Page 107 of Rum & Coke

I wanted to let him go because I hoped that this situation would scare Brent and it would be the end of it. If he went to Metro, I hoped that he wouldn’t get a cop on Sebastian’s payroll and they’d show up so I could beg them to take Colton and me with them.

“How long were you following me?” I asked, not sure where else to start.

“I—I wasn’t.”

Without hesitation, Sebastian hit Brent with the butt of a gun I hadn’t seen him holding. “Don’t fucking lie to her.”

Brent’s green eyes pleaded with me to stop this, but I couldn’t because as I stared back, watching blood seep from his split cheek, I realized he was the reason I was mixed up with Sebastian in the first place. While he wasn’t the one who forced me up the stairs, he was the one who followed me home that night, which caused me to go to Sebastian’s office to view the video tapes. He was the one who made it possible for Sebastian to invite me to the fight that night. And because I went to the fight, Brent was the one who made it possible for Sebastian to invite me to the party.

“A few times,” Brent stated.

I balked. “A few times?” I thought it was only that one time.

“I’m sorry. You’re hot, and I wanted to see where you lived.”

“She doesn’t live there anymore,” Sebastian cut in.

“That’s fine. I get it, man. Just let me go.”

“Should we let him go?” Sebastian asked me.

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

“Yeah, just let me go. We’re cool. I won’t do it again.”

“You see, Brent,” Sebastian said as he circled him like a shark. “You know where I live, and we took you not of your own free will. Do you think I can let you go now?”

Oh God.

“Yeah, I won’t say anything. I won’t even go back to Red Diamond ever again. We’re cool.”

“You know,” Sebastian snapped his fingers, “I’ve almost heard those exact words before.” His gaze met mine, and I swallowed, unsure what he was going to do. “And the last person who said that to me didn’t get to go home because I don’t take chances.”

“I won’t say anything!” Brent pleaded.

“There’s only one way to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Sebastian aimed the gun at Brent.

“No!” I screamed.

Sebastian’s gaze moved back to me. “You think I can let him go? He needs to pay for what he did to you.”

“He only followed me a few times,” I replied as though that was okay. I couldn’t see another person get shot again, and Brent didn’t deserve to die because of it.

Sebastian turned to me, running the gun down my cheek. “You should know I can’t let him go.”

“There has to be another way,” I pleaded.

“What? You want him to live here? Fill your pussy at night too?”

“No.” I shook my head. “But I don’t want him to die.”

“He has to.” He turned again and aimed the gun at Brent.

“No!” I screamed again. Brent was shaking, I was shaking, and I just wanted Sebastian to stop. “Please don’t.”

“And why not?” Sebastian asked, still pointing the gun at Brent. “Why should I not shoot him in the head?”

I stared at Sebastian, trying to come up with what to say to him. Trying to think of how I could change his mind. “Because I don’t want the father of my unborn baby to have more blood on his hands.”