Chapter 6 Torin #2
“You don’t like my carvings?” I ask him. “Maybe I’ll carve you one that’s the outline of my cock and you’ll be a little more interested.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re awful?” he mutters.
“All the time. More people tell me I’m fucking awesome, though, and I just listen to them instead.”
He leads me down past the reading room, the front room with the fireplace, and then eventually past the grand staircase and into the kitchen and dining area.
Being in Onyx House right now feels like entering a house of royalty and knowing that it’s corrupt.
I had no idea how close to danger the Onyx Society guys were, at all times.
We continue on to the big doors that lead into the backyard. Right before we go outside Noah looks back at me.
“I wasn’t trying to talk shit about the carvings,” he tells me, like he’s physically incapable of lying to me. “I’ve been using one of the wood-carved little mugs for my espresso every morning.”
“Coffee addict.”
“And I’m proud of it.”
“I knew you liked those mugs,” I tell him. “Those are made of walnut, so congratulations, even your taste in wood is expensive.”
“Just because you’re talented at some things doesn’t mean you aren’t a dickhead. But I do like them.”
I tip my head back in mock pleasure, moaning a little. “Fuck, Noah. You should try complimenting me more often. I’m a big fan of that.”
He gives me a blank expression, then continues outside.
Out in the backyard, Ollie and Niko are over on one end of the long covered patio playing ping-pong, but otherwise, it’s fairly serene out here.
There’s a low, smoldering fire still going in the fire pit and Roman is sitting back on one of the chairs that surround it, flipping through a small paperback book.
“Noah,” Roman says the moment he sees him. “Did you…”
Roman doesn’t finish his sentence.
He eyes me, instead, and I realize he doesn’t want to bring up whatever task Noah was supposed to do, because I’m not meant to know about it.
“It was bad,” Noah says, taking a seat next to Roman. “You haven’t talked to your cousin yet?”
“Did something happen with Maks?” Roman asks, frowning. He glances at me again, and I swear he’s two seconds away from shooing me away like a fly. “Hey, Torin. Noah and I need to talk in private right now.”
“It’s okay,” Noah interjects, reluctantly telling the truth. “Torin was there. He helped, actually.”
I wonder how much it pains Noah to have to admit that.
Does it pain Roman to hear about it, too?
Does he wish I’d leave so he could get his one-on-one time with Noah?
I relish hearing those words come out of his mouth. I’m staying right here. Roman looks down at my hand, eyeing the blood that I forgot was still smeared there.
Both of us sit down around the fire and I listen quietly as Noah tells Roman the whole story.
I like the way Noah tells it.
He doesn’t embellish. He doesn’t leave anything out. He gives it to Roman straight, and I realize that Noah Vancliff is many things, but he certainly isn’t a liar.
The expression on Roman’s face falls the moment he finds out the extent of what happened.
Since I got to Onyx, Roman has been one of the hardest people to read.
He’s usually pretty serious, unless he overdoes it on the vodka and gets a little bit silly.
He’s obviously fond of Noah, but I don’t know if it’s a friendly kind of affection or something else.
No clue if he’s straight, either. He’s covered in tattoos, all of which are done in black ink, and he looks like he could single-handedly beat up about six guys on his own.
I’ve heard guys call Weston the “frat dad” of Onyx House, but to me, Roman also has Dad energy. In a more serious way. Like if “Dad” meant badass Russian with big dick energy and ties to dangerous people.
But the moment he hears about Noah ending up in a bad situation, it’s obvious how deeply caring Roman is behind the steely, masculine exterior.
He reaches out to put his arm around Noah, squeezing his shoulder as Noah talks about being held at gunpoint.
For Roman, that’s probably something he’s experienced plenty of times.
But he knows damn well that Noah’s never seen a day of hardship or danger in his entire life.
“Hey. Are you okay?” Roman asks Noah the moment he’s done telling the story. “I am going to handle everything. Everything. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. These men should never have known the meeting was even happening, and I don’t know how the fuck they figured it out.”
“Why did you send Noah this time?” I ask, trying to keep my tone even. “Why not go yourself?”
Roman gives me a serious look. “I couldn’t. Trust me when I tell you that. But this is not how it was meant to go. It’s impossible, unless one of Maks’ boys is a rat. God, fuck this.”
Roman leans over and pulls Noah into a full hug, and I’m surprised.
It’s the most emotion I’ve seen out of him all week.
I watch Roman’s hand slide over Noah’s upper back, rubbing him there.
When Roman finally stops embracing Noah, I nod toward him. “You two have been close for a while?”
Roman chews his cheek for a moment. “No. Fucking hated this kid, for a while.”
Noah hums. “True. Roman used to despise me. It’s been better since last semester, though.”
“Since Noah quit… all of that nonsense. Fucking and partying and drinking every night. He started taking care of himself.” He looks Noah up and down. “I like him better now.”
Do you like it better because it’s healthier for him?
Or do you just like that he’s more well-behaved?
I can’t remember the last time I ever got territorial with anybody, but Noah is doing strange things to me.
Roman gives me a serious look. “Thank you. If something had happened to Noah I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. You’re a good stepbrother.”
A great one.
So good that he has me as Stepbrother Psychotic in his phone, but still looks at me like he’s begging me to make him come.
Roman turns back to Noah and I watch him put his fingers beneath Noah’s chin, lifting his face up to inspect it.
“You need to go shower,” he says in a low voice. “Do you want me to draw a hot bath? Fuck these assholes who did this to you—”
“I’ll draw him a bath,” I say, standing up. “I was about to go wash this blood off my hand, anyway. Noah, come with me.”