STOLEN || 18+ (Monsters #3)

.66. Wear it well

. . .

Leyla

My mother always said I was a forgiving person.

Stupid was what I heard when she said that. I was forgiving because I couldn't get revenge. No, I did not forgive Chad in kindergarten when he ruined my crayons, I was just scared to say anything back.

I had always been like that - hesitant and stupid.

I stepped onto the balcony, looking at the giant it on the gates of the mansion. I looked at the guards there. Ten of them had died the day I tried to escape with Ryder.

I sighed, drumming my fingers on the railing. I briefly wondered what would happen if Giovanni and Fabiano kept me like this forever. I'd forgive then, too.

Because I was stupid. Because I wasn't strong enough to stand for myself.

I heard the balcony door slide open.

Xerxes Creed stood beside me, looking out at the vast space spread open in front of us as the sun nestled itself into the earth slowly.

"I don't think we've talked yet, Miss Campbell." He looked down at me. I almost took a step away from him. He was scary.

"We haven't," I said, looking away from him, forcing my body to loosen up.

"You seem troubled."

"Captivation is troubling." I snapped my mouth shut. You're so stupid.

He hummed. "I know it is."

"Do you?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Shut up, Leyla. I know I shouldn't have drank that glass of wine, no matter how tempting the wine bottle had looked. They had a large ass cellar.

I felt his eyes on me. "Yes. I do know. I, along with my brothers, was captured by the Bratva when we were teenagers. We escaped when we were eighteen, with Gio, Fabi and Dante."

The rivalry between the Creed and Bratva had been headlining years back - but recently there was no news of struggle between them. Father kept track of the Creeds a lot.

I frowned. "Oh."

He hummed. "Yes. It wasn't pleasant. We spent days....troubled, I'd say."

"Are you saying...I should be grateful this isn't bad?"

"No, I was warning you about how bad it'd be if Testa gets his hands on you," he muttered. "Mafia men are not merciful to anyone."

I let out a breath. "What do you think he'd do to me?"

"The threat will pass, Leyla. The sooner you start seeing that iron gate as your friend rather than the only thing keeping you from freedom, the better."

"You didn't answer my question."

"It is not my intention to scare you."

"You scared me when I looked at you."

"That, too, was not my intention."

I chuckled, a little tipsy. "You all...you suck, you know?"

"Do we?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "You suck so much. You have so much power....it sucks."

"You sound envious."

I hummed. "All my life I've wanted power. Every time I felt helpless...I imagined myself being able to hurt those who hurt me. I could never do it, but it was good to imagine. It was great to imagine."