Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
MERRI
I paced outside of Chaos’s room, fingers knotting in the strings of my hoodie as I chastised myself.
“If you’re not feeling brazen enough to waltz right in, then just knock on the door, Meredith. Jesus.”
The latest round of WWLD—What Would Lilith Do—had led me here. Outside of Chaos’s door, attempting to find the courage to thank him for saving me from a rather tragic end. My memory of the immediate aftermath of the earthquake was a little spotty, but one thing I knew for sure: if Chaos hadn’t got me out, I would have died in that steam room.
He deserved a thank you, at the very least. If he liked me more, I would have even considered hugging him, but since he kissed me in the kitchen, the man had been filled with horny fury. I thought he’d finally reached his breaking point during our training session, but he had the self-control of a saint. Or maybe a eunuch. If I hadn’t felt the proof of his arousal, I would have thought for sure he was a dickless wonder. But nope. His trouser snake was a solid nine inches, at least. And I’d never wanted to be a snake charmer more in my life.
Arousal curled low in my belly at the memory of him on top of me, rocking his hips. God, these men brought out desires I hadn’t let myself entertain since Jimmy.
Shaking my head, I took a steadying breath and just bit the fucking bullet. Three sharp raps on the wood later, I was standing there, holding that breath I took and waiting for Chaos to answer.
Silence was all I got for my trouble.
I knocked again.
He still didn’t answer me.
Was he ignoring me? Or had he gone somewhere?
I reached out and turned the knob, cracking the door open just enough for me to call out, “Hello? Chaos?”
The lack of response, along with the darkness, gave me my answer. No one was home.
I bit down on my lower lip, wondering where he snuck off to. I hadn’t seen him in the main room or the kitchen, so he must be in the gym.
To be fair, Chaos was just about always in the gym, so I probably should have started my search for him down there.
With butterflies dancing in my belly, I headed for the staircase that would lead me down to the remnants of the gym. The penthouse had taken a beating in the earthquake, but at least the walls were still standing.
I hadn’t been back down to this floor since it happened, and I was mentally bracing for the carnage. The last time I’d seen it, chunks of the ceiling and walls had littered the hallway, but I needn’t have bothered. It was miraculously cleared. If not for the cracks in the plaster, I wouldn’t have even known there’d been any damage. While I’d been holed up in my room recovering, the guys had been busy restoring the place to rights.
I kept my footsteps light as I crept to the gym, but once again, Chaos was nowhere to be found. He’d been here though, of that I was sure. Not only could I smell his spicy cologne, but all the equipment had been reset, and the broken bits of mirror swept and disposed of.
He had to be here somewhere. I hadn’t heard the elevator or anyone moving around, for that matter. Grim had locked himself in his office. Malice was up to his eyeballs in trying to rebuild his destroyed computer. Sin... well, Sin had been keeping a close watch on me until I told him I was taking a nap.
This was like a game of hide-and-seek, except Chaos didn’t know I was it.
Maybe he was working on the spa room. There’d been so much damage to the tiles and the steam sauna. I was sure that kind of repair work took a lot more time and effort. Unbidden, an image of Chaos wearing a pair of low-slung jeans, work boots, and a tool belt came to mind. Mmm. Yes, please. Maybe he’d get hot and have to pull his T-shirt over his head before he tucked it into his belt. The man had a back on him that would make anyone take a second or third look.
Oh my God, Merri. What is wrong with you? Are you in heat or something?
Shaking away the lust, I resumed my search only to spot my prey with a bag slung over his shoulder in front of the elevator. I opened my mouth to call his name, only to watch him walk into the car and smack a button. I peeked up at the numbers above the door to figure out where he was heading, my eyebrows flying up when it showed him going down.
Down?
Was that asshole leaving?
No fucking fair.
They said I wasn’t a prisoner, but no one ever invited me out. They said they needed to protect me, but they wouldn’t let me do anything with them outside of these walls.
Well, fuck that.
My subconscious was right. I needed to take charge of my destiny, and part of that included making my own decisions.
I was only trapped here if I continued to allow it.
It was time for my first field trip.
Knowing I’d never catch Chaos if I waited for the private elevator to return, I spun around and headed for the stairwell. These were the back stairs that acted as an emergency or second exit. If I took these down a few floors, I could grab one of the building’s main elevators and hopefully meet Chaos on the ground floor. Also, bonus, no one would be the wiser.
I zipped up my sweatshirt and tucked my hair into the dark fabric of the hood, thankful I’d planned on using the treadmill after my chat with Chaos so I was already fully dressed with tennis shoes on and everything. I even had my phone—which I hadn’t let out of my sight since I recovered it—in case I got lost.
Fully aware my plan was half a plan at best and that it fully hinged on speed, I didn’t waste a second. I wasn’t trying to win any prizes for strategy, just flex my independence a little. Besides, how mad could the Grump Squad get if I was technically still with one of them?
And if I wasn’t safe with Chaos, then there was no point in them protecting me at all. He was the horseman War. The toughest of tough motherfuckers. Besides, the plan was to meet him in the lobby, not leave the building.
I told myself all of this as I raced down five flights of stairs before bursting through the door and calling an elevator. If I lost him, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d get back into the penthouse. I didn’t exactly have a key.
The elevator door opened immediately, and I thanked my lucky stars it had been close to this floor as I got in and punched the button labeled LOBBY.
“Please don’t already be gone,” I murmured.
I drummed my fingers on my thigh, absentmindedly grooving to the soft Muzak that pumped through the speakers. I didn’t get to hear enough of the song to be sure, but it sounded like it might be a jazzy version of “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”
Then again, maybe I was projecting.
As soon as the doors slid open, I was out of there, glancing around in search of my target. The man in question strode with purpose right out the front door, leaving me in his very handsome dust.
“Fuck,” I muttered, debating for all of a heartbeat whether to keep following him.
It wasn't much of a debate. I couldn’t get back into the penthouse without him.
“In for a penny...” I said beneath my breath as I sprinted through the super upscale lobby to the front door. I made it outside just as Chaos closed the door of a cab. Thankfully this fancy building had a taxi stand, and there was another car idling just behind it.
Yanking the door open, I threw myself inside and shouted, “Follow that cab!” at the driver.
“Yes, miss.” The driver’s shoulders shook as he very clearly attempted to keep in his laughter.
I chuckled to myself. This was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever done. And, if I was being honest, probably the most fun. Even if it was also spontaneous and likely short-sighted.
As we wound through the streets of London, I was finally able to take in the landscape of the city with new, post-apocalyptic eyes. Piles of rubble littered the sidewalks and street corners. The remnants of Big Ben stood like a ghost in an eerily orange sky. Smoke wafted up to join the clouds from nearly every direction.
“Shame, innit? To see our city in such a state?” The cabbie’s voice was tinged with a deep sadness. “It hasn’t looked like this since the blitz. Me mum told me stories of how the walls came down around her while the bombs fell. It’s only by the grace of God that she survived.”
I made a soft sound of assent as I continued to drink in the destruction. London was barely recognizable. On almost every corner, there were groups of people with signs saying Repent or The End Is Here . I couldn’t blame them for their assumptions—and, you know, they weren’t wrong. More than one iconic bridge had collapsed, along with several famous landmarks. The London Eye was more of a crescent moon, with little sparks shooting off the metal railing every now and then. Many of the small mom-and-pop stores were closed, the doors and windows that weren’t barricaded with wood broken and clearly looted. And while a few of the larger chain stores remained open, they appeared to have been nearly wiped out.
Given the state of things, I was shocked traffic was flowing as steadily as it was. Then again, most cars seemed to be fleeing in the opposite direction. That was, out of the city. Not to mention I had a strong suspicion there’d been some supernatural intervention when it came to clearing the main streets. I couldn’t prove it, mind you, but the fact that I was in a cab chasing after Chaos sort of spoke for itself.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the airport? Or maybe the train station, miss? You should get out of here. Go to the country where it’s safe. We’re overrun with looters and criminals, not to mention the religious zealots. It’s not a good idea to wander around anymore.”
As the cabbie continued trying to convince me to run for my life, I trained my focus on the taillights of the taxi Chaos was in. They were stopping.
“Stop here!” I shouted. “I have to get out.”
The man did as I asked, his old face lined with worry as I bounced in my seat, anxious energy coursing through me while I waited for the payment to go through.
Handing me back my phone, he warned, “Be careful, miss. A girl like you out on her own isn’t safe.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I said with a bravado I didn’t exactly feel as I shoved the door open and prepared to bolt. I’d known things were bad; the earthquake was a pretty big indicator, but seeing the reality of it was a shock to the system. “Drive safe!” I called behind me as I jumped out of his car, just barely catching sight of Chaos as he turned down an alley.
I was no longer chasing Chaos in a silly attempt to prove my autonomy. Now I wanted to glue myself to his side to make sure we both stayed safe.
Rounding the corner of the alley, I spotted Chaos as he walked past a mountain of a man who had to be part ogre and through a nondescript door that could have been the back entrance to a butcher shop for all I knew.
“What the hell are you up to?”
This better not be some sort of drug deal. Or worse, a kinky sex club.
I would so tell Lilith he was cheating on Iniquity if it was.
Well, the only way to find out was to get past that guard, and since I didn’t have a wad of cash on me, the only way to do that was to put my skills to the test. I stood up straight, strode up to him with the confidence of Lilith, and looked him dead in the eyes.
He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at me from his towering height.
“Sorry, love. You’re not on the list.”
“Oh, are you sure? Check again.”
The ogre didn’t even blink, so I stepped closer and sent my power right into him. His mouth fell open, eyes glazing over and pupils dilating.
“Let me in, and I’ll make all your dreams come true,” I murmured seductively.
He couldn’t move fast enough.
“Y-yes. Of c-course,” he stuttered, his eyes closing halfway as I sauntered past him. “I’ll do anything you want, pretty lady.”
I winked and blew him a kiss. “You better rest up. You’re looking a little sleepy.”
The ogre yawned. “G-good idea. I need to be ready for you.”
A laugh was my only answer as I waggled my fingers at him in a little wave and followed the sound of a roaring crowd deeper into the building. Feeling incredibly proud of myself, I took the stairs waiting for me at the end of the little hall two at a time.
“All right, Chaos, time to uncover your secrets.”