Best Friends Don't Sleep Together - A.H. Series #1

Chapter 37

My mind was racing as I tried to piece together everything that was happening. Sebastian's alertness and quick thinking had me convinced that we were in grave danger, yet the appearance of Tony and the FBI agents left me even more confused.

Now that they stood next to him, I remembered Agents Ferrera and Durant - if those were their real names - looked familiar because I saw them years ago, at a party Adam threw. I wonder how did he not recognize them when they were here last week, but maybe he did, that's why he was hostile with them.

As Tony approached us, his lackeys next to him, both pointing their guns at us, a small smirk played at the corners of his lips. "I told you, Tyler, you got soft." He claimed, talking to Sebastian, who, amazingly, remained perfectly calm. Tony shrugged. "You can't blame me for taking ... countermeasures."

"Is that what we call betrayal now?" Sebastian scoffed, yet still keeping his cool. This would definitely look like a movie, if I wasn't right in the middle of it. It didn't go unnoticed that Sebastian kept us closer to the wall, which might have meant being caged, but in truth, he was probably making sure Tony's lackeys couldn't circle us. I wonder whether Dylan knows about his ex-wife's side hustle.

Tony's smirk grew wider. "See, hubris was always your weak spot. Along with women." He shook his head. "First Lola, now her." He hinted at me, despite my desperate attempts at remaining out of his sight as I hid behind Sebastian. "Every time you go crazy about a woman, you go soft." Tony gritted his teeth. "Last time, it nearly cost us everything we built."

"That's not true at all. Lola was never a hindrance." Spotting the pain in Sebastian's voice was inevitable.

"On the contrary, she almost got you to quit." Tony's creepy smirk reappeared. "Good thing she was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

I could feel Sebastian tense up, but he kept his cool. He probably knew Tony was trying to make him emotional just to catch him in foul. "If you wanted me all to yourself, you should have just said so," he mocked, "but I'm sorry, honey, I just don't bat for that team." If Tony's attempts at rattling Sebastian's confidence seemed futile, on the contrary Sebastian broke through the man's cool façade with just one joke.

Tony's face contorted with rage, his fingers pressing harder on the gun as his eyes narrowed. "You think you're so clever, huh."

Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly. "I try."

"Vivian." Tony called my name, his voice chilly and ever so booming. "How's Adam? Does he miss me?"

Somehow, I was certain it wasn't a random polite question nor the pure interest of an ex-boyfriend. "He's much better off without you, thanks." I bit back boldly, but I knew he was only trying to suggest there were many people he could hurt.

He merely laughed, but Sebastian seemed surprised. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "You two know each other?"

"Of course." Tony smirked. "We've known each other a long time. Right, Vivian?"

"Not in the sense you're implying." I spat bravely, gluing my body closer to Sebastian's. Romans said: divide et impera. Divide and conquer. Most people will think it's about splitting your resources to get more, but in truth it's about dividing the enemy forces, setting them against one another so that you have less to fight. Tony was trying to do just that by instilling a doubt in Sebastian, a simple doubt.

A man that trusts no one will inevitably question everyone ... including the woman he claims to love. One small doubt would be enough to turn him against me or even only distract him enough to make him lower his guard. I was certain that was Tony's aim.

"You think?" He acted surprised. "We've spent a lot of time together."

"He was Adam's boyfriend some time ago." I explained, talking to Sebastian in a lower voice. "Whatever he says, he and I were never close. Actually, he's conveniently ignoring the fact that I always wanted Adam to break up with him."