GOD OF CHAOS

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

LANDON KING

Landon loitered by the dock, idly twirling a blade of grass as he awaited the arrival of his best friend. Eventually, his best friend ambled over with a yawn, wearing an expression that suggested he had just woken from a particularly indulgent nap. "Didn't finish your nap, sleeping beauty?" Landon jibed, unable to resist a teasing remark.

"I'll drown you, motherfucker. This better be fucking worth it," his friend grumbled in response, his tone laced with annoyance.

"It involves seriously maiming people," Landon replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

His friend paused, considering the proposition for a moment. "And what if I accidentally end up beating the life out of their body?"

"Then we'll accidentally find ourselves in a bit of a pickle," Landon answered with a mischievous grin. "But..." He pulled out his phone and glanced at a message he had supposedly sent, arranging to meet at a different location—a message that had mysteriously vanished before his friend could read it. "Someone is eagerly awaiting our presence at the construction site."

His friend read through the message and nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep them waiting, now would we?"

Landon's grin widened as he returned his friend's smile. Together, they had been embroiled in a little game of trying to uncover the mystery of how Landon's phone had been bugged, all without resorting to a direct search for the elusive bug. It was a delightful diversion, keeping Landon's mind occupied and offering a welcome respite from the myriad of thoughts swirling in his head. Namely, Jeremy Volkov. Every fiber of Landon's being yearned to resume his pursuit of Jeremy, to trail after him like a mischievous sprite, constantly provoking reactions. But deep down, Landon knew he needed to pause for now. He needed to regain control of his impulses before allowing himself to indulge in Jeremy's captivating presence once more.

No matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise, Jeremy was simply too delicious a temptation to be given up so easily.

Landon and his best friend arrived at the construction site, and without hesitation, Landon ventured inside alone. That was the strategy—to lure their unsuspecting prey out into the open, allowing them to reveal themselves without suspicion. Landon's expression remained neutral as he reached a pillar and casually leaned against it, his gaze fixed on his wristwatch. He could sense the watchful eyes upon him, but he remained unruffled, knowing that his patience would soon pay off. He eagerly anticipated the moment when he could extract the information they held, savoring the thought of gouging their eyes out once he got what he needed.

Landon's ears pricked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, detecting three pairs, at least. A smile crept across his face as he anticipated the unfolding of their meeting. However, as three masked figures emerged into view, Landon's expression faltered. All the thrill and excitement of the hunt evaporated, leaving him frozen in place. Their faces obscured by stitch masks, Landon recognized them all too well.

The Heathens.

THE SHADOW

He lingered beside Landon's car, every passing second feeling like an eternity as he eagerly awaited his chance to join the fray. His fingers twitched with a primal urge, hungering for the taste of blood. Shadows were his sanctuary, his domain of darkness and Landon had pushed his way into his domain when they were young, sticking to his side. He reminisced about their youth. How Landon had clung to his side like a loyal shadow, drawn to the darkness that lurked within him. He cherished Landon's friendship, but more than that, he valued him as a partner in crime. He vividly remembered the day when a fourteen-year-old Landon had gazed at him with a maniacal grin, filled with a mixture of pride and fascination, after witnessing him unleash his fury upon a guy from their school, reducing him to a bloody pulp.