The Assassin's Destiny

Chapter 15: I’d follow you

Chapter 15: I’d follow you

Argent

            The flight is uneventful, and Logan instantly meets me as soon as I get to the airport.

            “It’s good to see you, Argent.” He shakes my hand stiffly.

            “It’s good to see you too, Logan,” I reply firmly.

            Logan turns and gestures for me to follow. “I know you’re in a hurry, so I took the liberty of making a reservation at a nearby restaurant where we can sit and talk.”

            I nod my head and follow him. “Thanks, Logan. I truly appreciate you taking the time to help.”

            “You know that I have your back, Argent.” He replies airily.

            Once we’ve taken a seat and ordered our drinks, Logan takes out a file and hands it to me. “Man, I have to tell you that I never expected to find all of this based on the information you sent me, but what happened here is a cluster f**k of epic proportions, and your friend Sebastian is caught right in the middle of it.”

            I look through the files, seeing the evidence of my suspicions, and sigh with relief. Right in front of me is the stark truth of Sebastian’s innocence.

            “How did you find this?” I ask gruffly. My throat tightens at the prospect of my best friend’s downfall at the hands of a deceitful traitor. Guilt consumes me. This whole time I thought that Sebastian was a traitor when, indeed, he was innocent. How alone he must have been with this burden.

             And to find that Irving was the one involved makes rage course through me. Now I understand why Irving was so interested in Sebastian’s whereabouts. He wanted to make sure he silenced Sebastian before he said a word.

            Unaware of my thoughts, Logan leans close and explains what he found. “I guess it helps that I have no horse in this race, so I dug deep. On the surface, it looks like Sebastian “Orion” Braden was the one who premeditated the auction and his own death, but after some digging, I began to see some inconsistencies based on your assessments…”

            I listen intently as Logan recounts the events that led to Sebastian’s fall. It’s a twisted tale that leaves me feeling discomfited in the end. A tale that, at that moment, will collide with my love life.

             I look at my phone’s screen, surprised to see that Penelope is calling me. Shifting in my seat, I wave at Logan and place my cell phone beneath my chin.

             To be honest, I consider not answering. I know it’s unfair to put her off our much-needed talk, but I don’t know what to say without causing more pain than I already have.“Penelope, I can’t talk─”

             “Hello, Argent.” Sebastian’s voice echoes through the receiver.

             My breath whooshes out of my lips, and my shoulders stiffen with shock. “Sebastian? What the hell do you think you’re doing? Where’s Penelope? I swear to all that is good that I will kill you if you hurt her. so help me─”

             “She’s safe!” He responds quickly. “For now…”

             “How do I know that you’re telling me the truth?” I ask.

             My phone vibrates a second later.

             “I just sent you some proof.” He replies.

             I look at the screen and see a short video of Penelope sleeping and mentally curse.

             “What do you want?” I grit out as anger radiates through my body. Even though I have proof that Sebastian is innocent, I still don’t like the idea that he has Penelope.

             “Meet me tonight, …alone.”

             “I’m not in Brazil, so it will take me hours to get there. Where are we supposed to meet?”

             “I’ll text you the address.” He replies.

             “Listen to me, Bast. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I’ll─”

             “Do not threaten me. I won’t hurt her if you agree to my terms.”

             Before I can reply, he disconnects the call. That asshole always knew how to get to me.

             “f**k!” I croak out angrily.

             “Problem?” Logan asks. Registering that I had forgotten that Logan was still there, I wince in apology.

             However, Logan seems more amused than annoyed by my distracted state.

             “That was Sebastian. He has Penelope, and he wants to talk.”

             Logan leans back in his seat and snickers. “You have to give it to the man; he has balls. Do you need back up?”

             I shake my head. “No, I’ll be fine. I know he won’t hurt her. Especially now that I know, he didn’t betray me.”

             Logan quirks a knowing brow. “I guess this means that we’re done talking for now.”

             “Yes, it is. Thank you, Logan.” I say as I shake his hand with a gratuitous nod.

             The flight back is tense at best. I can’t stop thinking about Penelope and the fact that I left her unprotected. I should have had one of my men watch her.

             Exhaustion weighs heavily down on me as I make my way to the appointed place. The house is located deep in a secluded part of the favelas. I approach the beaten front door cautiously and ready my weapon in case of an ambush. To my surprise, Sebastian opens the door. I frown at his disheveled state. His golden-brown hair is in disarray, and he’s half-dressed in a pair of jeans. My jaw tightens with fury. Stepping forward, I grab him by the neck and push him into a nearby wall. “Where the f**k is, Penelope? What have you done to her?”

             Unfazed by my rage, Sebastian wraps his hand around my wrist and tightens his lips. “Relax, Argent, she’s fine.” He wheezes out evenly.

             However, I’m not in a reasonable mood to lay off. Not when Penelope is in danger. Releasing a disbelieving snort, I place the nozzle against his forehead. “I won’t ask you again, Bast.”

             “I’m here!” Penelope’s voice rings across the room as she strides urgently towards us. “I’m fine, Argent; you can let him go.”

             I run my gaze across her body, ensuring that she’s unharmed. Her golden tresses fall wildly around her chest and back, and her eyes are hazy as if she was just woken from a deep sleep; otherwise, she’s untouched. I swallow hard as I take in her appearance. She looks almost ethereal in her gauzy white dress─like an angel.

             Putting my g*n away, I release Sebastian and pull her into my arms. “It’s alright, Little one. I’m here.” I whisper against her temple. Her arms tighten around me as she looks up at me through her luminous eyes. Our lips brush gently, and our noses glide together as we stand there, soaking in each other’s presence.

             It isn’t until Sebastian clears his throat that I remember where we are. This is the second time this has happened. I guess being with Penelope has made me soft. She’s all I care about, and it alarms me because I’m the type of man who likes to be in control.

             “You shouldn’t have involved her in this, Bast. You should have found another way to contact me.”

             Sebastian sputters incredulously. “And just how was I supposed to do that, Argent. Every time I’d see you, you’d be with one of your men. Either that or I find myself getting shot at by your or a group who’d show up minutes later to hunt me. Do you think I’d purposely put her in danger if I had a choice?”

             Jaw ticking, I shake my head. “No, but now Penelope is a target. Irving knows who she is and that she’s mine. And if she’s seen with you, she’ll be the one to pay the price. She’s been through enough without us adding this shitstorm to her life.” I lash out heatedly.

             Sebastian looks at Penelope, his eyes gleaming with regret. “I’m sorry, Penelope. I didn’t mean to get you involved.”

             Penelope waves his apology away. “It’s fine, Sebastian.”

             Sighing with relief, I caress the soft tendrils across her temple before I take a step back and face Sebastian.

              “Tell me about the past year,” I ask calmly, even though my gut churns with guilt as I recall all of the things I learned today.

            Sebastian releases an exhausted sigh and gestures for us to take a seat. The house is old and worn with threadbare furniture─nothing like the lifestyle Sebastian is used to. Penelope sits beside me and rests her head on my shoulder.

             “Where do I begin?” He frowns with consternation. “Last year, I began noticing inconsistencies in the Confradia’s communications. At first, I didn’t make anything of it. It wasn’t until I reviewed the past financial transactions that everything began to come together. I discovered assignments that were…unethically followed through without the Confradia’s authorization. I wanted to talk to you about it, but I needed firm proof before I presented you with my findings. That’s when Irving approached me. He found out that I was investigating all of our past transactions, and I stupidly trusted that he’d help me. It wasn’t until he led me to that damn boat and left me to die that I realized my stupidity. I honestly don’t know how I survived the explosion, but I did. I wanted to find you and tell you, but by then, the damage was done. Irving made sure that there was concrete proof of my guilt. Files were corrupted, and all of the evidence led back to me. I just wish I knew how it happened. I have my suspicions, but I’m not sure. Not just that, It’s harder to investigate when I’m a person of interest. Now, I have to watch my back with the Confradia but also with the people Irving is working with. That’s why I didn’t tell you when we saw each other at the club. There are too many eyes watching.”

            My jaw clenches with fury. I should have known that Sebastian would never betray me. I can’t believe I betrayed our friendship by believing he deceived me. We were like brothers, and I never gave him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m sorry, Sebastian. I should have known you’d never betray me. You’re the closest thing to a brother that I have, and I let you down.”

            Sebastian leans his elbows across his knees with a sniff and shakes his head. “It’s not your fault, Argent. The evidence was stacked against me. That’s what Irving wanted, and I’ve made my peace with it. For now, I just want this to stop. One way or another, I have to make that bastard pay for what he did to me and to who knows how many other souls. That’s why I’m here. You’re the only one who can help me.”

            “You still haven't told me why you were at that strip club or why you shot me,” I grumble out with a chiding tone. Penelope gasps but doesn’t comment. However, by the look on her face, she’s ready to give Bast a piece of her mind.

            Bast snickers. “I was at the club meeting someone who I thought would help. Trust me, I was just as surprised to see you. As for shooting you…well, you know that if I wanted to kill you, I could have. I had no choice, so I hit you somewhere that wouldn’t be fatal.”

             My brow furrows with confusion. “Alright, did you uncover anything since we last saw each other?”

             Sebastian nods. “I did, but I don’t think you’ll like what I’ve found.”

             I frown in reply as I observe Sebastian pick up a laptop, place it on a nearby table, and turn it to face me.

             Taking a deep breath, he leans his elbows on his knees and rubs his palms together as he gazes intently into my eyes. “First, I found out that you were able to recover my laptop, which led you to evidence pointing all fingers to me.”

             I nod my head. “Yes, I did. But after speaking to Logan, I know that the information was misleading.”

             Sebastian snickers. “See, there’s the problem, Argent. There’s no way that you could have gotten any information from my computer.”

             “Why?” I ask.

             “Because the computer that was found in the wreckage was not mine. My computer was destroyed. The files you got…” He points to the computer. “...are fake. There’s no way that Mateo could have gotten the information I collected. Before Irving brought the boat down around me, he made sure he destroyed my laptop. He laughed as he tore it to pieces in front of my eyes. There was no way that those files could have been salvaged. Irving didn’t plan for me to live, which means he didn’t plan on anyone searching through the wreckage.”

             I rub my temple with consternation. “Perhaps the laptop didn’t get completely damaged.”

             He shakes his head. “I’m telling you, Argent, Irving tore the computer apart. He literally took a hammer to it and laughed as he did it because the computer held all of the evidence proving his duplicity to the Confradia. I will never forget how his men tied me in the ship’s engine room or how Irving laughed as the water rose to my neck. If it hadn’t been for me breaking my thumbs to get out of my restraints, I’d be dead. The bastard tossed the remains of my laptop around me and cackled gleefully as I struggled not to drown. He was so smug about burying the truth with me. There’s no way that he’d have swapped it out or had the time to leave a false trail. The laptop you retrieved from the wreckage was not mine.”

             A hollow ache spreads through my gut as I come to a dangerous conclusion. Anger as I’ve never known courses through me. “How could I have been so blind? There has been a viper in my midst all along. Yet, it all makes sense because every time I’d go home, Mateo and Irving would be in the same room. He played me right beneath my nose. He’s the one that retrieved the laptop and gave me all of the information. I never questioned him because I trusted him, but it’s so clear now. He was the one who found your location at the club. He’s probably the one who shot Rogue. Rogue said that he couldn’t remember how he ended up hurt, and Mateo’s the one that found him. He’s been playing us this whole time!”

             I’m beyond shocked, which annoys Bast. “It’s funny how you’re shocked that the boy betrayed you, yet you didn’t bat a lash when you thought it was me.” He gruffs out.

            I roll my eyes at his childish anger. “It’s not because I don’t believe that he’s a traitor. It’s mostly because he’s so harmless looking. The boy has never even been trained as an assassin. How is it possible that he’s behind all of this?”

            Sebastian’s jaw pops as he takes a couple of fortifying breaths. “It would make perfect sense, Argent. He’s unassuming and tech-savvy, which made it very easy for him to fool everyone.”

            Frustrated, he waves a hand at the data. “Think about it. The boy applied to be an assassin several times but was rejected. The files show that he worked closely with Irving on several projects.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Perhaps he made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”                                                                                                      

            I nod my head in understanding. I know what he’s saying. In our world, there are no things such as coincidences.

             Penelope stirs beside me at that moment, reminding me that she has been listening to our interaction. “I can’t believe Mateo would do something like that. Maybe…maybe…he has a reason.”

             Bast and I quirk a cynical brow but don’t comment. Penelope is so soft-hearted that she wouldn’t understand why someone would do something so unconscionable.

             “Either way, we have to stop Irving and these auctions from happening.” He says.

             “How do you want to do this?” I ask.

            Sebastian’s jaw pops. I can tell that he’s surprised that I’m letting him take the lead in this. But after all that has happened to him, I feel that he deserves to bring down the man who has destroyed his life.

             “The best way to do it is to set a trap. Now that we have all of the evidence, we can get to Irving’s organization and clear my name in the process.”

             I nod. “We’ll need help with this.”

             “Who?” He asks warily.

             I don’t blame him for his wariness, considering how men in our organization have betrayed him.

             “Like Rogue and Logan. There’s no evidence of Rogue’s involvement, and Logan is the one who cleared you.”

             Sebastian looks on thoughtfully. “Alright, but not until we create a solid plan. Regardless of their innocence, you’re the only one I trust. I can’t let the only chance that I have to clear my name slip away. Not after all that I’ve been through.” He mutters brokenly.

             It’s the first time that I’ve heard true emotion from Sebastian. For nearly a year, he’s been running and fighting to clear his name. I can’t imagine how much he had fought and struggled to survive.

             Penelope rises from her perch and rests her hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.  To my surprise, Sebastian gives her a reverent smile and takes her hand. Their interaction disturbs me somehow. Perhaps it’s the precariousness of my relationship with Penelope, but I’m not liking how Sebastian is looking at her. Between both of us, Sebastian was always the ladies' man, and Penelope seemed to have become close to him in such a short amount of time.

             Eyes narrowed, I rise and pull Penelope away. Sebastian smirks at my possessive gesture but remains silent.

             “If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to Penelope a moment, Bast.”

             Sebastian nods. “Alright, I’m going to take a shower. We’ll talk as soon as I get out.”

             His gaze meets Penelope’s before he turns to another room.

             “Are you alright, Pen?” I ask

             Penelope nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sebastian didn’t hurt me. In fact, he saved me when someone tried to mug me.”

             My brow furrows with confusion. “You were mugged?”

             Penelope slides her hands up my chest and releases a soft sigh. “Two guys tried to rob me, and Sebastian stopped them.”

             Something about her statement tells me that there was more to it than she’s saying.

             “But, he brought you here against your own will?” I probe. 

             She bites her bottom lips as she searches for a proper response. “He did, but he didn’t hurt me.”

             I nod my head and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her body tight against mine. The feel of her firm breasts against my chest and plump lips distract me from thoughts of Sebastian. I need to touch her so badly. It’s been days since I’ve been inside of her warm body, but it feels like an eternity.

             She must feel the same way because somehow, our lips meet with such intensity that I’m surprised the house doesn’t burn down around us. Her fingers sift through my hair and her tongue dances with mine. It’s only when I hear the sound of a door opening and closing nearby that I drop my hands. Jaw tight, I stop the kiss and lean my forehead against hers.

             “Listen, Pen, Sebastian should have never dragged you in the middle of this. At this point, I’m taking you to my home. You’ll have to stay with me until I can find safe accommodation. Is Lyria home.”

             Snuggling closer, she kisses my chin and murmurs. “No, she went to an art retreat in Sao Paulo. She also took Apollo and Violet with her. She invited me, but I didn’t want to be a third wheel. She’ll be there until next week.”

             I rub the bridge of my nose as I consider my next step. “It looks like you’re going to have to take a couple of days off either way since I can’t leave you out there, unprotected.”

             Her lips quirk with delight. “That’s fine. I can work from anywhere right now since I’m mostly researching.”

             Wrapping my hands around her neck, I kiss her again. I want to stop kissing her, but she’s so addicting that somehow I end up on the couch with Penelope straddling mine. Her hips rise and fall as she grinds her molten center against my groin. Sliding my hands up her thighs, I lift the dress until it’s resting around her waist. Continuing up, I slide the straps of her dress down her shoulder, revealing her milky breasts with their delicious n*****s.

             Her lips hungrily seek mine, sucking and nipping, as her hands work the buttons of my dress shirt.

             My lips eventually wander from hers to seek her sweet buds. She tastes like heaven. Swirling my tongue around the tight bud, I nip and suck on it. Feasting on her firm globes, I lower my hand and find her tight center. Small cries escape Penelope’s lips with every stroke of my finger against her throbbing bud. Her soft mewls fuel my pleasure, making me forget everything but her.

             “Oh, hell, this is definitely not what I expected to find when I came out here.” Sebastian’s voice cuts through our passionate embrace like a cold shower.

             Keeping Penelope close to my chest, I lift her dress and cover her breasts from Sebastian’s view. “Damn it, Sebastian. Don’t you have a better sense of timing?”

             Sebastian wiggles his eyebrows in response. “It’s not like I expected to walk out of my room and find you two in a compromising position.”

             Penelope slips off my lap with a flush. “You’re an ass.” She mutters.

             Sebastian’s lip quirks in reply. However, I don’t miss how his predatory expression takes in Penelope’s disheveled state.

             Rising from my seat, I adjust my slacks. Thanks to Sebastian’s interference, my desire wanes.

             “After giving it some thought, I have a plan,” I mutter

             Sebastian snickers slyly. “After what I just saw, I didn’t expect you to have any thoughts other than how good Penelope feels against you.”

             To my amusement and shock, Penelope narrows her eyes and tosses one of the old, worn couch pillows at his chest. “Cut it out, Bast, you’re embarrassing me.”

             Sebastian vows his head as if properly chastised and pouts. “Sorry.”

             I clear my throat, still confused by their friendly banter. “Since Irving and Mateo are on your trail and communicating behind my back, and I don’t want Penelope caught in the middle when the s**t hits the fan, I plan on leaving someone to keep an eye on her. We’ll have to get a full confession from Irving with some outside help. I can call Logan Blake and ask him to help. We’ll take a flight to Manaus. Once we’re out of town, I’ll have Rogue meet me there, and we’ll reconnoiter with Logan.”

             Sebastian nods. “Yeah, that sounds more feasible. When do we leave?”

             “Right now,” I mutter.

             Before I dropped Penelope off at home, I managed to secure two trusted men to keep an eye on her.

             Penelope was so sad that I almost didn’t leave. Especially after what happened with Sebastian.

             I wrap my arms around her shoulder and kiss her temple, content with holding her close. To be honest, I was concerned that this would be too much for her after all of that she has been through. Especially with the way our relationship has been progressing.

             “I’ll miss you.” She mumbles.

             “I’ll miss you too, but this has to get done. If we can catch Irving, we can get all of the information on everyone involved─even the woman who kidnapped you all of those months ago.”

             Penelope silently nods. “Alright, but call me as soon as you get to Manaus and text me when you can.”

             Gazing down at her beautiful face, I slide a tendril of her golden hair behind her ear and kiss her lush lips. “I posted Anarchy and Ricochet outside. If anything happens, call them on the number I gave you.”

             Penelope slides her hands around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder lovingly. I won’t pretend that I don’t enjoy how good she feels against me, or how strong she makes me feel, because it’s earth-shattering. But it’s also disconcerting because as soon as I let her go, I feel empty.

             It doesn’t take long to be packed and ready for the trip. I called Logan through my secure phone and told him about our trip, which he swiftly agreed to help with. Thankfully, we don’t have to go through any channels to get Sebastian a passport because he already has falsified documents. Within the hour, we were on our way to Manaus. It isn’t until we got to Manaus that everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Since Sebastian cannot be seen with us, Logan arranged for one of his men to pick up Sebastian while Logan picked us up.

             I realized something as the plane was landing. I realized that I don’t want to lose Penelope. When Sebastian told me he had her, I felt crazed at the thought that she might be hurt. So many emotions ran through my mind as I was making my way to Sebastian’s safe house. The first one being that I couldn’t live with myself if I lost her. I know now that I’m irrevocably in love with her. When this whole ordeal is over, I’m going to confess my feelings and ask her to marry me. There’s no holding back now. Penelope is mine, and I intend to ensure that she stays that way.

             I just hope that everything can be settled swiftly.

             Logan slaps the file down on his desk and slumps back in his seat as he searches the room. “Jesus, I can’t believe that Irving has been dealing beneath the Confradia’s nose this whole time. And to think that he’s one of William Kazik’s coconspirators boggles the mind.”

             I shake my head, still reeling from the information we just uncovered. “Yet, it makes so much sense when you think about it. He and Kazik were one of the pioneers of the Confradia. Both men, along with a couple more, had access that is now limited to most of us. It was the perfect opportunity for them to create fail-safes within the organization. No one would suspect them or police them because they were policing themselves.”

             Sebastian snorts with derision. “That is until I caught wind of their duplicity, and they set me up to die.”

             “So, what do we do with the wanker!” Ewan gruffs out.

             Ewan is Logan’s younger brother. Like Logan, Ewan joined the Confradia at an early age. Both men are half-brothers, but you can’t tell by looking at them because they’re so similar.  

             Logan taps on the tavern’s table thoughtfully.

             “It’s up to Argent and Sebastian. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll follow. My men are at your disposal.”

             I glance at Sebastian and signal for him to take the lead.

             “What do you want to do, Bast?”

             Sebastian shifts in his seat and rests his ankle over his knee with a sigh. “We need to catch Irving in the act. I know that this evidence proves that he’s part of the auctions, but there has to be more, and the only way we’ll get that information is if we get him to confess.”

             The men nod in agreement.

             It makes sense to garner as much information as we can from Irving before we take him down.

             Hands-on my knees, I look at the men and say.

             “Perhaps we can set a trap. He’s been hounding me about your whereabouts for months. What if I tell him that you’re here? We can arrange it so that he meets you before I do and place monitoring devices so that we may record his confession.”

             “That’s a b****y good plan.” Ewan states. “There are many abandoned homes nearby. We can say that Sebastian was hiding out at one of the houses and set up some of our surveillance equipment. However, it will work best if he doesn’t know that Argent is in Manaus. Do your men know where you are?”

             I shake my head. “No, only Rogue knows because I need him here. I told him to tell the men that I had to go back to LA if they inquired about my whereabouts. Logan took precautions with the airport manifest so that they may reflect that I flew to LA instead of Manaus.”

             Sebastian claps his hands excitedly. “Great, then it should work. However, instead of calling Irving, call Mateo. He’s been reporting to Irving anyway. Just call him and tell him that you have evidence of Sebastian hiding out in Manaus. Have him set up a flight from LA for you to Manaus. I’m sure he’ll run and tell Irving before he sets up the flight. He’ll probably even get you a later flight in order to give Irving a head start.”

             Logan rises from his leather chair and stretches his arms out. “Okay then, it sounds like we have a plan. For now, how about we get some sleep and set the wheels turning tomorrow?”

             Everyone disburses to their perspective places as Sebastian and I make our way to our rooms.

             “How’s Penelope?” Sebastian asks. “I spoke to her earlier, but I wasn’t sure if she was fine.”

             I stop and stare at my best friend. “Penelope’s fine. She’s a very strong woman.”

             Bast rubs the back of his head and continues to walk. “You’re a very lucky man, Argent. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also completely in love with you.”

             I give my best friend an intent stare. “Can I be honest with you, Bast?”

             Sebastian nods. “Of course.”

             I swallow hard. “I’m in love with her too.”

             He chuckles in reply. “I know.”

             “Of course you know,” I mumble, bemusedly.

             “I like her.” He mumbles. “She’s good for you. I won’t pretend that I don’t wish I’d met her first…” He says airily.

             I stop in my tracks and narrow my eyes. “She’s mine, Bast.”

             Sebastian’s lip quirks in amusement. “I know, and I won’t deny that I’m attracted to her or that I admire her courage, but that’s all it will ever be. I would never betray you, Argent. You mean much more to me than a passing attraction. I never gave into Lauren, and I would never pursue Penelope.”

             My brow creases with confusion. “What do you mean, gave into Lauren?” When did you have that opportunity?

             His jaw tightens in that stubborn way that tells me he doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s obvious that he didn’t mean to bring up the topic. However, I don’t back down. His cryptic words sparked my curiosity, and I refuse to pretend that I didn’t hear him.

             “Tell me, Bast,” I mutter encouragingly.

             Sebastian takes a couple of deep breaths and stretches his neck as if he’s about to fight. “I really don’t want to discuss this now, Argent. It’s in the past, and I’d rather forget it ever occurred.”

             I shake my head in exasperation. “No, you have to tell me. You can’t just throw a cryptic comment out there like that and expect me to forget. Tell me!”

             His shoulders swell as he faces me down. “Are you sure that you want to know the truth, Argent? Because once it’s out, there’s no taking it back.”

             “Tell me,” I reply, gruffly. I get the feeling that I’m not going to like what he’s going to say, but at this point, I need to know, and I refuse to back down.

             Sebastian gestures for me to take a seat on the old shabby couch. I want to refuse, but I’m impatient, so I sit and wait.

             “Okay…” He wrings his hands and paces in place. “Here’s the thing… Lauren was…Lauren wasn’t who you thought she was. She was...she was quite familiar with most of the men at the bar, if you know what I mean. She offered herself to me…several times; before and after you were together.”

             At my incredulous scowl, he holds his palms up defensively and quickly sputters. “Of course, I refused her advances. You are my best friend. I would never betray you. She even went as far as to show up at my place and tried to seduce me.”

             My lips tighten with a mixture of emotions, but I don’t respond as he continues. I know Bast well enough to know that he’s not lying. There’s also a part of me that does not refute his claim because deep down, I’ve always known that Lauren wasn’t always true to me.

             “I wanted to tell you, Argent. But you were so happy that I couldn’t bring myself to burst your bubble. So, I did what I could to protect you. Before your wedding, I…I asked Lauren to be faithful. Actually, I threatened her with a g*n to her head. I told her I’d kill her if I ever found out that she was unfaithful. I think she believed me because I never heard anything otherwise.” He ends defeatedly.

             I nod my head when memories of awkward conversations and moments begin to make sense. I remember how attentive Lauren would be to Sebastian. She’d obsessively ask me if he was dating anyone, or she’d be antagonistic toward women Sebastian would bring home. She’d also become defensive when I’d ask her about it, which I found odd. I also recollect the knowing looks that men would give her at the bar and how she’d pretend she didn’t know men who’d approach her.

             I pushed those moments aside with the excuse that I was just being insecure. When Nairi was born, I let my insecurities go because I was happy to have my little girl.

             “Say something,” Sebastian mutters. “Hit me! Call me a liar! Or…I don’t know…but say something.”

             Rubbing my palms across my jaw, I blow out a deep breath. “There’s nothing to say, Bast. I…I think I always knew that something was up with Lauren. I just blew it off because I thought it was me. I had never been in a real relationship before, and I thought I was being overly sensitive. But now that I think about it, there were signs. You’re right though, it’s pointless now that she’s gone. There’s no reason to mull over it now. I’m not angry at you, alright. It’s been so long that it doesn’t really matter. I’m glad you told me, though.”

             Bast releases a relieved sigh. “I’m glad, Argent. That’s why I want you to know that I approve of Penelope. She’s sweet, kind, and turned me down flat when I tested her affection for you.”

             My jaw tightens at his words. This time, I’m not letting it slide. If he touched Pen, I would kill him. “What the f**k did you do?”

             Sebastian chuckles. “Nothing bad, I just flirted a little to see if I could get a response, and she told me in no uncertain terms that she loved you and would never mess around on you. Happy?”

             Lowering my balled fists, I back down. “Good, that’s good,” I mutter as I step into the bedroom.