Chapter 3 - The Scent of Cedar
The impact sounded like a butcher's blade hitting a wooden block.
Flesh hitting flesh.
Bone grinding against bone.
The grip on Leo’s collar vanished instantly.
The young man in the blue suit flew sideways.
His feet tangled together.
He crashed into a silver champagne bucket.
Ice cubes and freezing water exploded across the Persian rug.
Leo dropped to his knees.
The air rushed back into his lungs, tasting of dust and carpet fuzz.
He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of saliva.
Before he could fall forward, two arms caught him.
They were strong.
They smelled of cedarwood, rain, and fresh ink.
Leo knew that smell.
He buried his face into the crisp white fabric of an open-collared shirt.
The man holding him was breathing heavily.
Sebastian.
He wore a dark, elegant suit.
No tie.
The fabric of his jacket was rough beneath Leo's cheek.
Sebastian’s hand cradled the back of Leo’s head.
His fingers tangled in the boy's fine brown hair.
The other hand was balled into a fist.
The knuckles were already turning a violent shade of red.
Sebastian didn't look down at the boy.
His eyes were locked on the young man groaning on the floor.
Leo clutched fistfuls of Sebastian's white shirt.
He wrinkled the expensive fabric.
"Uncle Sebastian," Leo choked out.
His voice was tiny, broken by rapid hiccups.
He pressed his wet face harder into the chest.
"He keeps saying..."
Leo swallowed hard.
His throat burned.
"...he keeps saying dad left me to them."
The words spilled out in a rush.
Child logic spun in his head.
If dad left him, did dad pack his bags?
Did dad sign a paper giving him away like an old toy?
Sebastian’s chest stopped moving.
He held his breath.
His jaw locked.
The muscles on the side of his face stood out like thick cords.
He slowly lowered his chin, resting it on the top of Leo's head.
His hand flattened, pressing the boy securely against his heart.
The heart was beating fast.
A steady, angry rhythm.
Across the room, the young man spat a mouthful of blood onto the ice cubes.
May you like
He grabbed the edge of a chair, trying to pull himself up.
A high-pitched tapping sound cut through the silence.
