out.
“As if captain and King let anyone in their kinky shit.” He thrusts a finger in Xander’s direction. “You weren’t high, why didn’t you participate?”
“I wasn’t interested.”
“So you knew and didn’t tell me? Why am I always left out?”
Xander throws a pillow at him. “You’re left out because you’re horrible with secrets.”
“No, I’m not!” Ronan throws it back and they go on another round of bickering.
Kim sips her juice and watches them with a smile.
I’m about to join her when Cole leans in to whisper, “Can we talk?”
The request takes me by surprise, but I nod. “Sure.”
He motions to a door to the right. I follow him to the back entrance. Xander and Ronan’s chatter withers away as Cole slides the back door closed behind us.
The chilly air blows my hair back. I wrap my sweater around me as I step onto the wooden patio. Three chairs surround a built-in table. The rain beats in the distance, making the vision blurry.
Tall pine trees are the only things in sight. Hmm. So the back door leads to a forest.
Cole sits at one of the chairs. I drop opposite him, rubbing my arm.
“Sorry.” Cole removes his jacket and offers it to me. “It’s cold out here.”
I accept his jacket with a smile and wrap it around my shoulders. It smells of cinnamon and expensive body wash.
It’s warm.
Just like Cole.
Although, I must admit I never thought he’d be into the ‘kinky shit’ Ronan talked about.
The silent ones are indeed the wildest.
If it wouldn’t make me appear pathetic, I’d ask him who’s the mystery girl who attracted both his and Aiden’s attention.
Wait. Maybe they were multiple mystery girls?
Did they make it a habit to have threesomes?
“What did you want to talk about?” I ask instead.
“I’ll cut straight to the chase.”
“Okay.”
“Aiden, Xander, and I were kidnapped when we were children.”
I gasp, my fingers strangle each other in my lap. “K-kidnapped?”
He retrieves a pack of cigarettes from his trousers and lights one. Nicotine fills the air as he blows a cloud of smoke.
I never saw Cole smoke.
This is a first.
“We were seven going on eight at the time.” He takes a drag of his smoke. “We don’t usually go home in the same car from our primary school, but that day, Xan and I caught a ride with Aiden. The driver was on their side. He took us to a deserted place where they ambushed us. There was a black van, three men wearing masks, and the rest is history.”
“W-what do you mean the rest is history?”
He grips the cigarette with his thumb and forefinger as he meets my gaze. “We were taken to a storage house blindfolded. Then we were separated for what seemed like hours or days, I’m not sure. The next thing I know, I was thrown in a deserted place. I assumed my parents paid the ransom or something. Xander was also thrown in a similar deserted place.”
“How about Aiden?”
He shakes his head slowly. “When we finally got home, we found out that Xander and I were taken for two days.”
“And Aiden?”
“He disappeared for ten days.”
“Why? Jonathan didn’t pay the ransom?”
He couldn’t have stood by when his only son was kidnapped. He couldn’t be that heartless.
“That’s the thing.” Cole’s eyes blacken to a frightening green. “The kidnappers didn’t ask for ransom for any of us.”
That’s weird.
No. That’s terrifying.
Why would they kidnap three rich kids if they didn’t plan to ask for a ransom?
“D-did Aiden lose his way? Is that why he was missing for longer?”
Please tell me that’s the case, please.
“I don’t know.” He takes another drag of his cigarette. “King doesn’t talk about that time, not even between the three of us.”
“How was he found?”
“Jonathan found him. I don’t know how, but he did.”
I watch Cole intently. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You deserve to know and King would’ve never told you.”
“Why now? Why haven’t you told me before?”
He smiles as he throws his cigarette to the ground and crushes it under his shoes. “Because King forced my hand and I dislike it when my hand is forced.”
What is that supposed to mean? Is this some sort of feud between him and Aiden?
“It has nothing to do with you, Elsa. You’re good.” He stands. “Maybe even too good for him.”
I watch him for a few seconds, not sure what to say. I’m still helplessly trying to process what I just heard.
It aligns with what Levi hinted at. He said it wasn’t just Alicia’s death that changed Aiden, there was something else.
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