The chill in the apartment has seeped into my veins, and I push off the bed and pad to the radiator, turning it up, so the place can warm. Even though winter is coming, and November will be here soon, this is ridiculously cold. Fall has always been my favorite season, the brown and orange leaves along with sweaters and pumpkin-spiced lattes, but winter is a whole other story.
Perhaps it’s because I’m not at home. Maybe it’s because this new town has twisted me up in its dark secrets, and I’m no longer the city girl but someone else.
That’s why my dad sent me away. To be someone other than the girl who fell in love with the wrong boy. I know he wanted me far from the shitstorm I’d created, but I wonder just what he’s doing to fix it.
He hasn’t confirmed if Devon has been taken care of, and even the thought of it makes me shiver. My father is dangerous. The man I fell in love with, one of his foot soldiers, stole something valuable because I was stupid enough to trust him.
When Dad found out I’d been sleeping with Devon, he lost his mind, hence the reason I’m here. I’ve been the cause of my father’s disappointment for so long, it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.
At twenty, you’d think I’d be all grown up. You’d be led to believe I’m an adult, already in college, working toward a degree. But I’m nothing more than a pawn in my father’s empire.
And my life will always be this—a chess game for men to push the pieces around, until I’m fighting a losing battle. At first, I didn’t want to come to Thorne Haven, but Dad insisted. He told me Devon was dangerous, and they would take care of it.
I know what that means—Devon will lose his life because he made the mistake of taking what wasn’t his to take. Besides the money and jewels, which were family heirlooms, he got my virginity too.
A crack of thunder has me jumping and a scream tumbles from my lips as the dark apartment is lit by the silver streak. I’m shaking when I turn to the window and see rain pelting the glass.
I’m never going to sleep now. Sighing, I flick on the light in the kitchen and turn on the coffee machine. I may as well get ahead with my coursework while I’m awake. Once the brew has filled the mug, I settle on the sofa with my laptop.
The screen glows in the faint light, illuminating me in a bright glow, leaving the rest of the living room in darkness. But the moment I have my homework open, ready for me, I can’t stop my fingers from flying over the keyboard, and I’m on the internet, searching for more about Creed Haven.
He’s clearly well-versed in hiding in plain sight because there isn’t much about him online. No social media posts, not even on Brody or Keirin’s profiles, which have both been hidden from public view. The only way to take a peek into their world is to send a friend request, but I’m not brave enough.
Instead of frustrating myself further, I dive into my work, but even as I complete my paper for English, I can’t shake the feeling I’m being watched, that somehow, Creed is right outside my window.
Tonight will be a time for reckoning, and he’s going to have to answer for himself. And for the first time since I got the invite, I feel ready to go toe-to-toe with Creed Haven himself.
6
Creed
The noise has been nonstop for the past twenty-four hours. I’ve spent most of my time in the forest. The silence at the lake has been a welcome salvation from contractors setting up for the party.
Nobody can ever say Octavius Haven doesn’t go out of his way when he’s hosting a party. For years, these annual events have been the talk of the town, and Thorne Haven likes to talk.
Tonight, everyone will be here, and with every entry through the front door, I’ll be looking out for the beauty in the silver dress. She didn’t see me while she was with her friends in the boutique, but I saw her. When she stepped out of the fitting room, I knew she found my note because her cheeks were flushed and her eyes had a faraway look in them, as if she was trying to figure out where I was.
The shadows have been my best friend for a long time, and no matter how hard she tried, she would never have noticed me. But I’m almost certain she felt my eyes on her. The intensity of my gaze most certainly burned through the flimsy material of the dress she chose.
The thought of ripping it from her perfect hourglass figure has made me think once more about how she’d look while she found pleasure. Her lashes would flutter like butterflies on the apples of her cheeks, and those pouty fucking lips would part with a moan and mewl, and—I can only hope and pray—an utterance of my name.
“Are you ready?” Brody asks, as he walks into my bedroom without so much as a knock on the door. It’s my fault for leaving it open. My brothers know I love my space, my private time alone, and mostly, they’ll respect that, but there are those moments when they forget themselves.
“I am.” I stare out the window, watching the workmen install the maze. It’s an intricate structure with the cage in the corner. That’s where I’ll catch my little mouse. A smile spreads on my face when I think about just how alluring she’ll be locked up for me to toy with.
“Do you really think she’s going to listen to you?”
“Maybe.” I’ve pondered this for a while. I didn’t think about what would happen when she
