Page 131 of Two Sides of Sin

I merged us smoothly back into the city traffic, letting out a slight, amused laugh.

Beneath the amusement, a pang of guilt tightened in my chest. I felt terrible for shutting her out of the process, but I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t let her see the fake IDs, the forged background checks, or the unexplainable amount of money I was using to build our new life.

When I was virtually touring the highly secured real estate options, I had bypassed the ultra-modern glass boxes and specifically hunted for something that matched her soul. The penthouse I chose had all the state of the art security features I demanded, but the interior was different. It had a laid back, vintage 80s penthouse vibe. Sunken living spaces, rich velvet textures, and an aesthetic that perfectly matched her fascination with all things nostalgic and soulful.

The best part was the massive, floor-to-ceiling glass wall that faced directly out over the ocean. I could already perfectly picture her sitting there in the evenings, the vintage record player spinning in the background, her hands covered in paint while she worked on her art.

“It’s a surprise,” I teased, shooting her a sideways glance. “We’ll be there in ten minutes. You’re so impatient.”

Sage groaned dramatically, throwing her head back against the headrest. “I am not impatient! I just like to be prepared.”

She spent the rest of the drive filling the quiet cab with the best sound in the world: her voice. We joked back and forth, and she animatedly recounted the details of her art seminars and the clay piece she had finished that afternoon. I just listened, letting the bright normalcy of her day, wash over the dark volatile edges of my mind.

When I finally pulled up to the circular valet driveway of the high-rise, Sages animated chatter ground to an immediate halt.

She leaned forwards, pressing her hands against the dashboard, staring up through the windshield at the imposing scale of the luxury building.

“Julian…” she breathed, her eyes widening as the valet rushed over to open her door. “I don’t think I even want to know how much this cost.”

I handed the keys to the valet and walked around the hood of the car, wrapping my arm securely around her waist.

“It’s nothing you have to worry about,” I told her as I guided her through the glass doors. “I told you that already. All you need to do is move in. Nothing else.”

She looked up at me, a soft smile breaking across her face. She reached up, lightly brushing her fingers against the line of my jaw.

“You’re too perfect, you know that?” she whispered.

If you only knew who was standing in front of you, I thought, but I simply leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

We stepped into the lobby, a sprawling expanse of imported marble and brass. The concierge at the front desk gave a polite, respectful nod, which I returned before leading Sage to the private glass elevator at the back of the building.

I swiped the encrypted keycard, and the heavy doors slid shut.

As the elevator shot upwards, the city skyline began to unfold beneath us through the glass wall. I stood slightly behind her ignoring the multimillion dollar view. I was captivated by her. I watched the way her eyes widened in awe, the way she took in the world with such bright, untainted wonder. Even after everything she had been through, even after the terror of the stalker she thought she was running from, she still looked at the world like it was a place full of light and love, not a dark, terrifying pit of pain and suffering.

I would do anything to keep that light in her eyes.

The elevator chimed softly, slowing to a halt on the top floor. The doors parted to reveal a quiet, immaculate hallway. An older, impeccably well dressed couple were walking towards the opposite wing. They offered a polite, wealthy smile, and I returned a brief greeting as I guided Sage down the hall to the reinforced double doors at the end.

I slid the magnetic keycard into the slot. The lock clicked, the heavy deadbolts disengaging seamlessly.

Before I pushed the door open, I stepped behind her and gently placed my large, warm hands over both of her eyes.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she laughed, her hands instinctively coming up to grasp my wrists.

“No peeking,” I whispered into her ear, sending a visible shiver down her spine as I planted kisses over her sensitive skin. “Trust me.”

I used my foot to push the heavy door wide open, and with my hands still firmly covering her vision, I slowly guided her over the threshold into our new life.

I stepped in and slowly pulled my hands away from her.

Sage blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright, natural light flooding the massive space. For three full seconds, the only sound in the room was the soft, rhythmic crash of the ocean waves echoing through the slightly open balcony door.

And then, she lost her mind.

A breathless, delighted squeal ripped from her throat. She darted forwards abandoning her bag by the door and ran into the middle of the sunken living room. She spun around, her hands trailing over the back of a curved, vintage lounge, taking in the rich textures, the built in walnut record player, and the sprawling, unobstructed view of the Ocean stretching across the far wall.

“Oh my god!” she gasped, pressing her hands to her cheeks as she turned back to look at me, her eyes mesmerised by the view. “Julian, I’m lost for words. It’s breathtaking. How did you even find a place like this? I didn’t even know something like this existed here.”