I didn’t mean to sound as if I were accusing you of something. What I wanted to know is,” he paused and took a deep breath, “Mr. Gaulle, I was wondering if you actually knew her abductors?”
“No, I don’t,” Sebastian replied, his expression calm and open. “Didn’t Arielle see their faces?” Sebastian asked masking his expression.
“I didn’t see their faces,” Arielle said, pressing his hand softly.
“Baby, didn’t you see them when they were beating you up?” he asked, pretending surprise.
“No, the room was dark, and they were wearing masks,” she said firmly. “I texted Eva when I heard them leaving the house, and I was hoping she would find me before they came back,” she said in a high pitched voice. She was still affected by the memories.
“We did go to that location yesterday after we spoke to your friend,” the younger officer added, “but we didn’t find anything that would give us a clue. The place was all cleaned up but for some damage to an interio
r wall. The place was abandoned.”
Sebastian was thankful for making sure the bodies were disposed of and everything was put back in place before they left. He did wonder about Dylan’s detectives and what became of them, but he knew that Dylan was not going to discuss the details of this case with the authorities. He wouldn’t want them to interfere with this important case.
“We’ll do everything we can to try and find them, and we’ll keep you informed,” the older officer said to James Lloyd. The officers thanked them and left the room.
Arielle focused her thoughts on Sebastian. She could feel his hand pressing softly on hers, and his sweet scent consuming every sense awake.
“Sebastian, are they gone?”
“Yes, baby, they just left.”
James Lloyd leaned over her bed and pressed a kiss on her cheek. “Pumpkin, now that Sebastian is here, we are going home. We’ll be back later this afternoon,” he said, lovingly. They both patting Sebastian on his back and walked out.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Sebastian bent down, trying to scoop her in his arms carefully without disturbing the IVs.
“Arielle, I missed you so much. I’m going out of my mind. I hate that you’re here and in pain. I want you home with me,” he purred.
“I feel better when you hold me,” she whispered.
“I’ll hold you for eternity if that makes you feel better,” he murmured and gave her a soft squeeze.
“I need to see your face more than I need to breathe,” she whimpered.
“You will, baby, I’m not going anywhere.” His lips pressed hers softly, and she grimaced. He immediately pulled back and laid her carefully back down. “I can’t stand seeing you this way,” he moaned.
She reached up slowly, repressing the sting from the IV, and traced with her fingers the beautiful features of his face. A mixture of sensation and love coursed through her, alleviating every ache, every worry, every thought, away from her brain.
“Kiss me!” she said.
“I don’t want to hurt you, my love,” he murmured, his voice passionate.
“Please…I’ve missed you,” she whimpered.
He pulled her back into his arms and his lips covered hers with restraint. She sank into his embrace and she was unable to mask her desire. She forgot all about the pain and her lips moved awkwardly but demanding against his. He groaned and pulled his lips free.
“Stop, you’ll hurt yourself,” he moaned and laid her back on the bed. He was trying hard to rein in his desires that were screaming to be unleashed.
“I want to go home,” she pleaded.
“Arielle, you need to be here,” he said. He was breathing deeply, and his voice was filled with frustration. “For what I have in mind, you’ll need to be completely healed and strong” he snorted.
“And what is that?” she asked. Flinching, she forced a smile.
“Ah…that’s a surprise.”
“Hmmm…” she giggled softly.
“Well, if you won’t kiss me, then tell me what happened?” She pressed her lips together and grimaced again as she felt the pain sipping into her brain. “I need a pain shot.”
Sebastian jump off his seat, and before she knew it, Miss Walker appeared at the door. Her eyes fell on Sebastian and she halted for a moment. She stared, mystified, once again at the stunning man. Sebastian’s brows narrowed quizzically. She shook her head, exasperated, and gathered her wits. She refocused, and her eyes turned to Arielle as she stepped inside the room and approached her bed.
“Arielle, dear, I have your pain shot,” she said kindly.
“Thank you, Miss Walker.”
She gave Arielle her pain shot and swung toward the door. Drawing a deep breath, she felt a powerful urge to run as she swept passed him. He was standing too close not to be a distraction. What in bloody hell is going on with me? she thought. The sound of the door closing behind her made her blink and she exhaled in sheer relief. She rubbed her hand over her eyes and groaned. She picked up her pace and disappeared around the next corner.
“What was that?” Sebastian wondered out loud.
“What was what?” Arielle, asked.
“Oh…your nurse acted really strange toward me,” he added.
“Oh, and you’re wondering about that?” she snorted.
“Whatever do you mean?” he asked, clueless.
“Sebastian, every woman acts weird around you. Me included,” she snorted again.
“You are beautiful, but you’re mine,” she added.
“That’s absolutely true,” he murmured, and leaning over her, he pressed his lips on hers lovingly. “Is the pain gone?”
“Yes…I feel much better,” she said joyfully.
“Arielle, I’m so glad you never said anything about who the guys were to the police officers. We wouldn’t want them to become involved with this problem.”
“Sebastian, I did know those guys. They were the same guys that Gabby and I met at a club, while you, Troy, and Nathan were in Brussels the first time.”
“I know…I know all about them. Unfortunately for them, they tried to hurt you, and they are not going to hurt anyone ever again.”
Arielle recoiled. “Are they…are…are they dead?”
“Yes, they are, and so are the two men that came to help them torture you. Arielle, they were going to kill you if I didn’t give up the documents. I’ll make sure they are all eliminated before I’m finished with them. I thought Dylan was going to do that for me last year, but he didn’t finish the job. Now… Troy, Christian, Ian, and I are going to make sure it is done.”
“Are you leaving me again?” she asked anxiously.
“No, not until you are well and at home. But you do know that I have to do this, don’t you?” Leaning down, he pressed another feather kiss to her lips. “I have to do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” he whispered against her lips.
Arielle remained silent. She was not sure she liked him going away, but she also knew that this couldn’t go on.
“Baby,” he murmured, “I don’t want you to overthink this. It’ll be an easy job for us.”
“I’m always worried about you,” she said.
“I’m the one that should be worried about you, not the other way around. I had been out of my mind ever since I received the call from Ian that you had not attended class.” He stopped and bending down he kissed her again. “My beautiful angel!”
Arielle smiled. “So tell me everything?”
“Well, Troy, Christian, Ian, and I were told by Dylan that some more assassins were flying into Brighton to assist with the extortion,” he said and swore under his breath. “They were going to force me to give up the company documents by threatening your life.” He took a shuddering breath.
“What is it?” Arielle asked, and her arm stretched slowly reaching for him.
“Oh, Arielle.” He pinched the tip of his nose, and his lips quivered. He clasped her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Can’t you see that I’m the reason you ended up in this hospital? For God’s sake… Arielle, it has always been my fault. I’m a selfish man. I was going to risk everything, including your life to have you. I love you! I’m hopelessly in love with you!” He drew a quivery breath and continued speaking, “I can’t bear the thought of you with someone else.”
“Why would you ever entertain such a thought?” she asked, intrigued.
“You have been the joy in my life, the oxygen that I breathe, the reason that wake up each morning. You have filled my life with passion and excitement. Loving you is a pure bliss. I have never known anyone like you. I want you for my own. I want to protect you, but as you can see —so far— I don’t seem to be doing a very good job of it,” he said sadly.
“Sebastian.” She squeezed his hand. “I feel the same way. You’re everything to me, I want to be in your life, and I don’t care about anything else. I don’t care about the people that want to hurt me. I can’t live without you, don’t you see?”
“Arielle, you are in the hospital. I have brought nothing to you but chaos. I have brought immortals and humans that want to hurt you because of me,” he said, his tone filled with frustration and rage. “I never believed that being with me would turn your world upside down. If I had thought of it, I wouldn’t have made that mistake. I’m so sorry, baby.”
Arielle immediately release his hand. “Sebastian, if you keep talking like this, I don’t want you here. If you think that being with me was a mistake, I want you to leave,” she said forcefully.
He felt her words sipping through his veins and he was mortified. “I’m not
going anywhere,” he said firmly and swallowed against the bitter taste in his mouth.
“Then you have to stop talking nonsense and continue with the story.”
He took her hand again and she let him. “All right then, you adorable creature you!” He gathered his thoughts and continued with the story.
“Dylan found out through his surveillance that the two goons that kidnapped you from campus were to meet the men that were flying in from Belarus at the airport. Then the four of them were going back to the location they were holding you.” He took a deep breath and pressed her hand softly. “I wanted to kill them at the airport, but I needed them alive so they could lead me to you. We heard their conversations, so we knew pretty well what they had done to you and what they were planning on doing.” He paused again for a moment. “Their words were slicing right through every muscle in my body, and anger took over. It took Troy, Ian, and Christian to keep me calm. When we arrived at the house, Troy and Christian climbed up to the second floor. Ian and I went around the back. We found you in one of the basement rooms, and you were unconscious. Ian brought you to the hospital while Troy, Christian, and I finished up all four of the assassins.”
Arielle jerked aware at the words.
Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Page 16