Read Online Retribution (Sebastian Trilogy Book 3) by Janey Rosen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Janey Rosen
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my life. Yes. It’s you I don’t trust.”
Sebastian takes a step back from the bed as Ruth appears by his side, her face etched with concern. She looks as though she’s been crying; her eyes are red-rimmed. “Hi, Beth, love. What Sebastian says is true. I was there when he hit Marcus. The scumbag had you by the hair and slapped you. If Sebastian hadn’t hit him, I’d have sodding killed him, I swear I would.”
“Then…am I insane? What’s happening to me? It’s all so confusing, Ruth. I keep seeing things…terrible, weird things and they seem so real to me.”
Joe was here and it was so real. Was he just a hallucination too? Or did he really come down from Heaven to warn me? Oh God, I hope he was real. But if he was real, then I’m truly in danger.
“You’re going to have to see a doctor, Beth. Sebastian and I think that Joe and Alan’s deaths are really impacting you now. You’ve been so strong, too strong, and not grieved properly. It’s grief, we’re sure, and maybe you need some medication just to see you through this rough patch. ” Ruth is stroking my hand as though I am a sick geriatric aunt. “You’re coming back to Dorset with me for a few days so that I can feed you up and get you better. Okay?”
“I don’t want pills, Ruth. I’ve never heard of grief doing this to someone. But we did plan to go home for a few days. It would be nice to see everyone at work, and Mum. Bella is coming too, isn’t she?”
“Bella is coming too. It’s her birthday this week, remember?”
“Oh yes. Her birthday, ” I reflect absently, my mind still focused on Sebastian. “Ruth, do you promise me that Sebastian has been faithful?”
Ruth sighs deeply. “I know what I saw last night, Beth. It was Marcus, not Sebastian with Scarlett. Sebastian is a good man, aren’t you, Sebastian?”
“Positively angelic, Ruth. ” He grins, winking at me. A smile plays on my lips and a surge of relief courses through my body.
“Though he’s into some seriously freaky kinkiness, ” Ruth adds conspiratorially. “I do want a conversation with you about that, but not now.”
“I’m not sure you could ever be called angelic, Sebastian, but I am sorry that I doubted you. I love you. It broke my heart to think you didn’t love me. ” My hand strokes his rough unshaven jaw. He kisses my fingertips as they brush across his lower lip.
“I love you with my heart and soul. We do need to get you well, though, Elizabeth. I can’t go through this again, not after Libby.”
“After Libby went mad, you mean.”
“She hallucinated. She was paranoid. I see the same pattern in your behaviours as in hers before she deteriorated beyond help. I don’t intend for you to slip away from me as she did. ” He kisses my knuckles.
“I think it’s Scarlett.”
“You think what is Scarlett? ” His eyes darken, his mouth setting in a firm line.
“I think she’s poisoning me. ” There, I’ve said it. The sinister thought now seems more credible as I think it through. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as goose bumps form on my arms.
“For fuck’s sake, Elizabeth. She’s got a lot of issues, but she’s not malevolent. Why the hell would she poison you? You see what I mean about paranoia? ” He rakes his hands through his hair as he always does when he’s angry.
“Think about it. She’s been insistent on cooking every meal, when she knows I’ve wanted to cook for you. She’s had every opportunity to lace my food.”
“Why? Why would she want to do that? You’re not making any sense. It’s irrational. ” He shifts away from me, coldly.
“Because of you, Sebastian, ” I implore, my voice shrill. “She loves you, or thinks she does, and both Libby and I have gotten in her way. She told me she only encouraged me to move here for my children—some twisted idea of hers that my kids would become your heirs. Don’t you see? When Libby couldn’t have children, she no longer served a use for you.
Sebastian takes a step back from the bed as Ruth appears by his side, her face etched with concern. She looks as though she’s been crying; her eyes are red-rimmed. “Hi, Beth, love. What Sebastian says is true. I was there when he hit Marcus. The scumbag had you by the hair and slapped you. If Sebastian hadn’t hit him, I’d have sodding killed him, I swear I would.”
“Then…am I insane? What’s happening to me? It’s all so confusing, Ruth. I keep seeing things…terrible, weird things and they seem so real to me.”
Joe was here and it was so real. Was he just a hallucination too? Or did he really come down from Heaven to warn me? Oh God, I hope he was real. But if he was real, then I’m truly in danger.
“You’re going to have to see a doctor, Beth. Sebastian and I think that Joe and Alan’s deaths are really impacting you now. You’ve been so strong, too strong, and not grieved properly. It’s grief, we’re sure, and maybe you need some medication just to see you through this rough patch. ” Ruth is stroking my hand as though I am a sick geriatric aunt. “You’re coming back to Dorset with me for a few days so that I can feed you up and get you better. Okay?”
“I don’t want pills, Ruth. I’ve never heard of grief doing this to someone. But we did plan to go home for a few days. It would be nice to see everyone at work, and Mum. Bella is coming too, isn’t she?”
“Bella is coming too. It’s her birthday this week, remember?”
“Oh yes. Her birthday, ” I reflect absently, my mind still focused on Sebastian. “Ruth, do you promise me that Sebastian has been faithful?”
Ruth sighs deeply. “I know what I saw last night, Beth. It was Marcus, not Sebastian with Scarlett. Sebastian is a good man, aren’t you, Sebastian?”
“Positively angelic, Ruth. ” He grins, winking at me. A smile plays on my lips and a surge of relief courses through my body.
“Though he’s into some seriously freaky kinkiness, ” Ruth adds conspiratorially. “I do want a conversation with you about that, but not now.”
“I’m not sure you could ever be called angelic, Sebastian, but I am sorry that I doubted you. I love you. It broke my heart to think you didn’t love me. ” My hand strokes his rough unshaven jaw. He kisses my fingertips as they brush across his lower lip.
“I love you with my heart and soul. We do need to get you well, though, Elizabeth. I can’t go through this again, not after Libby.”
“After Libby went mad, you mean.”
“She hallucinated. She was paranoid. I see the same pattern in your behaviours as in hers before she deteriorated beyond help. I don’t intend for you to slip away from me as she did. ” He kisses my knuckles.
“I think it’s Scarlett.”
“You think what is Scarlett? ” His eyes darken, his mouth setting in a firm line.
“I think she’s poisoning me. ” There, I’ve said it. The sinister thought now seems more credible as I think it through. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as goose bumps form on my arms.
“For fuck’s sake, Elizabeth. She’s got a lot of issues, but she’s not malevolent. Why the hell would she poison you? You see what I mean about paranoia? ” He rakes his hands through his hair as he always does when he’s angry.
“Think about it. She’s been insistent on cooking every meal, when she knows I’ve wanted to cook for you. She’s had every opportunity to lace my food.”
“Why? Why would she want to do that? You’re not making any sense. It’s irrational. ” He shifts away from me, coldly.
“Because of you, Sebastian, ” I implore, my voice shrill. “She loves you, or thinks she does, and both Libby and I have gotten in her way. She told me she only encouraged me to move here for my children—some twisted idea of hers that my kids would become your heirs. Don’t you see? When Libby couldn’t have children, she no longer served a use for you.
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