the chest. Perry and cake on one side, Finch on the other, Hugh fled the room before his
brother or his nephews could stop him. The secrets of Chef Funfetti were so close, he could
taste them.
* * *
Sebastian’s atrium was a place of wonder. Hugh set Perry down gently in a patch of its lushest
grass, then lowered himself to one knee to let Finch off his shoulder. Perry, ever the vision of
beauty, tilted his head to best catch the light and lounged in a way that would have made
Venus herself pale in comparison. Finch…
Hugh blinked, then stared.
He’d expected Finch to be far more clunky and awkward, but Finch held his own, stepping
back from Hugh gracefully before sitting next to the omega beside him. His dark hair and eyes
were in direct contrast to Perry’s fairness, but the difference didn’t minimize his beauty. Rather,
it amplified it. Hugh was speechless.
“What an exciting turn of events,” Perry said, breaking the silence. “I never imagined I’d be
kidnapped from a children’s birthday party. It goes to show that one can never be certain what
life will throw one’s way. Is this your first kidnapping, Finch?”
Finch cleared his throat. “Yes.”
“Oh, how wonderful! They’re not always as nice as this, you know—you really are quite
fortunate the dragon who decided to stake his claim on you is civilized. There was one time
shortly after Sebastian took me from my cloister that I…” Perry laughed, the sound as bright
and crisp as ringing bells. “Well, perhaps that’s a story for another day. We should focus on
the present. Hugh, why have you brought us here? I can assure you that you won’t be getting
a coin out of our hoard.” Perry’s eyes twinkled. “We’re stretched positively thin trying to set the
children up with riches of their own. If you’re seeking ransom, you’re far better off kidnapping
Harrison.”
If he was being honest, Hugh couldn’t remember why he’d whisked Perry off in the first place.
The details had been lost the second he’d laid eyes on his secretary.
“Mr. Drake was moved by the quality of cake you served at the party,” Finch explained in his
place, which… well, it did seem familiar, but Hugh couldn’t hold on to that thought no matter
how hard he tried. How could he when Finch was sitting there in the sunlight, hair soft and