Page 25 of Gluttony (Seven Deadly Sins #4)

Chapter Eighteen

Orion

“I did a thing. Not the thing, but a thing. I’m in the basement of the Brooklyn studio. You should probably come before I do the thing because I’ve run out of Tic Tacs.”

“Seriously, Hads? What the fuck, man? We thought you were still in Cali?” I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. This really is not something I’m prepared for this evening. Hayes is going to hit the fucking roof when I wake him up with the news.

I can’t not tell him, though. We made a pact a long-ass time ago that we’d always be in this together.

The urge to dole out justice in a way that is generally frowned upon sits deep within me and Hayes, and we’re content with our one day a year.

For Hadley, it rides him a lot harder so he usually finds things to occupy his mind between times.

It’s almost a full-time job trying to keep him in check.

“Flew back. See ya soon.” The line goes dead and I shake my head.

I guess we’re doing this.

Heading to Hayes’s room, I open the door without knocking. He’s sitting up and pointing a gun at me before I have time to blink, but I don’t flinch because Hayes is more calculated than that. He always checks before shooting. His twin, on the other hand, not so much.

“Why are you in my room at”—he leans over to look at his phone on the bedside table—“one-thirty in the fucking morning? Has she done another runner?”

“No.” I huff a laugh. “Don’t pretend you’d be so cool about it either.

I saw how worried you were earlier when you thought she’d gone.

” We were both worried, to be fair. After what happened to her, being attacked outside her own apartment building, and the fucker didn’t even mug her, my suspicions have been on high alert along with Hayes’s.

This happening to our executive assistant, just one month after our regular executive assistant was put in the hospital, really makes the pattern something we want to keep an eye on.

“It’s just best that we know where she is.

Keep your enemies close and all that. Anyway, if it’s not our diamond in the rough, I repeat, why the fuck are you in my room in the early hours of the morning?

” Then, as if it suddenly comes to him, he sighs heavily.

“Hadley?” His brows are raised as he stares at me and waits for a confirmation.

Pushing my hands into the pockets of my jeans, I nod.

“Okay, give me five minutes. You’re on coffee duty.”

“Heard.” I tilt my head before leaving, heading straight for the kitchen and flicking on the machine.

While I’m waiting, I open our emergency Hadley supply cupboard and pull out a fresh box of Tic Tacs along with a clean pair of gloves for each of us because…well, fingerprints. Hadley hasn’t exactly given me a lot to go on, but anything else we could need will be in the Jersey basement.

“He give you a name?” Buttoning up his black shirt, Hayes sits on one of the barstools and slams down a manilla folder full of papers. “‘Cause I’m gonna take a stab in the dark and say it’s got something to do with our newest little housemate and her foster brother.”

“Her foster brother?” The PI I hired has finally found something then.

Probably based on some of those messages Hayes saw when he swiped her phone briefly on Friday night.

I wasn’t surprised that he left hiring the PI to me, it’s in Hayes’s nature to be cautious and make sure we’re all protected, but he likes to be the one in control and would never have done it himself.

What did surprise me was yet another lie from Bowie. Although, finding out it’s a foster brother and not a real sibling makes sense. So really, has she been caught in another lie?

“Name’s Mickey Martin, a whizz on the computer but my guy’s better.

I’m just gonna leave this here, though. We’ll see how this thing with Hads plays out and I’ll do the whole I told ya so when we get back.

” Patting the folder, Hayes smirks before grabbing the travel coffee I prepared. “Which car we taking?”

“How are you so okay with leaving Bowie here alone?” I thought he’d put up more of a fight and we’d have to draw straws on who was staying.

“I hit up that tech genius from the Reapers. He reached out a while back for some VIP tickets to one of the ROK shows. Said I’d get him tickets for life if he’d owe us a favor and voilà.

Favor complete. We have cameras in every room, zero blind spots, and it’s all on an app on my phone.

” He waves his phone in the air with a smug-as-fuck grin on his face.

“When the fuck did you do th…you know what? I don’t care.” I laugh because I really don’t. I’m surprised it’s taken him this long to get cameras in the penthouse, to be honest. “We’re taking the Honda.” Grabbing the keys from the hook, I head toward the front door with Hayes in tow.

“Fuckin’ hate that car.” His grumble is almost funny.

“We need discreet, because there’s no way your Porsche is going unnoticed, H. And Hadley would kill us if we touched his spare truck.”

“Not if he’s already quenched his thirst with whoever he has in the basement.”

Just under two hours later, I park the Honda in the underground garage we had built into our Jersey studios.

“He could have gotten impatient and taken the mark we had planned early?” I’m reaching here, but I hate it when Hayes is right.

“Nah. It’s either the dude that attacked Miss Jones or her brother .” He’s so sure of himself and I don’t blame him. He’s been going crazy trying to figure out why he doesn’t trust Bowie.

Before we enter the building, we slide on our black balaclavas to cover our faces, hoping Hadley was at least careful enough to wear one, and I use my fob to access the basement level once in the elevator.

It’s off limits to anyone other than the three of us.

The doors slide open, revealing the large space fit for any decent torturer.

Dark walls lined with shelves and drawers, all filled with various tools and supplies we’ve learned come in handy for things like this.

And in the center of the room, a long table big enough to fit a human body.

The first time…we were so underprepared. It was an accident, we all freaked the fuck out, but it quenched a need inside each of us when we sat back and took the time to let it sink in.

Age Seventeen

“Ry, something’s wrong. I can feel it. Hadley should have been back hours ago.” Hayes’s eyes are wide as he slams into my dorm room.

The twins are like my brothers, ever since they beat the shit out of the track team for not letting me join, we’ve been practically inseparable. So, of course, I don’t need to be told twice that one of them needs help.

“Do you know where he went?”

“Tutoring session at the library, but he’s not at the library anymore. I already checked.” Hayes’s jaw is twitching and he’s clenching his fists, telling me he’s been working himself up about this on his own for a while.

“What about the who?”

“His usual tutor is off sick, so it was someone different today. Beau Buchanan, I think his name is.” Bouncing on his feet, Hayes looks about ready to pop.

“I heard of a place we should check out.” And not in a good way.

A couple of the girls in one of my classes have mentioned a nook at the outskirts of the school grounds, one just outside the main gates hidden by trees.

It’s the place that dirtbags take people to have sex, because it’s so hidden and never subject to spot checks like everywhere else on campus.

Large rocks and thick trees muffle the noises we can hear as we search, but I know we’ve found what we’re looking for when I see a makeshift door in the bushes. It’s basically a large plank of wood resting up against the branches and leaves, hiding the small gap that Hayes is quick to walk through.

The clearing on the other side isn’t a large space, barely big enough to fit the five people already here, but the size isn’t my concern right now. The way three of them are pinning down one of my best friends is my concern, and the bruises on his face are my concern…

I must have frozen for a second or two because all Hell is suddenly breaking loose.

Hayes is beating one of them with a branch, another is already passed out on the ground, and Hadley is now straddling the one who was raping him and smashing his fists into his face.

The last one standing tries to leave, but he’s too slow.

I grab him by the throat and slam him down in a quick move, then I stomp my booted foot in his crotch and watch him squirm.

“Oh, shit.” Hayes’s curse has my head spinning toward him, seeing him standing over his twin who is now covered in blood. Hayes and I share a wide-eyed stare, deciding without words what we have to do here now.

We have to protect each other.

Now

“Tic Tac delivery.” Shaking the pack of mints high in the air, I approach Hadley, who’s currently swinging his legs back and forth where he’s sitting on one of the benches against the wall.

“Ta, bro.” He catches them easily after I throw them. “Wanna guess who it is? His face is a bit messed up because he’s a cunt, but he’s still alive. Are ya proud?” Grinning, he jumps from the bench and wags his brows before throwing a couple of Tic Tacs into his mouth.

“Wouldn’t say proud, no. What were you thinking?” Hayes is using his practical voice, the one that says he’s trying desperately to stay calm and figure out what our plan of action is.

“Fucknut threatened our little rabbit. Told her she’d regret crossing him. So I’m making him regret threatening her.” With a shrug, Hadley picks up a wrench and drags it along the metal table beside the man’s head.

The man’s mouth is stuffed with fabric, and thanks to a little trick we learned from Dexter, he’s wrapped tightly to the table with layers of plastic film.

His arms and hands are flat beside him and all he can really move are his fingers and toes.

His eyes are wide as he attempts to follow the sound of the wrench with them.

“Well, that means I’m right. She’s hiding shit and my suspicions are warranted.”

“Why do you sound so pissed off about that?” I wrap my arm around Hayes’s shoulders and he shrugs me off.

“Fuck off.”

“When you two have finished bickering like old ladies, we should probably kill this dude.” Hadley bangs the wrench a couple of times against the metal table.

The guy’s eyes widen even more, if that’s at all possible, and he’s struggling now, like he’s trying to worm his way out of his bindings in a panic.

“Do we at least wanna hear what he has to say?” Hayes folds his arms across his chest and approaches the man on the table.

“Oh, go on then.” Hadley rips the fabric from out of the man’s mouth.

“Please. I’ll tell you everything. Just please don’t kill me!” Now that I’m closer, I recognize the man as Miller, the guy from the restaurant.

“That’s fuckin’ boring. We haven’t even demanded anything.” Hadley rolls his eyes. “Can’t I just torture you a little before you squeal like a piggy?”

“We were running a con. To steal the Abyss. Bowie, she’s supposed to seduce you to get access to your pentho—”

“Shut the fuck up, pencil dick.” I’ve heard enough. I want to break something, but I also know this guy means something to Bowie.

She’s double crossed us, betrayed us, and yet there’s something about her. A con artist she may be, but a great liar she is not. It’s impossible to hold lust in your gaze the way she does while pretending.

“Can I kill him yet?” Hadley is crunching on his Tic Tacs and quickly shoveling more into his mouth.

“Nah. Let’s play.” Hayes grins, and I know he’s worked out a plan already.

“Mickey Martin, we know exactly who you are, and we know exactly where you live. I’m gonna suggest you don’t live there anymore.

Fuck off somewhere far, far away, and never come back.

Like out of the country far. We’ll even give you a little cash to help you on your way. ”

“What the fuck?” Always the one to question Hayes’s plans, Hadley throws his head back in exasperation. “You better explain this one later, big bro, because that’s fucked.”

“Yes, yes, I promise. I’ll go. I’ll leave. Anything.” The dude has pissed himself, which is evident by the smell as well as the growing wet patch at the front of his pants. Disappointing. It tells me that he’s unlikely to rat us out at any point, though.

Why Bowie was working with this guy in the first place, I’ll never know. He’s a fucking weasel.

Finding out for certain that she’s shady as fuck gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand, I respect the hustle. On the other hand, even though her lies are shit, I don’t like it.

I guess the three of us will figure something out once we’ve gotten rid of the fucknugget on our table.

Gotta say, I’m a little disappointed we’re not dismembering him and sending his body parts to a pig farm, but I’m interested to see where Hayes is going with this.

I know he likes Bowie just as much as me and Hadley, so this has gotta be killing him a little inside too, even though he’s been suspicious all along. I don’t think he actually wanted to be right this time.

“Take his pinky finger. We’ll call it your promise to us that you’ll keep your gob shut about tonight and never speak to Bowie Jones again.”

Hadley gets straight to work, pulling a dagger from fuck knows where and slicing down on the table. Mickey cries out, his scream piercing through the space right before he passes out like the pathetic shit he is.

“If we kill him, she’ll hate us. Let her see what a cunt he is for herself. She ain’t stealing shit all from us, either. We’ll nip that in the bud and teach her a lesson.”

“Knew you were sweet for her, H.” I chuckle.

“Fuck off.”