Page 31 of Risky Taste
I hang up before slipping in behind Noah and wrapping an arm around his waist. Immediately the chaos in my head seems to disperse. God, Sebastian is a bastard sometimes but he also knows what works. We keep telling ourselves that Noah needs us but the truth?
We need him just as much.
Chapter twenty-two
SEBASTIAN
The rest of my shift passes in silence, the other three realizing my awful mood will only bring them trouble. The moment we’re dismissed, I stalk off toward home, barely able to keep my attention on the road with how pissed off I am. The worst part is that I find myself crawling by the pub, curious to see if Kurt is still there, making a statement that’s bound to have everyone asking a billion questions.
Darkness surrounds me as I pull into a space, silently yelling at myself just to go home and figure this shit out with the guys. But just as I’m about to put the car back into drive, my gaze snags on the devil in question stumbling out of the bar, cackling at something Heath says. Of course, they’re together.
I really should go home.
Ireallyshould.
Unfortunately, the rage I’ve been trying to ignore gets the better of me and I slip out of my car before stalking over to them.There’s few seconds in between my approach and my hand on Kurt’s throat as I slam him into the wall, the fucker sputtering and patting my arm as if I am going to just let go. “Why the fuck are you targeting your own brother?” I growl in his face.
Kurt bursts out laughing as Heath unsuccessfully tries to pry me off. I am not going to kill either one of these guys tonight but I am so goddamn close to doing damage. I press against Kurt’s windpipe a little harder before releasing him, Kurt grabbing his neck as he strains for air. “You should stop digging,” he says in between gasps.
“Seriously?” I step back, shooting a glance between the two of them. Heath is as posh as ever although he leans to the right just slightly. “You hate Noah that much you’d send him back to the hell he tries to escape?”
Kurt tries to speak again but falls into a coughing fit, Heath stepping in. “Sebastian, right? I don’t even know why this concerns you. He’s a good kid but he’s in the way. A little too smart for his own good.”
None of this adds up. Kurt is Noah’s brother and Heath isstillmarried to him. A pained chuckle falls from my lips at the audacity of these men. “You’re openly admitting that you’re ruining his life for mistakes you made? And you,” I jab a finger into Heath’s chest. “You’re still fucking married to Noah. He’s told me all about your unsuccessful attempts to get him back. Was that just for show or is your twisted sense of love overriding your heinous crimes?”
They both shrug, Kurt finally getting his voice back. “We are having a good time. You all ruin it. Him, especially.”
There is none of the love and adoration in Kurt’s eyes that he usually reserves for his brother. I take another step back, trying to wrap my head around what he is saying, what a man I used to consider my partner is saying. “Kurt, do you know that there’s somany things he can’t do because of you? Because of the pain you put him through? He should have never even been over there!”
Kurt pushes off the wall, shaking his head. “You really love him. That’s a fucking bummer because I’m not undoing shit. Besides, if you need someone to be mad at, be mad at Heath. He’s the one who sends the order through. I’m notthatheartless.”
My anger gets the best of me as I throw him against the wall again, snarling in his face. “Youarethat heartless because you won’t stop. You won’t give yourself up and make this easier for everyone. You have my word that Noah will not suffer again because of you and that I will ensure you befall the same agony and pain he’s had to live through because of your greed. Kurt, we might have been friends once. Hell, I might have actually considered you family. Not anymore.”
When I release Kurt this time, he comes back swinging, catching me on my cheek. Despite how hard it lands, I steel myself, my jaw ticking slightly at the pain that shoots through my face. Kurt smirks, amused at my resilience. “Still a beast. Look, you hate me because I find a way around the system but you benefited from that shit.”
“You poor deluded soul,” I begin, eyeing Heath for a split second to make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid. He seems more wary of us than anything. Good, he needs to be. I return my attention to Kurt. “I don’t hate you for your cunning tactics, Kurt. I hate you because you’re destroying lives in the process to make your life easier and you don’t care. I hate you because every word that comes out of your mouth since we’ve been back is to put those around you down. I hate you because I thought I could trust you and I clearly can’t. Tell me, what’s the real reason you have it out for Noah?”
Kurt sags against the wall, his lids slowly closing as he smiles at me. The alcohol is taking over his brain and I know I won’t begetting anything else coherent from him. At least not tonight so I turn my focus to Heath. He holds his hands up, eyes wide but I’m not going to hurt him, not the same way.
“Tell me, is there a reason for using Noah like cannon fodder or is this just part of the game? You use whoever you need so that you profit from it?” I step closer, glaring down at him as a snarl pulls out my lips. “Because beating him into submission or threatening him with a hand around his throat doesn’t make any sense if you loved him. It makes less sense that you married him if you were just going to use him.”
Heath sniffles, nervously stepping back again. A few other people exit the bar, quickly scurrying out of the way of our argument. “Sebastian, this is more complicated than just one man.”
“And yet, he wasyourman.”
“Heismy man,” he throws back at me.
I cackle, shaking my head as I walk him back into the wall. “Hewasyour man, Heath. You had your chance and you lost it. You never deserved it to begin with. Try touching him and see what happens. He’s got three men backing him, three that aren’t as heartless as his brother and hisex-husband. Try staking your claim. Because I want to fucking see what happens when I let Declan loose on your ass.” My smile grows at the thought of Declan inflicting pain. “I may be the beast of our team but I’m not the scary one.”
I leave them with that before stalking back to my car. First priority is making sure Noah is okay and then it’s figuring out a plan so that I don’t end up murdering Kurt.
I know I told Declan not to go off the deep end but I am so fucking close to lifting that rule.
Chapter twenty-three
NOAH
I shoot up in bed, drenched in sweat, a scream on my lips as Logan and Declan sit up with me. Roaming hands and kisses press against my neck, stealing away the panic as I sit there, trembling between them. Images of my last deployment plague my mind, mixed with the horror of losing Ronny.
