Page 7 of TAINTED by TWINS

It feels like Jade has been driving for so long, I actually fell asleep on his back, but I felt him grab my hand to wake me up. I was shocked, until he puts my wrist above the other one and... held both while driving with one hand. He's locking my wrists together. Is he allowing me to sleep?

I actually did, with his hand holding my wrists together. "Miller, wake up."

"Mmm?"

I fell asleep with the wind hugging me instead of being against me. His back was a broad and warm pillow, and his waist narrow so my arms sit around them snugly. There was no motion anymore, no wind. Just me and a very nice voice lulling me awake.

"Honey, wake up." I jolted awake and pulled my arms away from his waist, getting off and hitting... concrete? Why am I inside an underground parking lot?

"Jade, where in hell did you take me?"

"My house. You fell asleep, I couldn't ask where you lived." He took the helmet from my head, and paused a bit, staring down at me as if looking at roadkill he ran over. I wonder why he's just staring at me until he says, "Your eyeliner smeared."

"Oh—but wait, why did you take me to your house?! I wanna go home, my mom is waiting for me!"

"You'll go home tonight when Jonah arrives. Do you want to ride my bike in the rain until you get sick?" He stares at me with one eye squinted and a smirk to execute females in heat. "Do you want me to get sick, honey?"

With a pounding chest and a reluctant run, I follow behind him. I don't know where I am, but we passed by one or two maids who always stop to greet their Young Master.

"Ignore them," he mutters, burning still smile whenever they bow their head to me. It's polite, we should greet them back.

"This is your house?" I can't help but stare in awe at the maximalist old money palace decor of their mansion as we walk into... an elevator?! Houses can have elevators too?!

We went inside and Jade leaned against the wall, watching me shake from the cold.

I was hugging my arms shivering because the entire house has air conditioning too.

In the elevator, Jade Deveroux has eyeliner running down the corners of his eyes and making him look more like a rockstar every second.

Jade has his head hung low as he stared at me, which made his smoked blue eyes look like he's about to kill me. But when he lowered them to look at my shivering knees, he looks less menacing and more... concerned.

When the elevator doors opened to the third floor, he removed his waterproof leather jacket and puts it around my shoulder. "Don't act so limp, they'll think I drugged you. Actually, that should be normal to them at this point."

"Uhm... weird but thanks," I blushed. Wait, I can't believe I blushed! I'm sure it's because of the cold. Jade is just being nice... which is so hard to believe. He's usually very mean and unfriendly.

This place, though.

.

.

it feels like I'm walking through the halls of a palace. Even though Jade has his dirty money, Jonah Deveroux is known to be a high-paying editorial and runway model. The twins are born from old money with parents in the higher 1%... I forgot what their parents do, but I didn't stalk them enough to know that.

I look out of place in this golden castle.

However, Jade brought me into a room the size of an entire house. "This is our bedroom. Actually, our bedrooms' up there, it's separated because I can't stand Jonah's smell."

They own an entire loft with a few steps leading to two bedroom upstairs, but they have their own modern living room and a kitchen bar with a lot of alcohol displayed. I was caught staring at it until Jade covered my entire head with a towel.

"We collect alcohol from different countries, we don't drink them... you better not think we're alcoholics," he mumbles.

"You're pretty defensive for someone who acts like they're drunk off violence all the time..." I remove the towel and watch him take off his shirt, partially dry because of his waterproof jacket. He uses it to dry his curly hair.

I just realized he had a spider tattoo on his entire left waist, hugging his ribs. I couldn't quite take my eyes off him. His body was muscular, shoulders broad and his pecs looked soft and deep when pressed—Lian, stop.

I find myself in awe. "Your house is huge. I've heard of the Deveroux family, but never really thought I'd step in here... it's like you live in a hotel."

"It's horrible. Too far to walk, too far from each other. It gets old, you'll get sick of it... I know I have," Jade grumbles. "It doesn't even feel like I have a twin. It's like we're in different countries when we're in this boring *ss house."

"Then why don't you stay close?" I suggested, which made him cringe in confusion. "Watch a movie together or something, stay close to him. Or you can stay silent together, play games... it won't be so bad. Have you ever tried having friends?"

"I don't need friends. Jonah's insufferable enough, he drives me crazy."

I chuckle at him. "Not everyone acts like him. Just get yourself a friend you can talk to."

Jade looks at me, before his eyes wander to look at everywhere but me. I don't know what he's thinking, but I hope it's not about me saying stupid stuff, because I said it genuinely. This guy really needs friends.

"I'm getting you clothes," he says, "Go... touch stuff or whatever. If you break something, you'll owe us something. Gives me a reason to keep your *ss trapped here."

"What?" I widen my eyes. "Uhm... surely he's kidding..." Right? Please validate.

Jade Deveroux can be harsh, but sometimes he's just scary. As he went upstairs, I keep my hands and feet all to myself, looking around to see a fancy water dispenser contained in a glass and a faucet attached to it. I decided to take a drink, only to find out it was a dispenser for vodka.

"BLEH!" I choked, stepping away from the weird water dispenser. "Oh no..."

Oh sh*t, oh sh*t, oh no! Taking my shirt off, I knelt on the floor to clean up after my little barf and wasted Vodka. I didn't want Jade to know—

"Why are you scrubbing the floors?" he asked, coming down wearing a fresh pair of black pants, a belt, and... nothing else. Spider tattoo all for everyone to see.

In his hands, he carried fresh clothes for me. "Vodka evaporates, you know? You can just leave it."

"Uhm... okay," I stood up and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about this."

"You're funny, Lian Miller." He chuckles, and again I notice the way they say my name is a bit different than others. "Get up there and change. You'll join us for dinner."

"I don't need to! I need to get home for my mom—"

"I said," Jade harshly pushed the clothes against my body. "You're joining us for dinner. The two bedrooms upstairs each have a bathroom, just pick one. The third one is locked, we keep the bodies there."

"Excuse me?" I widened my eyes at the deadpan Jade, who then leaned in to flick my nose.

"It's a joke, Miller. Laugh a little, give yourself wrinkles..." he teased, before going over to the glass dispenser and giving himself a glass of vodka. I was still standing there, so Jade stared me down. "Are you waiting for me to spill this on the floor so you'll have to wipe it too? I don't mind watching you—"

"I-I'm going!" I rushed upstairs with the clothes, flustered, and came across two doors.

One was neat and stylish with neutral walls and framed awards. A tidy bed, a sleek desk with a closed laptop and stack of books, and a well-organized closet of suits and shoes, one panel open. A mirror, a digital camera, and glass colognes added a polished touch. The room felt calm and refined.

One had walls with band posters and graffiti.

A messy bed, motorcycle helmet on the floor, and a leather jacket on a chair.

Skateboards, boots, and an electric guitar leaned against the wall.

On the floor was a workbench with tools and bike parts sat in the corner.

The room smelled like leather and gasoline.

Naturally, I chose to change inside the clean neutral beige room with the towel and clothes provided. I closed the door behind me and started to strip, putting on the loose boxers and was about to put on the shirt until I realized I wasn't alone after all.

"...now that you're here, can you please return my f*cking underwear, Jade—" A man came out of the bathroom just as I was putting on shorts.

Jonah Deveroux came out naked while holding a towel to his hair, his tightly toned abs and rigid pecs no longer covered by cashmere sweaters. I froze upon seeing him and his entire package, soft but intimidatingly big—

"AHHHHH!" I screamed for the heavens, while Jonah immediately covered up. I turned around with a red face. "I-I'M SORRY! J-Jade said to change i-in either room!"

"Uhm, it's fine! Uhh... we're both men, right?" Jonah said awkwardly. "And uhh... those are my clothes..."

"I'M SORRY!"

"No, please use it. You got caught in the rain too, huh?" Jonah lightheartedly chuckled at me. "I'll just get myself some clothes and change in Jade's room."

I still refused to look at him. The way his hair was dripping wet and making droplets shine on his smooth skin and contoured muscles was something a god-fearing man shouldn't be tempted to touch. "Th-thanks, Jonah..."

He left after grabbing some clothes, and while he was closing the door to give me privacy, I saw Jade smirking while leaning against the doorway.

My borrowed clothes were far too big for me, but by the time I came down, I realized it was much more comfortable than I thought. The 100% cotton was thick, warm and a little fuzzy. The shorts were thick, double lined, and fit me well if the laces are tied.

"I... I'd like to go home," I announced to the two men talking in the kitchen bar, who looked at me in unison. A shiver went up my spine as I felt like an antelope being stared down by two tigers. Do I run, or do I die?

"It's time for dinner, let's go down," Jade says.

"No thanks—"

"Okay then, good luck getting out of this house if you know where the exit is," Jade shrugged, "The maids won't talk to you. Don't even try, honey."

"Jade, you're not being welcoming," Jonah says, walking towards me while holding his hand out. "He told me everything that happened. I'm real sorry he almost ran you over and made you drop your mother's birthday cake. I'll bring her a gift, alright? After dinner... if you'll join us?"

I looked at Jade behind him and the man has his eyes wide, glaring at me to keep my mouth shut about what truly happened. I squeaked while putting my hand on his. "Uhm... okay."

Jonah's smile seemed to get bigger, "Awesome."

This Prince Charming in front of me has the most gentle blue eyes, eyelids with blonde lashes covering a quarter of his light blues as he softly smiles down at me with a mouth that released the smoothest voice.

I figured it out. They have a slight New York accent that is so subtle, I could only hear it at the end of the words. It has an elegant Brooklyn touch—smoother, more composed, like someone raised in a cultured Brooklyn household with a lot of class. But with Jade, I hear it the most when he curses.

I ended up in the elevator with twins wearing the exact opposite outfits—Jade in a tight black shirt and Jonah in a white cashmere sweater, smiling at me the moment I laid my eyes on him. Jade is looking at me like I'm a pest while Jonah is looking at me like I'm a pet.

They brought me to a large kitchen with a countertop and bar stools. On the countertop were a platter of ribs, fruits, potato salad, rice, fried chicken and two other dishes I don't recognize.

"The b*tch didn't eat?" Jade asked as he pulled out plates.

"She took out a rib and fed the roasted chicken to her dogs—too bad, I wanted that chicken," Jonah replied.

I stood there confused watching them arrange silverware for only three people.

The blonde saw me and explained with a smile, "It's our mother. She usually eats in the giant dining table outside, and these are the leftovers from today's dinner."

"You don't eat with her?" I curiously ask as I sit down. I can't believe these are leftover dinner from one woman who just took out a rib. Homeless people or public college students could've had these.

Jade scoffs. "She makes me lose my appetite..."

"Jade," his twin calls him out, "No, we just don't like eating in the dining room. Too big for three people."

"Where's your dad?"

"He's rarely home," Jonah answers as he puts three ribs on my plate. "Here, have some... they're delicious."

Jade was staring at the both of us with one eyebrow up before he took the potato salad and puts some on my plate. "Get some of these too Miller, they're my favorite. Much healthier."

"Your favorites are potatoes?" Jonah asked. "But you hate—"

"I'm not talking to you, Jonathan. You don't even know my favorite color, and you think you know my favorite food?"

"It's kinda obvious what your favorite color is, Jade."

"And what's yours, caucasian-p*ssy girl beige?"

I find myself fully laughing from how the twins interact.

Jonah clearly isn't immune from Jade's harsh words despite being his brother.

I still remember him insulting my skinny jeans.

.

.

wow, I remember him saving me even before he knew who I am.

He always keeps saving me, always being there for me.

Despite Jade being far from good, he's not that terrible.

I was enjoying both the food, the banter, and the twins trying to feed me weird snacks like snails. "No! No way, Jonah stop!"

"You're Asian, I'm sure you've eaten weirder stuff!" He chased me around the kitchen counter with a snail.

Jade purposely tripped me and I fell to the floor, now trapped between the stove and Jonah with that d*mn slug. "I would rather eat century old Chinese eggs than slimy snails, no—"

"I thought I heard rats scurrying in the kitchen, but it's just you boys?" A tall woman in a full length gown was standing in the kitchen with the grace of royalty eyes sweeping the room like a blade until her artic blue eyes stabbed me. "Oh... I heard correctly."

"Mother?" Jonah says as Jade seemed to sink into his seat. This... this tower of an elder woman with her silver hair sitting like perfect clouds on her head, purple eyeshadow, dark red lipstick and a long elegant cigarette holder between her fingers... is their mother?

Her cheekbones are carved, and her expression unreadable behind blue eyes inherited by the twins. Draped in a sculpted black gown and adorned with minimal diamonds, her presence was elegant, controlled, and utterly commanding.

I immediately stood up and fixed my hair. "Good evening, ma'am—"

"Why is he speaking?" She says with a low volume voice, but loud enough to be heard by the entire room. The way she spoke reminds me of Miranda Priestly. I fear Lady Deveroux may be more terrifying than Miranda herself. "More importantly... why is he here?"

She spat out that prefix like I was meat stuck in between her teeth.

"Uhh... he's..." Jonah looked at his twin fearfully, while Jade is just glaring at her. Jonah finally spoke up, "This is Lian, he's our teacher, and I hired him as our tutor."

"Tutor?" Her face looks like I offended her entire line of oligarch ancestors. Then, she walked towards Jonah with her heels clacking, the woman almost the same height as him because she's tall and wearing heels. "Now why does my perfectly intelligent son need a tutor?"

"That's because I want my thesis to be perfect," Jonah says, "I need to do well on this project, so I hired him to focus only on me and not distribute his attention to the entire class. This is to make sure I do better than all of them."

That seemed to please her as he lifts her head and looks down at me. Carefully, as if my features trouble her or I'm not up to her standards. But she's studying me, from eyes to nose, then my body and soul... "Hm. He looks..."

"Why are you here?" Jade rudely cuts her off with a blunt tone, "You never step foot in the kitchen but now you're all up in our faces. Go put chicken caviar on your face and sleep in your cryogenic coffin."

She tears her eyes off me and looks down on Jade with half lidded eyes.

"I don't recall asking you a question and thereby permitting you to speak, Jade. Put some respect on the woman who brought you here, but you're welcome to abort your life this very instant. I am speaking about this boy here who looks too young to be a teacher."

"I just graduated..." I mumbled, but she heard. Jonah widens his eyes, and I realized she didn't ask me a question. I probably pissed her off.

"Just like class and chivalry, manners have also become extinct in this generation," she takes a sip from her cigarette, scanning my body as if demanding garbage to be removed.

"Teacher or not, you don't have adequate experience to be helping my son. I could've paid off the entire school to make Jonah the valedictorian but of course, he's perfectly dignified in doing it on his own. But I'd rather pay the school five trucks full of gold than pay you to be his tutor."

My entire heart sank as I felt worthless under her gaze. This woman terrifies me, and even the twins are afraid of her. Jade didn't hide his disdain and he's probably not scared of her, but he couldn't say anything.

"You just look... oddly familiar. Or do all rats look the same? Not a question." Lady Deveroux turned around and held her gown as she slowly and elegantly walks out of the kitchen, adding, "I suppose you boys have your own money to pay the circus. Just don't remind me of his presence, or else I call pest control."

The three of us were left stunned and silent for a whole minute before I heard Jade speaking.

"I hope you know why we don't eat with her now," he said.

I gave him a fake smile, because right now I truly felt unwelcome and uncomfortable. Indeed, I am an unworthy rat who doesn't deserve to be here. "Can I go home now, please...?"

My voice cracked. Jonah noticed and took my hand. "I'm so sorry about her. She has always been like that ever since we were little, she calls us animals—vermins, too. I thought being an overachiever would make her like us a bit, and it worked but... sigh, she's just like that. I'm sorry."

"No, no it's okay!" I smile at Jonah. "This is her house, if she doesn't want me here then—"

"No," says Jade. "This dumb*ss said you're his tutor. Don't make us look like liars, you have to show up here often to prove to you're a teacher and not a one night stand we picked up. You're still wearing Jonah's clothes, remember?"

Wait. He's right, I do look like a recent hook up. Ugh, I'm so embarrassed, I definitely turned red in front of the twins!

"You can tutor me next time," Jonah says, "We did promise to take you home after dinner. We shouldn't keep you hostage here. Jade, pack up his clothes."

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Jaden Leonard Deveroux, please."

I now sat in the red McLaren hugging a plastic bag containing my clothes from earlier.

As Jonah entered, I took my time to look around this sleek sports car, finding it the most simple out of the other flashy cars in the underground parking lot of their house.

This is it, I'm leaving a whole different world.

"Did your parents give you this car, or did you buy it through modeling?" I ask Jonah.

"My dad gifted it for my 18th," he answered as he backs the car up. "Jade has his own Mercedez, too but he prefers to drive bikes. That one, he bought with his own money. I don't know how, maybe he sells drugs."

Worse, he extorts people... For that, I chuckled.

Jonah looks at me in awe. "Now what made you laugh like that?"

"Nothing, just—" I look back at him to catch the blonde staring right into my lips, before casually turning his head to look at the road. I didn't have anything else to say to him, so it's a bit awkward.

"Your mom's birthday gift..." he gave me a box from his pocket. Actually, two boxes... I read the label and it's from...? "The necklace is hers. The bracelet is yours."

Inside was a diamond necklace. It sits in a velvet box, its coin-sized pendant being a big teardrop-shaped pink diamond which hangs from a chain of large, clear pear-cut diamonds. I open the smaller box and it's a bangle, with small circular diamonds embedded in what could only be pure silver.

"Jonah, no way! I can't accept this! Diamonds maybe a girl's best friend, but I'm not a valley girl, I'm a teacher earning minimum wage at my first year!"

"Sure you can..." he smiles without taking his eyes off the road. "It's payment for the tutoring. And before you say you didn't... I did appreciate you eating with us. I haven't had fun in that house for a long time. You being there made me look forward to going home."

My face softens up as I assume what could be a tough family for the boys if both of them felt lonely in their house. What Jade said earlier, what Jonah is saying now. Maybe things aren't as perfect as the mansion's grandiose decor.

"Thank you, Jonah..." I close the boxes. I had fun with them, too. They took my mind off a lot. And I need that, I needed an escape, a distraction. While I'm debating on forgiving my lover, I'm here sleeping in my student's car.