Chapter 12 #2
"Thanks, Chris," Cole said with a small smile.
He looked over at me and then back at Chris.
"Can you also get Ben and Josh to head over to Luce's dorm to keep a watch on her for tonight?
We will be ramping up security around the house and our Consort as well.
So ensure that all the guys are aware of that too. "
"Of course, Regent," Chris said with a nod and made his way out of the kitchen.
I turned towards the kettle as it began to boil and clicked it off.
The soft hissing sound filled the kitchen as I pulled down the tin of chocolate powder and opened it.
Immediately the rich scent of chocolate hit my nose, and I was transported back to childhood for a brief instance.
My mum bringing me a cup of her special hot chocolate before bedtime, her smile warm and genuine before my father had hollowed her out with his manipulations.
I smiled at the memory as I scooped the powder into the two cups and then added in the crushed pills from the bottle I had hidden behind the chocolate tin.
I lifted the kettle to pour the water into both cups, steam rising between us.
"Two?" Cole asked, causing me to look up at him. His eyes were sharp with suspicion.
"Huh?" I was momentarily confused until he nodded at the cups.
"Two cups. Who is the other one for?" I shrugged and started to stir one of the cups, the spoon clinking softly against the ceramic.
"Me," I said simply. "I mean, technically the pills are for me anyway, and I could do with some sleep." I could almost feel the startled reaction from both guys, the way they exchanged glances over my head.
"Good," Logan said finally. "I think our Consort has been through enough tonight." It was my turn to be startled.
"Fuck," I huffed out, "Did the mighty Logan Bale just show some sort of compassion?"
"Must be some sign of the apocalypse," Cole said with a grin, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah, fuck wits," Logan said, rolling his eyes. "Laugh it up. But we all know that we need to be more strategic around here. Someone has been threatening our Consort right under our noses. If they had succeeded in her running away, we would have been in a very difficult position."
"Fuck," I said as the cold truth hit me. I looked over at Logan and his serious expression, the red mark from Cade's slap still visible on his cheek. "You think that this was an attack on us?" I asked. Logan shrugged and looked at Cole.
"From what Blackwood was saying, and the increased presence around the University tonight, I have a feeling something is happening, and I'm sure it is all connected."
"It could be," Cole said thoughtfully, leaning against the counter. "I don't like it, and if my suspicions are right, then things are gonna get way more complicated before they get better."
"What suspicions?" Logan asked, and Cole rubbed his eyes with his hand.
He suddenly looked tired, like he was at a breaking point.
A lot like he did when he was in need of my skills to help ease the tension.
My dick twitched slightly at the thought of getting him on his knees for me again, the memory of his submission sending heat through my veins.
But it would have to wait as my sweet Poison was my priority tonight.
Cole looked up at me and Logan and sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of whatever was on his mind.
"I could be wrong, and I hope to fuck that I am," he said, his voice low enough that it wouldn't carry beyond the kitchen.
"But I have a feeling that this isn't the first time that I have met Cade.
" My eyes widened along with Logan's, but before we could ask any more questions, Cole waved us off, his expression closing like a door being slammed shut.
"Give me a few days or so and let me make some enquiries. Hopefully, I won't need to explain." I could tell that was the end of the conversation where he was concerned, so I picked up the mugs and headed for the kitchen door, the warmth seeping through the ceramic into my palms.
"I'm going to see if she is out of the shower," I said without turning around.
I made my way to the stairs and up both flights to the top floor that was reserved for the Regents and their Consort.
The house was quiet now, the events of the night settling over it like a shroud.
I made my way down the hallway to the end where Cade's room was and then stood and looked at the door, realising my hands were full.
I heard a chuckle behind me, and Cole leant past me and knocked on the door.
I hadn't even noticed him following me upstairs.
He reached around me to the handle, the whiff of his aftershave hitting me with force, and I suppressed the shiver from the casual touch of his skin.
Fuck, it had been a long time since I had gotten laid.
How was it that the two people that I was interested in pushing my cock into happened to be the two people who actively avoided me doing so?
The image of both Cade and Cole beneath me sent my semi into a full-blown raging hard on.
Cole obviously noticed as I saw a small upturning of the corner of his lips that made me want to drop the cups and put him to his knees right there in the hallway.
I wondered for a second how Cade would react to seeing me fuck Cole in front of her, if she would be horrified or aroused, if she would watch or turn away, if she would join or flee.
The door swung open before I could entertain my impulse, and Cade stood at the other side a little way into her room, all freshly showered and in the cutest short pyjamas that I had seen.
Her wet purple hair clung to her neck and shoulders, and her skin was flushed from the hot water.
She looked kind of shocked and ready to shout at us for a brief second, but then she deflated and let out a big sigh, her shoulders slumping in resignation.
I hated seeing her like this. I may have wanted to break her, but I only wanted to do it to show her who she was, who we could be together.
I never wanted to see that fire leaving her eyes.
I smiled as I entered the room and put one of the cups on the bedside table, the scent of chocolate filling the air between us.
"I made you a drink," I said, and Cade nodded without a word. She moved to the bed and climbed in before picking up the cup and blowing the surface before taking a sip. Her lips left a slight imprint on the rim of the mug, and I found myself transfixed by the sight.
"Thank you," she muttered, almost too quiet to hear, her voice raw from crying.
"Well, make sure you drink it all," I said, perching on the edge of the bed beside her.
"We have a road trip tomorrow, and we need to set off early.
" Cade looked up at me, her eyes widening in surprise, a droplet of water falling from her hair onto her collarbone and sliding down into the neckline of her pyjama top.
I forced myself to keep my eyes on her face.
"A road trip?" she asked. "Where?"
"I'll explain tomorrow," I said quickly.
I didn't want to give her time to overthink where we were going or think of a reason she couldn't go.
"But it won't just be you and me. Luce will be coming along too.
" I added the last part to put her at ease, even if it did hurt a little when it did exactly what I planned for it to do, and some of the tension left her eyes.
I nodded and turned to leave the room, the second cup of hot chocolate warming my palm.
"Well, good night," I said, not wanting to push my luck by staying too long.
"Wait," Cade called out. I recognised the edge of fear in her voice and spun back around almost spilling my drink.
She looked small sitting in the middle of her bed, almost tucked into herself, her knees drawn up to her chest. The vulnerability in her posture made something in my chest constrict painfully.
"D-do you want to... erm... watch a movie or something?
" she looked past me to Cole, who stood silently in the doorway.
His sharp intake of air told me he was as shocked as I was.
"I mean, I just don't want to be alone right now.
" A tear slipped down one of her cheeks, and she wiped it away quickly with an almost angry gesture.
The sight of that single tear broke something inside me, some wall I'd built to protect myself from caring too much.
"Of course, Pet," Cole said and stepped around me and towards the bed, his voice gentler than I'd heard it in weeks.
"What do you want to watch?" I watched as he climbed onto the bed next to Cade, a kernel of jealousy beginning to grow in my stomach as she shifted slightly to make room for him.
Cole looked up at me and nodded, his mismatched eyes warm with invitation.
"Do you want to join us?" he asked, and I looked over at Cade, who gave me a small smile and nodded slightly.
That was enough for me. I practically tripped over my own feet as I rushed around the other side of the bed and put down my drink before climbing onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath my weight.
"Great, what are we watching?" I asked excitedly. Cole's lips twitched as he picked up the remote for the TV. He knew I had no interest in movies apart from the homemade kind, but knew that any form of acceptance from our sweet Poison was enough for me.
For a fleeting second, I was even almost grateful to the future dead man walking for scaring my girl enough that she would open up a little for me.
Then my mind returned to absently wondering about all the fun ways that I would torture him once we found him, the inventive punishments I could inflict that would make him regret ever touching what was mine.
We quickly settled in as Cole picked some comedy, and I watched as he passed Cade her hot chocolate with a smirk sent my way.
She drank it down and passed the empty cup back to Cole, the drug already beginning its work as her eyelids grew heavier.
I drank my own down quickly, knowing it would take effect pretty soon, and snuggled into Cade's side as the movie began to play.
She tensed at my closeness for all of a second before relaxing again, her body warm against mine.
The scent of her shampoo, the softness of her skin, the sound of her breathing, it all wrapped around me like a blanket, soothing the savage parts of me that had been screaming for blood since I'd seen her attacked.
It wasn't long before her breath had evened, and she was asleep, her head lolling against Cole's shoulder.
I noticed that Cole had moved closer, with his hand resting on Cade, and I reached over and brushed my fingers against his.
He returned the gesture without even looking away from the screen, our hands meeting on Cade's hip in a silent acknowledgment of shared possession.
I looked up to see Logan standing in the doorway, watching us.
His expression was unreadable, but there was something almost wistful in his eyes as he took in the scene.
I nodded to the bed to join us. His eyes travelled over the bed before he shook his head.
"I got some things to do," he said quietly. He grabbed the door handle, his knuckles white with tension. "Take care of our girl." Then he closed the door behind him, leaving the three of us alone in the soft glow of the television.