Page 141 of Blood and Thorns

“It’s called Kevlar,” Alexander explained, stepping inside the room with a stern expression. “Sebastian’s simply bruised, but considering Langdon was hit at such close range he’s sustained a few broken ribs.”

“Which means he’ll be fine,” Sebastian whispered against my ear, and Langdon gave me two thumbs up.

“What about Caden?” I asked, managing to turn towards the bed. “Is he going to be okay?”

“My son was just unlucky enough to be shot in the shoulder where he wasn’t protected. The surgery was a success, and he’ll gain full function. Apparently, he survived the initial blood loss because of you, so I suppose you have my gratitude.”

He said it with such stiffness that I laughed.

“What of our situation. Have you dealt with it?” Sebastian asked his uncle.

Alexander rolled his eyes. “Of course it’s been dealtwith. Who do you think I am? Your weapons have mysteriously disappeared, as well as any evidence that put you as the aggressor.”

“How many of our men were arrested?”

“Only one. The others followed protocol and managed to escape.” Alexander raised a single brow. “He’s an ex Royal Marine so he knows not to speak. And if he does, well, he’ll just be dealt with in exactly the same way as Margot. With a suspicious, and no way related to us, death.”

A sharp ring sounded through the room, and Alexander pulled out his phone to snap at the person on the other line.

Sebastian moved us to the corner, using his back to block the room from view. “You came back,” he whispered, almost reverently.

I reached up to cup his jaw, my nails scratching through his unkept beard. “You came for me first.”

“Always,” he grumbled, his lips brushing against mine in the most gentle caress that had my toes curling.“Belle, tu es ma lumière dans l'obscurité. Tu seras toujours la mienne.”

Reaching up, I deepened the kiss, having control for a split second before Sebastian devoured me like the merciless monster he was, and I didn’t want it to stop. He was the man who travelled across the sea, stood in front of a bullet, and faced the woman who haunted his past. All for me.

He may be the Beast.

But he was mine.

“Okay, wrap this up. As soon as Caden’s stable, we’re all returning to the UK and away from this godforsaken place,” Alexander tutted, shooting us a look of disgust. “God bless the king.”

Epilogue Part 1

Sebastian

Charlie Potter struggled as he was pushed down in the chair, skin bruised from where Langdon had been a little rough.

A muffled noise echoed through the room, Chip’s words lost beneath the gag and black fabric bag that was ceremoniously placed on his head. I sat opposite, my mask in place as I watched him continue to struggle. The metal handcuffs bit into his wrists, hard enough for him to bleed.

With a nod, Caden moved, his arm carefully held tight to his body as his shoulder continued to heal. Luckily, he’d been shot on his left side and not his dominant right so he could drag his favourite sledgehammer against the concrete floor, the sound causing Chip to try and recoil. Except he had nowhere to go.

“Think it’s time to get this party started,” Caden said, and Langdon grinned, reaching over with his lighter to set the edge of the fabric bag aflame.

Chip tried to shake it off, the fire eating across the fibres quickly before he managed to awkwardly reach up, tug itoff, and throw it to the floor. He blinked at the light, glancing around the concrete walls, hesitating at the display of weapons before settling on me.

He knew exactly where he was, having stood guard on numerous occasions while we’d interrogated people in this room. Yet his demeanour was calm, almost controlled despite the situation.

I didn’t expect anything different. Chip had always displayed his emotions in a limited way, which had always been a concern for Mrs Potter. Honestly, he would’ve grown up to be an essential part of the team. Yet he’d fucked up, and I wanted to know why he’d thrown it all away.

Chip blinked a few times, waiting until Caden reached over to remove his gag.

“Does Ara know where I am?” he asked. “She’ll be upset. Maybe even hate you if you hurt me.”

“You truly believe you mean anything to her?” I leaned forward.

“We’re friends,” he said, eyes darting around the room. “Heronlyfriend.”