Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Read online

  “Um…well, it is that, and Dylan’s calls, and all the other calls with Troy in that weird immortal language of yours. I want to know what’s going on.”

  Keeping his eyes on the road, he started to laugh. “You think that I’m weird?”

  His laughter was contagious, and she tried to suppress hers. It was impossible to remain angry with him. “You have to stop making me laugh. I’m really mad at you.”

  “Are you now?”

  “Yes.” she said petulantly.

  “So…you don’t really trust me.”

  “Don’t you try and turn this on me. It has nothing to do with me trusting you. It has everything to do with you keeping secrets from me.”

  He kept quiet for a short moment and, when he spoke, his voice was measured. “Arielle, I have no secrets from you. Nathan wanted to brief me on the report he obtained this morning about the security systems we purchased. The vendors are flying in and I needed to know all the details before our tomorrow afternoon’s meeting. Dylan’s calls were about the people who are trying to destroy our company and my calls with Troy are mostly about the plans we are putting in place to handle the jerks who are planning to infiltrate our company. That is our company.” He emphasized the last two words. He pulled her hand to lips and pressed a soft warm kiss on her knuckles. “Why can’t you just trust me?”

  Arielle felt terrible. Why do I keep doing this? “I… I’m really sorry about that.” She ran her fingers over her amulet and tried desperately to understand why everything was so intricate when it came to Sebastian.

  “Are you ready to go to class or do you want to go home?”

  Arielle blinked in surprise. “What?”

  “We are here. Do you still want to go to class?” he asked again.

  She didn’t even realize that they had arrived on campus and he had already pulled into a parking space.

  He flashed one of his amazing smiles and hopped out of the car. She watched him walk around with that mesmerizing, seamless walk and shook her head in wonder.

  “Why are you smiling?” she asked when he held her door open.

  “Because you’re a funny girl,” he said and reached in to help her out of the car. Arielle struggled to pull herself together, shoving her mobile, a book that was laying on the floor, and her jacket into her book bag. In the process, she spilled most of the contents out. She groaned in disgust and she heard his faded chuckle. She ignored him and gave one of her pitiful efforts to play it cool, but she failed miserably.

  “Why don’t you put all that stuff back in your book bag?” he asked, a smile still playing on his lips.

  Arielle snorted in frustration. “Um…what in the world do you think that I’m doing? It’s not that easy.” Frustration coated her voice.

  Sebastian grinned. “Yeah, I can see that.” He kept his amused eyes on her, and when she was finished, he reached for her book bag with one hand and held out the other for her to take. His fingers closed tightly around her wrist, and he pulled her right out of the car and into his arms. He bent his head and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips.

  “Are you ready now, my love?”

  She didn’t answer; she just followed alongside him as he turned and headed toward the buildings. With every step, she felt her anxiety--along with her anger--wash away.

  “Do you still love me?” he asked, leaning closer and brushing his lips against her ear. She nodded, and he tightened his hold on her. “Can I have a kiss?”

  She reached up and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

  “That was a peck, not a kiss,” he murmured.

  “Oh!” she slanted a glance over at him. “Do you want to make out right here in the parking lot?” she said mockingly.

  “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

  The hint of a smile touched her lips, and she continued walking. “Come on. I see Troy and Gabrielle waiting,” she said softly.

  “Am I forgiven for whatever I did or didn’t do wrong?”

  “Yes…yes…yes, let’s go.”

  They crossed the parking lot and walked across the grounds with Troy and Gabby where they met Eva, Ian, Loren, and Paul. They had a few minutes before classes began and it was a perfect time to make plans for the weekend. They decided to go out to dinner, see a film, and spend all day Sunday at the Polo club, horseback riding.

  In the calculus auditorium, they took a seat together with Eva, Paul, and Loren. Troy, Ian, and Gabrielle had general biology this morning. It was in the middle of the lecture that Sebastian’s mobile vibrated. He reached into his jean pocket, fished it out, and pressed the unlock button. Glancing at the screen, his jaw tensed. It was a text from Madeline, his private secretary. “Dylan wants to see you. Very important.” He bit back a curse and his fingers curled tightly around the mobile.

  Arielle glanced over and noticed the intensity on his face. She raised an eyebrow, her expression momentarily unclear. He forced a smile, trying to appear unruffled. “Work,” he murmured, leaning close to her. She seemed to accept his explanation as she turned and wrote down the last of the professor’s instructions. When outside the auditorium, he called Madeline.

  “Hi, Madeline, did Dylan say what he wanted?”

  “No, sir, he didn’t, but he did say that it was quite important. He would like to see you this morning if possible.”

  “Did he give you a time?”

  “He said eleven o’clock would be his preference. Can you make it?”

  “Yes, I’ll call him back. Make sure you tell Nathan to meet me at Dylan’s office at eleven.”

  “Yes, sir, I will.”

  “Thank you,” Sebastian said and ended the call.

  Chapter 4

  MADELINE PUT THE PHONE down and sighed deeply. She had fallen in love with Sebastian from the very first day she accepted the job as his private secretary. His voice had become the air that she needed to breathe each day. She knew it was hopeless. He was madly in love and engaged to be married to a beautiful girl. She placed her arms on her desk and intertwined her fingers restlessly. She bent her elbows and rested her chin on her hands, closing her eyes. Oh, how she wished that she could be Arielle. Jealousy struck like a scorching stream, right through every nerve in her body.

  Every time she thought of him, she felt steel clamps squeezing her chest. Unfortunately, she thought of him every single moment of every day, and there was nothing she could do about it. She felt pressure behind her eyelids. Her breathing became difficult and tears burned the back of her eyes. She stood up and walked to stand in front of the large window, afraid that someone would come through the door and catch her crying.

  The image of his remarkable green eyes pushed to the forefront of her thoughts and her breath hitched. She wondered what it would be like to be loved by a man like him. He was absolutely perfect. She stood in front of that window utterly unmoved, transfixed by the vision of his flawless face. Maybe it would be better if she resigned and put a stop to this torture, but her heart was not going to allow that. She gave an involuntary shiver and returned to her desk. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She would never allow her feelings to be exposed. She would just have to endure the pain in order to be able to see him and be near him whenever possible. She would hang on to this job and enjoy the sight of him, for as long as was allowed.

  Troy regarded Sebastian with curious eyes. “What’s up?”

  His green eyes swept over Arielle’s face before he replied. “Dylan wants us at his office at eleven o’clock this morning.”

  “Hold it,” Arielle snapped.

  His eyes narrowed at her outburst. They glared at each other for a short moment. He leaned closer and whispered, “Didn’t I just explain about Dylan and his calls in the car?”

  She gave a curt nod. “Yes, you did.”

  Sebastian averted his gaze to Troy. “He has received important information from his surveillance team in Brussels and he would like to chat in person.”

  “I’ll drive,” said Troy. “The girls
can use your car to go home.” Sebastian nodded in agreement.

  He wrapped his arms around Arielle and, placing his fingers under her chin, he tipped her head back and pressed his lips to hers tenderly. “Please don’t go anywhere alone and set your mobile on vibrate,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m finished with Dylan.” Dropping his keys in her hand, he winked and strolled away, following Troy. Troy looked back and sent Gabrielle a sweltering glance full of promise. Gabrielle gasped at his silent message and, hugging herself tightly, she giggled gleefully.

  Arielle rolled her eyes at their retreating backs. “Bloody duty calls,” she groaned. She bit her lip and glanced at Gabrielle glumly, who grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

  They stood there for a long moment in complete silence, lost in their own private thoughts. Gabrielle was the first to break the silence.

  “I need to go to the library. Do you want to come?”

  “Sure, what else is there to do until our next class?” she replied and sighed moodily. By the time they walked out of the library, it was time to head to their eleven o’clock classes.

  Arielle was a bit bored with physics and not very happy being in class without Sebastian. This was not how she planned her day. She stared at the professor impassively, her mind a million miles away, wondering what Sebastian was doing. The memories of their morning’s scorching encounter made her smile and sigh audibly. Several of the students turned and stared at her with amusement. A little embarrassed, she stared back and shrugged her shoulders, pretending boredom.

  Time dragged excruciatingly and drearily slow. The clock was moving backward. Good God, she thought, is this class going to ever end? She intertwined her fingers and tried to think of anything else but physics. Finally, she heard Professor Mayfield voicing the most wonderful and the most anticipated words of the moment. “I’ll see you all next time.”

  She leaped out of her seat and ran out of the auditorium. She took a few deep breaths and, straightening her shoulders, she walked unhurriedly toward the cafeteria. She was to meet Gabrielle outside for lunch.

  “Arielle,” she heard Gabrielle’s voice calling and, turning to her right, she saw her leaving the medical building, walking toward her at a fast pace. She waved in acknowledgment and smiled wide. She loved Gabrielle like a sister and spending time with her was like balm to a restless soul. At least that is how she felt without Sebastian. Waiting for Gabrielle to catch up, she noticed Christian and Isabella crossing one of the quads, heading for the cafeteria. She chuckled quietly, knowing that they were doing this only for her benefit, for her protection. They absolutely never ate a single item they set on their food tray.

  “Hey,” Gabrielle said as she approached. “How was class?” Arielle made a face, and Gabrielle laughed. “I felt the same way,” she admitted as they entered the cafeteria. They stood in line and, after getting a sandwich and a drink, they walked over to the Pavilion. They both had their last class at one o’clock and quite a bit of time to kill. Following Gabby with their food trays in hand, they walked over to the table where Loren, Paul, and Ian were already sitting. A tray filled with food was in front of Paul, but nothing in front of Loren or Ian. Arielle chuckled again, shaking her head. How things had changed. They joined them, and immediately, the group engaged into a lengthy conversation about the weekend coming up. They were trying to pick out a good film and a club for dancing. Eva walked up in the middle of their very lively conversation and took a seat next to Arielle.

  “Are we on for the secret society meeting next Tuesday?” Arielle asked in a low voice.

  “I can hardly wait,” Eva replied and chuckled blissfully. She glanced around the table and greeted her friends cheerfully. “Where is Sebastian? Where is Troy?” she asked, glancing between Gabby and Arielle.

  “They had to meet an Interpol inspector or officer or something like that,” Arielle said blankly.

  “You mean you didn’t bug him for details; that’s not like you,” Eva snorted.

  “I did, but he didn’t elaborate, so I had to let it go.”

  “Do you have an inkling of what is wrong? He wouldn’t be meeting an Interpol officer for a simple issue.”

  “I think it has something to do with his company and the issues he had last year. You know Sebastian; he never talks about stuff. He wants to keep me from worrying. What he doesn’t understand is that I’m worried more about him when I don’t know what’s going on.” She pressed her lips together anxiously. “The last time he had problems, he had to go to New Zealand. I’m sure you remember that,” Arielle furthered.

  “Yes…yes, I do remember. You don’t need to be anxious. You seem extremely worried, and I can feel it,” Eva said softly. “Sebastian is a very smart guy. He hasn’t become rich by not making sound decisions or knowing how to handle problems,” Eva reminded, nudging her softly on her side with her elbow.

  Arielle gazed at Eva and smiled. “I know. I just miss him so much when we are apart.”

  “How long ago did they leave?”

  “About an hour ago.”

  Ian leaned over and pulled Eva closer, getting her attention. They fell into an immortal chitchat. Arielle blew out a breath and picked up her sandwich. She tried to focus on her friends and the conversations. Gabrielle was nibbling on a peach while into a deep discussion with Paul. Loren was listening to them, going back and forth about the new films that were showing, trying to come to an agreement.

  Arielle let out a soft snicker; she loved her friends and their conversations. She sank her teeth into her ham and cheese sandwich and took a large bite. She remained quiet while chewing in clear delight. She partook a sip of her beverage and proceeded to finish up her food.

  “Arielle!” Paul said, drawing her attention to him. “Will Sebastian be able to go to the cinema tonight?”

  “I don’t see why not. He said he’s coming home right after the meeting.”

  “All right then. We have agreed on a film and we should meet at seven-thirty at the Towne Square Cinemas,” Loren said, glancing around the table. “It starts at eight, so we should go there just a bit earlier. It is, after all, the weekend, and it’ll be busy.”

  They all rose to their feet, and taking back their food trays, they spread out, heading for their classes. Arielle noticed Christian and Isabella walking the opposite way and smiled. What Arielle didn’t know was that Sebastian had asked everyone but Eva, who was already in class when he left, to make sure that Arielle arrived to her classes safely.

  Arielle crossed the threshold of the auditorium calmly and smiled at Professor Allworth. He nodded politely and returned her smile. In route to her seat, she reached for her mobile. She stopped mid-step, anxiety spreading quickly across her body. She quickly patted her jean and jacket pockets, but no sign of it. She frantically searched her book bag and her purse with no results. Inside, alarmed, she scowled. She thought back, trying to remember where she left it. What in bloody hell have I done with it? Sebastian will text and I won’t be able to see it.

  Her thoughts moved wildly. Where is it? She remembered that the last time she used it was in the car. She had texted Gabby and then she put it back into her book bag. But she just checked, and it wasn’t there now. It must be in the car. She glanced up at the clock and noticed that she had another ten minutes before the lecture began. All the emotions she had held at bay rushed in and she clenched her teeth. Without further thought, she decided to run to the car.

  She lifted her head and glanced toward Allworth’s direction, but he was busy thumbing through his papers. Exiting the auditorium, she picked up her pace. Reaching the parking lot, she pointed the fob and pressing down caused the car to blip as it unlocked. She pulled the passenger door open, and leaning halfway inside, she started to search feverishly for her mobile. She smiled when she finally located it wedged between the seat and the center console. She forced her fingers in the small space and pulled it free. She set it on vibrate and, pushing herself out of the car, she s
traightened up and shut the passenger door. Mobile in her left hand and books in the other, she turned around, ready to run back to class. That was the last thing she remembered.

  A little after two o’clock, Gabrielle came out of her class and walked over to the chemistry building to meet Arielle. She leaned casually against the wall and waited patiently. The lecture finally ended and most of the students exited the auditorium in groups. She scanned through the crowd as they hurried to their next destination, but Arielle was still a no show. She gazed down at her watch in disbelief and, pushing away from the wall, she moved toward the door. She entered the auditorium in a bit of a hurry and collided with Professor Allworth, who was exiting with his briefcase clenched in hand. She bit back an oath and blinked, a startled expression on her face.

  “Excuse me, sir,” she murmured. She sidestepped to move out of his way and looked around the room. She was startled to realize that the auditorium was absolutely empty.

  “What the…” she started to say, but closed her mouth, realizing that Allworth had not moved an inch. Completely puzzled, she humphed.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Taylor. Are you searching for someone in particular?” Professor Allworth asked calmly.

  “Yes, sir, I was waiting for Arielle Lloyd.”

  “Miss Lloyd didn’t come to class today,” he said inflexibly.

  “Oh!” she said, totally confused, eyes wide open.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked interestingly.

  “Well, yes, sir…I watched her enter the auditorium earlier, and we were to meet here at the end of the lecture.” She was still probing around, outright baffled.

  “She did come in for a short moment. She seemed to be searching for something, and then she turned around and ran out,” he said gently. “She never came back to class. Is there a problem?”

  “Oh! No!” she muttered worriedly and ran her fingers through her hair.

  “What is it?” Allworth pressed on and eyed her quizzically.