Entangled Chaos (Entangled Duet Book 1)

by C. M. Radcliff

  The strings are pulled taut, he’s careful with every move he makes, but his face paints a whole different picture. He doesn’t look robotic, mimicking his movements; the lines on his face are harsh and angry. His eyes are hardened, and an arrogant, defiant aura surrounds him.

  He’s not to be controlled, but he’s trapped beneath someone’s thumb.

  He fits in here because he has no other option.

  He’s simply disguised as a puppet.

  And he’s my ticket out of here.

  Tucking back in behind the shelves, I take a deep breath, mustering up the courage I need right now.

  I could be wrong; he might not help me.

  A million scenarios run through my mind of how terribly this may end, but I’m afraid it’s my only option.

  A foreign silence fills the room, slowly seeping into my pores. He makes no sounds until his heavy footsteps fall across the concrete floor. I go unnoticed, as he walks directly past me without a single glance in my direction. Quickly scrambling to my feet, I step out into the open just as he’s making his way to the door.

  My stomach drops as I watch his arm slowly reach out toward the doorknob. Without thinking, I sprint toward him, knowing this is my last chance and I need to stop him now.

  Grabbing onto his arm as I reach him, his hand falls away from the doorknob and he shakes my hands off him. Tilting his face down, soft brown eyes meet mine as a startled look passes over his face.

  Tears instantly spring to my eyes as he silently assesses me in pure confusion.

  “Please help me,” I choke out the words, unable to stand the silence. His light brown eyes gradually grow darker as he slowly narrows them at me. I wait, but he doesn’t acknowledge a single word I said.

  His eyes continue to scan every inch of me, looking me up and down, making me feel small and scrutinized under his imaginary microscope.

  Biting down on my bottom lip, I struggle to hold it together, to stand tall and strong.

  I was 110% wrong.

  He isn’t going to help me get out of here.

  A small hiccup escapes as unwanted tears begin to flow freely and rapidly down my cheeks. His eyes snap to mine and they soften instantly as he frantically surveys my face.

  It comes out in a rush, his voice is barely audible, but I hear him louder than ever.

  “Okay,” he whispers to me, and only me. Reaching out, he tenderly brushes the tears from my face as he watches me thoughtfully. “What’s your name?”

  Letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, my name comes out in a rush. “Dahlia,” I tell him, willing my voice to stay even. He gives me a small smile as he pulls his hands away and shoves them into his coat pockets.

  “I’m going to help you get out of here, Dahlia,” he declares, nodding at me. “But first, we have to go back inside.”

  Shaking my head, I start to back away as all color drains from my face. “No, no,” I utter the words in a rush as he starts to follow me. His legs are longer, his stride is bigger and he’s in my space in no time. “I won’t go back in there.”

  Backing into a row of shelves, I’m suddenly trapped, with the boy peering down at me.

  He cocks his head to the side. “Are you ready to die, Dahlia?”

  My body falls still, my heart pounds rapidly in my chest and I can’t breathe.

  He is danger.

  And I’m a damn fool.

  “Calm down,” he demands as his brows furrow. “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s an honest question.” He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and looks back at me. “Are you ready to die?”

  My eyes widen at his bluntness, but no words fall from my lips. Swiftly shaking my head no, I hug myself tightly, wishing I’ll wake up from this nightmare.

  “Good.” He nods slowly. “I’m not ready yet either.”

  “You can’t make me go back in there,” I tell him, my voice small.

  “I know I can’t,” He shrugs. “And I don’t have to. If you want my help, you have to go back.” He stares down at me with a solemn look on his face. “The choice is yours, Dahlia.”

  He takes a step back, turning away from me and walks back to the door leading inside.

  “Wait!” I call out, stepping after him. “What happens if I don’t go back in there?”

  The boy stops in his tracks, a few feet away from the door and glances at me over his shoulder. “They’ll kill you.”

  He says it so matter-of-factly, so simply, as if it’s a normal thing, an everyday occurrence.

  I don’t know who ‘they’ are, and I don’t want to know, but I most certainly do not want to meet them in death.

  I have two choices, either I follow him or die.

  “What’s your name?” I ask him as I walk up beside him.

  Turning his head to face me, he raises his eyebrows and a smile plays on his lips. “Kai.”

  “Okay, Kai.” I give him a small smile. “So, what happens now?”

  Pulling his right hand out of his pocket, he reaches over and grabs my hand. “I have a plan, so if you just stay with me, you’ll be safe.”

  Putting my fate in his hands, I put my entire life on the line and let him lead me back through the gates of Hell.

  Kai

  SHE’S SCARED SHITLESS, as she should be.

  Her dainty hand shakes in mine as she lets me lead her up the stairs and through the door into the pantry. She trusts me to keep her safe, but no one is actually safe here.

  I didn’t want to bring her back into this hell, but if I didn’t, she’d be dinner for the pigs. No one has made it out of here alive and I wasn’t about to let her try to get out on her own.

  The time would come... just not now.

  We’re greeted by an eerie silence and my body quickly jumps into fight mode. Flight has never been a relevant instinct; it was simply a myth or an unattainable dream.

  I may never get out of here alive, but she will.

  Glancing back at her, Dahlia stares at me with wide, frightened eyes. Giving her a small smile, I lightly squeeze her hand in an effort to offer her some comfort. I can’t lie to her again and pretend that she’s safe now. No one is safe here.

  Taking a deep breath, I slowly open the door into the massive kitchen and peer around the corner. My eyes scan the room and I let out the breath that I didn’t know I was holding when I see that it’s empty.

  “Are you thirsty?” I ask her quietly. She quickly glances around before giving me a small nod.

  She stays close to me, still clutching my clammy hand and tiptoes across the room to the refrigerator. I drop her hand and she wraps her arms around herself as I pull open the large stainless-steel doors. The light is fluorescent and blinding as it shines down on us. The fridge is packed full with fresh food and drinks, although you wouldn’t suspect such a thing if you saw most of the kids here.

  Handing her a bottle of water, I shut the doors and am face to face with Stan, one of my father’s men.

  “Oh, good, you found her,” he says, pushing off the countertop he was leaning on. He steps closer to Dahlia, pulling a lock of her hair in between his fingertips, rubbing them together and then releasing her. “Bring her to the den. Everyone’s waiting.”

  Fuck... this isn’t good.

  “Why?” I counter, squaring my shoulders, stepping in front of Dahlia.

  Stan squints his eyes at me, glaring at me head-on. At seventeen, I’ve started to gain inches, now standing eye level with most of my father’s men.

  “Luca’s orders,” he sneers. “You being his son does not make you any better than everyone else. Don’t forget that, you little shit.”

  Spinning on the expensive heel of his black dress shoes, he marches out of the kitchen with confidence and purpose. I turn around to Dahlia, meeting her curious and confused eyes.

  She has no idea.

  “You hungry?” I ask her. She takes a small sip of her water and shakes her head.

  Jamming my hands in my front pockets, I
stare at her awkwardly. I need a plan to get her away from here, and I need it now.

  “Who was that man?” she questions, peering up at me through thick black eyelashes.

  My brow furrows as I chew on the inside of my cheek. “Stan,” I grumble. “He works with my father.”

  Her eyes never leave mine.

  “Who’s your father?”

  Taking a deep breath, I run my hand through my hair and exhale. “He’s the king of the castle.”

  Her eyes widen as she misinterprets my words. “You mean you’re royalty?”

  “He’s not actually a fucking king,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Royalty, no. Rich, yes. He runs this shit hole and everyone that is here.”

  A moment passes before she finally speaks. “Okay...” She trails off, her voice small and quiet. “Are we going to the den?”

  I stare down at her in disbelief. Does she lack any sense of danger or impending doom?

  I didn’t expect her to be such an imbecile.

  “Uh, no,” I reply curtly, the annoyance thick in my voice. “They are dangerous men, Dahlia. Why the hell would I lead you into the lion’s den?”

  “Dali.” She smiles sweetly. “And I think I have to go into the lion’s den whether I like it or not.”

  “No,” I interject, but she raises a finger to silence me.

  “I would feel better about it if it were with you,” she says it like she’s done this before.

  Fucking child.

  “Are you really that stupid? You think we’re just gonna walk in there like that and life’s gonna be that simple?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not ready to die yet, Kai. I miss my parents and I just wanna go home.”

  “And what, you think one of them is just gonna have a change of heart and offer you a ride home?”

  “No,” she whispers, looking up at me with bright green tear-filled eyes. “If I cooperate, then maybe I will get to go home one day.”

  They’re going to ruin her in every way possible.

  “You don’t belong here,” I sneer, cutting my eyes at her. She’s pissing me off, rooting herself under my skin and I don’t know if I can save her. “You’re weak and if you think that crying shit is going to get you anywhere, you’re dumber than I thought.”

  Her bottom lip quivers and she bites down on it, holding it in place. Her brow furrows as a wave of shock passes through her eyes.

  I don’t want to be an asshole, but I need her to be strong.

  She quickly washes the expression from her face, and she glares at me harshly. There’s a softness lingering just past the hardened edges of her deep green eyes.

  “You don’t have to be such an...” Dali pauses, frowning and her voice drops to a whisper, “ass.”

  The corners of my lips twitch as I fight the urge to smile and swallow the laughter bubbling up my throat. It’s subtle, but she catches it with her watchful eye.

  Her hand flies to her mouth as she breaks out into a fit of giggles. The dimples in her cheeks grow deeper as her eyes light up. She laughs silently, her honey curls lightly bounce with her shoulders.

  She’s innocent and carefree, I let her have her moment because it just might be one of her last.

  Dahlia

  MY LAUGHTER DIES DOWN and I’m met with Kai’s soft brown eyes. They’re warm, yet they’re empty, like he’s not even here right now.

  “Shall we?” he says, nodding toward the door leading out of the kitchen.

  No.

  “Do I have a choice?” I question him, crossing my arms over the mosquito bites on my chest. Internally, I struggle with shrugging this off and plastering on a brave face.

  Kai frowns as his hand dives into his thick hair and he scratches the side of his head. “No, not really,” he answers truthfully. “But we should go before they come looking for us.”

  Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I nod, refusing to let my fear show. Kai is foreign to me and I can’t trust him any more than I can trust myself. He holds his hand out to me and waits silently as I stare at his soft, but calloused palm.

  I have no choice; I remind myself and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Accepting my unknown fate, I gingerly put my hand in his and let him lead me straight into the lion’s den.

  Kai is silent as we walk down the vast, empty hallway. The house is old and follows a Victorian theme with a slightly modern touch. I crane my neck as we pass a large doorway that leads into a parlor and a sitting room. The elegant décor is from another era, one that screams old money.

  I glance down at my dirty white Mary Janes with scuffs around the toes. My frilly white socks have taken on a light brown color, with small tears in the lace.

  My mother wouldn’t be happy with me right now and I can hear her voice in the back of my mind.

  Your appearance is the first to meet the eye and it leaves an impression. First impressions are everything.

  I wipe a tear away from my cheek as it softly falls as her voice drifts away.

  I look like I belong here, but I don’t.

  I just want to go home.

  We turn a corner, leading down another hall and walk to the door at the very end. My little legs struggle to keep up with Kai as I have to take two steps to match one of his. He slows when my footsteps falter and I struggle to stay with him.

  We come to a stop in front of the door and Kai turns to face me, grabbing onto my shoulders.

  “I need you to be strong in here, Dahlia,” he whispers as he leans down into my face.

  I swallow hard, searching his eyes for anything but the fear he’s showing me. “Okay,” I agree, my voice barely audible.

  “Promise me,” he urges, giving me a small shake.

  My eyes widen as his urgency ignites a panic inside of me. I nod quickly. “I promise.”

  He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, turning his head back to the door as he opens his eyes again. “I don’t know what is going to happen and I can’t promise that I can keep you safe, but I will try to,” he declares as he looks back at me with his soft brown eyes. “No weakness, okay?”

  I give him a small nod as he slowly lifts his fist and gives a single, solid knock on the door. His eyes grow distant and blank as the softness quickly dissipates.

  We stand side by side as the door is pulled open, revealing Stan, the man from the kitchen. He glares at Kai before looking down at me with an evil smirk.

  “Kai,” a deep voice calls from across the room. “Bring her in.”

  Kai disregards me as he grabs hold of my arm and swiftly pulls me into the room as Stan shuts it behind us. The room is dark, like the rest of the house, with rich woods and red fabrics.

  We stop in the center of the room, opposite of a tall, muscular man seated behind a large desk. His face is hardened and perfectly symmetrical with his dark brown hair slightly silvered.

  He’s the man who said he’d help me find my parents. The man who I had seen at their shop before.

  The man who had brought me here.

  He smiles as his eyes meet mine and he rises to his feet. His gaze drops, trailing down to my feet and slowly back to my face. Kai tenses beside me and his fingers grow tighter around my arm.

  “Hello, Father.”

  Kai

  DAHLIA IS SMARTER THAN I had given her credit for. I hear the small shift in her breathing and her body fall still as I address my father. She knew we were coming to see him, but reality had just smacked her across the face.

  “I see that you’ve found the girl,” my father states, keeping his eyes trained on her. My jaw clenches slightly, but I quickly release as I maintain composure. “Stan informed me that she was trying to escape.”

  “She was confused,” I lie as I disconnect myself and talk as if she isn’t standing beside me. “I found her looking for her parents, as she thought she had come here with them.”

  “Right,” he murmurs, narrowing her eyes at her. “So, she doesn’t remember coming here?”

  I give
her arm a small squeeze as I see her chest quickly rise out of the corner of my eye.

  Get it together, Dahlia.

  “No, sir,” I assure him, not knowing whether it’s the truth or a lie. From the subtle changes in her stance, I can only assume that it’s a lie.

  My father walks around his desk and steps in front, towering over us. He reaches down, grabbing a lock of Dahlia’s hair and drags his hand down, smoothing out the curl. As he releases it, her hair bounces back into a perfect curl. “She’s perfect, isn’t she?” he murmurs as he does a circle around us.

  Dahlia stays silent and still as she stares straight ahead. He’s testing her willpower and she’s proving both of us wrong.

  I expected her to break, to be uncomfortable under this pressure and scrutiny. I expected her to collapse onto the floor and curl into a ball as she cried out for her parents, but she didn’t.

  Not yet.

  “Kai,” my father says as he stops in front of me, tearing his eyes from Dahlia. “You are ready for more responsibility, so she will be your project now. You will be responsible for taking care of her and training her.”

  “Okay,” I tell him, treading lightly and unsure of where to start. He may have handed her over to me, but she’s not my little pet.

  “Son, I know this is new for you. It’s new for me too,” he admits and throws an arm over my shoulders. “This is your time to shine, to prove your worth. You do well with this one and you’ll be rewarded. You fuck this up and you’ll both be punished.”

  From the corner of my eye, I see Dahlia standing rigidly as she continues to stare straight ahead. Her eyes may not be on us, but her ears are taking everything in.

  “You will be in charge of training her, but you are not her owner. I own her.” He jabs his chest with his thumb. “Never forget that or you’ll pay gravely, right after you feed the pigs, of course.” A smile plays on his lips as he steps backward and leans on his desk.