25 - Kneel in front of us

"I have a deeply hidden and inarticulate desire for something beyond the daily life."

― Virginia Woolf

. . .

OLIVIA WOODS

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can. It's easy. Listen to the injured. "

My eyes narrowed. Ashton smiled at me. "Come on, Olivia."

I folded my arms again my chest. "Can you even walk?"

He looked amused. He got off the stool and walked towards where I was standing in the kitchen. There was no limb. He walked as gracefully as he always did. "A minor sprain can't keep me from spoiling you. "

"Are you convinced?" Zavier asked as he entered the kitchen wearing a leather jacket with a black T-shirt and denim. I caught the sight of his dog tag around his neck. Holy heck.

Xerxes entered the kitchen, wearing a white shirt with a jacket and his legs covered in denim. His hair was up in a half ponytail and his sunglasses were on his nose. He took off his glasses and raised his eyes at me. "Did you say yes yet? "

"I- you got ready thinking I'll say yes?"

"Don't tell me you said no to the injured. " Zavier nodded his head towards Ashton who was now sitting on the counter. "That's just cruel, kitten."

"I am not-"

"So you are saying yes?" Xerxes inquired. "That is not w-"

"So you are saying no to me? " Ashton looked offended. "Don't I get some injured privileges? I thought you were one of the good ones. "

I knew what they were doing.

I sighed. "Okay, but I have nothing to wear to the mall. " "No problem," Zavier smirked.

. . .

I was wearing a black t-shirt which I knew must belong to one of the brothers and black boots which Zavier had gotten me from somewhere. Over this, I was wearing a leather jacket that belonged to Ashton.

My hair was parted in the middle and my glasses were on my nose. I had grabbed my glasses, my damn glasses as soon as I had woken up with my apartment door on fire. I was grateful that I had because otherwise, I'd be squinting at everything right now.

I got into the limousine and Xerxes pulled me on his lap as soon as he came inside. He wrapped his arms tightly around me. My hand was in his as he looked at the small scratches on it.

He kissed all of them. My heart melted.

"You will never get hurt like this again, " He said firmly. "I promise."

I nodded. He smiled and kissed the corner of my mouth. My breath got knocked out of me. His face still close to mine, he looked into my eyes.

"Baby..." His eyes flickered down to my lips.

The door opened and Zavier and Ashton entered the limousine.

The limousine started. Xerxes wrapped his arms tighter around me. I set my head on his chest. When did sitting on their lap become normal between us?

"Are you okay now?" Xerxes asked.

I closed my eyes and it was almost like I could see the fire flicker in front of me. I could almost feel the heat of it. "It's not getting out of my head. "

Xerxes nodded in understanding. "It will get better." I hoped so.

. . .

I looked at the bodyguards as they kept the countless bags in the closet.

The Creeds had gotten....carried away.

Too carried away.

I set out to find them when the guards left. They had so many personal guards. The mansion was beautiful and I had not seen it all. It was sparkling white but it had this certain...edge to it because of the thick and tall boundaries and security which made me feel like I was going into a country illegally.

I walked around the dark corridor, calling out their names.

I saw black double doors at the end of a corridor. I walked towards it. It was slightly open. I could see the light coming out of it. When I walked closer, I could hear voices.

"-I want every man out to find him," Ashton was saying. "Every fucking one. You have a week. Find the bastard. If you fail...you know what will happen. This is your last chance, don't fuck it up, Harry."

"I won't," I heard an unfamiliar voice say. "Leave." That was Zavier.

I hid behind a curtain as a large man exited the room. My eyes widened at the cuts and bruises on his face. He was dressed in a suit and all his pale skin which was visible was scarred and bruised.

I got out from behind the curtain and walked a little away from the door with light steps and then walked back towards it with heavy steps. I knocked on the slightly open door.

"Who's it?" Xerxes. "Olivia."

"Come in, Little love." I entered. He smiled at me. I was convinced that there would not come a time when their smiles would not knock the breath out of me. "You don't have to knock."

My eyes moved around the giant room and I gasped. It was not just a room...it was a library.

Surrounding us were hundreds of books kept in bookshelves which were about thrice my height. The ceiling was black with chandeliers hanging from it. In the middle, right where we were right now, were three dark couches arranged in a U, facing a chair, with one Creed occupying each of them. The room had that smell - the book smell.

"This is amazing!"

"We need to talk to you, Olivia," Zavier said. "Afterwards you can explore the library, yes?"

I wanted to know what they had to say more than exploring the library.

What the heck was wrong with me?

I walked towards them and sat down on the brown chair. Between us was a glass table.

Xerxes took a sip of whatever it was that he was drinking. "Do you want us to put off your answer to what we talked about at the office for a few days?"

"If not," Zavier smirked. "And if your answer is yes, there is something we'd like to do to you...to give you a taste of how good it can be between us."

My body heated up. All the urge to read the books melted into my desire for them.

"What-" I cleared my throat because my voice sounded hoarse. "What do you have in mind?"

Ashton, who was sitting on the middle couch, replied. "We need the answer first, little one. If it's a no, say it. If it's a yes..." He tilted his head, eyes holding mine captive. "Kneel in front of us."

. . .

'I love the way you talk' is like...the best compliment in the whole world.