The Secrets We Hide: The Four - book 2

by Steele, Becca

  Silence.

  Then, “Fuck, fuck, fuck! I think Petr was watching me as I went past that time. His head turned and everything.”

  “Shit, come back now.”

  “I fucking am. Gonna ditch the car in the uni car park and pick mine up, then I’ll be home.” The phone went dead, and Weston and I stared at each other.

  “I really hope that was just his paranoia. At least we’ve seen my mother with Petr, in person. So we know she must still be working with him, because he doesn’t work at the docks anymore, does he? There’d be no reason for him to be there unless it’s to do with her.”

  Weston nodded. “Yeah. I’m adding this to our file, with times and dates.” He pulled up the login to his secure storage server and started tapping away on the keyboard.

  While he was busy doing that, I tried to make myself useful by doing a Google image search on the Strelichevo sigil that had been on Vasily and Petr’s rings. I trawled through countless pages of search results, but nothing came up other than one site that Google auto-translated, and appeared to be someone’s travel blog. The writer referred to some kind of burial ground, accompanied by a grainy photo of the image on a set of iron gates. I bookmarked the site just in case, but it was only a few lines long.

  Through a combination of useless directions, and my own ineptitude, I ended up outside this private burial ground early this morning, while trying to find the cemetery my great-grandmother was buried in. I snapped a photo of the gates, rather unusual and ornate in design, and exited the car to see if I could look around inside. Unfortunately, my attempt was thwarted by a large man carrying a gun, who told me I was trespassing on private property.

  The blog then went on to describe, in tedious, rambling detail, the person’s journey through various deserted Belarusian roads and how he kept getting lost every few miles. Probably should have invested in a satnav.

  Closing my browser with a sigh, I put my phone down and went to make a cup of tea while we waited for Cassius to return.

  Why did we always end up with more questions, and no answers?

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Christmas came and went without incident. Alstone Holdings closed down from Christmas Eve until January 2nd, and Arlo and Christine had flown away to some luxury ski resort, leaving us to spend Christmas alone, which was actually the best thing for us. I couldn’t think of anything that would ruin Christmas faster than being forced to spend it with my mother.

  Me, Cade, and West spent the day lazing around, watching TV, and we ordered Chinese food rather than cook anything. We’d decided not to give gifts to each other, either—to be honest, none of us felt all that much like celebrating. I was missing my dad even more, and we were all feeling kind of discouraged by the fact we had just as many questions as answers when it came to my mother.

  Z was spending the day with his dad, and Cass was with his family, so the house was kind of quiet and subdued. In the evening, West shut himself in his computer room, talking all things computery and gadgety with Mercury and his other dodgy web contacts, so Cade and I reacquainted ourselves with the hot tub. Twice.

  Now it was New Year’s Eve, and we were going to what was apparently the traditional New Year’s Eve party, hosted by Cassius’ family. They had a sprawling mansion, very different to Arlo’s. It was nestled into the cliffside, all shiny and modern with floor-to-ceiling windows and several different levels, starting at the clifftop and gradually moving down the side. If I could compare it to anything, it reminded me a bit of Tony Stark’s Iron Man mansion.

  According to Caiden, when it had been built, the locals had petitioned against it, saying it spoiled the scenery and general feel of the area, which was predominantly Georgian and Victorian buildings. Unlucky for the locals, since the Drummonds were a founding family of Alstone Holdings and therefore controlled the land, there was nothing they could do about it. I could see both sides of the argument, but there was no denying this mansion was bloody beautiful. All sleek lines and sparkling glass. I bet it would look amazing from the sea.

  Speaking of the sea…I’d arrived at the mansion early since the boys were off doing some male-bonding shit, paintballing, and Lena had asked Cassius to ask me if I wanted to come over. Pretty starved for some female company after a week of testosterone with no Kinslee, I’d jumped at the chance.

  Time to kick off the New Year’s Eve celebrations, Lena-style.

  * * *

  Lena and I were standing at the foot of the cliff on a tiny pebble beach, the mansion high above us. You know what this mansion had? An outdoor lift. I had no idea such things existed until that moment in time.

  The beach had a little jetty with a motorboat moored to it. Lena skipped down the jetty, pulled the cover off the boat, and climbed inside.

  “Coming?” She cocked her head at me, the ends of her formerly blonde hair, now a shade of pastel pink, tumbling from under her beanie hat and blowing in the breeze.

  I nodded slowly, tugging my own hat further down over my ears. “Are you sure you know how to drive one of these? Or is it sail? Whatever it is, we’re not going to die, are we?”

  A loud laugh burst from her, her thin shoulders shaking under her down-filled winter coat. “You should see your face right now. You look fucking terrified.” Fumbling around in the boat, she grabbed an orange life jacket and threw it to me, clipping one on herself, then spun around, stretching her arms out. “See? We’re safe.”

  I stayed rooted to the spot, and she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Winter. I promise we’ll be fine. I’ve grown up by the sea. I’ve been hanging out on boats since I was a baby. I know everything there is to know about this boat and the coastline.”

  “Okay. I guess.” I took a hesitant step forwards, then another.

  “Come on! It’ll be fun. The view of the house from the sea is amazing,” she said coaxingly. “You don’t want to miss it.”

  Finally, I was in the boat, life jacket on, holding tightly to the rail that ran around the side. Lena unhooked us, or whatever the nautical term was, and started the motor with a roar, a huge excited grin on her face.

  I squeaked but tried to play it cool, although my hands were shaking. I’d barely met Lena, hence my coming here earlier, but she came across as the tiniest bit crazy. Flying us across the water at full throttle, she was clearly in her element, standing, legs braced, hands on the wheel, her pink hair whipping around in the breeze.

  When I got used to the motion and the speed, I realised I was actually enjoying myself, and I sat back in my seat with a smile on my face.

  “You alright?” she shouted to me over the noise of the engine, glancing back at me, and I stuck my thumb up at her. We got a good distance away from the coastline, and she cut the engine.

  Then suddenly, everything was calm and still. The first rays of the setting sun danced across the water, and the only sounds around us were the waves lapping at the hull of the boat, and the distant sound of seagulls back by the cliffs.

  “Turn around,” Lena instructed, and I spun to face the cliffs.

  “You were right,” I said breathlessly. The house looked like it glowed. The setting sun was reflected all over, from the glass front to the roof. We stayed, just watching the colour change from gold to a burnished orange, and then Lena announced it was time to go back.

  “We don’t want to be out here in the dark. You want a go at steering on the way back?”

  Why not? “Okay. Thanks. I have no idea what I’m doing, though.”

  “You’ll be fine,” she assured me, starting the motor back up. “I’ll do most of it; all you need to do is worry about steering.”

  We headed back at a slightly slower pace, and once I got a feel for the responsiveness of the wheel, I steered us back in a gently curving S shape, until we neared the jetty and Lena once again took over. She expertly brought us to a stop, tying the boat up and pulling the cover over it. “That was great, I’m glad you came over. It’s fun hanging out with someone older. My brother doesn’t norm
ally let his girlfriends anywhere near me.”

  I laughed. “Thanks for inviting me. But FYI, Cass is not my boyfriend. A close friend, sure. I love him. But not in that way.”

  We entered the metal cage housing the lift, and she pressed the button that would take us back up the side of the cliff to the house. “I know you’re Cade’s girlfriend. But you’d have made a cool sister-in-law. Just saying.”

  Hearing myself be referred to as Caiden’s girlfriend put a huge smile on my face. I knew he called me his girl, and we were exclusive, but I didn’t think we’d ever referred to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend before.

  I liked it. A lot.

  * * *

  Showered, using the bathroom in Lena’s bedroom, I finished blow-drying my hair and dressed in the short, tight, sparkly black-and-silver dress I’d bought for the occasion. A knock sounded at the door just as I was smoothing it down, hoping it covered enough of my legs to look like a dress rather than a top. I’d rather not end up flashing my underwear at Cassius’ parents if I could help it.

  “Come in,” I called, and in walked Lena, carrying a metal case in her hand, a bottle tucked under her arm, and a pair of champagne flutes dangling from her fingers. Back in black again, she had on a short pleated skirt, with fishnet tights and chunky platform shoes, and a loose black T-shirt that hung off one shoulder. It had a sparkly sequin skull on the front, so I guess it was kind of festive. For Lena, anyway.

  “Thanks for letting me crash here. Are you sure it’s okay?” I asked as she carelessly shoved a computer keyboard and a large pot of colourful pens aside, placing the bottle and glasses in front of the huge monitor on her desk.

  “Yeah, it’s going to be fun. We all squash in together on New Year’s Eve—saves getting a cab home. We’ll probably end up with a few more girls in here.” She expertly popped open the champagne and managed to pour us two glasses, all without spilling a drop. Carrying my glass and the case over to me, she set them on the bedside table. “There’s yours. Let’s do make-up.”

  We both beamed at each other. I’d never really done the whole getting ready for parties or nights out with my friends until I’d met Kinslee, and it was fun to be girly and just hang out and play around with make-up for a change.

  “You’re not going for the whole goth look tonight, are you?” I teased Lena, as she sat herself on the bed next to me.

  “It’s New Year’s Eve. I might introduce a bit of colour to my make-up palette.” Opening up the case, she started pulling out various tubes and pots, holding them up to my face. She looked so happy, I just let her get on with it.

  “I so wish I had a sister,” she sighed, brushing a base layer over my face with a soft sponge.

  “Yeah, me too. I was an only child; it was just me and my dad, so I don’t even know what it’s like to have siblings.” I sat silently, eyes closed as she brushed a base over my eyelids, then continued. “Saying that, it was nice, being just me and dad. And now, although I miss my dad so fucking much, and I still cry myself to sleep sometimes, I have this whole family who I’m not related to by blood but I feel closer to than anyone else. Your brother being one of them. You’re lucky to have him.”

  She gave another sigh, then pulled a face. “Yeah, I suppose. I bet he annoys me more than you, though.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he does. Isn’t that what big brothers are meant to do?”

  “Yeah. Speaking of my brother.” She lowered her voice, even though no one else was in the room. “He mentioned you were in hospital. Are you, you know, okay? I didn’t really know you to ask before, but I wanted to know.”

  I nodded slowly, not sure what to say. “I’m all good. He told you what happened to me?”

  “No,” she was quick to reassure me. “It was an accident, really. We were doing one of our video chat things where he likes to phone me and annoy me about homework or whatever. West appeared in the background when we were talking, and I heard him say your name, and he asked if Cass could drive him to the hospital. I don’t think he realised Cass was on the phone.”

  “Oh, okay. Yeah, I had an accident. But I’m fine now. Totally healed.”

  She eyed me for a moment, a torn expression on her face, clearly wanting to ask more, but at the same time, unsure whether she should. After a moment her face cleared, and she squared her shoulders. “Good. I’m glad you’re okay.” Handing me an eyeshadow palette, she changed the subject. “Pick a colour, and I’ll do your eyes for you.”

  We were interrupted by a knock at the door, and both called “come in” at the same time. A mass of caramel hair, curvy body, and sparkly gold dress barrelled in, and I shouted, flinging myself off the bed and launching myself at Kinslee. We hugged each other, laughing, before I pulled back, flopping back down onto the bed.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to get here until later.” I pointed towards the champagne bottle on the desk as she stepped out of her shoes.

  “Just gonna grab a glass,” she called over her shoulder, heading into the bathroom and returning with an empty water glass, which she filled with champagne and held up towards us in a toast. “Cheers! Yeah, we left early because heavy snow was forecast, and my brother didn’t want to drive back through it.” She sank to the floor, stretching her legs out. “Anyway, don’t let me interrupt you guys. Carry on.”

  “Do you two know each other?” I asked curiously, knowing that Kinslee hadn’t mixed in these circles before I came along. They both shook their heads—they knew who the other was but had never been officially introduced.

  After ten minutes or so, we were all chatting like old friends, thanks to Kinslee’s natural warmth and open, friendly demeanour. The champagne was going down nicely, and Kinslee had persuaded Lena to try a different make-up style. Still heavy on the eyeliner, because that was just Lena, but her long lashes were curled and she had on sparkling silver eyeshadow and a sparkly lip gloss on her lips, which were painted a pale pink to match her hair. I had similar makeup, only with less eyeliner and more glitter. I then dusted us all with shimmering powder that I found in the make-up case, and just for fun, sprayed glitter spray in our hair.

  “We look like disco balls,” I commented as we stood in front of the large mirror in the corner of the room.

  “We have to bring the sparkle, it’s New Year’s Eve. Let’s do a selfie to commemorate the occasion. Shoes on,” Kinslee commanded and stepped back into her skyscraper heels. I grabbed my stripper shoes, as I called them—the kind with a clear plastic heel and platform sole—and slid them on my feet, making me feel tall for a change. Kinslee stood in the middle, me and Lena either side of her with our arms loosely linked around her, our champagne glasses held up in our other hands, and we took a series of selfies, pouting and laughing and blowing kisses at the camera.

  “Who knew being all girly could be so much fun?” Lena mused as we made our way down the corridor and up the white polished stone stairs to the upper floor where the main party was happening.

  Kinslee laughed, linking her arm through Lena’s. “Not me. But I can safely say, we are totally doing that again.”

  I was about to reply when a familiar shiver went down my spine, and as I emerged on the upper floor, my gaze was drawn straight to his.

  Fuck. Me. Sideways.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  All the Four were there, but I barely noticed Kinslee and Lena greeting the others. Caiden was the same—his whole focus was locked on me, and he looked at me like he wanted to devour me. I gulped, a nervous excitement thrumming through my veins, my heart beating faster as he sauntered closer. He was all casual, graceful swagger, but I could see the beast in his eyes that he was trying to restrain.

  He had on dark, inky-blue jeans and a jet-black shirt that matched his raven hair, the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to expose his tattooed forearms. There was a bruise, most likely from the paintball, blooming on his cheekbone, and I could see another through the tattoos on his left arm. The bruises somehow made him look even hotter than norm
al. His eyes were all thundery, full of dangerous promise.

  Reaching my side, he spun me around, pressing up against my back, grinding his hard cock into me, his hands on my ribs just below my breasts. “You look so fucking hot, Snowflake. I wanna lift this sexy dress up, push your underwear aside, and fuck you up against those windows in front of us until you’re screaming my name.” He bit my earlobe, then just breathed across my ear, sending a wave of shivers through my whole body, and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I’d seen him for a total of thirty seconds and I was already so wet I’d need to change my underwear. And I needed him. Right. Fucking. Now.

  “Umm…” My brain literally refused to work. He nudged me with his hips, pushing us along.

  “This way.” He walked us down a corridor and stopped outside a door with a key code panel. Punching in a six-digit number, he waited for a second until we heard a click as the door unlocked, and then he reached around me and pushed it open.

  We were in a room, dimly lit by some kind of tiny light that had come on automatically when we opened the door. Don’t ask me any more than that. All I knew was my boyfriend was spinning me in his arms, hoisting me onto a table, and pulling off my underwear.

  “So fucking wet for me already.” He stopped for a moment, staring at me lying there, desperate for his touch, and he gave me a feral grin before lowering his head. Then he had his tongue in my soaked pussy, and I moaned in relief, digging my hands into my thighs to stop myself gripping onto his styled hair. When he sucked my clit, I almost levitated off the table, and when he combined flicking my clit with his tongue with his fingers, curling, pumping, and scissoring inside me, I came hard and fast, clenching my thighs around his head, my legs weak and shaking.

  “Fucking hell, Cade.” My voice came out weak and breathless. “What a way to say hi.”