Page 41 of Her Devil

“It helped that Nick and Emmerson have kept on top of it for most of the evening,” he admits. “They’ve done a really good job.”

“It’s good that you two are finally managing to work together,” I comment. I never held anything against him over the fight, we were all there to win and he was better than me, that’s all it boils down to. But Nick was seriously pissed off about it, and he doesn’t forgive easily.

“Sure.” He shrugs. “I’ll do a quick run around down here and see if there are any more glasses or whatever. Anything else can go in the dishwasher.”

I nod, finishing another glass as he disappears. Taylor rolls through the door, the last of the Devils to make it back, and the satisfied grin on his face tells me he got what I won’t be getting on the way back to her house.Release.

“All back safely?” I ask.

“Yes, sir,” he replies. “Now, where do you need me?”

“The rubbish needs collecting from the den, I think. Everywhere else is covered.”

He slaps my shoulder with a nod, grabbing a bag from the side as he pitches in to help. George and Emmerson turned in early, and all things considered, I’m not surprised, but I can’t see either lasting for very long in this competition.

The more that I think about the things we’ve done this week and the way they’re pushing us together as a team, the more I can see those not here and getting on with everyone being the ones that leave early. It’s going to take more than the effort of an individual to show your true worth in this strange situation we find ourselves in.

Whilst I’m tired, and a lot of us are, Leo still seems to be firing on all cylinders, placing a couple of glasses on the side with a wink. The muscles in his back ripple as he loads the stray plates into the dishwasher, and I’m not complaining about the amount of time he and the rest of us have spent shirtless.

Both Jasper and Leo have abs worth getting to your knees for, I’d more than willingly lick every dip and curve, but getting myself tangled up with one of my housemates is a bad idea. So I’ve done my best not to ogle too much—it’s hard, and I’m reasonably sure they’re straight anyway.Shame.

“Right, I think that we’re good,” Leo says as he closes the dishwasher. “Outside is cleared, each of the rooms has had the rubbish collected and the plates and glasses removed.”

“I’ve straightened up the sofas in the movie room and swept up all the bits of popcorn,” Nick adds from the doorway. “FYI, people are disgusting, and the den is back to its pre-dancing state.”

“The changing room was a mess,” Jasper comments as Taylor passes him with a partially full bag of rubbish, dropping it by the doorway with Leo’s. “But it looks like someone has at least given the bathroom a once over. Whoever that was, much appreciated, my friend.”

I dry my hands on a towel, checking over the now-clean surfaces one last time.

“Food is covered in the dining room,” Wyatt checks off.

“And all the loungers are back in place outside,” Leo covers. “I think that’s our jobs done, boys.”

“Did the girls get back okay?” Nick asks as Wyatt slides through, a couple of plates in hand. He nods, loading them in the dishwasher as Taylor explains he got the last of them back without issue. “Well then, boys. It’s been nice spending time with you, but I’m ready to hit the hay.” The words are no sooner out of his mouth before someone knocks at the front door twice. “What the…”

The six of us head to the door, Nick pulling it back to find the compare from our meeting earlier on waiting patiently on the other side, two security with him.

“Good morning, gentlemen. Nice to see you’re all still up. Well, most of you,” he says, looking at the group gathered. “Shall we?” he asks, gesturing to the den as he strides past us and into the house, making himself at home.

It strikes me that we have no idea how long this has been going on, or how many sets of young men have lived and loved in this place. Has he lived here before? Slept in the beds upstairs, fucked on the sofas in here, eaten at the table in there? Recently? A long time ago? How could we know?

The two security guards with him disappear around the ground floor as we follow him into the den, making ourselves as comfortable as possible, all things considered. He sits silently, unnervingly, and I’m unable to read him because of the mask that covers his face as we wait.

The security reappears, whispering in his ear before taking up residence behind him as we all wait anxiously. Or, at least, I’m anxious. Nick looks like he couldn’t care less, but I know it’s not the case—maybe that’s just a twin thing.

“Nice work, gentlemen.” He nods. “How do you feel the introductions went? It seems like some of you have met our chosen Angels ahead of this evening.”

“Yeah, we met some of them at the mixer,” Taylor replies. “And I’m pretty sure I share at least one class with Charlotte, maybe Aimee too, it’s hard to say. My mind’s been a little preoccupied with one inparticular.”

“Indeed,” he muses. “But overall, the choices are good. Yes?”

General calls of agreement ring out, heads nodding as I wonder how to break this to him.

“There’s just one thing,” Leo interrupts, holding his hand up. “For those of us that have interests inother things, what’s the process there?”

“Elaborate.”

“Let’s break this down to something very basic. I like women, yeah?” The compare nods. “I also like men.”Wait, what?“And I’m not the only one that’s more interested in the person inside than the package they come in. Does that make sense?”

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