My eyebrows knit together. “What? Who are Riven and Lakynn?” Am I in an alternate universe?
He sighs quietly before explaining.
“He’s a hockey player, she’s his wife. We help each other to make sure you girls are safe. I couldn’t be with you this morning because I had to look into the surveillance footage at the Ruck House. I didn’t want to scare you last night.” He says, “But someone broke in last night while I was out riding with the guys and smashed some stuff in my room and left a note. There’s a chance I didn’t lock up like I should have. I’m way more careful when it comes to you than I am with my own stuff. Either way, I need to know you’re protected at all times, especially with the text you got and then the girl that was found.”
My stomach tightens. I can’t blame him for not telling me last night. If the roles were reversed, I probably wouldn’t have told him either.
“I’m not taking any chances with you,” he continues. “The guys won’t bother you, but they’ll be around when I can’t be. And I’ll obviously return the favor when they need it.”
His hand slides to the back of my head, his fingers threading gently through my hair.
The touch is unexpectedly comforting.
I exhale slowly.
“I had a weird feeling something bad was going to happen last night,” I admit quietly. “I guess I wasn’t too far off.”
Sebastian’s gaze shifts suddenly to the flowers still in my hands. He must have been so heated over Nathan bothering me that he’s just now noticing them.
His expression changes instantly. “Where did you get those?” I can’t tell if he’s joking because he sent them. Obviously, if he had Jeremy here watching me, then he knew exactly where I was. If not him, then who?
I smile faintly, lifting them to my nose again. “Very funny. I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet because you were busy threatening to kill your own teammate.”
“It wasn’t a threat. I need you to understand that I’m not playing around about you. I’ll kill him and never think about the fucker again. You are all I’m worried about,” he replies flatly. “He better leave you alone.” Then his eyes narrow. “And I didn’t send those.”
Oh no. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.
Sebastian takes the bouquet from my hands immediately, inspecting it carefully like he’s searching for something hidden between the stems.
“They were my mom’s favorite,” I whisper. “I’ve never told anyone here that. Not even Juniper.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t find a note, and without warning he tosses the bouquet across the room. It lands perfectly in the trash can.
I stare at him. “What are you doing?”
“There could be a tracker in them,” he says calmly. “Pack your stuff up. I want to talk to the librarian and find out who brought them here.”
His eyes meet mine when he says, “I don’t want you out of my sight.”
I should argue.
Normally I would if someone was this intense, but Sebastian is the only person I can remember in my entire life who has ever made me feel truly safe.
So I don’t fight him. Instead, I take his hand when he holds it out. His fingers completely swallow mine as he leads me to the front counter.
I let him do the talking, and I should probably feel embarrassed by the way I’m leaning into his side, my other hand coming up to hold on to his huge bicep. I’m not. I need this. I need him.
“It was a delivery person,” the librarian sputters nervously when Sebastian demands to know who brought the flowers. He has zero manners right now, and I’m just hoping she doesn’t shush him, because there will be yelling.
“What company?” he barks out the question.
She shrugs helplessly. “He had a blue uniform on. I didn’t catch the company name.”
Sebastian exhales sharply and without thanking her he turns and starts pulling me toward the exit. I look back at the older lady and I can see she’s flustered. I feel bad because I do think she’d help if she could.
“Sebastian,” I whisper. “You’re being rude. She was trying to help.”
He stops abruptly and looks down at me. Then suddenly dips low and brushes his lips softly against mine.
