Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Page 15

  “Oh! Sebastian!” she whimpered. A faded smile painted her swollen lips.

  “Yes, baby, don’t try to talk; you’re safe. Are you in pain?” His voice was filled with raw emotion.

  “Yes, everything hurts, and I can’t move my hands,” she muttered anxiously. “And…and…and I can’t open my eyes,” she whimpered.

  “You have IV’s in both hands, baby, so you need to stay still. I’ll call for the nurse to give you a pain shot.”

  “But why can’t I open my eyes? What is happening to me?” she asked again, soft sobs quivering her body.

  “Please don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s temporary,” he murmured.

  “I don’t understand; what happened to me?”

  “You took a hit on your face, and your eyes are swollen shut,” he said bitterly. “But like I said, it’s temporary.”

  “How did Ian find me?” Tears kept streaming down her face, and a broken smile painted her lips.

  “I think you need to try and relax, and we can talk about all the details when you feel a bit better,” he said and pressed his lips against her once again.

  “Is my dad here?” she whispered.

  “I’m here, pumpkin,” James Lloyd said, jumping on his feet and leaning closer to his daughter.

  “Daddy!”

  “Yes, darling. I’m right here with your mother and Sebastian. All your friends and Sebastian’s parents are in the waiting room. We’re all here for you, but you need to rest now and try to get better,” he said, and his voice trembled.

  “Sebastian!” she murmured.

  “Yes, baby.”

  “Do I look really bad?”

  “No, darling, you are just as beautiful as ever,” he said and, leaning down, he pressed his cheek against hers. A sense of déjà vu crashed back into his memory, overwhelming him with remorse and anxiety. She had been hospitalized four times since they met. Three times attacked by people that had vowed to keep them apart and once when Matt tried to rape her. Why did I ever decide to bring Arielle into this awful world of mine? he thought and cringed. He remained silent as he reached in the deep corners of his memory and the facts hit him like a dreadful windstorm. He was not worried about the Russian Mafia any longer. He was going to abolish that organization shortly, but that wasn’t going to be the end of Arielle’s torture, not as long as Annabel and her mates were still alive.

  Gazing down on Arielle’s battered body, he silently vowed to her that he would deliver the final blow to each and every one who had hurt her or would try to hurt her in the future.

  “I’m thirsty,” she sniffed and grimaced.

  Her mother reached above her bed and pulled the cord. The nurse entered the room a few minutes later, a soothing smile on her face.

  “Oh, she’s awake!” Miss Walker said, her voice skillfully low. She glanced with a calm smile between Danielle and James Lloyd, but a flicker of movement drew her attention and her eyes fell on Sebastian. The smile faded away slowly, her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened in sheer astonishment. She forgot how to breathe, overcome by a fascinating sensation. Their gaze locked and Sebastian’s brows rose.

  Dear lord! she thought to herself, trying to recover her faculties. For a fleeting instant, she thought he was an illusion. She shut her eyes, but when she opened them again, he was still there. He had to be the most beautiful man she had ever set eyes on—in her twenty-nine years on this earth.

  Danielle’s eyes followed the nurse’s gaze and understood Sebastian’s effect on her. The nurse was standing temporarily speechless at the stunning sight of Sebastian. She managed to repress her astonishment and, jerking her eyes away from him, she blinked rapidly.

  She then turned her flushed face back to Danielle Lloyd to find her watching her inquiringly. She gathered her disarrayed thoughts and coughed to clear her throat. She approached Arielle’s bed and stared down at her.

  “Did she say anything?” the nurse asked Danielle.

  “Yes, she’s in pain,” Danielle replied, resisting the urge to say something about the effect that bewildered the nurse’s wits. Instead she added, “And she’s very thirsty.”

  “Oh, that’s a very good sign,” she said gracefully. “I’ll be right back.” She then made a beeline for the door. She came back shortly carrying a small tray. She set it on the side table, and taking a decanter, she poured some water in a small plastic cup. She pressed a button on the bed control panel and raised the upper part, bringing Arielle to a sitting position. Placing her arm around Arielle’s neck, she helped her take a few sips of water through a straw. She then gave her a pain shot and ran her cool hand over Arielle’s forehead. She was sure that Arielle was not running a fever. “Best lie back and rest,” she murmured kindly. She then fluffed up her pillows and helped her lie back down, lowering her bed to a horizontal position.

  “Thank you,” Arielle sniffed.

  “You’re welcome, dear,” the nurse replied. “Do you need anything else?”

  “No…” she said, muffled.

  “The pain shot will work quickly and you’ll feel a lot better,” she said softly. She then pressed Arielle’s hand reassuringly. She released it and, nodding at her parents, she left the room, strongly rejecting the temptation to glance in Sebastian’s direction.

  When the door closed behind her, Danielle stared at Sebastian. “Dear God! Does this happen everywhere you go?”

  “What happened?” Arielle asked groggily.

  Sebastian smiled and nodded at Danielle. “I’m afraid it does,” he said.

  “Wh—what?” Arielle insisted, her voice barely audible. The shot seemed to be working.

  “The nurse nearly went dazed when she saw Sebastian,” her mother said, amusingly.

  Arielle snorted mildly.

  “Go to sleep, baby; relax,” Sebastian murmured against her ear.

  His nearness overshadowed every other thought. He was there, and she trusted him. Groggily, she mumbled. “Everywhere we go…” and that was the last thing she said.

  “Really?” Danielle exclaimed.

  “That seems to be the case,” Sebastian muttered.

  Danielle shook her head in clear wonder. “I think Arielle is asleep,” she said softly, staring down at her daughter.

  “Why don’t you both go home?” Sebastian suggested. “I’ll stay with Arielle tonight. You need your rest,” he added, looking at the Lloyds.

  Danielle leaned over her daughter and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, baby,” she whispered to her sleeping daughter.

  “Thank you, Sebastian,” James Lloyd said, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. He stood up, and bending over Arielle, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back in the morning, pumpkin,” he murmured in her ear, even though he knew she was asleep and couldn’t hear him.

  Danielle hugged Sebastian thankfully, and James shook his hand in appreciation. He then wrapped his arm around his wife and left the room. Turning back, he pinned Sebastian with a warm glance. “My boy, we’ll be back here early in the morning, and you can have a break.”

  “I’m fine, sir; don’t worry about me,” he said.

  When they left, Sebastian stood helplessly staring at the closed door. His self-control was being tried. He had been in this situation twice before. Once following Arielle’s birthday after Savanna broke her ribs and tried to kill her by poison. The second time at Saint Jean de Luz, following Annabel’s attack that nearly killed both Arielle and Eva. He didn’t even count the two times she landed in the hospital because of an old flame of his, Paola Gordioni, and the rape attempt by a university student, Matt Winston.

  He lowered his head and pursed his lips at the agonizing thoughts; the pain in his chest was intense. He grimaced again, fists clenched by his sides. He drew in a deep breath and started to pace back and forth, finally halting in front of Arielle’s bed. He gazed down at her, and immediately, he was overcome by a blinding emotion of deep love and passion. He reached down and touched her face lightly by
running his finger down her cheek, across her bottom swollen lip, and back up again. He then bent down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. Excitement surged through him as his lips lingered over hers a bit longer, and his muscles went taught, just as they did each and every time they touched.

  Slowly, he buried his face into the crook on her neck, and his lips pressed against her pulse point. He felt the quiet thudding that beat in sync with her heartbeat as the blood surged through her veins. His skin infused and resonated through his body like a shockwave. He was overwhelmed with the powerful sensation that held him captive to Arielle’s enchantment. “God!” he whispered out loud. “I love her; I love her more than life itself.”

  Pulling back, he knew that he had to gather his wits and face two facts that were not favorable to Arielle.

  He needed to uncover and abolish the leaders of the treacherous plot that the Russian Mafia was running against him and his company. He also needed to deal with Annabel and her coconspirators. His lips were trembling with emotion when he stared at her battered body and swore that he was never going to allow anyone to hurt her—ever –again. “I love you, Arielle,” he muttered softly and pressed his lips against her forehead.

  Arielle was still deeply asleep. He decided to walk into the waiting room, talk to his parents, and update his friends. They didn’t need to stay there any longer. He strode to the door and pulled it open. Turning back, he allowed himself a loving glance at Arielle and left the room.

  Everyone looked up when he entered the waiting room. His expression spoke volumes. His eyes lingered for a moment between his friends and his parents. Gabby, Eva, and Isabella glanced at one another and frowned at the worried expression on his face. His parents and Loren stood up and pulled him in their embrace.

  “How is she?” Olivia murmured eagerly.

  “She is pretty bruised up and in pain,” he said and grimaced, furious that he left Arielle on campus unprotected in order to meet Dylan.

  Loren fell in his arms, and he held her tight. “I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she whispered to her brother, devotedly. “We love you so much. Please don’t worry about Arielle; she’ll recover.”

  Sebastian followed her words and merely nodded his head. An instant later, he said. “I know…I know…and I love you all for being here.” He stared out the window and saw the daylight vanishing. “Mum, Dad, you don’t have to stay here any longer. She can’t have visitors anyway, but I’ll stay with her through the night.”

  “All right, son,” his father said and patted him on the back reassuringly. “We’ll come back tomorrow to check on Arielle.” They hugged him once again.

  “Loren, are you coming with us?” Olivia questioned, glancing at Loren still in Sebastian’s embrace.

  “Yes,” she replied and, pressing a kiss to her brother’s cheek, she fell into step alongside her parents. She waved back to her friends and they walked out.

  Sebastian shifted his gaze to his friends. They were sitting on the other side of the room quietly, giving him time alone with his parents.

  “You guys don’t have to stay either,” he said softly.

  Eva jumped to her feet, and the others followed. They all approached him thoughtfully.

  “How are you?” Eva asked, reaching up to give him a hug. “You do look like hell, dazzle boy,” she added, trying to ease the tension around them.

  His eyebrows went up, keeping his face pokerfaced. “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Your clothes,” Gabrielle said as she came up to give him a hug. She didn’t have to elaborate; she just waved her arm up and down his body.

  Sebastian stared down at himself, and even though he was not in a joking mood, he understood that his friends were trying to make him feel better. “I think I look great!” he said, composedly.

  “You just seem emotionally drained,” interjected Isabella, who took her turn in hugging Sebastian.

  “I know…” he murmured and nodded in agreement. “But I’m staying here tonight. There is no place that I would rather be. I need to be with Arielle,” he said bitterly. “It’s my fault that she’s here,” he added and grimaced, running his hand through his hair.

  “Sebastian, it’s not your fault,” Eva said. She hesitated for a short moment before she reached out, and clasping his hand, she pressed it warmly.

  “Thank you, Eva, but I don’t feel that way,” he murmured. He took a shuddering breath and shut his eyes.

  “What did the doctor say?” Isabella asked.

  “He said that she would recover with time.” He heard the deep relief coming from Eva, Gabrielle, and Isabella. He then strode toward Troy, Ian, and Christian. “I don’t know how to thank you guys,” he said, and reaching out, he shook their hands. “You’re great friends.”

  “We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Troy declared firmly.

  “Ian, did you talk to the police? Did they come to see you?” Sebastian asked.

  “Yes, two detectives showed up and talked to the doctors first. Then they came to me and asked me for my side of the story. I told them exactly what you told me to say,” he stated.

  “And what did they say?”

  “They wanted to know where I found her, and I told them. I was sure that you cleaned up after your mess,” he said, glancing between Troy, Christian, and Sebastian, his lips curving up to a half a smile. “I also told them that I didn’t know anything more and that they would have to talk to Arielle when she came to.”

  “And?” Sebastian pressed on.

  “Well, they said they would come back to speak with her.”

  Sebastian seemed to ponder his words. He then turned to his friends and smiled, thankfully. “Guys, go home. Tomorrow you’ll be able to see her. She will be here for a couple of days, if not more.”

  “Sebastian, Arielle needs to know the story before the cops come to see her tomorrow,” Ian said, anxiously.

  “Don’t worry, Ian. I’ll talk with her as soon as she wakes up. Thanks again,” he mumbled.

  “Okay, we’re heading out,” Troy said and patted Sebastian on the back. “See you tomorrow.”

  The girls hugged him once more before the six of them walked out holding hands. Sebastian followed them out of the room and stood unmoved, watching their backs until he couldn’t see them any longer.

  Slowly, he turned and went back to Arielle’s room. She was still asleep. Pushing the door closed, he scanned the room. Moonlight filtered through the window blinds and the room was bleak. Sebastian sank down onto the chair next to her bed quietly, and clasping her hand in his, laid his head on her bed and closed his eyes.

  He grasped the quiet moment to think.

  Centuries were spent on this earth, but nothing seemed to be as long and as painful as the few days spent in hospital rooms after each attack on Arielle, and all because of him. Repressing a grimace, he sucked a ragged breath. There was no doubt that he was going to kill every single person involved with the assignment that landed Arielle in this hospital. A burning volcano of fury was sweltering deep inside and it would erupt as soon as they located the rest of the assassins.

  Chapter 15

  HE SHIFTED HIS CHAIR closer to the bed and, lifting Arielle’s hand, he brought it to his lips. He could sense the warmth sweltering from her soft skin and a shiver coursed along his nerves from the sudden sensation. He kept his lips pressed on her hand and closed his eyes and he groaned inwardly. He felt tired…angry…and worried.

  He was jolted awake by a soft voice. His eyes sprang wide open and, pushing back, he swung to face the person standing behind him. He was utterly disoriented.

  “Sebastian dear, you are exhausted!” Danielle Lloyd’s soft gaze met his.

  Sebastian blinked and coughed to clear his throat. Slanting a glance toward the bed, his gaze dropped to Arielle. She was still sleeping. He coughed again. “Did you come alone?” he asked, his voice throaty.

  “No, James is getting a cup of tea,” she replied, her expression composed.

 
“Oh…” It was all he said. His body felt numb. He stood and stretched his limbs, trying to start the blood flowing through his veins again.

  “Sebastian, why don’t you go home for a while, dear? I know you’ll feel a lot better after a warm shower and some fresh clothes,” Danielle said.

  He nodded in agreement. It was already morning and the early light was slipping through the window blinds.

  His eyes shifted to the bed once again and noticed Arielle moving a little.

  “Sebastian,” she murmured drowsily.

  “Good morning, baby, I’m here…I’m right here,” he murmured, leaning over her bed and pressing his lips on her forehead. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I hurt, and I still can’t open my eyes…” she whimpered.

  “Soon, love, soon…” he assured her and pressed a feather kiss on her lips.

  “I love you, Sebastian,” she murmured, searching for his hand.

  “I adore you,” he said against her lips and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Your lips are better today,” he said softly.

  “Oh, what about my face?”

  “A bit swollen, but better than yesterday,” he chuckled softly.

  “I wouldn’t win a beauty contest then, would I?” she joked.

  “Yes, you would. You’re still gorgeous,” he said joyfully. He was happy she was up to joking this morning. “Your parents are here, baby.”

  “Mummy!” she said quietly.

  “Yes, dear, I’m right here. Daddy is getting some tea. He’ll be right in.”

  “Sebastian, did you stay all night?” she asked.

  “Yes, he did,” her mother, interjected. “He appears exhausted. You need to make him go home to shower and put some fresh clothes on.”

  “Yes, Sebastian, please do that for me.”

  “But I want to stay with you,” he replied.

  “Please…go. My mum and dad are here now.”

  “Yes, go, Sebastian,” her mother insisted. “Miss Walker is on her way in to give Arielle a little sponge bath.”

  Sebastian sighed. “Okay then. I’ll go and I’ll come right back. Don’t go anywhere until I return,” he chuckled against her ear. He ran his lips across her cheek, over her jaw line, and back up to her lips, pressing a soft kiss there and lingering for a short moment. “God, I love you, Arielle,” he murmured.