Page 35 of Collateral Omega

Holi stared at him stunned. All the empathy he’d felt a few minutes ago leached away. What did he take him for?

“You’re family. I wouldn’t do that to Jamue or you,” Holi said. He wouldn’t betray his family. Or maybe that was the problem. Sirhe didn’t consider him his family.

Holi blinked away the tears that suddenly filled his eyes.

Sirhe stared at him before he nodded. “Thank you. Let me walk you out. I’ll ask the operator to take you home.”

“Thank you.”

“If you ever need anything…” Holi shook his head before he could finish his words. He didn’t want him to make promises he couldn’t keep. He probably wouldn’t see him again. Sirhe and Jamue lived in a world where he clearly didn’t belong, even though he was their family.

“Okay, let’s go,” he said, walking him out of the building. He helped him into the pod and instructed the operator to take him home. “Have a safe trip. And don’t forget what I said.”

“I won’t,” Holi bit out, anger warring with the pain that was twisting his heart.

I don’t have any family. I should get that into my skull.

The operator brought the pod to life and drifted out of the centre. Holi sank into the soft cushions and closed his eyes. At least he got a ride and some of his dad’s savings back out of tonight’s drama.

Bittersweet, that’s my life, Holi thought.

Thirty minutes later, he arrived home. He thanked the operator as he got out of the pod and made his way into the house. He headed to the cooking station feeling suddenly hungry. He didn’t even get to eat before he ruined everything at the party. And the food looked good and expensive.

Holi groaned.

“That bad, huh?” Saki commented as he walked in. She got up from the counter and took his food out of the warmer.

“Worse,” Holi said.

“Sit. I knew you would be hungry when you got back. You probably didn’t get a chance to eat anything,” she said, pulling out a chair for him. Holi sat down. Saki placed the plate in front of him and patted his back before she moved to get him a glass of water.

“How did you know?”

“Your father…I could hear him screaming all the way from here,” she said. “I went to check on him, but he hurled a pillow at me.”

Fuck. Master Yom connected with his father already.

Holi shoved the plate away and planted his face on the table. “Kill me now.”

Saki laughed. She returned with the glass of water and went back to rubbing Holi’s back. “Just explain to him what happened. I’m sure you had your reasons.”

“Father won’t listen to me,” Holi said, even though he shoved to his feet and walked out of the cooking station.

“You should eat first.”

No. He needed to get this over and done with. He took a deep breath as he came to a stop in front of his father’s bedroom door.

Explain to him what happened, and he’ll understand, Holi told himself as he reached for the door handle.

“Father?” he said as he opened the door and faced the bed. He waited for his father to say something, but he didn’t. Holi got closer. His father was lying on his back, facing up. His eyes were wide open, and he was so still. Holi held his breath, his eyes fixed on his father’s chest waiting to see it move as he breathed in and out.

He wasn’t moving.

“Father!” Holi screamed. He ran to the bed and touched his father’s chest, hoping…praying that he was mistaken. His father couldn’t be dead. Not like this. “Saki! Saki! He’s not breathing. Please, help. He’s not breathing. Father, wake up. I’ll do anything you ask, please.”

“Holi?” Holi heard Saki call his name, but he couldn’t answer. He couldn’t do anything but stare at his father lying there.

Chapter 10

---