Page 27 of Trained In Sin

Seb

I wake up in my own bed feeling like I've conquered the world.

For the first time in weeks, I slept through the night without waking with that familiar ache of wanting something I couldn't have.

Because now I have her. She came to me willingly, surrendered completely, and the satisfaction of that victory runs deeper than any business deal I've ever closed. I fire her a quick text.

The taste of her is still on my tongue, the memory of her cries echoing in my head. Mine. She's finally, irrevocably mine.

I check my phone as I dress, and see a response from her, simple but perfect. Sore. In all the best ways.

The mental image of her this morning, probably examining the marks I left on her skin, sends heat straight to my cock. I want to see those bruises, want to trace each one with my tongue while I add new ones.

I text back immediately with plans for lunch. When she says she can't, that she's meeting Beth, I'm not disappointed. Let her tell her friend about last night. Let her process what it means to belong to someone like me.

Dinner, then. Eight PM. I'll pick you up.

Her agreement comes quickly, and I add, Wear something that shows my marks .

All I feel right now is satisfaction. She's mine now, and I want the world to see it.

*

I arrive at Syren in the best mood I've had in months. The contracts that seemed tedious yesterday now feel manageable. The meetings I was avoiding suddenly seem worth attending. Everything is sharper, clearer, more focused now that the main distraction in my life has been resolved.

Matthew notices immediately.

"You look lighter today," he observes as he briefs me on the day's schedule. "Like a weight's been lifted."

"Something like that." I lean back in my chair, unable to suppress the smile that's been threatening all morning. "Last night was... productive."

"I gathered as much. You seemed quite focused when Ms. Jenkins arrived." He doesn't ask for details, but there's a knowing look in his eyes. "I trust everything went according to plan?"

"Better than I expected." The satisfaction in my voice is unmistakable. "She made her choice."

"Good. The distraction was becoming... noticeable." Matthew's tone is carefully neutral, but I can hear the relief underneath. "Should I reschedule the meetings you cancelled this week? "

"Yes. All of them. And Matthew?" I stand, moving to the window that overlooks the city. "I want increased security on Saphy. Discreet, but comprehensive."

"Any particular reason?"

"She just ended a three year relationship. Breakups can make people... unpredictable."

It's a reasonable explanation, and Matthew accepts it with a nod. But the truth is more complicated. Last night, when Saphy told me she'd ended things with Damon, I saw something in her eyes, relief, yes, but also fear. A woman doesn't look like that after an amicable split.

"Damon Phillips?" Matthew asks, consulting his tablet. "The IT consultant we've been monitoring?"

"The same. I want to know where he is, what he's doing, who he's talking to." I turn back to face him. "And I want someone watching Saphy at all times. If Phillips goes anywhere near her…."

"You'll be notified immediately."

"Thank you."

After Matthew leaves, I settle into the day's work with an efficiency I haven't felt in weeks. The riverside development project needs my attention, and I find myself actually eager to dive into the details. Everything feels possible now, achievable, within reach.

Around noon, Danny calls with an update on the surveillance .

"Ms. Jenkins is at a café on Mill Street," he reports. "Meeting with her friend Beth Morrison. They appear to be having an intense conversation."

"About?"

"Can't tell from the surveillance, but based on body language, I'd say Ms. Jenkins is defending something while Ms. Morrison is expressing concern."

I smile. Of course Beth is concerned. Her best friend just slept with the dangerous man she's been warning her about for weeks. But Saphy chose me anyway, which makes the victory even sweeter.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, sir. Damon Phillips has been outside the café for the past twenty minutes. He appears to be watching them."

The satisfaction I've been feeling all morning turns cold and sharp. "He's what?"

"Standing across the street, partially concealed, but with a clear line of sight to their table. He's been making phone calls intermittently."

Son of a bitch. "How long has he been there?"

"Since approximately five minutes after Ms. Jenkins arrived. It's possible he followed her."

The territorial rage that surges through me is immediate and violent. How dare he? How dare he watch her, follow her, intrude on her life when she's made it clear she wants nothing to do with him ?

"Get someone there now," I order. "I want eyes on Phillips, and I want Saphy protected."

"Already enroute. Two of our people are converging on the location."

"Good. And Danny? If Phillips makes any move toward her, any move at all, I want to know immediately. Get me a car now, I’m going over there personally.”

"Understood, Mr. Blackwood."

I hang up and pace to the window, my hands clenched into fists. The view of the city that usually calms me does nothing to ease the fury building in my chest. Saphy is mine now. Mine to protect, mine to cherish, mine to keep safe from pathetic ex-boyfriends who can't accept rejection.

My phone buzzes with another update from Danny. Subjects have left. He's now standing outside the café looking agitated. Do you still want the car?

Smart girl. She recognised the threat and acted accordingly. But the fact that she had to, that her ex-boyfriend is stalking her barely twelve hours after she ended their relationship, makes my blood boil.

I text back. Stand the car down but keep security on her.

My phone rings. Matthew.

"What?"

"We have a problem. We have a detail on Phillips, and he’s just made a call to a private investigator. Surveillance picked up enough to confirm he's hiring someone to dig into Ms. Jenkins' recent activities."

The fury crystallizes into something cold and calculating. "He's what?"

"Specifically, he wants to know who she's been seeing, where she's been going, who she's been talking to. He suspects there's another man and he wants proof."

"Then he's about to get exactly what he's looking for." I move to my desk, already planning. "Set up a meeting with Phillips. Tonight."

"Sir, I'm not sure that's wise…."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Matthew. I want Phillips brought to me. Quietly, professionally, but brought nonetheless."

There's a pause. "What are you planning?"

"I'm planning to have a conversation with Mr. Phillips about appropriate behaviour after a breakup. About respecting a woman's choices. About the consequences of stalking someone who belongs to me."

"And if he doesn't listen to reason?"

I think about Saphy, glowing and satisfied and mine. About the fear in her eyes when she mentioned ending things with Damon. About him following her to a café and watching her like a predator planning his next move.

"Then we move to less diplomatic options."

"Seb…. "

"She's mine now, Matthew. Mine to protect. And I take threats to what's mine very seriously."

Matthew is quiet for a long moment. "I'll make the arrangements."

After he hangs up, I return to my work, but concentration is impossible. Every few minutes, I check my phone for updates on Saphy's location, on Phillips' movements, on the security teams I have positioned around the city.

At three PM, Danny calls again.

"Phillips has returned to his flat. He's been making numerous phone calls, to Ms. Jenkins, to mutual friends, to what appears to be her workplace."

"Harassing her."

"That would be my assessment. The private investigator he contacted has agreed to take the case. Full background check on Ms. Jenkins, surveillance of her activities, identification of any romantic interests."

The possessive rage flares again. "Then we need to have our conversation with Mr. Phillips sooner rather than later. And contact that investigator, get them to stand down."

"Already on the PI. And about a meeting? He's agreed to meet tonight. Eight-thirty at the warehouse in Canary Wharf. He thinks it's to do with the PI.”

Perfect. While I'm having dinner with Saphy, showing her exactly what it means to belong to someone who values her properly, Damon Phillips will be learning what happens to men who don't know when to let go .

"Excellent work. Make sure everything is prepared."

"It will be. And Seb? What about Ms. Jenkins? She's supposed to have dinner with you at eight."

I check my watch. Still several hours before I need to collect her. Plenty of time to deal with the Phillips problem and return in time for our evening together.

"The timing will work perfectly. I’ll have Matthew deal with Damon whilst I enjoy my evening with Saphy."

"Are you sure you want to escalate this? Phillips is essentially a civilian…."

"Phillips stopped being a civilian the moment he decided to stalk my woman." The possessiveness in my voice surprises even me. "No one threatens what's mine, Danny. No one."

There's another pause. "I understand. We'll be ready."

I spend the rest of the afternoon preparing, reviewing the intelligence on Phillips, ensuring everything is in place for tonight's conversation. The man is about to learn a very important lesson about accepting rejection gracefully. I’ll hand the file to Matthew, who I know will be more than adequate at dealing with the issue.

But more than that, he's about to learn what happens when you threaten something that belongs to Sebastian Blackwood.

And after tonight, I'm confident he'll never make that mistake again.

The thought of Saphy, safe and protected and completely mine, makes everything else fade into the background. She chose me. She surrendered to me. And now I'll do whatever it takes to keep her.

Even if it means reminding her ex-boyfriend that some battles are better left unfought.