Page 256 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

Creed looks up, and we move closer to him. “You’re up already.”

I nod. “You know me, doing as I’m told is not a strong suit when it comes to what’s mine.”

Chester wheels me across the room and parks the chair next to Creed. I reach over and run my finger down my baby girl’sarm. I feel bad she doesn’t have a name yet, but nothing I’ve come up with seems to be right. When Boston came up with Zadom, I just knew that was his name, and looking over at him now, I know we picked right.

“Jolie,” Brennan whispers—both babies have just gone the sleep—and I look up at him. “We have a team here, ready to transport the babies back to Olympia.”

“I’m going with them,” I state, leaving no room for argument. There is no way in hell I’m letting them travel with strangers.

“That has already been arranged. You can go with them, and we will all be following behind you.”

I nod my head in a quiet thank you. The doctor came around today and cleared them for travel. Besides their size, you would never know they were born early, and I’m thankful for the genetic modifications right now. The doctors also found out that there was an issue with my daughter’s placenta. If Zadom hadn’t gone into fetal distress, she may have not made it. Last night, we all spoke about Grace and placing her in charge of the babies’ medical and research teams. She will order their tests, oversee everything, and monitor them throughout their lives—that is, if she is willing to give up being a midwife. Olympia will pay for all the training she might need, and pay her well, because she would also oversee our babies’ team, observing and recording how they all interact and what abilities they all develop as they grow and mature.

It takes half an hour for the babies to be ready. An ambulance has to transport them, but we have managed to get one of our security team to sit in with the driver of the ambulance. Even wecan’t bypass certain rules, and I want to do everything the right way.

Once we are all loaded, I take my seat. “We will be right behind you,” Brennan confirms.

“See you all at Olympia.” I look out the back of the vehicle, and all my guys nod.

“The babies’ team is already there and awaiting their arrival,” Grace says as she slips into the back with me. We managed to get them to agree to her travelling with us since she is unofficially the babies’ medical caretaker. Not to mention the people in charge really couldn’t say no to Chester.

The door closes and the engine starts. Grace smiles at me. “Are you ready?” she asks.

“I sure am. I know Olympia isn’t home, but I will feel better with them being in a secure building. This maternal instinct stuff has hit a whole new level now that they are here.”

We talk back and forth, and I spill the beans that she will be asked to meet with us later this week. She squeals so hard—apparently being a midwife was a back-up career. She bashfully tells me she comes from a wealthy family who has attended events at Olympia where she became obsessed with the teams. Her natural curiosity caused her to do some digging, and she uncovered things were not as they seemed. Getting a job with us was a dream come true.

The tyres squeal, and Grace and I unclip our belts at the same time, jumping forward to check the babies. Both are still fast asleep, just as they were when we left. We take a sharp right, and Grace stumbles and falls into me. We both hit the floor as the ambulance comes screeching to a stop.

“Stay in the vehicle,” the man from Olympia says. “Any issues, you floor it and don’t stop. Radio for Brennan and see what their ETA is—now!”

He jumps from the ambulance and gunshots fill the air. Is that the guys, or are we under attack?

I turn to Grace. “Guard them,” I say, and she nods.

I need to protect my children no matter what, even if it’s bad. Although I’m still not the best shot with a gun, with all the practice we have done, I have improved from where I was originally. At about seventy percent accuracy when I really concentrate, that will have to do. My hand shakes as I pull the gun Boston gave me out of the baby bag we packed for the trip.

The sound of someone opening the sliding door has me pointing the gun and waiting. The door slides open, and my first mistake is not pulling the trigger immediately. A man stands there, but I can’t make out who it is clearly. I freeze, my body locked up tight. Grace launches her body towards the man, trying to protect me and the babies. He doesn’t have time to shoot her, instead bringing the gun down across her head, instantly knocking her unconscious. She falls, and he kicks her lifeless body aside.

“Hello, Jolie. Drop the gun, or I will blow up the entire ambulance. Just like I did with your teams.”

I blink a few times, stunned by the familiarity of his voice, and Ziyon steps into view. He is full of shit. If they were hurt, I would know about it. Clearly, he isn’t aware of that.

“What do you want?” I ask, my gun still aimed at him.

“The babies, of course.”

“Over my dead body,” I snap.

“That can be arranged,” a voice behind me says.

Looking over my shoulder, I find that the damn driver has a gun to my head. I lower my weapon, placing it carefully on the ambulance floor—I can’t risk guns going off in here. Even if he kills me, the guys will hunt him down until they find the babies. Plus, Chester will want his head, and that in itself will lead the others to our children.

“Why now? I haven’t even had them for a day.”

“Why waste time? Melinda didn’t get to raise you or your sister, and she deserves her chance. I suppose I can tell you since you will die here today. When I had Melinda’s memories taken, the plan was to bring you with her. I wanted you both to myself. I wanted a family. Zacari always got everything he wanted in life. He was happy to share her; he said we could be one big family. He always wanted me to be complacent, so I would do what he wanted. But I loved her more, and he was married to his job. I paid off the doctor, and I had it all in place. She missed him when he went away and would cry all the time. She had me and still missed him. Even though she claimed to love us both, it was always him. I could see it, so I took a leaf from my brother’s book, and I took what I wanted.”

“So you wiped her memories. What was the point? She wouldn’t have remembered loving you.”

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