Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,85

tried to kill me.”

“Sonofabitch.” Antony’s mouth dropped open. “We need to get to Shark Gaming and Design!”

“Hell, yeah, we do.” Sebastian pulled Alyssa toward the door. “Let’s go.”

“Right.” Antony was in their path. He nodded quickly. “She’s going now. Gonna be constantly at your side. Got it. Good decision.” Another nod. A satisfied one, this time. “Knew you’d get over that whole leaving her crap as soon as you found out she was in love with you.”

Alyssa immediately dug in her heels. “Leaving me?” Her heart ripped open. Or, at least, it sure felt that way.

Sebastian’s head swung toward her. He gaped at her in shock. “You’re in love with me?” he asked at the same time.

Winston whistled. “Well, this got even more awkward.”

Chapter Twenty

“We’re going to talk,” Sebastian told an obviously unsettled Alyssa as the elevator climbed to the top floor of the Shark Gaming and Design building. “And I’m going to clear the air, and I will apologize to you a thousand times if necessary.”

“You were going to leave me?” Pain creaked in her words. That gutted him. If he had his way, Alyssa would never know a moment’s pain.

But…

I’m the one who hurt her.

The elevator hurtled up. He’d used his key pass in order to get access straight to the top floor. “Baby, I can explain…”

The elevator stopped. The doors dinged.

Antony coughed from his position in the corner. “Try explaining later. Let’s crime solve now.”

Sebastian and Alyssa both tossed a glare his way.

“I’ll check my office first,” Antony offered quickly. “I’ll see if I can find the guy’s tracks on my system. You review yours.” He hurried out of the elevator and away from them.

Alyssa jumped out of the elevator, too.

Ella and a group of guards were waiting in the top floor’s small lobby for them. “What’s happening?”

Sebastian raked her with a quick glance. “I guess you’re working twenty-four-hour shifts, now, huh? You must have pulled an all-nighter. I know you didn’t expect all this when you signed on with us.”

“Antony was almost shot last night.” Ella’s gaze darted to his retreating figure. She motioned with her hand, and one of the guards immediately moved to tail Antony. “On my watch. So, yes, I’m pulling a twenty-four-hour shift. I’m doing anything necessary to help.” Her gaze came back to Sebastian. “What can I do?”

“Keep the building locked down from this moment forward. No one leaves, but Detective Winston Lewis and a fellow named Dex Ryan will be arriving ASAP.” Arriving with the laptop. Dex had already pulled rank at the police station. As soon as the cops Winston had sent retrieved the laptop that they all needed, Dex planned to bring it straight to Sebastian so that he could work his magic on it.

One way or another…this mess was ending.

“They’ll have ID, and they will be armed.” Just so she knew. “But they’re on my side. Send them straight to me.”

Ella nodded. “I met Dex last night. Kind of an unforgettable ass of a guy.”

Most people tended to think that way about him.

Her gaze flickered to the wound over Sebastian’s eyebrow. Ella winced. “Do I want to know what happened?”

“A collision with pavement. Could have been worse, though. At least I didn’t get shot in the back.” He wrapped his arm around Alyssa. “Thanks to Alyssa.”

Ella’s eyes widened as her attention flew to Alyssa. “You saved him?”

“Apparently,” Alyssa’s voice was cool. “It’s what I do.”

“Damn, girl. Good for you.”

Then Ella got moving. So did her guards. Sebastian hurried and—

His assistant Doug walked right out of Sebastian’s office. Sebastian frowned at him. “What in the hell were you doing in there?” And why hadn’t Ella mentioned that Doug was in his office?

Doug stopped. Stared. Then rushed forward and threw his arms around Sebastian. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Why were you in my office?”

Doug pulled back. His red bow tie was a bit crooked. “I always put the weekend mail in your office on Monday mornings.”

Wait. Was it Monday? Seriously?

“You normally let Doug in your office.” Ella had come back. Now she frowned worriedly. “Has the procedure changed? You didn’t tell me to stop him—when you called, you just said to have guards ready to act.”

“Our stock is tanking.” Doug’s voice dropped. His body trembled. “Did you see? Apparently, it’s bad news—major bad news for the market—when one of the company’s founders gets shot at on Shark Gaming and Design property. Added to the fact that you pulled that disappearing act at the big press promotion—”

“Doug. Get your shit