Page 38 of Blood and Thorns (Twisted Ever After #1)

Arabella

The city below carried on, oblivious to my existence. Which shouldn’t surprise me, considering I was barely existing when I was down there anyway.

Knees pulled to my chest, I sat at the studio window and watched the world shrink into ant-sized figures, too distant to recognise. Still, I liked to imagine they were thriving, living full, vibrant lives while I remained locked in my tower.

Trapped with my books.

Once, that sounded like a dream. Reading all day with no real responsibilities. But in reality, it was suffocating. A quiet kind of madness that crept in with every passing hour of stillness.

The lift dinged, and I found myself jumping up. I was almost excited to see Sebastian, not that I would ever admit that out loud, because at least he was here.

Picking up my book, I walked out to find Chip stepping out of the lift. “Oh, hi. You’re here late,” I commented, pleased to see him because holy fuck someone talk to me before I start losing my mind.

I haven’t seen his mum in a few days, which was leaving me with a very small pool of people to communicate with. Especially considering the cleaners were still actively ignoring me. Seriously, I should start leaving little passive aggressive notes for them to find.

Chip’s smile was a little crooked. “Good, you’re still up.”

“Up? What’s going on?”

“You’re being summoned, but first I need to do a quick security check.” Before I could respond he began to walk towards the west wing, looking back over his shoulder to see whether I was following. “You coming or what?”

I fell into step beside him, unsure when he took out a keycard and slotted it into the one door that was always locked. “Chip, what are you doing?”

“I’ve already told you, a security check.

This is Mr Devereaux’s study.” He unlocked the door, revealing a relatively empty room save for a wall of screens, an unnecessarily large terrarium, and a desk.

On it was a computer complete with keyboard and mouse, some pieces of paper, and a strange looking pen.

Chip waved, and his image waved back across three of the screens.

“He really does have the whole place on video?” I asked, studying the wall before I moved to the terrarium. My skin crawled at the spider that sat content inside, half hidden inside its cave.

“Yep, and he records it too.” Chip walked across the space to sit at the desk in the corner. “Watch,” he said, clicking some buttons.

I looked over my shoulder. “Are you allowed to do that?”

“He won’t know.” A few more buttons, then suddenly all the screens along the wall revealed my bedroom. He began to rewind it, and I watched myself move in reverse as I wandered around with my notebook.

“Stop!” I said when I started to undress.

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound particularly apologetic as he continued to reverse at a faster speed that blurred the image so you couldn’t see the details.

After a moment a dark shadow appeared, showing me Sebastian standing in my room while I was fast asleep.

He hovered by the side, his fingers gentle as he brushed hair from my face as I slept.

“You needed to see this,” Chip said quietly. “He barely sleeps. A couple hours at most, then he watches you almost every night.”

“Why did you show this to me?” I asked, my voice flat.

“Because we’re friends,” he said gently. “And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The footage rolled on for a few more minutes. Sebastian lingered, motionless, before finally turning and slipping out of the room.

“Turn it off.” I walked out, unsure how to feel.

Chip hurried after me. “Hey, what’s wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you; I just wanted to make you aware so you can–”

I spun around, stopping so fast he nearly collided with me. “Aware of what?” I snapped. “That I have no control over my own life? That I’m being watched while I sleep?” My voice shook, but I didn’t back down. “Trust me, Chip. I’m painfully aware.”

Before he could comment, the lift chimed, followed by the sound of deliberate, heavy footsteps.

“She was just freshening up,” Chip said quickly, smoothing his tone just as Langdon stepped into view. “I’ll meet you both at the car, Sir.” Chip gave a respectful nod, slipping away .

Langdon turned his hard gaze to me, his hands signing far too fast for me to even attempt to follow.

“Erm…” Seriously, I’d only just started to learn. Give me a break. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

Langdon released a wispy sound of frustration before reaching for his phone.

Sebastian needs you.

I didn’t think I’d ever get used to watching Sebastian fight. Every blow made my body tighten, and I knew I should simply look away, but I found I couldn’t.

Neither Sebastian nor Caden seemed to notice we’d arrived, too consumed by the brutal rhythm of their brawl to care.

I felt a touch on my shoulder, and I turned to find Langdon watching me rather than his friends, a frown creasing his brows. “Has he always fought?” I asked, aching to know just a little bit more about my captor.

Bas first got his name in the underground fights. A champion, it’s how he first made some real money, he typed on his phone. He’s always been good with his fists.

I couldn’t argue with that. Sebastian moved with purpose, each strike a full blow that contained barely suppressed rage.

His muscles rippled from the hit, both men shirtless as they circled each other like predators.

They snarled as they punched, their knuckles meeting flesh and bone in a cacophony of sound that turned my stomach.

Wanting to concentrate on anything else, I returned to Langdon and clumsily signed, “Why is he upset?” Okay, so I didn’t know if that was what I’d actually said, because I was pretty sure I got a letter or two wrong.

But Langdon seemed amused with my attempt . You’ve been learning to sign? he replied on his phone, which just proved that I’d messed up. Why?

“I have a lot of time on my hands,” I admitted. “So it was either this or French.”

Langdon laughed, his chest puffing out with no sound. Keep trying.

“Why am I here?” I asked, my voice a whisper so as not to disturb the fight. “Sebastian seems… distracted.”

Langdon shrugged, taking his time to type. Isn’t that what you’re for? To be there when called?

“Because he’s upset?”

Langdon’s left brow rose, his head tilting to the side. You sound sure he’s upset?

I pursed my lips, unsure what to say. There was always a slight tension along his shoulders when he was upset, a tell that I’d noticed when he came home some nights. His eyes were darker, his touch harsher.

Something haunted him, I just didn’t know what.

The ropes stretched, with Caden thrown to the side with a crash that drew a gasp out of me. Sebastian turned, his eyes clashing against mine that he held.

There was so much rage there, his eyes nothing but a thunderous storm.

I should be terrified, especially because he’d taken a step across the ring towards me, his movements agitated. But I found I wasn’t scared, instead drawn to him like a suicidal moth to an open flame.

He kneeled, closing our distance as the tension between us cinched tighter around my chest. It had only been a few weeks since I’d agreed to this arrangement, and I felt myself lost. Stuck, but also feeling more alive than I’d ever felt before.

I knew it wasn’t going to last. Either I found myself a way out, or Sebastian would get bored and kill me.

Not that I would let that happen.

He’d have to catch me first.

I found myself holding my breath when he jumped down to the floor, his expression cold. Hard. He reached out to cup my jaw, and I tilted my head back to show I wasn’t afraid of him. Which was of course a lie, but he didn’t know that.

“Why the fuck have I been summoned so late at night?” an unfamiliar voice snapped, breaking our connection and making his fingers stiffen against my skin.

An older man walked in, his steps self-assured as the bouncer, Miles, hovered by the doors. He scowled, looking between the three men before settling on me.

“Who are you?” he asked far sharper than needed, brushing his salt and pepper hair away from his face. “What’s the meaning of this, Caden?”

Caden spat blood by his feet before jumping down from the ring with an elegance that didn’t matchhis size. “Evening, Dad, we just want a few words is all.”

“So you sent a lackey to pick me up?” The older man’s expression was murderous when he looked back over. “You must be Sebastian’s whore.”

Sebastian picked the man up by his collar, lifting so he was forced onto his toes. I hurried to stop him, holding out my hand while Langdon and Caden remained unmoving.

“Sebastian.” His gaze warned me to back away, but I couldn’t. “Please,” I whispered, and with a clenched jaw he let the man go, only to reach for me. He gestured to Miles, who came to stand by his side .

“Be a good girl, and go wait up in my office,” Sebastian whispered, lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

“But–”

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Arabella.”