295 Chapter 295

Sebastian sat in the library and poured a drink. He closed his eyes and tried to remember that night but he couldn't. Ouch! He thought, running his cheek. Pearl has a helluva front hand.

His phone rang. "Hello." He said.

"Sebastian, Tom here. I've been tailing the two subjects you asked me to. Have some intel for you." His military buddy said.

"Ok. I can talk. Fill me in, please." He said, pouring another drink.

"The oldest, Codename Raven, has made contact with the youngest, codename Sparrow. Once. In a car. Didn't seem to go well. Very brief. Sparrow has been seen communicating with another private investigator that I am working on finding out more intel on. He is staying at hotels across the west coastline and appearing to be avoiding being found. The woman has been with him. Raven has spent the last four nights at a S&M club in Seattle. Spending approximately three hours there at a time. They are tight lipped about confidentiality there but I managed to find out some information for the right price. I know that he prefers brunettes and bondage. There have been six separate women that he has been sexually involved in his recent visits there, including bondage and punishment type activities. It requires a membership and he has been a member for approximately six years. That's all I have for now."

"Thank you, Tom. I appreciate you more than you know." Sebastian said, hanging up.

He took a drink and collected his thoughts. The desire to call Erik and tell him how evil and despicable he is crossed his mind, but that wasn't his style. He was going to continue to let Erik destroy his life while he found out more about Auggie and the family. No, he wasn't going to let them off easily. None of them. He was going to take down the whole fucking family and he was pretty sure Auggie might be the man to help him. It was the only way Pearl could walk away from this unscathed. Happy. Safe. And he wasn't going to stop until he made sure that happened.

****************

"Good morning, Sebastian." Pearl said. He poured her a cup of tea. The kitchen staff greeted them and smiled, putting various foods on the table.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Yes. Famished." She said. "Thank you."

He looked at her and sat down.

"I have something planned for today. I think it might help. Make you feel a little better. About me, that is." He said. She looked at him inquisitively.

"Ok." She said, eating a piece of toast.

"And then, we make a plan. For Christian. We find out the truth and then decide what we are going to do moving forward. For now, anyway." He said.

"Ok, agreed." She said.

"Gail agreed to help with the DNA test." He said. "I called Jim and asked him to bring a swab of Christian's mouth. I told him we would fill him in when he got here."

"Ok, great." Pearl said. "Sebastian, how do you know her, Gail?" She asked.

"She is my ex-fiancée's aunt." He said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She said.

"Why?" He asked.

"I didn't mean to bring it up." She said.

"Pearl, you can talk to me about anything." He said.

"I know." She said back.

After breakfast, he walked her to the car and drove her to a small cottage about an hour away. The drive there consisted of conversation about Scotland and his experiences there. It was the place he considered his home.

"That's why I planned your wedding here." He said.

"Wait. You what?" Pearl asked.

"Ah. He didn't tell you. The private wedding was my idea. The priest is Anna's father. Anna was my fiancée and the only woman, other than you I just recently found out, that I have been with." He said.

"It was your idea, all of it, wasn't it?" She asked.

"Yes." He said. It was the truth.

The car stopped and he helped Pearl out and to the front door.

A familiar face opened the door and greeted Bash with a big hug.

"Awright thare, Bash! Pearl! Fàilte." The man said. It was the minister from her wedding.

"Bash, is this ok?" She asked.

"Yes. I want you to meet them. I want you to know me." He said.

He led them into a room where his wife was setting out tea. "Bash! Missed ye. 'n' awright, bonny lassie." She said, kissing Pearl's cheek.

"His name Thomas and hers, Iona." He said.

They sat down and had tea while Sebastian filled them in on how things were going in his life. They asked about Pearl and Erik and Bash spoke to them in a language she didn't understand at all.

"Tha e na uilebheist. Agus tha i foirfe. Tha an seòrsa mealladh as fheàrr a 'tighinn bho fhir a tha ag ràdh gu bheil iad math."

He said. Thomas nodded.

"I'm sorry." He said. Pearl nodded, not knowing what else to say.

They talked about Anna. Thomas said she worked for clerk's office and was offered a promotion to the records division, translating birth, death and marriage certificates from old churches to real records. It was a big step for her and she was excited.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Pearl said.

"We ur too. Bit keekin at Bash now, ah think everything happens fur a reason. Her spirit brought ye th'gither. Ah kin feel it." He said. "Yer a guid soul. A kindred spirit."

Pearl smiled and thanked him.

"Thank ye for bein' a mate to Bash. Tis guid tae see him smiling again." He said. They walked to the car and got in.

"Bash. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that with me." She said.

"I wanted to. I was ready to." He said, smiling.

"What did you say to him? In that language?" She asked.

"He asked what happened with Erik. I told him that he is a monster yet says he's good. And you are good and say you're not enough. The best deception comes from men who say they are good." He said.

"Do you think that? That Erik is a monster?"

Pearl asked.

"After I'm done uncovering everything about him, I just might." He said.

They headed back to the house to meet Jim and get the DNA sample he was bringing to them.