Page 58 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

I jolt, a scream ripping from my throat as I swerve towards the side of the road. The car flies down a slight embankment, luckily coming to a stop seconds before we hit a row of trees. I turn to the back of the car and find Marlow sitting there with a smile plastered on his face.

“What the fucking hell is wrong with you?!” I shout. “And how... Why?”

He leans forward, closing the gap between us. “Thank you would suffice.” He leans further into the front and clicks down the cigarette lighter before squeezing his large body into the front seat, ass sideways in the air.

“Getting out would have been easier, and thank you for what?”

Ass firmly planted in the passenger seat, he turns to face me. “It would have been easier, but you would have driven away. Also, you’re thanking me for coming instead of Laughn.”

“How did you find me? I turned my phone off.”

“Which would have been fine if I wasn’t notified when that happens, and the tracker still works when your phone is off.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“Motherfuckers,” I growl out, hitting the wheel.

Marlow ignores me and uses the car lighter to light his joint.

“I draw the line at mothers. I’m not a good role model for any kid,” he says, waving the joint in the air, filling the car with smoke. “If you prefer, I could have told Boston, but figured I would see what you were up to myself. I can’t wait to tell Laughn where you were.”

“Please don’t. I convinced Summer to meet when she asked me to talk sense into Laughn, so her friends were safe. I just wanted to assure her I would talk to him.”

“And what did she have to say?” He eyes me sceptically and I thank my lucky stars it isn’t Davis sitting here—if he really is a human lie detector.

“Not much actually... Khale wasn’t impressed to meet me. Summer may have mentioned Laughn is a lot scarier than I thought.”

“And did that scare you?”

Now it’s my turn to shrug. He doesn’t scare me, and I know that is stupid because he clearly should.

“No,” I answer honestly.

“Stupid mistake, Jolie. We should all scare you. Have you ever walked down a dark street and in the pit of your stomach there is a nagging feeling of dread?”

I nod. As a woman I know that feeling well.

“You would be best to remember that fear. Except we are not monsters that linger in the shadows or hide in the dark. We are the kind that walk one step ahead of you, giving you a false sense of security, and just when you think you’re safe, we simply turn around and you will realise you made a huge mistake... that you should have run when you had a chance.”

“Better the monsters you can see—at least you have a chance to turn around and run away.”

“That’s one way to look at it. I need to get back before they realise I’m gone,” he says, opening the car door and sliding out. “And Jolie”—he leans back into the car—“stay the fuck away from Team Rampage. Laughn will skin them alive and use them as rugs. Just because Summer is small and cute, it doesn’t mean her guys are not lethal, and with the threat of Laughn hanging over them, they could have done something stupid. Don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.” With that, he winks and walks away.

I watch him in the rear-view mirror until he disappears, heading back to god knows where, leaving me and this car still stuck down the embankment. This shit keeps getting weirder and weirder. I think it’s time I find myself some tracking devices—maybe they will lead me to Trace. I don’t care what Summer says, Trace is my best friend until he tells me otherwise. With this new information, I plan to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all.

Chapter Twenty-One

Case

Brennan called and told us we had to get Trace to crack—Mr Z’s orders. Laughn is currently acquainting him with some electricity, yet he still hasn’t budged. My skills are useless here. I can break into anything... buildings, vaults, literally everything that has a lock.

I step back into the room after texting Jolie. We’re all in agreement that once her results are in, we need to tell her something. Mr Z will expect us to be a team of six again. He won’t let her get away, and will keep a close eye on her and our team, even though we all know something suss is going on.

Trace looks up at Laughn and smiles; you can tell he is tired but refuses to give in, whether that is his training or for her, who knows. Whatever it is, it’s making our life harder.

“You do realise my training started before you were all born, right? Get Mr Z here or I won’t talk.”

“So, he does still have a voice,” Boston snaps. Boston is a leader, born to make the hard decisions.

“You forget that your team wasn’t the only one trained at the facility. Your little genetically modified group?—”

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