Page 30 of Pretty Poison

“Come on, let’s get to it, Liana,” Dario says, walking towards the opposite end of the compound where the soldiers’ house sits.

“I can walk there myself,” I admit quietly, hoping he’ll decide to turn back and not make us dwell in the lingering awkwardness.

“I’m sure you can.” He shrugs in my peripheral vision. “But I have the code. You can’t get in there without it.”

My jaw clenches and my tongue swirls around in my mouth in annoyance. I turn to face him, my eyes focusing on the corners of his lips as they turn upwards.

“Once you’ve passed Remi’s tests alongside the introduction, you’ll get your own. Nobody shares their code.”

I hum. “Why?”

“We trust everyone as much as they trust us,” he says, his face and tone taking on a businesslike air. “A few years ago we had an inside man—someone we trusted and loved like a brother—betray us and some good people died in the process. This was Remi’s way of assuring that it wouldn’t happen again. And if it did, the person’s code that was used would make it easier to find the rat.”

“Is that your way of calling me a rat?”

He exhales deeply. “I trust you as much as you trust me, Liana, which right now, I believe, isn’t much. Just handing you my code is like handing you my death on a silver platter. Until we know each other better, this is the way it stays. Besides, Kat and Maze both have separate codes, and they’ve been married for seven years.”

“But why?”

“The trust is there, but if they were to share a code and it was used to inflict harm, thievery or worse, they would both be liable. Maze and I may have shared a womb at one point, but not even he would be safe from what’s to come during the interrogation process.”

I stop in my tracks for a split second before continuing. “You’re twins?”

“There’s a lot you still have to learn, Liana.”

As we reach the top of the soldiers’ house, he covers the keypad with his left hand while he types in the code with his right. “Don’t take this personally,” he says, and the door pops open, sounding like it’s coming off its latch.

He pushes the door open further, allowing me to enter first before following behind, and slamming the door shut behind us. The atmosphere is instantly colder in here—I can almost see my breath.

Placing his hand on the small of my back, my body floods with goosebumps, and he leads us towards the end of the main hall.

This house, while having a symmetrical design on the outside, only has one common denominator inside—the lack of personality. The black colour is all-consuming, taking over my surroundings, the walls and floor are bare, leaving the big, open floor plan naked, allowing the cold air to bite more.

Stopping directly outside of the door in front of us, Dario knocks twice before letting himself in, leaving me standing alone, gawking at the interior. It’s the most luxurious room I’ve seen on the estate so far. While the walls are the darkest shade of black, the gold crests around the border bring it out in the nicest way. It almost contradicts everything I’ve thought of Remi thus far.

“I’m glad you didn’t back out, Liana,” he says, standing to greet us.

I take a step forward, and the door instantly closes, sending a recoil of nerves through me. Whipping my head around, I spot Cass and Silas standing militant-like in front of the door, almost as if they’re guarding it, preventing us from leaving until Remi lets us.

“I hope you don’t mind my brother’s joining us today; they’ll be giving you a brief demonstration of the moves to help you understand them, rather than only seeing them on a screen.”

I nod. “Fine by me.”

“When will she finish?” Dario asks.

“In a few hours. There’s a lot to go through.”

Dario nods, giving Remi a stern smile before slipping through the doors again, leaving me alone with them.

“Follow me,” Remi says as soon as Dario makes his exit. “We’re going to take a tour of the most important rooms first, things you’ll need to familiarise yourself with quickly.”

“How long do you think training will take? Not just today but overall?” My words come out uncertain, almost like a whisper.

“Perfecting skills takes time, Liana. When you’re ready, you’re ready. There is no set time limit because everyone is different. Cassian’s still striving to achieve his goals and he’s been training with me for years. Every chance he gets, he’s in the arena. Silas, too. They’re my best soldiers, but they will never be the best until they believe they are. You don’t become the best by some miracle. This shit takes time and copious amounts of effort, things that don’t just happen overnight.”

“Besides,” Cass chimes in, giving me a playful nudge, “he’s a pretty good teacher.” I turn to face him, watching as he flashes me a sweet smile with dead eyes—a lethal combination for these men. “You’re in good hands, Liana.”

Before I know it, Remi’s leading the way into an even bigger room, its furniture meticulously placed into comfortable seating arrangements in the corners.

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