GOD OF CHAOS

CHAPTER TEN

JEREMY VOLKOV

Jeremy had been in a haze for the last two weeks. It was the haze that Landon had left him in. As much as he tried, he couldn't get out of it. It was a confusing feeling. On one hand, he had absolutely lost his mind when he realized what he had almost let Landon do. And on the other hand, he couldn't shake the feeling of Landon's hands from his body. Unbeknownst to him, he had started spacing out and wondering incessantly what would have happened if he had succumbed to Landon's demands.

The thought shook him to his core. He was Jeremy Volkov. The one in control. The ring leader, always. He couldn't let Landon King dictate his actions. And even the thought should be revolting. Strangely, it was not. But a creeping doubt lingered, gnawing at the edges of his resolve. Was he really about to go as far as Landon pushed him?

Jeremy had tried to come up with excuses every chance he could get. He was tired. He was frustrated. He was worried about the mystery texter. He was stressed about having to hide all of it from his friends. And while all that was true, Jeremy couldn't reason with himself enough to excuse the way he moaned when Landon dragged his fingers down his chest. He couldn't explain the way his body twitched, wanting to be close to Landon. It was like he was under a spell, and honestly, he wouldn't put it past Landon King to know black magic.

Jeremy walked away from his Statistics class, the rest of the students piling out with him. He grabbed the strap to his bag and pulled it closer to his chest. His jaw worked, thinking about that one man who seemed to be plaguing his mind constantly. Jeremy was weak in front of Landon. Not physically, but he had to admit, Landon's mind games were next level. Jeremy couldn't just assume to know what Landon's next move would be like. He was as unpredictable as they come.

Like now. It had been more than two weeks of radio silence from Landon. Jeremy had cranked up the security measures around the estate after Landon's impromptu trip to his room, yes, but apart from that, even. Jeremy had gone to the warehouse every single night for his workouts, always expecting Landon to show up, but he never did. Jeremy was desperately looking for a pattern, but for now, he knew one thing about Landon King: he was not a creature of habit. He generally always did what he wanted. And that unpredictability was enough to keep Jeremy on edge, wondering when the next twist in their twisted game would come.

He was going to head back to the mansion and probably get up to speed with his assignments. Or perhaps take Niko out for a bike ride. His best friend had been a bit on edge lately. He hoped to find out the reason. It wasn't out of character for Nikolai but something was different this time than the rest.

As he exited the main gate of the University, he heard a feminine voice call out his name.

"Jeremy!" He turned around and saw a girl approaching him. She had fluffy silver hair that bounced as she walked up to Jeremy with a sweet expression. A little too sweet. Fake, was the word he was looking for.

"Do I know you?" Jeremy asked. The girl seemed familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

She beamed up at Jeremy. "I am a friend of your sister. My name is Cecily." She held out her hand towards Jeremy. Cecily Knight then, from REU. She wasn't part of Elites, but he knew she had grown up with at least two members. Eli and Landon King.

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow, taking in her appearance. She had on a soft blue cardigan that was a few sizes too large for her, but apparently, that was in style nowadays, as much as he had heard from his sister.

His eyes flicked to the hand she was holding out, then back to her face. Cecily pulled her hand back, tucking a few hair strands behind her ear.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, suspicion edging his voice.

Cecily shifted uncomfortably in her spot for a few seconds, biting her lip. "I needed to ask for a favor."

"What favor?" he asked, his tone sharp, betraying his wariness.

Cecily glanced around cautiously before turning her attention back to Jeremy. "Well, I would rather we don't do it here. Do you want to maybe go to the coffee shop nearby?"

Jeremy wanted to say 'not interested' and walk away, but his curiosity was piqued. It wasn't because of Landon King. Obviously. Jeremy could care less about that piece of shit. Cecily was Annika's friend after all, so it was possible she needed to talk about his sister.

Jeremy nodded once. "Sure."

Cecily seemed equally surprised and relieved. "Oh! There's one just around the corner from here."

"Lead the way," Jeremy muttered, making space for Cecily to do so. They remained quiet as they walked down the street. The roads were mainly filled with students from both universities. The locals barely frequented this part of the island. Which only meant more freedom for the clubs to get up to their shenanigans.

They reached the coffee house and sat down after ordering their coffees. Jeremy, his usual black coffee, and Cecily ordered an espresso. A few beats of silence passed after they sat down before Jeremy broke it. "Start talking." His voice was curt and definitely not friendly like his sister's.

Cecily nodded, her breath catching slightly. "Well, I know this is sudden, but uh... I received a package the other day."

She rummaged through her bag and placed a paper packet in front of Jeremy, sliding it across the table. Jeremy noticed his name written on the tag atop the packet, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Cecily then pushed a folded paper toward Jeremy. "This letter came with it. It was actually left outside the house. The guards found it, but uh... read the letter, and you should understand."

Jeremy unfolded the letter and began to read.

Cecily Annabelle Knight,

You're a pretty little thing you know that? Just like your mother. Now like the good girl you are, read the instructions thoroughly and do not dare go against it or there will be consequences.

You are to take this package to Jeremy Volkov without opening. If you take one peek at it, trust me I will know. And you don't want to die because of the man who is your lover's rival do you?

If you take this letter to anyone but Jeremy, I will have to teach you a lesson. Sorry, teach your mother a lesson. Isn't Kimberly in America for some orphanage opening?

Jeremy turned the page over but nothing else was written on it. "A few of my mother's pictures were attached to it."

Jeremy looked at the pictures Cecily provided. The woman in the pictures bore a striking resemblance to the younger Cecily, except with dark hair. In the photos, she was hunched down, speaking to two young boys. Despite the distance of the shots, the quality was decent enough for Jeremy to discern the figures clearly. Cecily watched him anxiously, waiting for his reaction.

After a moment, Jeremy looked up at Cecily, his expression grave. "Did you... receive any other instructions? Any threats?"

Cecily shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. "No, that's all there was. I swear."

Jeremy picked up the paper bag and tore it open, revealing its contents. "Wait, shouldn't I leave?" Cecily asked, her voice trembling with apprehension. Jeremy paused and looked up, meeting her frightened gaze. For the first time, her expression didn't seem fake to him.

Jeremy shook his head. "The instructions were for you, not me."

Cecily looked hesitant but nodded, sinking back into her seat at the booth. Jeremy pulled out a shirt and pair of trousers from the bag, his brow furrowing in confusion. They seemed familiar, but why would someone send him clothes? These weren't even his, nor were they similar to his usual attire.

Across the table, Cecily gasped, her eyes widening as she stared at the clothes in Jeremy's hand. "Do you know whose clothes these are?" Jeremy asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Cecily nodded slowly, a troubled frown appearing on her forehead. "Landon."