Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  My phone chimes from my bag, a text. I stand. Who could it be from?

  Fishing it out, I unlock the screen. Ziggy: I'll b bck in town in 3 days if u want to meat?

  Even Ziggy knew the difference between meet and meat. I glance over my shoulder. It's time I showed him, now that we don't have his boss breathing down our necks. Going back to the table, I hand him my phone. "I've been getting these since the night after he died. They never answer my calls. Just text.”

  He frowns. "I didn't think you were serious when you told me he was still texting you. I should confiscate this as evidence."

  I snatch it back from him before he can take it away. "No, this is my only phone, do you know how much I have to save up every month in order to pay for it? Besides, we could catch the killer this way."

  He shakes his head and reaches for my phone. I keep it away before stuffing it down my pants. He won't go there. With a frown he sits back in his chair. "We? No. There's no we. My team and I will catch them. You aren't going to be around in any shape or form."

  If he thinks I'm just going to sit idly by after he's involved me, then he has another thing coming. I finish off my pho. "Could I use your shower, and washer and dryer? I wouldn't normally ask, but my new uniform needs to be cleaned. I got mashed potatoes down the front of it tonight.” Keifer frowns. "I thought you worked security. How did you get potatoes on you?"

  "I am, and I'm multi-talented like that."

  He begins to clean up our dishes. "Of course you can use my shower and things. I told you, you're welcome here whenever you need it."

  I sigh. "Why the change of heart all of a sudden?"

  He glances up at me. "What are you talking about? "Why do you want me around all of a sudden? There's a reason I hardly ever contact you for anything."

  He huffs. "I guess I've finally come to terms with everything. I no longer feel like I have to keep you at arm’s length. I want to know you're okay." I fold my arms in front of myself. He's finally come to terms with what I had to do? "I'm fine. I've always survived. I'm going to start my clothes before showering."

  I go to walk way. "Hope."

  I stop, but don't glance back. "Yeah?"

  "I-never mind."

  I nod and go to the closet with the washer and dryer. If the police can't find who killed Ziggy. I'll do it. I'm the only person who has a link to them.

  11

  I spray vinegar solution onto one of the hundreds of mirrors Pride owns and wipe it with newspaper until it shines, streak free. How am I going to get his killer though? They can tell me all they want that they will be here in three days. But why do they want to meet with them? To kill me? Do they think I know who they are, or do they think I'm stupid and haven't realised yet that one of my best friends is dead?

  "You know, they say mirrors can hold all the answers to the questions your soul wants to ask." Pride stands in the far lower left corner of his cell, where he will remain until I finish cleaning his mirrors. I glance over at him. He takes another selfie with his phone. I just gave him a lighted phone case for it. Apparently the warehouse doesn't automatically have everything, that just came in on special order. "Well, the mirrors aren't speaking, so they aren't much help to me, now are they?"

  "They're saying you need to go about it a smarter way, narrow down the suspects, while not getting yourself killed."

  I stare at my own reflection. "They said that?"

  He turns off the lights on his case and sighs before smoothing out the invisible wrinkle on his royal blue suit. It's my favorite color I've seen on him so far. I really brings out the golds and light browns of his skin-tone. "No, I said that, but it goes with what you're thinking.” "You can read minds, too?"

  "No."He gives a limp twirl of his hand. "I just guessed based on what the mirrors showed me."

  "He can see into your soul through the reflections in the mirror." Greed's voice carries across the room. I sigh. "Great. Is nothing sacred with you seven? Aren't you supposed to be angels?"

  Wrath laughs from his cell. Pride smiles at me. "We aren't the kind of angels you read about, Hopee, we’re the opposite of our virtuous brothers."

  "Don't call me Hopee. It sounds weird." I back away from the last mirror and get out of his cell. Flashing my ring over the scanner, the glass door comes down. "Ugh. Don't talk about them. I don't want to think about Patience right now, the man makes me sick with how calm he is all the time." Wrath gags before the echoes of his punches against the heavy bag fill the room. I'm a little surprised he isn't blaring his metal music today.

  "Wait, you have more brothers?" I grab the dish cart and go to Gluttony's cell. He sits calmly in his chair, a cigarette in each hand. His thin face grins at me. "Of course we have brothers. We need something to level out the negative we bring into the world. There our opposites. Patience for Wrath, Humility for Pride, Kindness for Jealousy, Chastity for Lust, Liberality for Greed, Diligence for Sloth, and of course I get Abstinence."

  "Do they come to visit you?" I gather the plates five at a time and slide them vertically into the wash bins. I'm sure glad I don't have the job of cleaning them.

  He shakes his head as he blows out a cloud of smoke. "We haven't seen them since before we came to live here. So a couple thousand years."

  "Wow. As far as I know, I don't have siblings. Other than the guy I called my orphan brother. I'll be back with your food in a moment." I push the cart out of his cell, but he stays put.

  "Was that the Ziggy boy from your memories yesterday?" Envy comes to stand at the front of his cell. I sigh. I said too much. Why did I share something personal? "Yes. I don't want to talk about him anymore. I'll be right back." I leave before they can see me lose it. Once on the elevator, I press C for the employee cafeteria and go down. The chefs won't be happy to see me. Most of their work is strictly for Gluttony. Only a small part of their job goes toward the employee's food. Though, they get steak and lobster here because of it. If I ever have a twenty to just splurge on a plate of food, I'm getting myself a steak from here. The dishwasher takes the bins off my cart and several other chefs work to fill it back up with dome-covered plates piled high with food.

  "Thank you, see you in four hours."

  "Is it true?" The dishwasher stops me. I pause in turning the cart, as one of the women chefs slaps the young man in the shoulder. "Is what true?"

  The guy rubs at the sore spot on his arm. "Never mind." My curiosity gets the better of me. "No, what did you want to know?"

  He clears his throat. "That they have the power to influence anyone they come in contact with? Make them do the sin they represent, or tell the truth?"

  I shrug. “I have to wear this nullify bracelet around some of them, but not all of them." I toy with the silver band around my small wrist. "As for if they make people to tell the truth, I don't think so. They've tried to get me to tell them things, but I've never said a word about anything I didn't want to talk about."

  The group nods. The woman who slapped the guy raises her hand in the air. "All right, people, we need to get back to work. The employees can’t feed themselves.” I push on, going back to the elevator. The succulent aromas coming from the tray make my stomach growl. If only I could have a bite. What am I thinking? I can eat after work. I have a burrito I can eat. Keifer got called into another crime season this morning, I don't think he'll be at his place tonight. "Our lady returns with food for the glutton!" calls Greed, as he stands at the front of his cell. He reminds me of the people who called the names of people entering a black-tie event. I open Gluttony’s cell. He still sits at his chair. I don't think I've ever seen him sleep. "I also have your late night meals as well. They put food in the bottom of my cart."

  Pride hums. "I could use something to eat. My followers do like it when I post pictures of the things I eat. They get so jealous; it makes me feel so loved."

  I roll my eyes, and set the food down on Gluttony’s table in a circular order. He takes the dome off the one in front of him, revealing the four-cou
rse meal. No wonder it takes him four hours to get through six domes. I don't know where he puts it all. The chocolate mousse calls out to me with the large curls of dark-chocolate on top. "Is there anything else you need?" I move to lean away from the table, but he stops with me the soft touch of his hand on my arm. "Wait, I want you to try this." He takes a spoonful of the mousse with a curl and presses it to my lips until I open for him. "Do you or don't you find that taste splendid?"

  The chocolate melts over my tongue, the rich flavor awakens my taste buds. He pulls the spoon away and lets go of my arm. My fingers travel to my lips. "It's very good."

  A smirk pulls at his lips. "So you like dessert. What is your favourite thing to eat?" His stare sends a shiver down my spine. "I like anything spicy, but spicy pho is my absolute favorite." The smile falls from my face as I realise he brought the truth out in me. I had no plans on tell him all of that. I push the cart out of his cell and close it. Making rounds to the others doesn't take any time at all. I take a seat along the back wall-- can't eat with them, but it's not close enough to my break that I can go downstairs, so I'll wait right here in case they need anything--they always need something. Pride swirls his wine before taking a dainty sip. "So how do you plan on doing it?"

  I pay him no mind as I count the specks of grey in the granite floor. "Hopee, I asked you a question."

  I glance up at him now, so it was me he was talking to. "Don't call me Hopee. And do what, Pridee?" He smiles at the use of me copying the nickname. "Finding who killed your friend. Doesn't seem the cops really care. I haven't seen anything in my news feed about a gangster being shot. Do they even know who did it?"

  I trace a finger along a stretched grey speck. "Your mirrors showed you that much?"

  "My mirrors show me all. So how are you going to do it?"

  I shrug. "I'm not a cop, I can't help with something like this. I like to think I can, but what can I do? No connections, no backup. I'd be stupid to go anywhere by myself while searching out his killer."

  "What good is it that you're a Private Investigator in training if you can't put the skills you've learned to use?" Sloth mumbles around a bite of steak. It's the only time of the night I see him put effort in sitting up. He also hardly says anything. "I'm not being trained to solve murders. I’m being trained on how to find lost people and cheaters."

  He heaves his shoulders. His eyes stare into mine with a slow, tired blink. His eyes and hair have such stunning shades of blue. I'll never get over how they stand out against his dark skin. He's like me. We both have odd colored eyes. "I don't see the problem. Help your friend; don't help your friend. Pick one."

  A ball of spit sticks in my throat. Am I being a bad friend not trying to find out what happened to him? I mean, I basically have them on speed-dial. "Is it true that you guys can make people speak the truth?" "Only if it's our sin that's taking them over in that moment. Otherwise, it has no effect." Lust flips his long, black hair over one shoulder as he stabs some meat in his lobster tail. "Like what Gluttony did to you earlier," Envy speaks up, having already finished his steak and baked potato. "You wanted his food, so it was easy for him to get you to divulge information pertaining to food."

  "I think I would be the best one to help you find your friend's killer, H." The ting of Greed flipping a coin perks my ear. "Help? Help how? I can't bring a myriad of suspects in here and have them interrogated. I don't think that would go over well with the Warden, or the Norms that don't know about this prison."

  He shrugs and flips the coin again, having barely touched his food. "Then take me on the outside with you."

  Lust clears his throat. "I don't think that's a good idea, Greed."

  Wrath tips back his dinning chair. "If only one of us goes out at a time, it shouldn't be an issue."

  "That's what you said in 1990 before you caused that fire at that club. Eighty-seven people died that day. " Lust pushes his plate away.

  "I couldn't help myself. The dude owed me money!" Wrath throws his plate at the glass door. It shatters into a hundred pieces, while the bone that was in his steak flies and hits his bed.

  I sigh and stand. Going to the cart I pick up one of the plastic bins. Fuck, I forgot to grab gloves from Thomas's office. I'll just have to be careful. I grab a rag as well, for the smaller pieces. "Now look what you did, Wrath. Sincerity will have to clean that up." Gluttony lights another cigarette. "Shut the fuck up, you twig!" Wrath punches the bag hanging from the centre of his cell. It flies, swinging back and forth with power. "Please step over to the corner, Wrath. I can't open the cell door until you do so."

  He sighs and runs his hands over his limp mohawk. He frowns at me before stepping over to the corner in the far back. Opening the cell, I kneel down to pick up the bigger pieces, tossing them into the bin. "If she was with me, it wouldn't end up like that. You know that." Greed's voice fills the deafening silence. Envytaps his bare foot on the stone floor. "We didn't have a partner to keep us in check last time. Thomas and Felix just didn't have the means to keep us calm." "It's been thirty-ish years since the last time we went out. We can't be afraid of what we will do. I miss the outside. I miss the people."

  Lust plucks the strings of his violin. "We aren't gods in their eyes anymore, Greed. They don't even know anything about us besides what their religions have them believe us to be."

  I take the rag and sweep the smaller bits to a pile. What exactly are they talking about right now? Are they allowed to leave the prison? A sharp sting grabs at my palm as one of the pieces cuts through the rag and into my skin. With a hiss, I pull my hand away. "Well, that's what I get for being an idiot."

  Blood bubbles to the surface of the cut. Great, I need first-aid on my third day of work. "Let me help with that." I peer up to find Wrath in front of me. "It's my fault you're hurt." He kneels and picks up my hand. Something about his energy seems different. He places his other hand over the small cut. I hiss again, as the contact makes the wound sting again. A white light surrounds our linked pressed hands. Seconds later he lets go of me and the cut has disappeared, along with the pain.

  "I'll get the rest of this mess, too. Leave it to me." He picks up the rag off broken glass and tosses the pieces into the bin before using the rag to gather more pieces. "It's all right. This in my job." I lean forward to take the rag from him. He picks up my hand and places the back of it to his lips before letting go. "Please don't worry. I can handle this mishap." A serene warmth fills my chest. I frown at him. "Who are you?"

  He winks at me, before he stands to pick up the bone on his bed. "Have patience, dear, it's one of the best virtues."

  My frown deepens. But aren't the Virtues their brothers? The others have gone quiet. I don't even hear Gluttony's silverware tinkling. Placing the last of the glass and bone into the bin, he dusts off his hands. "All done."

  I stand and grab the bin. "Um, thank you." Closing his cell, I jump as he cranks up his metal music and begins to punch at the bag again. He's going to put a hole in it and then I'm going to need to lug another one out of the warehouse. There's hundreds of them in there. "So, what do you say to taking me out on the town, H?" Greed flips the coin higher. I frown. "I doubt the Warden will allow me to take you anywhere outside these walls. What if I lost you? I'd be fired, and then out of a job."

  "But you want to find your friend's killer. If Greed thinks he's the best to speak to the killer, then go with it." Pride snaps several more photos of himself. Sloth lies back down, having finished his food. "Tell the Warden he has requested time out and that you need the bonding links. Greed won't be able to get more than a hundred feet away from you if you're both wearing them."

  "I don't even know how to find the people who are suspects on the list." I open Sloth's cell to take his plate. "Keifer knows, ask him to tell you where they are." He flips on his TVs again. I won't get anything else out of him. I laugh. "Keifer isn't going to give me information like that."

  "Then take it from him. He likes to take his work home with him, especially
since he lives alone." Envy comes to stand at the front of the cell. "I want some big knitting needles and yarn. Thomas was knitting today, and I want to get the same joy from it that he did, but only better."

  "How do you know he takes his work home with him? Stand in the corner, Lust, I'll get your plate." He bows to me and moves. I open the cell and get his plate. I have to be quick, even with the nullifying bracelet; his pull to go to him and let him fuck my brains out still remains strong. "We know everything about you and Keifer, Hope. Like how your name isn't Hope at all. It's not even your middle name." Envy watches me, as I put the plate with the others. "I wasn't given a middle name. I hate my given name." "I think Sincerity is a beautiful name." Lust offers his two cents. I shudder at the sound. "If you insist on using it, call me Sin."

  "Sin does seem fitting, given your situation." Greed laughs. "So are you going to talk to the Warden, so you and me can paint the town red? I'll get the suspects to tell the truth. Then we can take them to Keifer, and all will be right in your world again."

  "I’ll think about it." Nothing has been right in my world for a long time. Finding Ziggy's killer will only fix some of it.

  12

  One day later...

  I stand in front of Keifer's door, hand poised, ready to knock. I don't even know if he's home. I didn't call ahead. I just need to get his files, which I've seen before in his bag. With a sigh, I knock three times, then pause and then knock once more. It takes a minute, but the clicks of his door's locks keeps me from walking away. A woman--at least his height--with long, brown hair, and pale skin opens it. Wearing nothing but a towel. "Oh, you're not the pizza I requested from Carrier Plus. I couldn't quite see you through the peephole. Look at how tiny you are!"