Page 104 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

“I can’t,” I whisper.

I’m just not ready. Being here and seeing everyone involved hurts. I can’t escape them at home or at school, and now I have to train with them.

The large double doors to the training facility gym open and Kai walks inside. My brain is a jumbled mess, trying to understand what I’m looking at. He’s wearing a pair of quick-dry shorts, a button-up business shirt, and long white socks with crocs.

“Justno,” I say, taking him in and shaking my head. “Go before my eyes need to be bleached.”

He looks down at his choice of clothes. “Oh. Do you not like my outfit?” he asks as he strikes a pose.

I chuckle as I flip him off, Creed taking my hand while I’m caught off-guard. “Tenshi o yurushite.”

My body locks up from the unwanted emotions coursing through me at the feel of his skin against mine. “Forgive you...? You killed your brothers.”

The doors open again, causing us all to look over as Trace walks in, and I use the distraction to move away. He also gives Kai a once-over and rolls his eyes. Creed and I turn back at the same time. His beautiful obsidian eyes sparkle with fury and turn deadly at the thought of me not forgiving him. He stalks towards me, and I continue to step backwards; while I want tothink he wouldn’t hurt me, look how that turned out for Laughn and the others.

My back hits the gym wall, and Creed locks me in. “You need to get over it. This is our world. We are the predators, and you best remember that. Our brothers may not have had a chance to show you what we do, but you need to learn to trust us, or you’ll die out there.”

I laugh like a fucking hyena, hysterics kicking in. Clearly our moment last night was just that, a moment. “Do you think death scares me, Creep? Newsflash, it doesn’t. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t remember any of you. My life was a shit show, then I got my memories back. All the emotions from that were thrown into overdrive and then you ripped out five pieces of my heart. How can I recover from that?” Tears roll down my face as agony rips through me. Trying to keep my armour up is easier said than done.

“I don’t know, Tenshi,” he mutters as his eyes soften. “I just know what it’s like to lose your heart, and I don’t wish that darkness upon you. Don’t let it take your soul.”

“I have to get ready for school...” I look over Creed’s shoulder at Kai. “Can you take me home?” He nods, and Creed steps aside, letting me walk away.

Chapter Five

Jolie

My life has become like Groundhog Day.

Go to school, try to avoid everyone. Go to training, try to pretend I don’t want to kill my team. I rotate sleeping in Laughn’s and Boston’s beds, but I haven’t had the guts to venture to the other guys’ houses. Marlow lived with his grandmother, Case with his mum—though he was very secretive about her. Davis, well, his house doesn’t have a great memory. Plus, I know Trace is living there now and being around him is the hardest.

“That’s it!” Sinclair snaps, grabbing my arm and pulling me into my form classroom.

I glance around at what I thought would be an empty room to find that Jimmie, Kai and Danika are all joining Sinclair in staring at me.

“What?” I ask with a pointed look.

“We understand you went through something traumatic, but we refuse to be shut out. It’s been a few weeks now and we’re done,” Jimmie demands.

“We’re your friends and we are worried about you.”

“I miss going to parties,” Danika adds, making me laugh.At least she’s honest.Sinclair cuts her a look. “What? You said we had to tell her how we feel and if she wants to mope around and mourn guys that treated her like shit, that’s on her. But we’re”—she holds out her arms, motioning to everyone in the room—“missing out on prime parties because she’s our ticket in.”

“Um, you know Kai can get you invites, right?” I point out, and Danika whips her head around to face Kai with a disbelieving look.

“Will you all focus, please? I don’t even know why I bother. Clearly your friends are disposable to you,” Sinclair huffs and goes to storm out of the room.

This time I grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shut you out. I’ll try to be better. It’s been hard to sit with you when every time I look at Kai, he reminds me of Case.” A stray tear rolls down my cheek and I hastily wipe it away.

“I should go,” Kai murmurs, pushing off the desk that he is leaning against.

“Don’t. I have to move on, and I promise I’m getting help. The principal has me seeing the guidance officer every week to talk through my feelings.”

“He’s Boston’s brother. Isn’t that weird?” Danika adds.

“He is and yes, but it is what it is.”

Danika stands and claps. “Yay! Now that we’ve made up, there’s a party tonight and I really want to go.”

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