Twisted in Chaos (Destructive Devastation #2)

Chapter 60

When I marched into the lion's cage with guards frantically shouting threats, I knew I was in a safe space to escape their watchful eyes. Grace has made sure to put them on us so we don't run from here or retaliate.

But this?

"How in the fuck do you have a fully functioning studio apartment in your goddamn cave?" I mutter, sitting on the edge of a king-sized bed in the middle of a secret room I had no idea existed.

How the hell did he hide this from us? I look at him. I mean, really look at him, and shake my head. What other secrets is he hiding in that brain of his?

"Oh, this old thing," he quips, waving a hand. "Had it built for me. It's a getaway."

I don't even have to ask what from. It's a getaway when things become too overwhelming for him. When his demon makes too much noise in the back of his mind. Normally, he loses himself in the violence of everything. And sometimes, he holds it back.

"Well, it's come in handy, hasn't it?" I mumble, rubbing my gritty eyes, swollen from the tears I couldn’t hold back.

My paintings have disappeared without a trace. My only hope is they're safely hiding somewhere deep in the mansion. I know it was her who removed them. She’s been desperate for this baby and making a space for it. She took them to hurt me. Or maybe she didn’t even realize how much they meant to me. Grace wasn’t here when my father took my tongue. No. She was lost on some island, playing mistress to him and building an army to take over this place.

"We'll get your paintings back, Sheppy Boy. I promise." Arrow tilts his head, getting onto his feet. "How about a snack or something?" He waltzes to the small fridge in the tiny kitchen and cracks it open with a hum. "Well, I have pickles. You want a glass of orange juice?" He peers over his shoulder with sparkling eyes.

"I think I'll pass," I mumble, shaking my head. "Is this your goddamn murder sanctuary?" I grumble, taking in the tiny apartment-like room. It's fully functional, with a kitchen and a door that leads to a bathroom. No wonder he's been missing for two days. Staying here is like a retreat.

"You wanna know the best part?" he asks, biting into a large pickle, dripping the juice down his chin. He smacks his lips a few times, humming at the taste.

"What's that?"

"This," he says, pulling out an old flip phone and tossing it at me. I barely catch it when he sits beside me on the bed. "I've been holding Olivia off for two days. Well, I'm trying to come up with a plan, at least. Now that you’re here, part of our plan is in action." He shrugs, looking pensive. “We need to separate her from Jer and my Kitten. Any ideas?” He bats his eyelashes at me with a hopeful expression.

I stare at the flip phone with awe. A lifeline. Something we can use to contact the outside world. It’s like getting your one phone call from prison to the person meant to bail you out.

“Yes, Arrow,” I whisper in awe. “You need to call her back.”

“Just hit that button right there,” he hums, pressing the number one. “There ya go, it’s calling.” He grins, pressing the speaker button. “You tell her whatever. I’ve had my fill of disappointed Olivia today.” He shrugs, biting into his pickle again.

“I swear to God, Arrow. I have a damn job. You know, the one plotting to get you all to safety,” Olivia snarks. “What do you want? Have you gathered your idiots into the cave yet?”

“You’re so accommodating, Liv!” Arrow shouts, biting his food again and loudly munching in my ear. “Besides, that’s insulting! What if they were all here to hear you call them idiots? You’d make Jer cry.”

“Jer cry?” She scoffs. “My cousin hasn’t shed a tear. Not since he saw my dad’s eyeball get forcefully removed from his skull.”

“Forcefully removed, you say? I remember that. It was epic,” Arrow hums until I whack him.

“For a guy who told me to call, you sure are chatty,” I grunt, sending him a death glare.

He waves me off, giving his pickle his full attention. I guess any sort of bloodshed on his doorstep is means for a celebratory pickle.

“Olivia,” I rasp out with a trembling voice. “Arrow said you were waiting for Grace to leave the mansion?” I get straight to the point. Time is not on our side. At any second, Grace could snap the fuck out and take us all down with her. I don’t want to be around for that. Jer and Journey are still inside those walls under her rule.

There’s silence on her end until a small sob comes through the phone. “Shepp?” she questions softly.

“Yes,” I say, holding back the tears in my eyes again. “It’s me.”

“Wow. Fuck. Holy shit. You’re speaking. You’re…” she trails off, sucking in several breaths. “Yes. Um. Arrow mentioned getting you all into his bat cave—his words, not mine—and hiding you so we could invade the mansion. I can’t have you all in there and compromise your lives.”

“What if I told you she’s taking Journey to a doctor's appointment tomorrow at noon? Grace, Jer, and Journey will be there.”

“I’d say that’s the perfect opportunity to get shit done. Holy shit, I need to tell the team what the plan is. What’s the doctor's name?” I quickly relay his name and the time again. “Okay, perfect. And you’ll be…” she trails off.

“I’ll be stuck here with Arrow,” I say, looking back at him as he watches me speak into the phone. I swear the smile he’s wearing never falters.

“Good. I can’t have any of you interfering and getting in the crosshairs. I have a plan. A plan that’s going to get them safely back to you both. But you have to stay put. You got it, Arrow? No hero shit!” she quips authoritatively.

“Hero? You’ve mistaken my role in this enterprise, Liv. I’m the fucking villain,” he cackles to himself, shoving the rest of the pickle into his mouth, humming with satisfaction.

I shake my head. “We’ll stay put.”

“Stay put? But Journey’s going to see my baby!” Arrow whines.

“Fine,” Olivia sighs. “We're swooping in as soon as Grace is MIA from the mansion. I’ll inform them of your whereabouts.”

“In the lion’s den! Make sure they have a code word like big dicks come out and play or something clever like that,” he says into the phone.

“Yeah, sure, okay,” Olivia huffs. “Listen, I’ll call you back. Charge the fucking phone. I can’t lose communication with you two.”

And with that, Liv hangs up, leaving us with an empty cave.

“Wow. We’re going to see our baby,” Arrow says with amazement. “This is means for a celebration!” He jumps up from the bed and grabs another large pickle from the fridge, biting into it with a crunch.

“Are you pickle drunk?” I ask, shutting the flip phone and finding the charger beside the bed. Jesus. How much has he used this space? It looks well-loved and lived in.

He stops dead mid-bite and shakes his head. “For the first time in two days, I hope that we're on to a better future.” His brows furrow as he takes another bite. “Two days ago, my dad died,” he whispers in a low voice, almost catching with emotions.

“I’m sorry about your dad, Arrow,” I say genuinely, coming to stand before him. “He was a good man.”

“He was. You think I’m a good man?” he asks, tilting his head.

“One of the best,” I say with a soft smile.

“Thanks, Sheppy Boy. I knew I could count on you.” And with that, he plops down in his recliner and consumes his pickle like our conversation didn’t happen. “So, what do we do now?” Arrow asks, licking the juice from his fingers.

“We wait for instructions,” I sigh.

It’s the only thing we can do. And pray that Jericho and Journey are okay in Grace’s clutches for one more night.