Deception and Chaos

by S. M. Soto

  “Oh, shit.” I gasp, my eyes going wide. “I’m so sorry. I forgot you were hurt.”

  I make a move to get off his lap, but his hands tighten around me, prompting me to look at him. His eyes radiate a warmth I’m not yet familiar with. Like the blue of a fire, it’s both hot and lethal.

  Creed gently sweeps a lock of hair behind my ear and places a gentle kiss on my swollen lips. The sentiment has my stomach fluttering and my heart beating uncontrollably. I search his eyes, and for once, a warmth and tenderness that I’ve always known was there, is reflected back at me. Shakily, I place my hand on his face, running my fingers over the stubble of his jaw. His face shutters, and his eyes flutter closed. He blows out a gruff breath.

  “Goddammit, Sophia.”

  “Just kiss me Creed, please,” I beg in a lustful tone. He growls in approval, tangling his hand through my hair as he takes my mouth in an earth shattering kiss that rocks my entire foundation, shooting pleasure straight to my core.

  We both pull away from each other, gasping for much needed breath. I rest my forehead on his, waiting for my pounding heart to slow and inhale his clean scent.

  “Come on,” Creed whispers in a gravelly voice, patting my thigh. He guides me off him and a pained grimace ripples across his face.

  “Seriously, Creed? You’re the one that’s hurt and you’re trying to help me out?” I ask incredulously with a laugh. A grin spreads across his face, and I marvel in his stunning beauty when he smiles. He’s extremely attractive when he’s all cold and broody, but when he smiles? It’s game over. His smile is disarming.

  Staring up at him and his panty melting grin, I tentatively reach my hand out, and lace our hands together. His gaze drops down to his large hand that envelopes my own. Flicking his eyes back up to mine he winks, and my heart skips a solid beat at the playful air surrounding him.

  The knock at the door is like being doused in cold water. I slip my hand out of Creed’s and leave a respectable amount of room between us once the door opens. Garrett strides into the room, eyeing both me and Creed warily.

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah. I was just making sure he was okay.”

  I plaster a smile on my face and step toward my brother. His gaze shifts to Creed’s heavy presence behind me, and his eyes narrow. There’s a long, drawn out moment of silence that reverberates throughout the room. Both men stare each other down, seeming to have their own conversation without speaking not one word. Animosity clogs the air around us.

  “Okaaay,” I draw out with an awkward clap of my hands. “You ready to head down stairs, Gar? I’m sure Creed wants to rest or, whatever.” My question seems to snap them both out of their withering stares.

  Garrett follows me out of the room without so much as one word. I nibble on my bottom lip, trying to think of something clever to say to quell the tension in the air.

  He knows. He must know.

  I worry my bottom lip between my teeth and fiddle my thumbs behind my back nervously waiting for him to say something. When he finally does speak, it’s what I least expected would come out of his mouth.

  “I was just coming to let you know I’m leaving. To check on Wendy for a bit. With the guys being gone I didn’t have a chance to check in on her.”

  I sag in relief at his words and smile up at him, practically shooing him out the door.

  “Go, go! It’s totally fine. And remember what I said,” I remind him like a doting mother. My brother rolls his eyes and nods his head.

  “Stay out of trouble while I’m out, would ya? I’ll only be a few hours.”

  I narrow my eyes.

  “What the hell am I going to do, Gar? Grab a gun from the supply room and shoot the place to the ground?”

  His face turns serious.

  “Don’t say that. And stay the hell out of the supply room, Soph, I mean it!” He tosses sternly over his shoulder.

  “Okay, Grandpa,” I retort with a roll of my eyes.

  By the time Garrett gets back from visiting Wendy, he’s called into a debriefing with Creed and the rest of the guys. I stride into the library, ready to get some reading in, and that’s where I find Mera, plopped down on one of the seats with a book of her own. The sight makes me smile.

  “I was starting to worry you never give yourself a break, woman.”

  Her head snaps up and she laughs warmly at my words.

  “I love doing what I do, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes, a little peace and quiet is all an old woman like me needs.”

  I grin, nodding my head in agreement.

  Ambling up to the shelves, I slide out a book at random, and plop down on the reading chair resting in the corner. I fiddle with the book and its pages as I war with myself on whether or not I should thank Mera.

  “I’m guessing I have you to thank for holding Garrett off as long as you did earlier?”

  With measured movements, Mera closes her book, and places it on the seat next to her. The kind smile radiates off her face as she stares at me—much like it always does.

  “Yes, I suppose I did hold your brother off for as long as I could, but there’s no need to thank me Sophia.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you deserve to be happy. And I get the feeling Creed makes you happy.”

  I purse my lips “That’s debatable.”

  Mera tosses her head back and laughs, her laugh lines crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

  “All men and their quirks are debatable. But the two of you…I think you both make each other happy. That’s all that matters.”

  How does she make it all sound so simple, and easy?

  “I wish it were that simple, Mera. I really do. There’s things about Creed, things he’s told me that should frighten me, make me want to run screaming for the hills to get away from him.” I lift one shoulder in a shrug. “But for the life of me, I don’t want to run away from him, if anything the need to be close to him is all I can ever think about.”

  Mera smiles and nods her head. “This life…his life, it isn’t easy, and the likelihood is, it never will be.”

  “Do you think I’m crazy? For wanting this? Wanting to be with him?”

  I search her cornflower blue eyes for any signs of worry over my decisions, but I get none.

  “No, Sophia. I don’t think you’re crazy. You’re human.”

  “Do you know…?” I trail off, unsure if I should speak about Creed and his past. She smiles tightly, waving a hand through the air.

  “I don’t need to know everything about that man’s past to know he has a good heart. It’s still there.”

  I blow out a breath and nod my head in agreement, because even after everything he’s told me, I know it’s true. Creed does have a heart. Under his cold, hard exterior, it’s in there somewhere. I just need to find it.

  THE LOUD HUSTLE AND BUSTLE of the place is back to normal. I practically skip down the hall toward the grounds, in such good spirits, I’m almost certain nothing can bring me down. With all the men back, that means Creed is back, and he’s safe. I can’t decide what’s more important, the former or the latter—both. Definitely both.

  The wind whips my hair around me as I slide the door closed behind me. Birds chirp in the trees surrounding the building, water from the cement fountain splashes in a calming melody that brings a slow, serene smile to my face. I nod my head and give a smile to the elderly woman that’s being led around the grounds by a male attendant. My chest squeezes. Seeing these people in the flesh, it makes me worry about them. It makes this place seem more…real. If anything were to happen here because of the guys, these innocent people will be collateral damage. The thought alone makes my eyes sting with unshed tears. I know just what it’s like to be a victim to circumstance—the collateral as it were.

  Shaking my head clear of those saddening thoughts, I shift my gaze away from the elderly woman and focus on the lush green scenery. The trees sway against the force of the wind, the leaves and branches whisper around m
e. Goosebumps pebble across my flesh from the brisk air. A heavy hand landing on my shoulder has me whirling around fearfully, with my heart lodged somewhere deep in my stomach. A gasp tears past my lips and my erratic heartbeat slows once my eyes fall on Creed. He smirks at my frightened reaction and I narrow my eyes, throwing a weak punch at his shoulder.

  “Are you insane? You almost gave me a heart attack, ass.”

  He chuckles, the sound deep and gravelly, like he doesn’t laugh much.

  “Good to know those self-defense lessons are coming in handy,” he says dryly, referring to my weak attempt at a punch.

  I roll my eyes.

  “Well forgive me for not expecting someone to hop out of the trees and scare the living shit out of me.”

  Creed’s light expression falters as he takes a step toward me.

  “You’re never going to be prepared for an attacker. You need to be aware at all times, Sophia. Anything can happen.”

  My back straightens at the seriousness in his tone. I swallow thickly and avert my gaze, internally berating myself.

  “I know. It’s just…this is all so new to me. But you’re right.”

  His lips thin, but he nods his head, understanding where I’m coming from.

  We walk in silence to our spot on the rock that overlooks the wide assortment of trees. I stare down at my hands awkwardly, uncomfortable with the tense silence surrounding us. Creed clears his throat uncomfortably.

  “I’m sorry…about scaring you.”

  “Scaring me? Impossible. I live for scary mafia men creeping up on me.”

  Creed tosses his head back, laughing at my failed attempt at a joke. With his head thrown back, I take a second to admire his carefree attitude. It’s a good look on him. Almost as good as his cold and brooding one.

  God, he could be so beautiful and carefree when he wanted to be.

  “Tell me something about you I don’t know, anything,” I say suddenly, wanting to know every little thing about this man. No matter how inconsequential or small.

  “I played football in high school,” he says with a shrug.

  “You went to high school? How did that work, with you being a mafia hitman and all?”

  He cracks a smile and shakes his head back and forth in amusement.

  “I went to high school just like any regular kid, well, more like a private school, the only difference is I killed people on the side. It didn’t take away from me being a teenager, I still made all the idiotic mistakes adolescents make.”

  “I find that very hard to believe.”

  “Believe me, I was a fucking moron in high school.”

  I sputter a laugh and nudge his shoulder playfully.

  My mind is incapable of comprehending Creed as anything else but intelligent and terrifying. I can’t help but wonder what he would’ve been like had we known each other in high school. Granted, he’s five years my senior, but still, it’s easy to lose myself in my imagination when it comes to Creed.

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” I raise my brow in question, making him grin.

  “Tit for tat. Now, tell me something about you.”

  I try to think of something interesting, or clever to say about myself, but come up short. I’ve always been the quiet, normal girl that no one notices. There’s nothing interesting I can tell him about myself because in reality, being abducted and landing here is close to the craziest thing that has ever happened in my life.

  “I make kick ass macaroons.” I grimace and shrug my shoulders at the amused expression on his face.

  “You’re horrible at this,” he says laconically, making me snort.

  “No kidding.”

  He gives me a crooked grin and the effect it has on me is astounding. The palpating in my chest, the chemical reaction my body has to his, all of it makes it harder to breathe, impossible to think. The urge to kiss him is stronger than anything I’ve felt before. I fight against my body that desperately seeks the warmth of his skin against mine.

  The sudden timber of Garrett’s voice behind us startles a yelp out of me. Whirling around from my position on the rock, I find my brother glowering at the both of us with his arms crossed over his chest. I quickly look down and blow out a relieved breath that there’s a good amount of distance between Creed and me.

  Guess it’s a good thing I didn’t kiss him after all.

  “Hey, Gar.”

  I try for casual, but my voice trembles, revealing my nerves. Garrett’s shifts his threatening gaze that’s been trained on Creed to me.

  “Let’s head inside, Soph. It’s getting late.”

  His tone brooks no room for argument, so I oblige, not willing to push my luck any further. Slowly, I rise from the rock and glance at Creed who looks as calm as ever. His eyes meet mine and he nods his head ever so slightly, letting me know everything’s okay. I blow out a breath and follow Garrett inside.

  Before the sliding doors even close, my brother whirls on me, a furious expression plastered across his face.

  “From now on, I’m the only person you go outside with. You understand?”

  I stumble back, raising my brows. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me Soph. I don’t want you around Creed anymore. Especially not alone.”

  Anger simmers just below the surface, prompting me clench my fists and grind my teeth together in frustration.

  “What the hell is your problem, Gar? First Finlay and now Creed? Do you want me to feel alone, trapped in this fucking place?”

  His lips curl in anger and he growls, “Watch your mouth,” while jabbing a finger in my face. “You aren’t alone, and you’re not trapped here, Sophia. You have me. That’s all you need.”

  I scoff, laughing without humor. “You’re kidding me, right? So, what, I can’t make friends with any of the guys here?”

  “No.”

  My blood boils at his over-protective attitude. Fire spreads through my veins and my hands tremble in anger.

  “You know what?” I hiss, stepping toward him. “I don’t care what you say. I can be friends with whoever I damn well please.”

  I shove against his shoulder and stalk away from him, fuming. My nostrils flare at the force of my heavy breaths.

  “Sophia!” Garrett shouts after my retreating form.

  “Why don’t you go visit Wendy, I’m sick and tired of dealing with you!” I yell storming out of the room.

  “Sophia! Get your ass back here!” He hollers, his booming voice echoes around the walls.

  “Watch your mouth.” I shoot back over my shoulder just to spite him, never once slowing my stride. As I’m stomping up the steps I run into Finlay and Ricky who eye me warily, like I’m a ticking time-bomb on the verge of exploding. Ricky, of course, has a half-eaten cookie in his hand and crumbs scattered all over his beard.

  “Bad day, love?” Finlay asks with a hint of worry in his tone.

  “Apparently Garrett thinks he’s the only freaking person in this God forsaken place I should talk to.” I growl in his face, forcing him to take a few steps back, away from my wrath. He raises his hands above his head.

  “Bad day it is,” he mumbles as him and Ricky slip down the stairs.

  Back in my room, my brother bangs on the door for a solid stretch of time, and jiggles the knob violently trying to get it open.

  That’s why I locked it, you idiot.

  After his failed banging attempts, a few minutes later he tries to the soft and easy approach. I don’t buy into it as he apologizes from the other side of my door and begs me to open up so we can talk about what happened. It may be childish, the way I’m acting, but it’s justified.

  How can he possibly think he can tell me what to do and how to live my life? Does he really expect me to survive in this place with just him and Mera? I can’t. I’ve made friendships here, friendships that mean something to me. I’ve gotten to know all the guys here—Ricky is the non-stop eater of the bunch, Jose is the prankster who thinks all of his joke
s are hilarious, and Kam is just the silent, brooding one that I’m not sure says more than ten words a day. Finlay has become the person I go to when I need to feel optimistic about life and Creed is the man that has my heart wrapped in a viselike grip. I know there’s a mole in this group of misfits, but the longer I spend with each of them, the harder it is to believe any of them are capable of being a traitor—especially Jose and Ricky.

  I’m not giving any of them up. I won’t.

  I don’t even care that the traitor is still roaming these halls, embedding himself in my life. I’m starting to think this whole, “Find out who the mole is” thing is a farce. I’m done letting my brother dictate what I can and can’t do. He may be looking out for me in his own way, but he isn’t seeing the bigger picture—just how lonely and trapped I feel here.

  Nearly two hours later, Garrett raps lightly at my door, snapping me out of my pissy mood. I hear his audible sigh echo against the door.

  “I’m going to spend some time with Wendy tonight, Soph. I-I’m sorry. I just…I just need to cool off.”

  There’s a long moment of silence before I hear the thudding of his footfalls retreat away from the door. A small, miniscule part of me feels bad for shutting Garrett out, but another larger part of me feels my reaction is well-deserved.

  I throw myself back on the bed and stare indignantly at the ceiling. I wish I was back home. Back with Alexis and my old life. I’m so sick and tired of feeling trapped here—always in a perpetual limbo. I never know what the fuck is going to happen next. Is he going on a mission, is he staying? Is Creed going, or is he staying, too? Is the traitor plotting against us? Are those vile men still searching for me? The uncertainty of it all drives me nuts.

  Dragging myself onto my feet, I nibble on my bottom lip in deliberation. There’s no doubt in my mind that Creed heard my argument with Gar. I want to apologize on my brother’s behalf, but I also want to make sure everything with Creed and I is still okay. Things have been going so well between us lately, I hope to God my brother didn’t ruin anything.