Chapter Thirteen

After a moment of hesitation, Kellum nodded and Creed took him out the back door, around the pool, through the fence that sectioned off part of the massive backyard, and over to a shaded gazebo in the far back that sat against a line of trees. Beyond that was a gate that led to the steps to the ocean.

“God, it’s so beautiful here.” Kellum released his hand and walked over to gaze at the ocean and beach that was just visible from over a row of bushes.

“It’s one of the reasons I bought it.”

“It must have cost a fortune.”

Creed shrugged. “It was worth it.” When Kellum gracefully sat on the cushioned seat of the gazebo, Creed came and settled next to him, leaving a good five inches of space between them.

“I grew up here in Ventura County,” Creed began and stared at the back of his house. Kellum turned a bit on the seat toward him. “Stone’s family and my family lived a block apart. There were about thirteen of us cousins all mixed together. I wasn’t the oldest, but I wasn’t the youngest. We ran the neighborhood, got into more trouble than I care to admit, and lived a carefree life filled with skinned knees and bubble gum. Our greatest achievement was riding our bikes to the park,” he said sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck.

Kellum’s soft laugh reached his ears and filled his heart.

“It wasn’t a complicated life and I’m not a complicated man.” With that said, Creed turned his head and met Kellum’s gaze. “I graduated high school and went into the Army. Stone had already enlisted, so it wasn’t that far of a leap for me to follow him.”

Not a complicated guy?

Kellum stared at Creed seeing so much more. He’d overheard snatches of conversation between Creed and his cousin, Stone, during a joint operation last year that Creed used to work for Dave’s group of assassins. He also learned by researching everything he could about Creed that the man was ex-Special Forces… which fascinated him. He was sure Creed was downplaying his life for some reason.

“How many siblings do your parents have?”

“My dad was one of thirteen and my mother was one of three. Most of them lived in or close to California. We have a bunch of cousins and family that live in Colorado, Arizona, and Texas.”

“Wow.” Kellum coughed, making Creed chuckle.

“What about you?”

“My dad died just after Dylan was born and my mom passed away a year ago.”

“I’m so sorry.” Creed reached out and placed his hand over Kellum’s. He didn’t try and take it, but instead, just closed his hand over the top of the younger man’s colder one. Kellum did something different than normal, he turned his palm up and linked their fingers together.

“My dad was a long-haul trucker so I didn’t see him much. My mom, though… she was the glue that kept our family together.”

Kellum’s voice was soft and reflective. “When dad died in a collision two and a half years ago, I think she was lost. Dylan was around six months old and with Aaron at nine, she didn’t have anyone to help her with the day-to-day stuff,” the man mused.

Almost holding his breath, Creed stayed very still so as not to startle Kellum out of sharing and after a moment, he continued.

“I tried to help…you know, financially. I’d been working for the colonel and sending money to mom, but it wasn’t enough.”

Kellum stopped speaking for a while and Creed was content to wait.

“I grew up here in Ventura. It’s weird we never met,” Kellum murmured suddenly.

“Yeah,” Creed said, regretting that more than he could say, but with the age difference and him being in the Army, it wasn’t surprising their paths had never crossed.

“So…anyway…” Kellum cleared his throat. “I didn’t live far from my mom and my brothers, and I stopped by their house as much as I could, but working for the colonel took me to places that I had to stay overnight a lot. So, I was away and couldn’t help her.”

The wind picked up and blew in the cold from the ocean and lifted Kellum’s hair. With a shiver, Kellum scooted closer to him. Creed slid an arm around the younger man’s shoulders. Kellum leaned into him, and Creed bent his head just a tiny bit closer, drawing in the scented shampoo from Kellum’s curls. Unconsciously, Kellum rolled his hands in the hem of Creed’s t-shirt, seeking warmth.

“Then without me realizing it, she had moved in with Uncle Durn.”

The way Kellum whispered the last words sent a chill down Creed’s spine and he tightened his arm around the man’s shoulders, keeping him close and offering whatever comfort, warmth, and support Kellum needed.

“She was so happy and my brothers seemed fine. Uncle Durn even hired a nanny to help my mom with the children.”

Creed felt fucking helpless and gently cupped the back of Kellum’s neck.

“I’d always gotten the creeps from him, you know?” Kellum said softly, gazing up at the sky. “He was always extra helpful growing up, always touching my shoulder, hip, or leg, hovering over the back of my chair. Things like that.”

“Is he… your dad’s brother?”

“No. Uncle Durn was married to my mother’s older sister. He’s an uncle by marriage.”

“Ah, ok.”

“When my mom passed away last year, Durn offered to let the boys keep staying there if I moved in.” Kellum gulped and fisted his hands tighter into his shirt.

Kellum’s voice dropped to a whisper and Creed’s throat closed, it took every ounce of will power inside not to visibly react.

“I couldn’t afford to take care for my brothers, so I had to move in. Right?”

Creed could just imagine the pressure Kellum must have felt last year at the age of twenty-one years old. He released Kellum’s nape and rubbed his hand up and down the man’s back.

“I asked the nanny if anyone had ever tried to hurt the boys and she said no.”

Creed swallowed hard.

“So, I guess it’s just me, right?” Kellum glanced up with eyes so wounded, it gutted him. “I have a stamp on my forehead or something that says abuse me.”

“No.” Creed shook his head. The reasons someone would target Kellum was first, because he was gorgeous and second, because he was too damned sweet. “This is not your fault.”

“Realistically, I know you’re right, but I’ve had men hitting on me since high school. But…what Durn did…”

“What did he do?” Creed said robotically, desperately trying to suppress his rage from coming through his voice.

“We fought because I told him I was saving up to move out so he didn’t need to worry about us,” Kellum said, devoid of emotion. “Dylan came in the room crying and Durn…he bent down and smacked him, knocking Dylan down. I went after Durn and Aaron jumped in.”

Creed stayed quiet and kept swallowing around his tight throat.

“Durn’s a really, really big guy.” Kellum’s voice cracked and he sucked in a shaky breath.

The man was sadistic. It had been one of many beatings he’d taken from his uncle through the years. The man got off on putting bruises on him in places that didn’t show. Durn told him once that he liked the fear on his face. Durn told him that he like the idea of breaking him with violence so one day, he’d submit.

Kellum let Durn think that and so he let the guy beat him, being sure to resist just enough to play the game that kept Durn from raping him. But the day when everything came to a head had been the first time his brothers were involved.

“By the time he was done beating us, he sent the boys to the nanny and threw me to the carpet.”

“He said it was time.”

Creed put his free hand over his eyes, his jaw clenched.

“But…he, he, he’d forgotten a meeting he had scheduled and they’d arrived. The visitors were in the hallway just outside the door and I got away,” Kellum finished, gazing off in the distance. “I don’t know why they didn’t hear my screams.”

Creed could do nothing at the moment but lower his hand from his face and wrap Kellum up in his arms and rock him while he finished.

“I came back the next day while he was in council, packed my brothers up, and went to stay with a friend. Did I tell you he’s a councilman?” Kellum’s voice went out and then he tried to crawl in his lap.

Creed lifted him and settled him close.

What people didn’t know about Creed was that while he might appear the big, silent, and easygoing type, he had a killer’s instinct. And that side was rearing its head high with a sudden vengeance for blood and gore.

His dark side would have its pound of flesh.

The killer that waited deep in his soul would fucking destroy the man who’d tore a gaping hole in Kellum’s world.

The Erebus assassin was back and not even a holy power could help anything or anyone who stood in his way.