Page 5 of Vile Heart

“He has a girlfriend.”

So the rumours were true.Camren forced a lazy grin. Anything to quench the heat that rose in his chest. “Oh, does he now?”

Jaro faltered. He looked around, but the other students just sat, sipping from their drinks, clearly sitting this one out.

“If I have to tell you one more time to sit your ass down, this night won’t end well for you.”

Jaro threw his hands in the air, then finally sat back down. “What do you want with him anyway?”

Ohh…Camren knew exactly what he wanted. “That’s none of your business. Text him.” His cock twitched in his slacks, blood pumping south. He hoped the others wouldn’t notice. “We’re playing games here, right? I haven’t seen my old friend for way too long. Let’s find out how the hell the Mink cousins stayed in the shadows for the past few years.” He threw his gaze to the girl who’d given out the command earlier. “Why don’t you set us all up for another round?”

“Sure.” She got up and inspected the bottles of liquor.

“We’ve got whiskey and rum…”

“Rum’s fine, yeah?”

The others mumbled their agreement.

“He’ll be right here,” Jaro grumbled as he looked up from his multi-slate. “He’ll hate me for this.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Camren grabbed one of the cups and tilted it to his lips. “It’ll be a good reunion. So much catching up to do. Now, start the game. I’ll begin.” Leaning forward, his eyes flashed with sudden fury. “Where thefuckwere you if it wasn’t on campus?”

Jaro was a good sport, Camren could appreciate that. Lifting his chin defiantly in the air, the other guy glared right at him. “We did most of our classes online. We were needed elsewhere.”

Why?Camren wanted to ask. But no, he’d wait. He was a patient man after all. He knew where they’d been. Andry had been dutifully reporting over the past years. He just didn’t know why. Therealfucking why. The kind of why that came from the heart, and not from actions. “Hmm, interesting.”

“Anything else?” Jaro growled.

Camren folded his hands in front of his chest and leaned back. “No, that will do for now. I’ll let you guys play while I wait.”

Jaro scrunched his gaze, genuine surprise when Camren didn’t push him.

“Okay, who’s next?”

The rest of the game was boring. Camren had hoped for some juicy questions or obnoxious commands, but since he sat right in their middle with his feet planted on the table, the group visibly softened their level of spice. The only reason why his dick still stirred and the flutters in his stomach were persistent, was because of the anticipation of what was to come.

When they finished their first round, he made a show of glancing at his multi-slate, lifting an eyebrow. “Where does he need to come from, Jaro? From home?”

“No,” Jaro pressed his lips in a fine line and pushed the words out, “he’ll be right here.”

“You know what I think?” Camren swung his legs off the table and got up from his chair, kicking it against the wall. “I think you’re lying.” He yanked a taser out of the pocket of his pants, a small yet powerful instrument he always kept with him. Everyone gasped in shock. “What do you think guys?”

“I think I want out of here,” the girl muttered.

Camren smirked. “That too. Don’t worry, I’ll soon ask you to get the hell out. But what do you think? Is he—” He pointed the weapon back at Jaro and tilted his head. “Lying?”

“Yes,” someone mumbled.

The others carefully nodded, gazes darting between Camren and Jaro, who sat whimpering on his chair.

“Don’t piss yourself,Jarosh,” Camren taunted. “Isn’t that what he used to call you?”

“Not anymore,” Jaro sneered. “We’ve grown up.”

Those words ached more than they should. Ignoring the way his chest tightened, Camren pointed the tip of his gun toward the others. “You. Get the fuck out of here.”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Chairs clanked to the floor as the group rushed out, leaving a clattering echo that was followed by silence. “And you—” Camren tipped Jaro’s chair backward until it nearly toppled over, making the other mansquirm in his seat. “You’ve got one last chance. Ruin it, and your life will be over. He’s got five minutes. And remember, I want our reunion to be a warm welcome for him.”

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