Page 44 of A Twist of Poison

“Language!” she admonished. I gestured towards the brownies for an explanation.

“They’re for guests.” She waved her hand away, leaving the room. And not returning with any for me.

I huffed, answering his previous question before we’d been interrupted. “Things won’t materialise with her, ever. I can’t give in to the temptation of Milla, none of us can. It just can’t happen.”

Flopping down to the couch beside him, I started up the games console as I passed him a controller loading one of the classic warfare games. It was one of my favourites, when I had time to sit down and play, plus the zombie game. I whacked the volume up in a hint to shut up, and he stared at me for a few moments before we lost ourselves fully in the game.

He was keeping me company, being there in that silent way of his. Until he decided to speak, that was. When he had something he wanted to say, it came out of him regardless of whether you’d made it perfectly clear you didn’t want to discuss the subject. Like I hadn’t made it a trillion percent clear recently.

Miles turned down the volume of the game and I bared my teeth at him like an animal. This wasn’t a teddy bear picnic where we sat and shared our feelings. Especially when this guy hated talking emotions to the point he would walk out of a room to avoid such things. One day, payback would be bitch.

“She’s got some sort of enchanter spell cast over you all, pulling you in.”

“Voodoo pussy, brother.” I tried not to crack a grin and failed when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that his mouth tugged up too. But I decided to lay it out plainly for the nosey fucker and just get it over with.

I paused the game, turned and told him. “We made a pact. If we didn’t, we’d have all fucked her when she was underage and been locked up because of it. Her dad would’ve gone postal, same as mine. Not that it’s what put us off. We’ve all wanted in her since we were old enough to get a hard on over her.” I smirked at his eye roll. “It would’ve put a match to mine and my brother’s friendship. We weren’t mature enough then.”

Plus, the issues with legacies and parents. Not worth the hassle.

One of his eyebrows lifted like he was telling me,and you are now? I didn’t respond, letting the silent question go unanswered. I wouldn’t say we’d matured and knew it all, but we’d grown.

We knew things now we didn’t back then; our friendship was tight. And, after her whimpering in pleasure on my fingers back in that classroom with my brothers surrounding me—Preston playing with her clit, and Hollis watching like he was lording over at us like a conqueror—I wouldn’t be against sharing with them.

Back in the day, I’d have slit their throats if they even suggested it between us. See? Now, I was enlightened.

“We’ve always craved her,” I eventually admitted. “But it gives her too much influence over us. So that’s just a big fat no, we can’t allow her to have that level of responsibility and reach with the three of us.”

I shook my head as I resumed the game and clarified that this line of conversation was over. Done. Finished. The end.

“Not paying attention, Miles fucking Bradley?” I taunted. I took out two players on his team and he whipped his head back to the screen to see those characters die and the points lower on his side. He glowered at the TV, then exited the game without warning.

“Hey!” I protested. “I was winning.”He can’t take losing.

“Get up. I’m doing the rounds today. We’re going to check in with Ronnie, told him I’d be dropping by.”

Oh sure, that couldn’t have waited two minutes while I finished the game and got to be declared the official winner? His eyes lit up. Yeah, he knew.

“Am I driving?” I questioned, throwing my controller to the side. I pulled on my sneakers and a hoodie, grabbing my car keys.

“Yeah. I drove the bike here.” A sly smirk formed on his face. “Unless you wanna ride bitch seat?”Fuck no.

Miles owned a few cars but preferred to be on his motorbike. It was a beauty to look at, but just wasn’t my style.

I bypassed him and deliberately knocked into his side in retaliation for the game. He shifted a centimetre, maybe a millimetre. Damn, he was built solidly. But still… I smirked cockily as his attention shifted back to me, but I carried on walking as if the air was responsible for blowing me into him.

I shouted a goodbye to my folks, and we slid into the car, pulling out to make our quick journey to Ronnie’s. I cranked up the volume, tapping my hand on the steering wheel alongside the beat.

Twenty minutes later, the wooden panelled gate, laced in a metal frame security gate, greeted us. It opened inwardly, allowing us into his sanctuary.Yes, that’s genuinely what he named his home.The Sanctuary.It was on his official address and everything.

I drove slowly up the gravel stone driveway so as not to encourage one rebellious stone to ping up and scratch the paintwork on my G-Wagon.Who chose to have this?Ronnie, that was who. He probably had some genuine reason and a good argument for it too.

He greeted us at the door and I glanced at the detached building I’d only been invited into a handful of times. Black, everything. It was his personality reflected in the darkened aesthetic exterior that flowed seamlessly into the interior and his furnishings. Minimal bright coloured decor. Somehow, I believed he was allergic to light. Ronnie let us in and led us down to his office. I strolled in and came to a sudden halt, as did Miles.

“What the fuck is that?” Miles voiced.

I was trying really hard not to make assumptions and base my judgement on a whiteboard littered with information about some random girl, with dates, times and a bucket load of information, including standard pictures of her. I had a feeling this wasn’t even half of it.

Ronnie peeked to the whiteboard, then back to us, shrugging his shoulders as he sat down casually in the chair behind his desk.

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