Aformal dining room wasn’t what you imagined being in the back of a sex club, but then again, I wasn’t sure why I was surprised at this point.
Thankfully, I had a cushion as I sat next to Sebastian at the head of the table. My hands were cuffed behind my back, and the tape still rested over my mouth. My Alphas were eating lunch, and I was just here.
He allowed me to lean against his knee, and just like the other night, it was comforting. I closed my eyes and rested, savoring the inexplicable calm that sitting here afforded me. Seb occasionally reached down and pet my head or stroked my shoulder.
Last night, Nick—
In the clarity of daytime, I saw the signs. Something had been wrong. The urgency, and the tone of his voice. Something drove him into a panic last night, and he had come to me.
If someone asked me how I knew or how I sensed it, I couldn’t answer. But this morning, Derek, the way he spoke, it seemed like a front. And the way they treated me now, with the same gentleness as always, things didn’t add up.
Either all three of them were so inconsistent they liked giving me whiplash, or there was another factor I wasn’t aware of.
The door of the dining room opened. On the ground as I was, I could only see feet.
“Alphas.”
“Yes?” Sebastian asked, hand falling to my hair naturally.
“We received the latest shipment.”
“What’s in it?” Derek asked.
“Standard amounts of all the hard liquors and paper product replacement. The new glassware for the bar, three boxes of vials, and way,waytoo many straws.”
They chuckled, and the man asked. “Do you want the vials taken to your office?”
Vials.
The Omega hormones at the hospital were stored in vials. That had to be it.Please, universe.
“No,” Derek said. “Leave them in the storage room for now, along with everything else.”
I didn’t move, breathe, or do anything to make them think something was different.
“All right,” the man said. “There’s one more thing. Mr. Delano is here. He said you were expecting to eat lunch with him.”
Sebastian swore under his breath. “Of course. Make sure a place setting is brought in for him and bring the food from the kitchen as soon as possible.”
His hand landed on my shoulder, and I wasn’t even sure he knew it was there. See gripped it harder than necessary, but released it the second the door opened again. “Greetings, Warwicks,” Delano said. “Good of you to have me for lunch.”
“Good of you to invite yourself,” Sebastian said dryly.
The man circled the table until he could see me. “I don’t trust staff. Nor do I trust whores like the one at your feet.”
“Speak in a code if necessary, Christopher, but she remains.”
The silence was tense. “Itbetter keep its mouth shut.”
My shoulders curled in on themselves, and I pressed my head harder into Sebastian’s leg. He didn’t touch me. Not until Delano retreated to the end of the table and sat. Then Seb stroked his hand over my hair. I shuddered.
Any punishment they would give me would be better than that.
“All the merchandise has been delivered, and everyone is very happy.”
“Good to hear it,” Nick said. “Thank you for orchestrating the delivery.”
They went quiet as someone brought in Delano’s food and plates. “Steve, bring a small plate back, please,” Sebastian said.