Page 10 of Until You

“Hey, you want to go check out the roof?” he asked, trying to sound casual and nonchalant, and not at all like his heart was beating a million miles a minute.

“Oh, well, I wanted to get something more to eat first. All I’ve had is appetizers, and that beef tenderloin looks amazing.”

He grinned and took her hand, leading her to their table where Max and Willa were having a little lovefest, whispering and laughing and staring into each other’s eyes.

“Would you two stop being so fucking cute for three seconds?” teased Kayla and Sebastian chuckled.

They broke apart with sheepish grins on their faces.

“You gotta try these sweet potatoes. Everything’s amazing,” said Willa, passing the family-style dishes their way. Soon, Theo and Lauren joined them, and they all ate, although Sebastian felt as though he couldn’t taste anything. He might as well have been drinking water and eating dry crackers for the impression the food made on him. All he could do was think about the ring in his pocket, the empty roof, and what he was going to say to her. He’d imagined proposing to her a hundred times—more, probably—but now that the moment was actually here, he couldn’t seem to remember what he wanted to say. All the words that filtered through his brain felt…too small, somehow.

“Do you want some wine?” asked Max, pulling the bottle of white from the ice bucket in the center of the table and pouring some into first Willa’s and then his own glass. He extended the bottle toward Kayla, who hesitated and then shook her head.

“Oh, um. Maybe later. I’ve got a bit of a headache, and I don’t want to make it worse with alcohol.” She fiddled with her fork and then took a bite of food.

He felt like the world’s biggest asshole that he’d let it go this long. That he’d let her come to this wedding without his ring on her finger. Kayla was strong and fiercely independent, and he knew her well enough to know she’d never ask for a ring or pressure him to get engaged. But he could tell she was feeling off-balance all the same. The last thing he wanted was for her to question him or them.

He took one last bite of food and then wiped at his mouth with his napkin before tossing it down on the table. Rising from his chair, he extended his hand to Kayla, hoping she didn’t notice the slight tremble in it.

“Come on. Let’s go check out the roof.”

She shot him a puzzled look. “What’s with you and the roof? I’ve been on plenty of Manhattan rooftops. In fact, I bet it doesn’t even compare with where we were sitting at Max and Willa’s earlier today.” She pushed some sweet potatoes around on her plate.

Willa’s eyes landed on Sebastian and her eyebrows rose slightly in question. He gave a tiny nod and Willa smiled. “It’s true that our balcony is pretty amazing, but I promise you, youdefinitelywant to check out this rooftop.”

Kayla sighed and took a sip of her water before standing. “Okay, then.” Sebastian met Willa’s eyes and mouthed “thank you” while Kayla wasn’t looking. She winked at him and turned to whisper something to Max, who gave him a covert thumbs up.

He tried to keep his movements smooth and controlled so as not to give away his nervousness, something he’d spent years practicing while on the professional snowboarding circuit. But this moment felt bigger and far more important than any of the competitions he’d been a part of. This wasn’t about medals or glory or proving himself. This was about his future. His life. It was everything, because Kayla was everything.

Oh, that’s good. Use that.

He slipped his hand into hers and led her toward the back hall and then up a set of metal stairs. The door that led to the roof was unlocked, and he pushed it open with a loud creak. Lights were strung up across the space on poles, reflecting softly against the lavender-hued sky as dusk fell.

But they weren’t alone, as Lucian had promised they would be. No, there were men on the roof.

And they were armed.

4

Kayla barely hadtime to register the lights and the dusky glow on the rooftop before Sebastian was tugging her back to the metal door and slamming it behind them, throwing the deadbolt in place.

“What?” she asked, frowning at Sebastian. First, he’d insisted on dragging her up to the roof, and now he was tugging her away from it.

“Didn’t you see those guys?” he asked, his eyes wide, his grip on her firm. He was already marching her down the stairs.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “What guys? Bastian, what’s going on?”

“There were men with guns on the roof, baby. We need to tell Lucian.”

“Oh, shit,” she said, her limbs feeling a little shaky.

The events of that rainy spring night had faded into the past, and she hardly ever thought about the home invasion. The night when Lucian and Max had saved her life along with Willa’s. The night when men had come looking for Sebastian because of all of the money he’d owed them, thanks to his gambling addiction.

But now, knowing there were men with guns on the roof, the memories came flooding back, inundating her like rushing water, making it hard to catch a breath. Her legs felt wobbly and she stumbled on the stairs. Sebastian’s arm banded around her waist like steel, steadying her, and she leaned into him, breathing in his comforting scent. Trying to anchor herself and stay focused.

When they stepped back into the main area of the restaurant, the party was in full swing. Kayla headed for their table while Sebastian made a beeline for Lucian, who was deep in conversation with a man she didn’t know.

She felt as though she were watching a movie as Lucian’s expression changed completely, morphing from carefree groom-to-be to deadly and dangerous. He nodded at Sebastian and then turned back to the man he’d been talking to. Other men around the room immediately sprang to action, heading up the stairs, to the exits.

---