Page 46 of The Omega's Contract

Seb’s hands stroke down my back. “Right, let’s forget about all that. I want to take you somewhere. Just you and me. Will you come with me?”

“Anywhere.” I whisper.

He guides me to the edge of the park, where a black SUV waits. He opens the passenger door, and I climb up. It feels like this morning was a million years ago.

Seb drives us through the city and into an underground carpark. I barely pay attention, but when he leads me to a lift and presses a button at the top of three huge lines of buttons, I frown and take notice of my surroundings. The silver, mirrored surface of all four walls is polished and looks expensive. The buttons have cute little symbols instead of numbers, and the floor looks like black marble but can’t be, surely?

“Where are we?”

“The highest building in the city. Now, I’m not a fan of heights, but I do like to come here sometimes.”

The lift doors open, and I’m drawn straight to the window in front of us. The sun is setting; the sky turning orange, the tops of the surrounding buildings are visible, but it’s just the sky, the endless sky.

Seb hands me a cup of coffee and a burger.

I raise my eyebrows.

“I had one of my employees organise it for me. You looked like you needed to get away.”

I give him a wobbly smile. “That you, Seb.”

“You’re more than welcome, Missy. I don’t want you to be unhappy with us. I like you, you know, as a person. I can see that you’re hurting. I don’t know what happened today, but your parents are shitty, awful people, and whatever they said, it was wrong.”

I laugh softly. “I like you, too, Seb…as a person. I think you are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

We smile at each other and then turn back to the window.

“I come here sometimes to think.” Seb admits. “When it storms. I like to watch the lightning and the chaos and know I’m safe inside. Warm, with beers or coffee and food, and I just lay here and watch the lightning and rain.”

“You do?”

“Yes. I need to get away sometimes. Pack life isn’t smooth sailing. It’s negotiations, communication, it’s compromise. We argue and fight and make up. But we need our own space sometimes, too. Darion goes to the office. Lukas takes out his cars, and I come to places where I can be alone.”

“It sounds like family.” I take a bite of the burger and force myself to swallow past the lump in my throat. “Do you know who owns this apartment?” I ask after a long pause.

“Oh, yeah.” Seb smiles smugly at the setting sun. “Lukas does.”

My mouth drops open. “He does?”

“Yeah, Lukas likes to own things. He hates having money, so as soon as he gets it, he invests it in properties or things that make him happy.”

“Tattoos?” I tease.

“Piercings.” Seb winks at me.

I want to ask where, but I think I’ll save that question to drop on Lukas.

We spend hours watching the inky blackness and the stars that chase each other across the night sky. Seb allows me to sit in silence, which I’m grateful for, and by the time I feel like myself and indicate we can leave, it’s nearing midnight.

I drop onto the couch and let my head fall back on the headrest. Darion comes stalking out of somewhere and looms over me. I forget being scared or angry and just stare at how beautiful he is. His sapphire eyes flash with blue highlights when he’s mad, or maybe it just looks that way because when he narrows his eyes, his lashes look impossibly long.

“Where have you been?”

“Up a tree.”

He scowls. “Do you have any idea how fucked up that was? Just leaving, no word.”

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d notice.” I say and glance across the room to see Lukas glaring at me. There’s an immediate pang of remorse. I didn’t want to hurt Lukas in this, I didn’t think. I should have.

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