Declan
Declan had never beento New York City before that day, but he decided it was worth the wait, considering he got to arrive on a private airplane. He and Seb had sat together, the plane bouncing through the wind, as Seb stared out the tiny window with a cloud of worry on his face.
Once they landed, some guys in suits hurried them both off the plane, and Declan threw his arm over Seb’s shoulder to keep him close as they walked through a hallway in the back of the airport, far away from the crowds.
“It’s going to be okay,” Declan tried to reassure him. He expected Seb’s father would be upset about the fire, but he had no idea what upset would look like from a man like him. Still, a part of him just knew that Seb was smart enough and strong enough to come out the other side of this.
“It will be okay,” Seb answered. “Eventually, at least. But I’m not sure what’s going to happen once we’re in there. Just stay strong for me, okay? Whatever happens in there, however messy I seem to get…” He leaned against Declan’s arm. “I need you to stay strong so I can stay strong.”
The men led them straight to a large black SUV, waiting in a sprawling garage. Seb nodded slightly to the driver, but they didn’t say much more, and soon enough, they were speeding toward the heart of the city. Declan let his eyes drift across the skyline for a minute. The whole place was huge, like it might swallow him up, and even as it made him a little sick to his stomach, he got a thrill from it.
A lot of adventures in a city like that…
As they drove to Manhattan, the buildings all looked about the same to Declan, just like all the people in their suits and fancy clothes seemed to merge together into one boring crowd. But somehow, he still knew the high-rise they finally stopped in front of was special. The big golden arch over the front doors gleamed, and the men standing in front in old-fashioned suits had a cold, hard glare to their eyes.
Seb let out a slow breath. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.”
Declan paused, his hand on the door, and held Seb in his gaze. “Just look me in the eye,” he said. “Anytime you need me, I’ll be right here.”
They didn’t talk as the men marched them through the front of the building, past security and to a set of silver elevators. Seb was obviously familiar with the place, but he still seemed to shrink a little inside of it. Declan could have shrunk, too, if he let himself, the way that skyscraper made him feel. Everyone who seemed to notice him frowned, like they were seeing some trash dragged in off the street. But Declan never did let himself cave, and he did his best to return the nasty looks, never blinking or shying his eyes away.
He clenched his hand into a fist and reminded himself to stay strong for Seb. Whatever his guy had planned, he would be there to help.
The office was up toward the top floor, and when Declan glanced out the big windows, he saw the city stretched out below. A man in a suit rose from his desk, gesturing for them to come forward as he hit a buzzer.
“Your son has arrived, sir.”
Declan turned down to Seb, holding his eye. “Right here,” he said, pointing to his eyes.
“Right here,” Seb agreed.
Seb’s father looked just the same as he always did, slick and mean. His office was about what Declan would have expected, too, with high, arched ceilings and lined with windows overlooking the city. It was a mixture of glass, rich wood, and steel that was supposed to look sophisticated, but just made Declan think the man had his head up his ass.
That jackass straightened his suit jacket as he stood. “We got the report back from the investigator,” he said as he crossed the room, then flung some papers onto the small conference table by the door. “What the hell, Sebastian? Do you realize you could have been tried for arson? You’re lucky that department knew enough to come straight to me. The scandal this could have caused for the company!”
Anger lurched through Declan. He wanted to shut that man up, but he knew that blowing his top wouldn’t help Seb any. Instead, he held himself steady and stood beside the man he was there to support.
“What do you want me to say, Father?” Seb asked. His voice was wobbly, and it hurt Declan to hear it.
Seb’s father turned to Declan, glaring. “Do you really need your bodyguard here, Sebastian? Isn’t that nonsense with the threats over by now?”
Seb gritted his teeth. “He stays,” he said firmly.
His father crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you expect me to buy you another laboratory? Do you expect your trust fund to continue no matter what you do? Because there are consequences, Sebastian, even for spoiled men like you.”
“No,” Seb answered tensely. “I don’t want another laboratory. I’m done with my research. Finished for good.”
Declan stiffened his back. He knew that Seb wasn’t actually done with his research. He never would be, but hearing him claim as much was still a shock.
“What?” his father exclaimed. “Seb, now you’re not making any sense. Do you need to see a doctor? Your research is the only thing you care about. It’s all that matters.”
Seb laughed softly, still shaking his head. “No, it’s the only thing you care about. I’m done, Father. I was wasting my time.”
His father frowned. “You’re impatient to get results. That’s good. I taught you to be ambitious. But you can’t behave this impulsively, Sebastian, destroying your research when you get impatient. Burning down the laboratory! It makes you look like a spoiled brat.”
Seb choked back tears, and again, Declan fought the urge to take him in his arms and comfort him. “I’m not impatient,” he said, pain on the edge of his voice. “I never had any results. I was fabricating them, stealing them from other projects, buying myself time.” He choked on his voice loudly. “Do you understand what I’m saying, Father? I never was as talented as you thought I was. I was just good at stealing results, but the lies fell apart. I couldn’t fake it anymore.”
Declan’s heart thumped against his ribs. Slowly, it dawned on him what Seb was doing. If he could convince his father that the research was bad, then all the Horizon Zed projects would be tainted, and Seb would have a serious chance of recovering that research for his own purposes. It was a hard sell, but that only made the fire more necessary, something dramatic and explosive to sell Seb’s story.
