While Sophia’s eyes frantically trailed him, he got up to clean up the leftover pasta and the discarded cigarette butt.
"If we’re going to live together, you’ve got to use an ashtray." He said to her as he cleaned up like it was prearranged.
Sophia didn’t reply but he wasn’t expecting one. Paralytics worked far better than just tying her up, because there was no struggling, no complaining...
It would wear off eventually though, but before then, he had enough time to come up with a long-term solution, and if he didn’t, he could just give her another dose.
This was what he should have done the very first time she came to him, and he wouldn’t have had to wait two more decades.
They couldn’t stay in Haines for very long, and he hadn’t been kidding when he said that Sophia wasn’t the reason he had to stop working at the mansion.
It was mere coincidence that brought her to him at the perfect time, he would have had to leave anyway because he was in potential danger.
But now he would get to take Sophia with him.
After cleaning up, he sat beside her on the couch, content for the first time in years.
He could get used to this... Arthur turned to look at Sophia again, she seemed to have calmed down visibly, figuring out that he wasn’t about to skin her alive.
Lake haunted him like a ghost from the past but now that he could properly study Sophia, he didn’t look that much like her.
At first glance, one could see the immediate similarities but maybe it was because he had been comparing a seventeen-year-old Sophia with Lake.
Sophia became frantic again, her eyes darting around but it was no use.
He leaned closer, contemplating moving her to his bedroom so that she would be in a more comfortable position.
He was in no rush however, they still had a few years ahead of them.
"There’s no reason to throw a tantrum, Soph-"
Arthur’s sentence was cut off abruptly, the Butler’s eyes staring unseeingly at Sophia as his blood splattered across her face and chest.
Behind Arthur was a masked duo who had silently broken into the house, and who Sophia had been trying to warn him of.
It would have been of no use even if she had managed to warn him in time, it would have just been a tad more chaotic.
Sophia was certain she would be the next to eat a bullet, but the men just studied her with what could only be curiosity because she couldn’t see their faces behind their masks.
They seemed to silently agree on something and then they disappeared just as abruptly as they came.
Sophia glanced down at Arthur’s lifeless body half-lying on her, she was stuck there for an indefinite amount of time.
She was happy to be alive but at the same time, shaken to her core.
If she got out of Haines in one piece, she would stay away for good, there were several good reasons why.
She had no idea who Arthur had the misfortune of crossing, but she wouldn’t remain here for them to return and find her.
Lake dozed off sometime during his video call with Caspian, he had a feeling the cakes he had eaten had something to do with that.
It was only for a little over an hour, a short refreshing nap.
He sat up just as there was a knock on the connecting door, and it had him wondering if an earlier knock had been what woke him up.
"Davian?" He instinctively called out, getting off the bed.
The door swung open to reveal the very person he expected to see. "I got us lunch."
Lake bit back a smile, Davian’s quiet coldness was intimidating, but it was also endearing in moments .
"I hope it doesn’t include more chocolate cakes," He stretched as he closed the distance between them, completely forgetting that he was still wearing a bathrobe.
"I think two is enough for a day," Davian said dryly, trying hard to keep his eyes on Lake’s face and not let them stray to the Omega’s slender legs which were revealed by the bathrobe parting.
"A week you mean," Lake covered a yawn as he spoke, his guard down from sleep.
"Won’t you dress up before you eat?" Davian prodded gently when Lake gave him an expectant look.
Lake glanced down at his bathrobe, "What? Are we expecting guests?"
Davian swallowed down his complaints fast, stepping back so that Lake could pad into his bedroom in his pale gold bathrobe, his slightly long brown hair a sleepy mess.
They headed for the dining room, going through Davian’s bedroom door.
Lake rubbed his eyes, still adjusting to waking up so abruptly. "Can I go pay Caspian a visit? I already promised."
Davian’s knee-jerk response was to turn him down but there had never been a more difficult thing to do.
Not when Lake stopped to stare at him with those caramel pools for eyes, sleep making his face glow healthily.
"Fine," He gave in, miserable as he did.
Lake was already beaming, continuing their journey to the dining room, because he was starving.
"But," Davian continued, making Lake freeze up. "I have to drive you there."
"Asher isn’t going to allow that," Lake told him the obvious.
"I’ll drive you halfway," Davian bargained.
Lake shot the Alpha a look over his shoulder as he stepped into the dining room. "That’s ridiculous."
"I’ll just drive there and come back before dinner time, it’ll be a few hours at most."
Honestly, Lake didn’t think that he could get Davian to agree so easily, but he hadn’t been about to go down easy either.
So this little disagreement was nothing compared to the main issue. As long as Davian said he could go, he could handle whatever the Alpha threw at him.
He had a lot to tell Caspian but his friend also had some interesting news for him.
He was planning a wedding!
It didn’t matter if Lake had to sneak out of the mansion, he was going to see his friend that afternoon.