Page 90 of G.O.D.S Omnibus

I recognise where we are headed as Brennan takes us towards the test zone. I don’t mind hiding out close to home, but this may be a little too close for comfort.

“Stop overthinking it, Trace,” he murmurs. “I found a small cottage deep within the bush. It’s been owned by the same family for over a hundred years, used as a weird spiritual retreat. I paid the owners double for the next five years. Not that I think it will take that long, but it covers all bases.”

“Fine, but I’ll need some things. I left everything behind,” I say with a sigh.

He nods, and we drive the rest of the way in silence. My eyes close as I lay my head against the window and will myself not to cry again. Hopefully, it doesn’t take five years to take him out, as I’m not sure I can go that long without seeing my Star.

Chapter One

Jolie

Avoidance:the action of keeping away from or not doing something.

That has been the sum of my life for the last two weeks. Who I was before I came here had no reason to mourn their deaths, but the version of me I lost a long time ago that has recently resurfaced can’t stop. My heart aches with a pain I’ve never felt before; my entire being feels like it’s being crushed from the inside out.

Avoiding those who caused this pain has been an escape. Vengeance has buried its way into my blood, and all I dream about is hurting them in the same way they have hurt me. Then I wake up in tears, the thought of losing them, too, only causing me more pain. It’s an endless cycle, day in and day out.

I’m not entirely sure how long I have been holed up in Boston’s room. His clean laundry scent has started to fade, but I can’t seem to find the energy to move. Sinclair comes to helpme shower every couple of days and Petra brings me food—most of it I don’t even touch. My appetite left the moment I saw their dead bodies littered on the ground of the test zone.

Creed sneaks in and watches me sleep every night—I’ve heard him moving around—but I always ignore his presence. They’re the ones that caused this heartbreak, and I don’t want anything to do with any of them. Unfortunately, I know I can’t stay in this room forever.

The door to Boston’s bedroom clicks open and bangs against the wall, the sound echoing throughout the room making me wince. I keep myself rolled in a ball under the covers; if I ignore them, they go away after a while.

The first week was bliss, nothing but endless silence.

Today they don’t get the message. Some of them are pushier than others, Kai being one of the pushy ones.

“Rise and shine, Princess. We have the funeral today. It’s time we laid them to rest.”

I ignore Kai as he moves around the room, pulling the curtains open. The darkness under the blanket disappears as the light of the day filters through.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“Fuck off, Kai,” I snap.

“No can do. Mr Z wants you back in the land of the living.”

“Fuck him too,” I mumble.

Kai grabs the bottom of the blanket and tries to dislodge it from my body. “No thanks, he isn’t my type.”

Now that I have my memories back, the thought of him fucking someone else causes rage to pool in my stomach. Even though I’m mad and forgiving him isn’t something I can do just yet, I don’t want him with anyone else.

“Hard way it is then,” he says and then laughs.

I hear him walk around the bed, and he rips the covers off my body, throwing them across the room. Opening my blearyeyes and looking up at him, my lip curls in anger at the smile plastered on his face. Kai leans over me—his messy black hair falling across his forehead—and grabs my arms, pulling me from my sanctuary.

I thrash around in his hold, just wanting to get his hands off me. “Leave me alone!” my scream is distorted by the sob bubbling up my throat.

“No can do.”

I go limp, the never-ending exhaustion I’ve felt since I lost them making me feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. What is the point of fighting if he keeps coming at me? He tries to sit me up but fails. I hear him huff as he leans down, manoeuvring himself so he can throw me over his shoulder.

I kick my legs and bang on his back, shouting at him.

“Kai, put me down! I hate you!”

“Words leave permanent scars. Make sure you really mean what you say.”

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