Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3)
| Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3) | |
| Number III of SKALS | |
| Adriana Noir | |
| Adriana Noir (2013) | |
| Tags: | SKALS |
Sebastian Baas is at a crossroads. After a near brush with death left them both reeling, he is determined to rebuild the life he's created with Taylor. He burns for revenge, but settling that score won't be easy. Betrayal runs rampant behind the scenes of the lethal SKALS organization. His life was traded for secrets. Greed and ambition have rocked his team to its core and, once that web of deceit starts to unravel, Sebastian is no longer certain where he can turn.
Marx is coming down hard. One by one, his teammates are starting to shatter. Cases run cold and the dreaded reconditioning cells grow full. New threats are emerging and, this time, they are powerful enough to bring SKALS and the men behind it crashing to their knees.
As the pressures at work increase, Sebastian finds himself locked in a bitter struggle--trapped between self and duty, survival or love. No longer able to ride the fine line between the two, he has to make a decision once and for all: lose what's left of his humanity or find a way to save himself and the people he loves.
Either way, Sebastian and Taylor are about to begin the fight of their life. Take SKALS or leave it: once that decision is made, there is no turning back...
Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3)
By: Adriana Noir
Copyright 2013 © Adriana Noir
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or photocopying means, including but not limited to information retrieval and storage systems without written permission from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and places are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
First Edition: March 2013
Cover by: Bookcoversale.com
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. The author does not condone or endorse the actions in this book. Nor does she make any allegations that such are proper or true. This novel contains graphic violence and sexual situations. It is intended for mature audiences only.
~ Dedications~
Oh geez! Where do I begin? This has been quite an amazing journey so far. I’ve met so many fantastic people along the way and my heart is bursting with gratitude, so stick with me!
As always, I need to thank my fabulous parents
and family. To this day, I’m still amazed by how lucky I was to grow up with you. I honestly have no idea how you ever put up with me! Thanks for all of the love and guidance, and for always supporting me every step of the way. (Even if I sometimes make you want to shake your heads.)
To Mara,
my wicked Irish twin. Thank you…for everything, but most of all for keeping me somewhat sane. Not an easy task, I know!
A huge shout out to Kimmi at
LipSmackin GoodBooks
, Anitra at
Can’t Read Just One
, Danie at
Intoxicating Reads
,
Miss Construed’s Reviews
, and
Lily the Novel Nerd
. Book bloggers help make the writing world go round! Thank you for reading and helping to spread the word. I know these books aren’t easy!
Love to all the awesome people rocking
“RR.” You know who you are….wish I had more time to laugh with you!
To D, my mentor, my muse. So much of this is because of you. Keep being lovely.
And last but
never ever
least, my deepest gratitude goes to my
readers
. Thank you for letting me steal a few hours of your day. Thank you for your support. It comes in so many ways. I can never express how much your comments, reviews, status updates, and messages mean. Like seriously…never. Whatever success I may have, I owe it to each and every one of you. You make the journey so much fun.
From the bottom of my dark loving, sappy little heart, I thank you all.
Table of Contents:
CHAPTER 1~
Sebastian stared into the flickering candlelight flames, his thoughts distant and disjointed despite the laughter echoing around the table. His food sat mostly untouched before him. Leaning back in his seat, he took a long sip of wine and turned his attention to Taylor, watching her, gauging her mood and reactions while Monique regaled her with stories of their childhood. His jaw tightened as he tried to pull his focus back to the present, but it seemed determined to linger in the past. The smell of fresh paint and new carpet lingered in the air, overriding the spicy Chinese blend wafting from the table. He shifted uneasily in his seat, not caring for the changes around him. They were reminders, no matter how subtle, of his pain and failure to protect what he held most dear.
Though Josh and Monique had done a wonderful job of cleaning things up and
keeping the rest of the house the same, the dining room chairs surrounding the table were different. A necessity after Laychee’s men had ransacked his home and broken one of the previous set while they’d brutalized Taylor.
Guilt and rage seethed below the surface. Deep down, he hoped Josh and Henderson had made those bastards pay. Fists clenched beneath the table, his lean
hard muscles trembled with silent fury.
“Sebastian?”
He glanced over at Taylor. His brow furrowed with concern as he watched her smile falter. Swallowing, he fought to pull away from the dark tide of his emotions. She’d been through so much over the past few weeks. The last thing she needed was to suffer through one of his violent moods. He regretted their audience, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hold her close. Instead, he settled for tucking her hair behind her ear and forcing a smile.
“Are you okay?” she asked. Worry lined her face as she nibbled her lower lip in uncertainty.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” he soothed. “I’m just not very hungry.”
She leaned into his touch before turning her head to kiss his palm.
Creaking wood drew his attention, and he glanced up to see his sister squirming across from him. Even Josh gaped his way, his dark blue stare full of questions. Sebastian sighed and pushed away from the table with a quiet apology. Shaking his head, he strode out of the room, carrying only his wine glass with him.
“Do you want me to heat you up something else?” his sister asked.
Turning, he found she’d followed him into the kitchen. “No, Monique. I ordered what I wanted. Dinner was fine. I promise.”
Nodding, she wrung her hands. Apprehension creased her usually flawless features as she draped a tentative hand over his forearm. He tensed, looking at her in inquiry, but he made no move to pull away.
“I won’t insult you by pretending to know what you are going through, Sebastian. I don’t, but I do know how strong you are and how much you hate not being in control.” She lowered her head, her next words coming in a plea. “You aren’t going to be either of those things if you don’t take care of yourself.”
Backing away from her, he raked a hand down his face and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I know that, Monique,” he said in a measured tone. “But I assure you, one night of not eating isn’t going to kill me.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to tell you what you should do. I’m just worried about you.”
He dumped the rest of his wine in the sink and rinsed his glass before setting it on the counter. Needing to stay busy, he snagged a checkered dishtowel out of the drawer and started wiping down the faucet and handles even though the brushed stainless steel already gleamed. He felt his sister looming behind him, watching him as she waited for some kind of reaction. Flinging the towel over his shoulder, he spun on his heel to face her.
Monique staggered back a quick step. Her already pale skin lightened even further.
“Do you really want to help me?” he asked.
“Yes. Of course I do, Sebastian.”
Nodding, he cast a quick look toward the archway to make sure no one else was within earshot. “Taylor missed her birthday when we were recuperating at SKALS’ headquarters. She hasn’t said anything about it. She’s far too sweet to do that, but I want to do something special for her. Something…I don’t know…nice. She deserves that much.”
“What are you thinking here, Seb?”
He frowned, his shoulders rolling with a helpless shrug. “I don’t know, Monique. A party? A cookout? You tell me.”
“We’ll do both,” she said. “I’ll take care of everything. Right now, you need to focus on yourself and Taylor. Do you have a list of her family and friends or some people she would like invited?”
“No
. She hasn’t had any contact with her parents in years. I don’t know who she would want to come and I haven’t had time to replace her phone, so I can’t exactly scroll through it and find out.”
Monique’s face scrunched with confusion, but she didn’t ask. It was just as well. He didn’t feel like going in to the how and why he’d broken
it.
“There’s some redhead, Irene, who worked with Taylor in the truck stop diner on the other side of town,” he
said. “They still talk. She might know a few more of Taylor’s friends, but her uncle and cousin are not welcome here. I don’t want those lowlife degenerates anywhere near her. That’s the last thing she needs right now.”
His sister winced at the assessment, but nodded. “Understood. I’ll see what I can do. Is this weekend okay?”
“That will be fine.” One side of his mouth lifted with a tired smile as he reached for her and smoothed the top of her honey blonde hair. “Thank you. I spent the entire ride home trying to brace myself for what I might see. I fully expected to walk in to a warzone and find my house turned upside down. There is no way I can ever repay you or Josh for everything you’ve done. I appreciate it more than you know.”
She graced him with an affectionate smile. “There’s no need to thank me
, Sebastian. You’ve taken care of me my entire life. I wish the circumstances were a little different, but I’m grateful for the chance to give something back. No matter how small.”
Biting the insides of his cheeks, he stared down at her for a long minute, uncertain of what to say or how to respond. A strained swallow pushed past his throat. Forcing his attention elsewhere, he managed a mute nod. Her gratitude made him uncomfortable, and for a moment, he grappled with the memories of their past. Images of their father and his gnarled fists loomed before his mind, along with all the times he’d urged Monique to run and hide while he’d stood his ground.
She was twelve when their father passed away and thirteen when their mother followed eight short months later. He’d taken the first flight home and, after the funeral, he’d secured guardianship, found base housing, and taken his little sister with him.
Things had been so different then. More often than not, he’d barely had two dollars to rub together, but they’d had each other and that was the only thing that had mattered. It had been rough when he’d served his tours, but thanks to the help of some fellow Marines and their families, Monique was
well cared for in his absence.