Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Creed

“You need a better cook.” Murphy turned over the burnt muffin and scowled. “You would think with all of your money, you would have some decent food around here.”

“We’re in the office,” Leo pointed out. “I work here. If you’re unhappy with the food, you need to figure that out on your own.”

“You should have brought Bristol with you,” Apollo grunted. “Greer was mad at me yesterday because Bristol and Pie didn’t come.”

“Greer does know that Bristol works for me and isn’t just your wife’s friend, right?” Leo drawled. “If she wants to see her, then she needs to go to Wyndemere. Preferably when she’s not working on the clock.”

Apollo laughed loudly. “I love it when you talk like we have any control over the women in our lives.”

“Bristol is my employee,” Leo stressed.

“Was there a reason for you guys calling me?” Princeton echoed through the phone on Leo’s desk. “I know it may not seem like it, but I do actually have shit to do up here.”

“You wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?” I called. “You got all of Wyndemere to yourself. You should be happy as pie.”

Princeton grunted. “You seem to forget that although I have Kitty with me which does make me happy, I also have her father, Bristol and Pie, and various members of the Devil’s Knights in and out at all times of the day along with six security guys making sure Candace doesn’t pop up out of nowhere to try to take me out. Not sure how things are in Chicago, but I am not on some vacation right now.”

“Cranky,” Murphy chuckled.

“I’m kicking your ass the next time I see you, Murphy,” Princeton called.

“At least you’re able to contain your chaos to Wyndemere. I’m following Tatum all over the city.” Murphy tossed the burnt muffin back onto the tray. “I tried to convince her to take some time off, but she insists that she needs to work because Jada needs her. She was gone for a couple of weeks, and Jada did fine without her. What would be a few more days?”

“She’s not taking time off,” Leo interrupted.

Murphy tipped his head to the side. “Come again? A week ago, you were telling me I had to convince her to stop working, and now you’re telling me she has to stay working. You wanna make up your mind?”

Leo sat back on his chair and spun around to look out the large window behind his desk that overlooked Chicago.

Something was going on.

“I’m going to need you guys to give me the play-by-play of what is going on right now because all I hear is silence, but I’m sure there’s some scowling or frowning going on that I need to know about,” Princeton called. “I need something.”

Apollo leaned closer to the phone and lowered his voice. “He turned in his chair and is staring out the big ass window pensively.”

“Oh,” Princeton sighed. “That is never good.”

“What do we know about Candace?” Leo asked.

“Uh, that she’s a psychotic bitch?” I offered. “We all thought she was just your secretary for the past fifteen years, but all along, she’s been the one feeding Brandt information on us.”

“Off her fucking rocker for no reason that we know of,” Apollo added.

Leo sighed. “She’s had fifteen years to take us out, and she never has. She wants to torture us, not kill us.”

“Because she’s off her rocker,” Apollo repeated.

Leo spun back around to face us. “If she wants to torture us, then let her. We’ll know she’s coming this time.”

I looked from Murphy to Apollo and back to Leo. “Uh, okay?” Not exactly what I thought Leo was going to say.

“Candace was spotted by the bookstore two nights ago. She was on surveillance video from the coffee shop next door.”

Murphy sat forward. “What? Was she in the bookstore?”

Leo shook his head. “No. It very well might be a coincidence that she was at that coffee shop, but with Candace, we can’t say anything is a coincidence. She might be thinking of making a move on Tatum again, or she’s just hanging around.”

“Murphy is sticking to Tatum like glue. There isn’t a chance that Candace is going to be able to get to her,” I pointed out.

Leo nodded. “You’re right, and Candace probably knows that. She’s likely trying to find another way to get to one of us.”

“Princeton has Kitty covered, and Candace would have to be beyond insane to mess with Greer. She can’t get to us through any of our women,” Apollo pointed out.

Leo’s gaze fell on me. “But what if you romanced a new woman and acted like you were head over heels for her?”

I reared back and furrowed my brow. “Uh, what? I’m not even thinking about dating anyone right now.”

Leo shrugged. “I think you should be.”

Apollo and Murphy chuckled.

“Are you high?” Princeton called through the phone.

Even Leo laughed. “Not at all. I just know that Candace likes to go after the ones we love, so why not set her up to think that Creed has a new love? You know she won’t be able to control herself, and she’ll take the bait.”

“We can’t involve some innocent in this,” I pointed out. “We’re going to have to find some other way to lure in Candace. Why don’t I go check out the coffee shop where she was spotted? Maybe there is something there we could use.” I knew it was a long shot, but I wasn’t looking to get some random woman to fall for me just to have Candace try to hurt her and me.

“You think Candace will just be waiting at the coffee shop for you?” Apollo laughed. “More than not, I bet Candace wanted to be spotted. She wants us to know that she can get close to us whenever she wants.”

“You don’t have to find some random woman,” Leo interrupted. “I’ve already got that figured out for you.”

“Uh, what?” I asked. Leo already had some woman waiting in the wings for me to act like I’m in love with her to lure out Candace?

“You got some reserve of single women waiting to be wooed by Creed?” Murphy laughed. “Man, I am so glad that I found Tatum when I did, otherwise I might be subjected to this crazy plan.”

Leo nodded to me. “You can head to the coffee shop to look around, but then head over to the bookstore because you need to meet Jada.”

I tipped my head to the side. “Tatum’s boss?” I had heard a few stories here and there from Murphy, but I had never met her.

Leo nodded and turned back to the window.

“Wait,” Murphy drawled. He leaned forward and laid his hand on Leo’s desk. “Are you suggesting that Creed woos Jada to get Candace to come out?”

Leo shrugged. “From what you tell me, she can more than handle herself. Candace was the one who sniffed out Tatum and went after her. I say we set it up to where we are the ones ahead of her.”

“Jada will chew up Creed and spit him out,” Murphy laughed. “This is the craziest idea you have ever had, and I am all for it just because I get to be on the sidelines to watch it epically explode in Creed’s face.”

“Not doing it,” I called. “This is a dumb idea. I say we just hunt down Candace and kill her. If you want us to lure her in by having her come after one of our girlfriends, you do it.”

“No,” Leo called.

“And why do you get to say no? I mean, it would be a bit more believable with you. Hell, get Brynn in on this.”

Leo spun around; his eyes heated with anger. “Brynn will have nothing to do with this,” he thundered.

I knew just as well as the other guys not to bring up Brynn, but I didn’t like that I was going to be the guinea pig for getting a girlfriend to lure Candace out.

I held up my hands. “But you want to drag in some woman that really has nothing to do with this? And who’s to say that Candace won’t go after Brynn?” I asked.

Leo shook his head. “Because Candace won’t be able to find Brynn. No one can find her. I’ve made sure of it.”

“But you’ve just said Candace wants to torture us, and we all know the way to really get to you is Brynn,” Apollo pointed out. “Candace knows about Brynn. You know she is more than likely doing everything to find her.”

“I know, but she won’t find her. And if she gets close to her, I’ll know. Brynn being involved in this is off the table.” Leo looked at me. “Go to the bookstore. Do whatever you need to do to get Jada to date you.”

“She’s not some dumb woman,” I insisted.

“And you’re not a dumb man, Creed. The reality of Candace coming after Kitty, Tatum, and Greer is there, but the possibility is greater for her to go after someone new. Make it happen, Creed.” Leo turned back to the window, ending any further conversation.

“Uh, okay,” Princeton called. “I’ll check in later in the week.” The call ended.

Murphy, Apollo, and I filed out of Leo’s office.

“This is bullshit,” I hissed once the door shut. “In what fucking world does this make sense?” I demanded.

Apollo clapped me on the shoulder. “It does make sense, man. It just sucks that you’re the one who is going to have to take one for the team. Candace went after Tatum already, and she could very well go after any of the girls, but you having a new woman and acting like you’re head over heels might be enough for her to come after you. Make a sacrifice, man.”

“I can’t picture Jada head over heels,” Murphy pointed out. “I’m not joking when I say you are going to have your hands full. You might want to read some of her romance books in her store because the guys in those books seem to be the only ones she shows interest in.”

Apollo smiled wide. “Well, there you go. All you have to do is be the perfect man, and you’ll have Jada eating out of the palm of your hand.”

I scowled and shook my head. “She’s not going to fall for this.” No woman in their right mind would fall for this. Leo wanted me to suddenly fall in love with some woman I had never met and have Candace actually believe it.

Murphy raised his eyebrows. “Leo didn’t say you couldn’t tell Jada what you’re up to. Clue her in, and you might be surprised.”

“Yeah,” Apollo agreed. “Since your wooing skills are obviously less than, tell her what you’re up to, and make it worth her while.”

“I tell her what I’m up to, and she’ll laugh in my face,” I grumbled.

“Well, your choices are either telling Jada what you’re up to and hoping she plays along or dealing with Leo when he finds out you didn’t do what he wanted.” Murphy shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I’d take my chances with Jada.”

I sighed but didn’t argue anymore. “Fine.”

“So, you gonna tell her what you’re up to, or try your wooing skills?” Apollo asked.

I turned on my heel and headed to the elevator. “I’ll figure it out once I meet her.”