“The police. The police found her car.”
No. It’s just another one of Maxwell’s fucking mind games. Or she’s just broke down and walking home. I’ll call her and she will answer. I’ll tell Maxwell he’s a fucking asshole and everything will be normal again.
I turn to look at Patience, all prettied up for the dirty dean. “I’m going to call Sab. Don’t come for me I’m busy right now,” I say.
“Samuel! This is your sister! Where the fuck are you?” he roars. And his urgency sets off a buzzing in my head.
Patience reaches over and puts her hand on my leg before nodding at me. “I’ll handle it,” she says quietly, sounding scared and timid.
“Absolutely not. Sab is fine. She’s not missing,” I grit out.
A sharp knock comes on my window, and both Patience and I jump. She gives a little scream as Sebastian’s face comes into view. He pulls open the door, looking breathless.
“Told you it was a good idea, right?” he says, moving from foot to foot. He seems more wired than usual, his gaze skipping from Patience to me and back again.
My father is still yelling, the sound of his Ferrari echoing out as he orders me to tell him where I am.
“He’s at St. Augustine’s, Mr. Gunner,” Patience finally says, cutting in through his ranting.
I snap my eyes to her, and she nods.
“I’ll be there in less than five minutes,” he replies, then hangs up.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I bark. “You’re not going in there alone, Patience.”
Her gaze moves to Sebastian. “I won’t be alone. He’ll be there to stop it.”
We both look at Sebastian, who looks like a jittery fucking train wreck coming down from a high. Whatever he did between me dropping him off and now cannot have been good.
I climb out of my car, and he takes a step back, his hands twisting that fucking watch of his, his eyes darting side to side.
“You think you can do it?” I ask him, and he nods automatically.
“Yeah, of course. I’ve got your back,” he says. “Anything for you, Sam.”
The sound of Maxwell’s Ferrari is loud as it comes into the parking lot and he screeches to a halt beside mine. Patience puts a hand on my arm as my father rolls down his window and looks on in surprise.
He looks worried, his normally immaculate appearance anything but. His hair is stuck up at all angles, like he’s been pulling on it, and worry crowds his features.
“I’ll be fine, won’t I?” she says to Sebastian.
She doesn’t know him, yet she’s trusting him. Maybe I should do the same. I turn to him, gripping him by the front of his shirt. He smells weird, familiar almost. The scent of something I know hangs from him like a slap to the face, but I can’t place it.
“You don’t let anything happen to her, you hear me?” I growl out, and he nods, giving me one of his fucking creepy smiles. “I’m coming for you if he lays even a finger on her. Do you understand?”
“I’ve got your back, Sammy,” he says, his eyes darting to Maxwell. “You better go, though.”
I let out a heavy breath, holding his gaze for a couple more seconds before releasing him. “You film that creep coming on to her, then you walk in. It doesn’t go any further,” I say. I look at Patience, then back to him. “She is everything to me,” I say in warning, “I’ll destroy anyone who harms her.”
He nods. “I’ve got it, Sammy. I’ve got your back. Always.”
“Samuel, we need to go. Now!” Maxwell yells from the car. He’s on the phone, his features blanching.
I pull Patience into my arms, kissing her mouth roughly. “You’re going to be fine, I promise.”
She smiles up at me and nods. “I know. Now, go find Sabella.”
I head around the side of Maxwell’s car and climb into the passenger side, feeling sick to my stomach. The two most important people in my world are in danger, and I can’t be there for any of them. What kind of man am I?
