Malum part 2

“Who is this?” I nod my head at the photo that’s on one of the many small mantles nailed to the feature wall.

“Must be Abel,” Nate states, tilting his head. The baby isn’t wearing blue or pink. It’s colored, but old. Nate’s eyes scan it a beat longer and then he puts it back. “Definitely Abel. Way too fucking pretty to be Bishop.”

Bishop flips him off, parading down the stairs as Nate takes another seat on the sofa and goes back to watching the game.

I stand, my eyes sca

Do they think I’m fucking stupid?

I want to say that Hector isn’t supposed to know that Abel exists. That that is what they had told me, but I find my mouth glued shut. I’ll gather my information and hit them when I need, there’s no point a

I’d rather play dumb.

I shrug, making my way back to the sofa and take a seat beside Nate.

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at me over his shoulder. Half his face is covered by that shoulder, but his eyes scan me up and down.

“You good?”

“Peachy!” I smile, batting my lashes. He goes back to the game and my smile falls. Asshole.

My eyes swing around to meet Abel and he’s watching me closely. It’s scary how much he looks like Bishop. I’d bet my ass on the fact that they’re twins had they not had an age gap.

He grins at me like he knows what I’m thinking.

I wink at him.

The thing about fucking with people is that that person begins to learn the art that you fuck, and they fuck you back harder, with perfect precision and execution.

The sun has set a burnt orange hue in the sky, and I’m feeling itchy to get off this couch.

“Is there food in there to cook?”

Nate slaps my ass as I get up and I turn around, glaring at him.

He blows me a kiss. “Yeah, there should be.”

I round the sofa, still glaring at Nate, who is still smirking at me. When I enter back into the kitchen, the front door swings open.

“Sorry I’m late!” Bailey hollers.

The boys don’t move from their spots.

“Thank god!” I wave her into the kitchen. “I’m starting to grow a dick.”

Bailey laughs, removing her large puffy jacket and placing it on the hook.

“Oh, I can assure you, I’ve fucked that pussy way too hard for it to turn into anything other than a drippi—”

I slap the back of his head as we head into the kitchen.

Bailey rolls her eyes, laughing.

“Okay, so I figured we can all eat outside tonight because I did say I wante—”

I turn around, and Bailey has stopped. I follow her line of sight, and hello, Abel.

I lean into her. “Oh I see…”

She flinches, turning to look at me. “What?”

I chuckle. “Nothing. Come help me before you kill yourself with all those hormones.”

She blushes. Straight up blushes. Sweet, sweet girl. That boy will eat you alive. But she’s a Vitiosis, so maybe not…

Bailey gets started on the salad as I pull out all the freshly cut meat. Steaks and marinated chicken.

I point to the alcohol. “Pour yourself a drink, young one…”

She laughs. “Okay, since you insist. How has everything been? Sorry I’ve been absent around the house.” She pours some gin into a glass and then tops it with juice. “I’ve been studying my ass off so I’m ready when I start RPA, and when I’m not studying, I’m dancing, so it has been a little jammed in my schedule.”

I raise my eyebrow at her as she sips on her Snoop juice. “Alright, Snoop Dog, not too many of those. I still feel somewhat responsible for you. Don’t think that will ever change.”

And it won’t. I feel co

“It’s fine,” I murmur, heating up two large frying pans as she gets back to tossing grapes and pineapples into the colorful salad. “I’ve had a few things to deal with so I’m glad you didn’t see me in that state.”

She tosses everything into the bowl and then comes up beside me. We’re the same height, because I’m so fucking short and she’s going to be the next top fucking model. Adriana Lima looking little wench.

“Who is that?”

“Oh, so it seems you have missed that too?” I ask, laughing. “That is Bishop’s brother.”

“Bishop as in The Bishop Vincent Hayes?”

“The very same. The lord and the light. The fire in every young girl’s heart…”

Bailey blushes. “Well, that would be Nate, no offense, but everyone is obsessed with him.”

I roll my eyes. “He’s overrated.”

“I heard that!” Nate snaps from the couch. “And I’ll remind you to check between, and on your thighs before throwing around that word again, Princessa…”

Bailey’s eyes instinctively drop to my legs.

“Bails!”

“Sorry!” She giggles, sipping her drink.

“Go butter the garlic bread or something…”

She doesn’t bother to tell me that you don’t butter garlic bread, she simply slides onto a bar stool and watches me move around the kitchen.

“What else did I miss?”

We fall into easy conversation as the scent of sweet chicken and steak fills the crisp night air. Bailey tells me about some guy Nix and how him and his four friends at school think they fucking run the show. How when everyone found out she was starting Riverside Prep, everyone started adding her on social media and her online popularity has already spiked. She went from being a home-schooled nerd to the most popular girl at an exclusive private academy. I wanted to tell her to be careful, that RPA is not to be taken lightly. That school ruins kids, and almost ruined Madison, but I don’t. Instead, I’ll let her explore it on her own and just be here when she needs me. That I promised her.

Eli and Cash come into the kitchen and take out all the things we need to the table. Nate carries out the hot food and Bailey finishes up with the cutlery and setting the table.

I pull out the seat opposite Bailey. I’m also next to Nate, who is on the other side of the table end to Bishop. It’s fu

Bishop heads to a switchboard and flicks on the fairy lights that hang above the long marble table that’s tucked to the side of the kitchen outside, overlooking the rear of the house. Nature surrounds us, the crisp green leaves and heavy cedar wood cycling with the freshly cooked food. The boys all start digging in and my eyes find Bailey’s, who has had a few too many to drink. When I say few, I mean three. Lightweight teens.

Music starts playing softly from little speakers that surround the wrap-around porch. I catch Bishop fiddling with his phone as I cut into my steak, forking pieces of salad.

“So what are we doing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Nate asks around a grin. “Oh no, we’re playing something tonight…”

“Playing what? And I’m pretty sure I said I wanted normal.” I give a pointed glare at Bailey, who doesn’t know half the shit these boys do.

“She’s got a lot to learn for next year. She’ll be alright.” Nate winks at her and I watch as Bailey blushes, slicing into her steak.

“Bails?”

“Hmm?” she asks, looking up at me.

I toss a bun onto her plate. “You might need some carbs tonight. Reserve all the energy you can.”

We all fall into easy conversation, and I end up snapping a whole bunch of photos of everyone.