Their Truth

3. Drinks.

Saorise

When we came into, what I was told was the 'sitting room', but actually looks like a lounge in a pub one of the men brought me in a sandwich, crisps, biscuits and a cup of tea. I ate it all without stopping while everyone else fixed themselves drinks and joined me around a small table surrounded by armchairs and couches.

They have all introduced themselves, I've met Nix, the girl who was in the room with me is called Bonnie, River is the other guy.

Then come the ones I haven't seen yet,

Two guys named Knox and Archer, and a girl named Ivy.

They all sit, chatting to each other but I knew they were all waiting for me to finish to start with the questions.

There was some side looks, obviously everyone had agreed to hear what I had to say but that didn't mean they trusted my arrival in the slightest.

When I was finished, Nix asked me did I want a drink, and very nicely made me a Lambs and Coke, with ice, in a glass, I felt like the queen. It has been a while since my drink looked his nice and didn't come straight out of a bottle.

I settled back in the armchairs I was on tucked my feet under neath me, held my chin high and simply said "have at it."

Questions started straight away,

"who are you?" .. "where are you from?" .. "what happened to bring you here?" etc.

I filled them in on my life since my parents died.

I'd run after their deaths to keep myself safe, homeless in London seemed like the safest place to disappear, and it worked. Well the people I was trying to disappear from never found me, but in the end someone else did.

Running was in my nature now, I've been doing it for 4 years, since I was 16.

I got on a ferry from Dublin to Liverpool a week after my 16th birthday and have never looked back.

I read online about my family disappearing in the middle of the night never to be seen again, little did they know, my parents were dead and I was the only one left, living on the streets of London.

I didn't have actually family looking for me as it was just the 3 of us, no grandparent, aunts or uncles, just me, Mam and Dad.

Dad was a psychologist, his specialised in body language.

He was able to do what I do, but better, he had more years to clean and perfect his talents.

Of course, having a talent like ours could be highly profitable to be right people, and it was, dad made good money going to meetings with powerful men and women from all over the world and reading the other person in the room.

That was until it wasn't safe and more, which brings us around to me getting on that ferry alone at 16, with £500 to my name and nothing else.

My parents had prepared me in some ways for what I would have to do if anything ever went wrong, but it wasn't enough.

I go through the story about what happened in the last few days with everyone. I try to leave out the worst bits because I'm not ready and when pushed, Nix defends me and tells everyone that they need to respect my not being ready to talk about every detail of being held captive and r***d.

I give him a small smile of thanks and surprisingly enough I get one in return.

I think its the first smile I've see on him in the whole time I've been here.

I look down at the large hoodie I have one, just plain black, over the head hoodie and I pick invisible bit of fluff of it as the conversation lulls for a moment.

I've had about 4 drinks now and I'm starting to feel it, I've got a warm buzz through my body. Its nice, and although I don't feel 100% safe, its the most relaxed I have felt in years.

River decides this moment is the moment to address the other part of me. Which I am thankful for because I'm finish thinking and talking heavy stuff for now.

"soooo... Saorise, you can tell when someone is telling a lie? Is it like constant, can you do it all the time?"

I laugh, I suppose it is an interesting topic.

"I'm about 97% accurate, I always leave room for error because sometimes you meet someone who is just a very talented lier. Wanna try? tell me any lie, start small, work your way up."

He grins, he is quite good looking, he brown hair cut short, I nice smile, tall, built, he actually kind of looks like all they other guys in the room in some way, I'm just taking it in now while I wait for my rapid fire round of lies. I look at Nix who is stilling next to me on another arm chair and whisper

"You're all brothers aren't you?"

He looks at me, smiles and nods his head.

My breath hitches, what a smile, its not like the other small smile he sent my way, this one is big and real, and meets his eyes. It's amazing.

He clearly has great love for his brothers and likes the fact I've realised they are all related.

"okay, I have a few" Rivers voice breaks into my thoughts and I look at him and give him one nod to tell him I'm listening.

"my favourite colour is blue"

"lie"

"my mothers name was betty"

"lie"

"my shoe is size 13"

"true"

"I don't know where my phone is right now" "lie"

"I can't find one of my new runners and I've looks everywhere I can think of"

"ahh true"

"I think Bonnie has it"

" I told you, NO I DON'T" Bonnie interjects. "She is lying, well played"

Bonnie gasps and the whole room erupts into laughter. River just looks smug in the corner, and I can't help but laugh along.

"Alright my turn..." This comes from Knox and I settle in knowing they will all want a go.

About 3 hours later I call a stop to the games, I'm to drunk now to be accurate and I've been banned from poker for the rest of my life, I don't know how to took them 3 hands to realise I could use my skills to win, but I have a suspension that Nix knew all along and thats why he had no money in the pot.

Bonnie and River are still arguing over his runner, and I can't help but I tune into something more between them, they have it hidden quite well but there is something there, they both feel it, and are trying to hide it. It's entertaining to watch.

I like to see new dynamics between people because I can add it to my arsenal of tricks i used to read everyone.

I feel eyes on my and I look at Nix who is walking straight for me. He takes the seat next to me, two fresh drinks in hand, one for him and one for me.

He really is a beautiful creature, he is somewhere between 6ft2 and 6ft5 but I can't tell exactly, I'm tiny 5ft2 without shoes, so everyone is huge to me. His hair is black and longer on top, curly too. He has full plush lips that a girl just wants to bite, broad and strong looking.

"you see it don't you?" he asks and he nods in the direction on Bonnie and River.

"I see everything, but yes I see it, does everyone else know?" I ask looking back to him.

"no, I think its just me, she's my best friend, I know her, I know when she is hiding something and they have been hiding it for years." He says quietly.

"why do you think that is?" I ask looking back at them again, they are still bickering but sharing a cigarette now.

"he thinks I want her because we are so close, even though I've told him its not the case, and she thinks it's some kind of betrayal to go with your best friends brother, but everytime I try and talk to one of them about it, they insist I'm crazy and they don't even have feelings for each other." he says exasperated.

"ah I see. Well if it makes you feel any better it won't last much longer, he has looked at you twice now and she hasn't looked at you at all, her walls are falling, she is almost past caring he is your brother." I tell him as I continue watch them share their cigarette

"I really hope you're right little flame. ... I'm going to the kitchen to get something to eat, and then head for some sleep. Its been a really long night and I was awake all day yesterday. its 8am now." He rises from the chair and looks at me to see what I'm going to do.

I nod, realising how exhausted I actually am, and follow him to the kitchen.

He starts poking around the fridge looking for something for us to eat.

I'm leaving against the cupboard and I watch as he takes out some leftover cooked pasta from the fridge and put it into two bowls and pops them into the microwave.

He leans against the island directly infront of me, arms crossed over his chest and looks at me. He is silent for a moment, only the sounds of the microwave filling the beautiful black and white kitchen, that is surprisingly very clean.

"So little flame, we have asked you questions all morning, asked you to put on a show for us, banned you from poker and got you drunk, but I noticed a few things myself..." He looks at me, his eyes telling me not to lie when he asks whatever is he planning on asking "you never asked any questions about us, where you are, who we are? what we do? why is that?"

Honestly this could be worse but I'm gonna have to tell him what I figured out in the time I've been here.

"you and River took a few phone calls earlier, and then after each one, the phones beeped but were ignored, your dad called at one point, and I heard you tell him you'd be back at work tonight. Knox and Ivy have been taking cocaine since about two hours ago. Archer got a delivery earlier told me they were bike parts, which was true, he caught on quick about the lies. This place looks amazing in here, but you can't hear the hussel of London from inside. Windows, where are none, except the skylight. Which means the "home" part is hidden behind whatever is at the front. You were a little shocked and a lot angry about me being sold, but not surprised. I've been homeless on the streets of London for 4 years, so I know a thing or two about what goes on around the city. So I figured it out...."

I smile, and wait... I can see him looking at me and he does a fantastic job of a blank face, I almost can't read him, which is strange because I can read anyone, until now, he is making an effort for me not be able to do my thing on him, I don't like it, but its kind of refreshing too. A new challenge.

"so, do tell little flame, what have you figured out?" His voice is low and deep, almost gravely.

I square off my shoulder, straighten my spine, look him dead in the eye and say

"you are drug smugglers, you bring drugs from ports all over the UK in to London, and sometimes out again."

He looks gobsmacked, but then he looks mad, and I quickly realise I shouldn't know what information because he has never met

me before. Thinking on my feet I reach out and take his hand and start taking again.

"6 months ago, you were doing a run, 4 bikes weeving through traffic at King's Cross late in the evening, some girl stepped out not seeing a bike, and got spun and hit her head on the footpath, the bike kept going but the next bike stopped, flipped up his visor and asked was she okay. There was blue lights coming in the distance and she seen them, and told him to go, it was okay. All he said was thank you, then he was gone."