The Twins & Me

Punished

All of the lights are off when Arlo and I get to his apartment, and I have a horrible feeling Ollie is going to pop out from somewhere and jump-scare us, but everything is still and quiet.

From behind, Arlo takes me by the waist and walks me forward, towards the hallway.

Their bedroom door is open, with faint candlelight flickering from within, but I notice the mysterious door is cracked. Involuntarily I reach out to push the door open further, but Arlo catches my hand.

"Not yet," he whispers. "You're not ready for what's in there."

I turn to him, his face hidden in partial darkness. "It's not some 50 Shades of Gray bullshit, is it?"

He laughs. "Not exactly."

Ollie appears at the doorway to their room. He's in his boxers and nothing else. I hesitate, something stirring in my stomach.

Arlo's hands are sure around me as he propels me forward.

We come to a stop in front of Ollie. He looks down at me, his muscular arms up on the doorframe, tattoos spilling over them. "You made me wait, Wren."

I try to jut out my chin, but Ollie takes it in one hand and yanks it down so I'm looking at the bulge in his underwear.

The heat in my stomach moves downward.

"You spent time with another guy and didn't tell us about it," he says. "That's why you're being punished."

It's not a real punishment. He may be hurt, but he's not mad. My eyes flash to behind him, the bedroom, with the big bed and messy sheets. I bite my lip. "I'm sorry, Oliver."

I don't think he was expecting that, because his grip on me slackens for the briefest of moments. "You will be."

He turns and walks into the room, and I make a move to follow him, but Arlo holds me back.

Ollie picks up something from the bed and plays with it for a few moments before looking over at us. "Come here."

Even though my heart is stuttering I don't hesitate in following his request, while Arlo stays behind. Candles litter the room, though these aren't the scented kind. Some are black, some white, most red. Did these come from Mystery Room?

I come to a stop before Ollie. In his hands are a collar; but it's not the pink one with the bell. This one is a blush pink, made of suede. It looks soft and more closely resembles a choker than a collar. A dainty gold ring is attached to the center, and on either side is an embroidered "O" and "A" in black.

My eyes flash up to meet his, and he just looks back at me. "On your knees."

I obey, drop onto the plush rug to rest on my haunches. The wind howls from beyond the large windows, but the sound is faint compared to the roaring in my ears from my own heartbeat.

"Baby Brother," Ollie calls, holding the collar out for Arlo. "Put this on Wren."

Arlo comes into the room and takes the token from his brother. Wordlessly, he crouches down behind me. I pull the hair away from my neck so he can latch it on me. It's much more comfortable than the other one; flexible and cool against my skin. I shiver.

"Is Little Wren cold?" Ollie teases.

I glare up at him.

When I don't answer, Arlo takes a fistful of my hair and yanks my head back. Blood rushes to the spot and my face heats up. "Big Brother asked you a question," he breathes in my ear.