Chapter Nineteen
The private jet landed at a small airstrip outside Knoxville. As they descended the steps to the tarmac, an older man in a dark suit approached them, handing Sebastian a set of keys and taking Jade’s suitcase. Sebastian led them to the black Ford pickup truck waiting next to the stairs, and then opened the door for her before getting into the driver’s side. Sebastian told her it was another hour’s drive to his hometown, Maysville, which was right at the foot of the Smokey Mountains. She sat in the front seat next to him, watching the lights on the highway as they drove by, the scenery changing from city to more rural country landscapes.
They hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words since that morning. Sebastian was like a rock, silent and betraying no emotion. She felt a little impulsive, agreeing to drop everything to go with him to Tennessee, but she couldn’t say no.
Sebastian had to do some work before they left, so she went to the lab for a few hours. She also checked in with Nick and Alynna, telling them she was going away for a day or two to see her dad perform and that Creed Security already had a plan in place for her protection. She also consulted with Cady Vrost, making sure she wasn’t about to venture into some other clan’s territory. Thank God, the nearest clan was in Nashville, and Eastern Tennessee was not under their jurisdiction. Sebastian had Zac pick her up after work and bring her to the private airport where the jet was fueled and ready to leave.
After 45 minutes in the car, they took a turnoff and the roads became smaller. Soon, they were on a back-country road that ended at an imposing metal gate. Sebastian pressed the small box clipped on the driver’s side visor and the gates swung open.
They drove slowly up a long gravel road, and Jade could see a house not too far in the distance. It was dark, so all the lights in the house were lit, as well as the surrounding perimeter lights. Well, it was more like a mansion built with giant logs. Sebastian stopped the car, walked to her side, and helped her out. Two men came out of the house, and Sebastian gave them brief instructions. As the men scurried to get their things, he took her hand and led her up to the main door.
A woman was standing in the open doorway waiting for them. Her long, bleach-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a tank top and cutoff jean shorts, showing off tanned legs. Jade wasn’t sure how old the woman was, but if she guessed, maybe in her 40s. Familiar gray eyes flickered at her curiously, then moved to Sebastian.
“Momma,” he greeted, taking the woman into his arms.
“Sebastian, thank the Lord you’re back,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled away and looked at Jade.
“Momma, this is Jade,” he introduced.
“How do you do?” Jade extended her hand.
“I’m Connie Creed, Sebastian’s mother.” She took Jade’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “Are you his—”
“I’m here to offer my support,” Jade said quickly. “I’m so sorry about your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” Sebastian corrected. “They’re divorced.”
Connie’s face fell, and she withdrew her hand from Jade’s. “Are you hungry? I can make some fried chicken. I have biscuits—”
“It’s okay, Momma,” Sebastian pulled Connie in for another hug. “I’m not hungry. Jade?”
She shook her head. “I’m good.” Jade had eaten the meal the flight steward on the jet had prepared, but Sebastian barely touched his.
“A—alright then,” Connie said. “The funeral’s at 10 a.m., so we need to be at the church by 9.”
Sebastian gave an acknowledging grunt. “Goodnight, Momma.”
Connie gave Jade a sad smile, and then turned around, disappearing down one of the hallways. Jade followed Sebastian as he led her to another part of the huge house. It really was beautiful, but she didn’t have the inclination to admire it at the moment.
It was understandable that Sebastian had became withdrawn upon hearing the news. Though she had never lost a parent, she could imagine what it was like. But there was something not right. Sebastian had been quiet the whole day, but the moment they landed, it was like he had erected this wall around himself. He had always been a little standoffish, but now he was downright cold and emotionless.
They walked to another wing of the house, and Sebastian opened the door to a bedroom. Much like his loft in Tribeca, the room was enormous and had high ceilings. An entire wall was glass with a view of a lake behind them. The moon was full and large, hanging in the distance, the light casting an eerie glow over the water. It was amazing, and she knew it would probably be even more beautiful in the sunlight.
As Sebastian began to strip down, Jade walked over to her suitcase, which was on a stand right next to his. She grabbed her toiletries and her pajamas and went into the bathroom. Much like the rest of the house, the bathroom was huge with a large jacuzzi tub in the corner and an enclosed shower area. Soft, fluffy towels were hanging on the rack, and there was an assortment of bath gels, salts, shampoos, and soaps neatly displayed in one of the shelves.
When she strode out of the bathroom, Sebastian was already on the huge bed, lying on his side, his back to her.
She hated his silence, but she had to give him time to grieve properly. Slipping into the bed, she moved closer to him. She wrapped an arm around him, and he shifted, but didn’t move. Pressing her check against the warm skin of his back, she listened to his heartbeat, letting the soft, rhythmic thumping lull her to sleep.
***
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything, Mrs. Creed?” Jade asked as the took the plate from the other woman’s hand.
“Jade, sugar, you’re fine,” the other woman gave her a tired smile. “And please, I told you to call me Connie.”
She nodded. “Of course, Connie.” She gave the plate to a passing waiter and then sat down next to Connie as people came over to chat with her and offer their condolences.
The whole morning went by in a blur. Jade had been by Connie’s side the entire time. At the church, she sat to Connie’s left, while Sebastian planted himself on the right. They rode together in the limo to the cemetery, and she held Connie’s hand as she watched them lower her ex-husband’s coffin into the ground.
Despite having attended the service, she had learned very little about Sebastian’s father, Ethan. Connie explained over coffee that morning that Ethan was driving home and smashed his car into a tree. The coroner said he had died on impact, and that he lost control of the vehicle, which was not surprising since his blood alcohol level had been three times over the legal limit.
The entire town came out for the funeral, and now, Connie was hosting a reception at their house. Most of the people gave Jade curious glances, but said nothing nor asked who she was or why she was there. Connie simply introduced her as a family friend and Jade was grateful that seemed to be explanation enough. She was already having trouble trying to define her relationship with Sebastian herself. Speaking of which…
“Connie, have you seen Sebastian?”
The older woman shook her head. “No, sugar, I haven’t.”
“Hmmm…” They had all traveled back to the house together for the reception. Sebastian had helped greet people when they came in, and the last time she spotted him, he was talking to a group of guys who looked to be about his age, probably his old friends.
“I’m worried,” Jade said, her brows furrowing. “He’s just…he’s been acting strangely.”
“Has he…said anything to you? About his daddy?”
Jade shook her head. “He hasn’t said more than two words since he received the news. I know he’s grieving, but I can’t help feel something is off.”
Connie sighed and got up. “Come with me.”
She followed the older woman outside, to the large porch that wrapped around the house. “How long have you known my son?”
“Not very long,” she confessed. “Sebastian doesn’t talk much about his past.”
“His relationship with Ethan is…complicated,” Connie began. “We weren’t rich. In fact, we were dirt poor. This is the first house I ever lived in that didn’t have wheels underneath it.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I had Sebastian when I was seventeen. Ethan Creed was the town charmer, and he got me pregnant after one night in the back of his truck.” She turned away and stared out into the lush greenery surrounding the house. “He married me, of course. My daddy made him. And then we had Sebastian. He was a wonderful child, so smart and so beautiful, my boy. But Ethan, he had anger issues.” She choked, and tears pooled in her eyes. “He beat me when he was drunk. And I couldn’t stop him. But I couldn’t leave him, either. I was trapped.”
Jade sucked in a breath. “Connie…I’m sure you did what you could.”
“I had no job, no money, not even a high school diploma. When Sebastian was thirteen, he started beating on him, too.” The tears spilled down her cheeks. “I…I was pregnant the summer Sebastian turned seventeen. He had grown too, and he was taller and bigger than his daddy. I was in the kitchen and Ethan came in a rage, smelling of whiskey. He pushed me on the floor and…and…I lost the baby.”
“Connie, I’m so sorry,” Jade said, feeling the lump in her throat grow.
“When Sebastian found out, he was furious. He hunted Ethan down at his favorite bar and beat the shit out of him. Put him in the hospital for weeks. That was the last time they saw each other. Sebastian ran away, and a few months later, I got a call from him, telling me he had enlisted.” Connie wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. “He sent me every penny he made. Told me to divorce Ethan and leave him, but I wouldn’t. I just…”
Jade put an arm around Connie. God, what it must have been like for her. And for Sebastian, knowing his mother was living with her abuser. She couldn’t even begin to know what that felt like. She too had been trapped under her mother’s thumb, but Fiona never hit her.
“When he was captured in Afghanistan…well, I finally opened my eyes. I thought I had lost my boy. I left Ethan and served him divorce papers. Sebastian had been begging me to do it for years, and it was his death that finally pushed me over the edge.”
Captured in Afghanistan? Jade’s mind was reeling. She and Sebastian never talked about his past. And it wasn’t like she could tell him about being a Lycan.
“When I got the news he’d been found,” Connie continued. “Well, I was so happy and shocked I fainted right in the middle of my shift at the diner. I never thought I’d see him again and weeks later, here he was walking into my arms. My boy is a survivor.” She sniffed. “I’m sorry, sugar, for unloadin’ on you like this.”
“No, please.” Jade shook her head. “I’m here for you.”
“He built that company from scratch, you know. And once he made it big, he built this house and had me move into it. Now, I don’t have to worry about working or anything. Sebastian bought me the diner I worked at, and I run it now, but only so I have something to do.”
“And Ethan?”
“Well, you know how they say people can’t be all bad? Well, I think deep down Sebastian knew his daddy was a good man. He was just angry over his circumstances. When he wasn’t drunk or angry, well…he and Sebastian actually had some good times. Sebastian doesn’t know that I know, but he’s been paying for Ethan’s rent all this time and even paying off any debts he’s run up. He still took care of his daddy, even after everything.”
Jade felt all the air rush out of her lungs. Sebastian. How he must be hurting. A pain slashed through her.
Go…to…him.
“What?” Jade asked. “Did you say something, Connie?”
“No, sugar, I didn’t.” Connie frowned. “You okay? Maybe you should lie down. Don’t worry, I know everyone here, and they’ll all be leaving soon.”
“No, I’m good. I just need to find Sebastian.” The urge to be with him, comfort him, was great. “He’s gone.” Deep inside, she knew it. He wasn’t in the house or anywhere near here.
Connie sighed. “I might know where he is.”
“Tell me, please.”
The older woman nodded. “Alright. Go and find him. Be with him.”
***
Sebastian swore to himself he would never, ever get drunk. He enjoyed bourbon, maybe a glass of wine or two with dinner, but he always stopped himself before the buzz came. But now, here he was, staring down a half-empty bottle of whiskey.
Fuck.
He looked around at the tiny trailer where he was currently holed up. It had already been ancient when they lived in it, and now it was just a fucking disaster area. There was a hole in the roof that must have caved in a few years ago. Someone had probably broken into it and trashed all the furniture. All kinds of critters had turned it into their home over the years, judging from the smell. Why he bought the fucking thing and the land around it, he didn’t know. He should have sold it years ago or never bothered with it at all.
But he did keep it, and now he was sitting on the floor of the dilapidated trailer, trying to drown himself in whiskey. How much liquor did a man need to get drunk, anyway? It was like the alcohol was burning off his system faster than he could drink it.
The news of Ethan’s death hit him with the force of a Mack truck. He hated the man, and his first thought was that he was glad he was dead. He remembered the first time the back of Ethan’s hand met his cheek when Sebastian came home late after hanging out with his friends. Or how his head was slammed down on the kitchen table after talking back to Ethan that Christmas when he was fourteen. He could go on and on. The memories of his younger years, however, muddled up the emotions. A younger and more sober Ethan took him out for a drive in his ancient, beat-up Chevy truck, singing along to country songs on the radio. Or when Ethan took him to the diner for lunch and to see Momma while she was working. Or how he scooped him up and ran all the way to the hospital when he fell off the old tire swing and broke his arm.
“Goddamn motherfucker!” He threw the bottle across the narrow room. It smashed against the wall, the glass shattering into a million pieces. Screw it. Those good memories didn’t make up for the bad ones he created later. The world was better off without Ethan Creed in it.
“Sebastian?” came a voice from the outside.
Jade? What was she doing here?
The rusty door swung open, and Jade entered. Stepping over the various bits of trash and debris, she stood in front of him, then knelt down, placing her hands on his knees. Fuck, she didn’t belong in her. She shouldn’t be tainted by the memories that haunted this place.
“How did you find me?” he asked.
“Your mother told me you might be here.”
He said nothing, but hung his head, staring at the rotting floor boards.
She bent her head, trying to look at his face. “Why are you here?”
He wished he knew the answer. Looking up at Jade, he stared into her light green eyes, trying to get lost in them. “She told you.”
Jade nodded. “I’m sorry. So sorry,” she choked. “Sebastian…”
“Ethan was a fucking bastard,” he began. “He beat me, yes, but I didn’t care. Because as long as he took out his anger on me, he didn’t touch Momma. Then, I grew up, got big, and he beat up on me less and less, as if he knew I was gonna snap one day. And I did. When I saw my momma lying on the floor over there,” he motioned towards the kitchen. “She was bleedin’. Losing the baby. My sister…” His throat closed from all the emotion, and he couldn’t continue.
Tears streamed down Jade’s cheeks, and she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him.
“I almost killed him that day,” he said when he finally found his voice. “I ran away because I would have finished the job another day. So, I joined the Marines. And…” No, he couldn’t talk about his capture. That was pain for another day. “Why the hell are you with me, Jade?” he asked. “I’m fucking broken. I’ve hurt you twice. And I’m a bastard, like my father.”
“No,” she protested. “Listen to me. You are nothing like that man. Not the bad parts of him. You protected your mother and saved her from more beatings, something no child should ever have to do. And yet, you still cared for your father, in your own way.” He tried to protest, but she silenced him by placing a finger over his lips. “Connie knew, and she told me. And it’s okay,” she tipped up his chin. “It’s okay if you love someone, even if they were a terrible person. Because people are not all black or white or good or evil. Sometimes we’re in-between.”
Emotions he’d never felt before bubbled up in him, fighting and clawing at him. Hate. Love. Despair. Confusion. Amazement. How could Jade still be here? How could she want to be here, knowing how fucked up he was? “You followed me here,” he whispered.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
With a throaty groan, he grabbed her by the shoulders and bent his head towards hers, his mouth seeking hers in a desperate kiss. Jade opened up to him eagerly, their lips, teeth, and tongues clashing together. He pulled her closer, seeking the warmth and comfort of her body.
Jade’s hands clawed down his shirt, fingers fumbling with the buttons. No, not here. He got to his feet, hauling her up with him. Slipping his hands underneath her, he lifted her up, the skirt of her black dress riding up her thighs as her legs wrapped around his waist.
Sebastian walked them out to his truck, pinning her against the side. “I’m sorry, darlin’,” he rasped. He unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, taking his already rock hard cock in his hand. “I can’t wait.” Pulling her panties to the side, he entered her in one stroke.
“Sebastian!” she cried, her arms winding around his neck.
“Sweet Jade,” he whispered in her ear as he fucked her against the side of his truck. “God, you’re incredible.” He thrust in deep, seeking comfort in her, the pain slowly ebbing away from him until there was only pleasure and Jade.
“Harder,” she begged. “More.”
He grabbed her neck and pressed her forehead to his as he pumped deeper into her moist heat. Jade’s cherry vanilla scent surrounded him, making him feel dizzy and buzzed. Making him forget.
“Jade!” he cried out as she flexed her inner muscles, grasping at his cock. She bit into his shoulder, the little hell cat, letting out a moan of pleasure against his skin. It didn’t hurt, didn’t even pierce his skin, but the sensation of her teeth marking him made him lose control. His cock twitched and shot his load deep into her just as her pussy clasped at him, signaling her own orgasm. He shuddered uncontrollably as he filled her, emptying himself into her until he was spent.
Jade peppered soft kisses on the side of his neck and shoulders. With a deep sigh, he let go of her, slipping out of her and placing her on her feet. She braced herself against the SUV, her breathing ragged. Her hair had come undone from its neat bun, her lipstick was smeared, and her pale skin was painted with a pretty blush. Fuck, he wanted her again.
Seemingly getting back to her senses, Jade pulled her skirt down and tried to put some semblance of order to her hair and makeup. Sebastian tucked his cock back into his pants, zipped up, and straightened his shirt.
With a rough growl, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, planting a firm kiss on her lips. “Let’s go back home,” he said.