"Just go back to your room and wait for Ash," Dante said, unable to tell her more, because Ash had also kept the rape a secret from her too.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Cos it's got nuthin' to do with you."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "Everything to do with Ash is my concern."

"Not this, its family stuff."

"I'm part of the family now."

"No, you're not, you're just a girlfriend."

She shoved him. "And you're just an a.r.s.ehole!" She stormed into her room, slamming the door so hard it rattled on its frame.

Wincing, Dante returned to his room, his head still pounding. He closed his door and pulled open the top drawer of his cabinet, surprised when he couldn't find his new meds. Stuff it, he'd look for them later, and anyway, he needed aspirin more. He stripped off his clothes, changing into jeans and a singlet, then headed for the kitchen, stopping at Beth's door as she poked her head out of the room. He went to say sorry, but got the door slammed in his face again. Frustrated, he leaned his head against the wood panelling, again wishing for things to be different-and for someone he couldn't have.

3.

Sledge Sledge steered the motorbike into his driveway just as his mate got out of a battered blue Ford. He'd been driving around for the past hour, trying to get himself under control. G.o.d, Ash had been raped! That had blown him away, making his stomach twist up so bad that it physically hurt. He'd felt nothing but rage at what his stepfather had done to Ash. But as he neared his new home, his sanctuary away from Ash, the bashing his brother had inflicted upon him filtered back in, making him feel like he shouldn't give the b.a.s.t.a.r.d any sympathy. But how could he not?

Sledge removed his helmet and got off the motorbike, trying to pretend that everything was alright, that he wasn't hurting inside. His mate didn't need to know, Corey had enough of his own problems to contend with. Corey walked towards him, self-consciously tugging at his beanie as though the wind was going to whip it away. Due to chemotherapy, Corey rarely took it off, too embarra.s.sed over his hair falling out.

A smirk spread across Corey's face. "You look like a gay dude's wet dream in those leathers."

Not in the mood for Corey's smart-mouth, Sledge flicked him the finger.

"Sheesh, what got stuck up your a.r.s.e?"

"An annoying li'l s.h.i.t called Corey."

Corey laughed. "I knew you dreamt about my c.o.c.k."

Resisting the urge to punch Corey, Sledge stalked past his mate. He headed towards the weather-beaten bungalow. After the big fight with Ash, he'd decided to flat with his twin sister and the Connor brothers. They'd found a cheap rental in Claydon backing onto the beach. It was pretty run-down, a skeleton of a place that should've been demolished years ago, but the view of Manukau Harbour and the smell of salt air made it worth his dole money.

Corey followed him, singing, "Macho, macho man..." then ran in front of Sledge, his grin still firmly set in place. "Didja go to the YMCA?"

"Stop being a c.u.n.t."

"Nope, I don't have one of those. So, where ja go?"

"None of your business."

Corey stopped suddenly, almost causing Sledge to bang into him, the worry in his mate's hazel eyes replacing the humour that had been there a few seconds ago. "You better not have gone to Stella's house again," Corey said, sounding sulky. "You promised."

Sledge sidestepped him and climbed the steps to the front porch, muttering, "I didn't, and I don't even remember goin' to her place, so lay offa me." He knew it was a lame excuse, but he'd been upset over his grandmother dying and had gone to the pub by himself, wanting to get so blotto he wouldn't remember a thing. And it played out that way, until Stella woke him up the next morning, her means of rousing him definitely memorable. He wondered why Tama thought the chick was a lousy lay, because he sure as f.u.c.k didn't think so. Just thinking about what she'd done to him made his b.a.l.l.s tingle, and if she hadn't caused so much trouble for his mates, he probably would've hooked up with her again. Yeah, he most definitely would've, he liked skinny chicks-a lot.

"You're just like Dante-a s.l.u.t," Corey said, snapping Sledge's attention back to him.

"You cheeky li'l b.a.s.t.a.r.d, don't you dare call Dante that-or me."

Corey crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his chin up, looking like his older sister when she got mad, although Corey was a much shorter and paler version of Beth. "If the condom fits, wear it."

"I don't sleep with that many chicks, and if I did, so what? There's nuthin' wrong with s.e.x. It's you religious types who have a problem with it, s.l.u.t-shaming people who enjoy what your so-called G.o.d gave them."

"I'm not religious and I have no probs with s.e.x."

Sledge walked down the steps and flicked the cross on Corey's chest. "Not religious, eh?"

Corey looked sullen. "It's not like I go to church anymore, they don't like my type there. Apparently, I should burn in h.e.l.l for what I am."

"Cos you're a druggie?"

"Are you naturally stupid or do ya hafta work at it?"

Sledge closed his eyes and breathed in, then slowly exhaled. He'd rather run full pelt into a brick wall than lash out at his mate. Once calm enough, he re-opened his eyes.

Corey's eyebrows pulled together. "You alright, Sledge?"

"I will be once you stop slagging off me and my brother."

Corey shrugged. "You walked right into it, and I have no probs with Dante, I'm just sick of Beth whinging 'bout him and Ash." He put on a breathy female voice, "Ash ignores me; he's always goin' off and brooding, while Dante brings home horrible women, and does G.o.d only knows what to them in his bedroom." Corey changed back to his own voice. "He f.u.c.ks them, Beth. F.U.C.K." His voice reverted back to Beth's. "Don't say that! That's a horrible word."

Sledge shook his head. "Put on a wig and skirt and people will think you're Beth."

"Her b.u.t.t's way bigger." Corey punched Sledge's arm, then swiped the keys off him.

Sledge's eyes lowered to Corey's b.u.t.t as his mate walked up the steps, thinking Corey was definitely right. Over the past few months, Corey had lost a considerable amount of weight, the chemo reducing him to a whisper of his former self.

Corey's baggy jeans and boxers slipped down as he went to unlock the door, his mate giving Sledge an eyeful.

Sledge laughed. "Dude, you're mooning me. Pull up your pants before my sis jumps your skinny a.r.s.e."

Corey grabbed his pants and turned around, his grin resurfacing. "Too late, I did her last night. See, I told ja I had no probs with s.e.x. Booyah!"

Sledge's face screwed up in disgust. "Dammit, Corey! I told ja not to touch her."

Corey's voice went high as he started moving his crotch back and forth, "Oh, Corey, you're so d.a.m.ned good, f.u.c.k me harder-"

"Quit it!"

Corey started laughing, then stopped as the front door flung open from the inside. His smile disappeared at the sight of Sledge's twin sister glaring out at him. She looked like a vicious pit bull ready to rip him apart.

"I told ja not to tell him!" Juliet hollered.

Corey pulled a face, then his grin was back in full force, although Sledge knew this one was fake, the tension in his mate's neck a dead giveaway. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that, but in my defence, I kept my mouth shut for..." Corey glanced at his watch. "...thirteen hours. That's gotta be a record." His smile dropped as Juliet continued to glare at him. "Don't hit me, hit Sledge, he made me talk."

Juliet's gaze shifted to Sledge. She was dressed in black pants and a T, the uniform for her new job at the art gallery where Beth managed. But unlike Corey's sister, the uniform did Juliet no favours, her body too solid. "I did nuthin' wrong," she said. "He came onto me."

Sledge knew why she was worried. He'd given her a slap around for getting his other mate into deep s.h.i.t with Ash after Tama had turned her down.

"It's true," Corey said.

Sledge took the steps two at a time, and pushed past them to get inside. f.u.c.k, he was p.i.s.sed with Corey for touching Juliet. He'd told both of the Connor brothers that his sis was off-limits. Plus, Juliet didn't deserve Corey; his mate was far too good for the munter.

Sledge entered his bedroom and shut the door on Corey's face. The door reopened and Corey stepped inside. Sledge ignored him, and closed the blinds. His room was small and spa.r.s.ely furnished with a single bed and a dresser. Posters of Bruce Lee and half-naked women brightened up the walls, while a single light-bulb hung from the ceiling, missing his head by only a few inches.

"Sledge, mate, gimme a break," Corey said, moving in front of Sledge. "I couldn't help it, she's pretty."

"Pretty?" Sledge stared at Corey in disbelief. "The only way Juliet could be called pretty is if you put ugly after it."

"G.o.d, you're a s.h.i.thead."

"Watch your mouth."

"Or what, you'll punch it? Go on then." Corey moved closer, angling his face up to Sledge's. Being vertically challenged and with a face that made grandmas coo, Corey looked as intimidating as a stoned chipmunk.

"p.i.s.s off." Sledge pulled off his jacket and T, throwing them on his bed.

Corey's eyes flicked between Sledge and the bed. Sledge sat down and yanked off his boots, wondering what Corey's issue was. Agro one second; embarra.s.sed the next. Well, he didn't have time to baby him; he had to get ready for his job interview. Ever since Tama had been thrown into prison he wanted to get work there, so he could make sure his mate was safe. At the moment Tama was probably alright, but once his stepfather was released from prison, Sledge wasn't so confident it would stay that way, Tama's ability to insult people knowing no limits.

Frustrated, Sledge threw his boots at the wardrobe. But then again, what was the b.l.o.o.d.y point of going? There was no way they'd give him a job, especially since the application pack had said there would be tests. He'd always been useless at school, having to do Year Eleven twice.

Sledge leaned his back against the wall and focused on Corey, who was now facing the door. "C'mon, Corey, there's no use gettin' upset. It's just ... you're far too good-lookin' for that ugly cow. You could get any chick. So, why the h.e.l.l would ja want Juliet for?"

Corey turned around. "You reckon I'm good-lookin'?"

Sledge smiled. "Well, you're prettier than Juliet, but that ain't saying much."

A slow grin spread across Corey's face. He started to sing and wiggle his b.u.t.t about, making his jeans fall down again. "You think I'm pretty, you think I'm s.e.xy, I betcha wanna do me-"

"Stoppit, you sick moron." Sledge grabbed a pillow and threw it at Corey. It hit Corey's face, making Sledge laugh. "And pull up your pants; I don't wanna see your Pkeh a.r.s.e."

"I'm not a Pkeh!" Corey picked up the pillow and threw it back with more force. His mate always reacted when people called him the Mori word often used for white people. Because of Corey's pale Irish complexion, he'd been bullied at school, taunted with the word Pkeh. Even though Corey was half Cook Islands Mori, he didn't look it, well, maybe apart from his full lips.

"Sorry, man, it slipped out," Sledge said. "I didn't mean it as an insult like those p.r.i.c.ks at school."

Corey nodded and sat down on the bed. "And I'm sorry 'bout your sis. I should've kept it a secret, but I wanted to tell someone, cos she's my first."

"Your first what?"

"Bang." Corey moved his crotch forward.

"Is not; we f.u.c.ked that chick together."

"Talk about s.h.i.t for memories. We roasted her. I got heads, you got tails."

"But, what about that other chick you said you f.u.c.ked?"

Corey's face reddened. "I lied to get Tama off my back." Corey moved up the bed, and leaned against the wall, his shoulder pressing into Sledge's arm. "He wuz always calling me a f.a.g, cos I didn't hit on chicks."

"That's cos you're shy round them."

"I ain't shy, it's just ... it didn't bother me that they weren't interested. I wuz so d.a.m.ned fat back then that I could hardly blame them for not wanting me."

"s.h.i.t, it would've bothered me."

Corey shrugged. "I had my mates, plus you were always there."

"Yeah, but I couldn't do without p.u.s.s.y."

Corey grimaced. "I could. That b.l.o.w.j.o.b I got wuz way better."

Sledge glared at Corey. "Watch your mouth. You're talking 'bout my sis, you perverted freak."

"No, Juliet didn't blow-" Realisation dawned on Corey's face. "Oh c.r.a.p, sorry, you meant her p.u.s.s.y."

"G.o.d! That's why I didn't want you anywhere near her, cos I knew this s.h.i.t would happen."

"I only went with Juliet cos she looks..." Corey's face dropped, then he tugged his beanie over his eyes.

"Cos she looks, what?"

"Forget it."

Sledge pulled back the beanie. "No, tell me."

"Don't touch it!" Corey grabbed his beanie and jumped off the bed.

"Why won't cha tell me?"

"Cos I'd lose you as a mate."

"Why?"

Corey took off.

Sledge followed him into the pa.s.sage, getting Corey's door slammed in his face. He yanked it open and stalked into Corey's bedroom. "What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?!"

Corey spun around. "Get outta my room!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. You were all happy a moment ago, now you look like you're gonna cry."