Knight-in-Arms - Ultimatum: (BWWM Interracial Paranormal Billionaire Shifter Romance Part Four [Final]) Read Free Page A

thoughts, we’d all be in prison right now. You thought about turning me in but you didn’t do it so I don’t think you’re a horrible person”.
     
    But Rochelle knew she was a horrible person. Not only that, she was also a coward. And Xavier would die for that.
     
    *              *              *
     
    “So that’s why Xavier’s dying”.
     
    Sebastian looked back at her. His sense of humour was usually never far below the surface, but today, sitting in his study in his London residence, he was very grave as she told her story. Of course, she left out the details of how Xavier had got mixed up in the Order in the first place.
     
    “I didn’t know who else to tell” she said.
     
    Rochelle felt a little bit awkward. They weren’t exactly on heart-to-heart terms. She’d had to get his phone number from Xavier.
     
    “Well, it was good of you to come to me” Sebastian said.
     
    Rochelle would have left it at that and gone home but Sebastian seemed to have more he wanted to say. He hesitated a couple of times. Rochelle got the sense, even before he started that this was going to be an awkward conversation for him.
     
    “I’m glad Xave has found someone like you” he said eventually, “He always had a hard time accepting his… nature. I know it sounds really mushy and he’ll probably hang, draw and quarter me for saying this, but these past few months, I’ve never seen him so happy and in love and I know you’re the reason behind it”.
     
    Rochelle felt a rush of too many emotions. They overwhelmed her. She felt touched, happy, prod, like she wanted to hug Xavier right now. But then she felt the harsh jilt of sorrow at how she was losing him and the sense of guilt she couldn’t shake.
     
    She said her goodbyes and excused herself from Sebastian’s house. As soon as she got outside, into the cool anonymity of night, she clasped her hands over her mouth and sobbed into the darkness, letting the tears fall that she had tried so hard to suppress. Xavier… Xavier…
     
    *              *              *
     
    The next evening, she went to visit Tobias Heath after spending the day with Xavier.
     
    Tobias was looking out the window as twilight descended.
     
    “You and I are not so different, you know” he said, without turning away to see who had just come in, “We both see something we want and do anything to get it”.
     
    “I’m nothing like you” said Rochelle.
     
    Tobias smiled to himself. He walked over to his desk and picked up a black, circular box, about the size of a plate. He gave it to her.
     
    “A life for a life” Tobias said.
     
    Rochelle lifted up the lid. Inside was a glass phial. A clear liquid sloshed about inside.
     
    “What’s this?” Rochelle asked.
     
    “The terms of our agreement”, he said, “It neutralises the effect of the Berudellum”.
     
    Rochelle couldn’t breathe. She felt light-headed. Her heart raced. Her knees were weak. This meant… this meant… Xavier wouldn’t die.
     
    But why had he given it to her when she’d failed?
     
    “I’ve got Maria, you get Xavier”.
     
    Rochelle’s bubble of elation burst with a pop. Tobias had Maria? But how? But why? He must be mistaken. Maria was at Rochelle’s house and she most definitely hadn’t brought Maria anywhere near the Order.
     
    Not sure of what was going on, Rochelle excused herself from Tobias to check on Maria and get the Berudellum home before she said anything incriminating.
     
    She gave Dr Astor the drug. She also looked relief, though perhaps, a bit apprehensive.
     
    “How do we know it’s really the drug?” Rochelle asked.
     
    For all she knew, it could be distilled water, which might not be a problem if distilled water was the thing that neutralised Berudellum but if they were being ripped off…
     
    “My staff will analyse it thoroughly” Doctor Astor assured Rochelle, “Just leave it with us”.
     
    There wasn’t