God of Pain (Legacy of Gods #2)(114)

The house is near the beach.

Surely, there are other houses around.

I don’t stop running, ignoring the pebbles scratching the soles of my feet.

If I don’t leave, my family will be dragged into this, and I can’t… I just can’t be forced to choose again.

It’ll kill me this time.

Hard footsteps sound behind me, sure and composed, before his rough voice reaches me. “It’s useless.”

“I’m going home!” I scream without looking at him. If I do, things can only make a turn for the worse.

His steps get closer and I yelp when his closed voice sounds near my ear. “Then you better run. If I catch you, it’s over.”

I jerk but I don’t stop.

I don’t look back.

And I certainly don’t think.

I speed in the direction of the beach. Surely someone will be there, like how Brighton Island’s beach was never empty, even during the windy, cold days.

My heartbeat picks up when my toes get buried in the white sand.

Aside from the tropical-like water and plants, there’s no one in sight.

I whirl around, my back to the water as Creighton closes in on me. He looks bigger than a god and as dangerous as the devil.

We’re supposed to be strangers again, enemies even, but no amount of bullets could kill the memories between us. If anything, it made them jaded, edgy, and full of tension.

“Stop it.” I raise both hands. “Or I swear I’ll scream.”

“Do it.” His voice drops as he strides toward me. “Scream.”

“I’m not kidding.”

“Neither am I.”

With his every step forward, I take one backward.

“Help!” I yell at the top of my lungs until my throat gets scratchy. “Someone help me!”

Creighton remains unfazed by my calls, absolutely detached. The more I shout, the closer he comes, the coldness on his face matching freezing ice.

“No one can hear you,” he says, keeping up the cat and mouse chase. “This is a private island.”

“A what?”

“Private island. In the middle of nowhere. No one will be able to save you from me.”

I jump when something cold hits my leg. The water. I’m at the shore now, the sea of an island at my back and this emotionless man in front of me.

And I know exactly which option I’m willing to take. I dash in the direction of the water.

“Don’t,” his voice calls behind me.

But I’m not listening as I keep going on and on, despite the chattering of my teeth and the sting of the salty water.

“Annika, stop.” The authoritativeness in his tone would’ve brought me to my knees once upon a time.

Now, other things are at stake, so I ignore it.

Water reaches my waist but I keep pushing forward.

“Annika! It’s deep on this end—”

His words are cut off when I take another step and find no sand. I fall into the water with a sudden yelp.

I’m fully submerged within seconds. I try to swim up, but it’s like an invisible hand is pulling me into the depths of nowhere.

Bubbles explode from my mouth, and panic explodes beneath the surface. I’ve never been a good swimmer and always held on to a float in the pool, which I should’ve thought about when I chose the ocean

Shit.

I kick my legs underwater and fling my hands up, but the more I push, the lower I sink.

The light coming from above dims into a dark blue and my vision blackens.

If I’d known this would be the end, I would’ve…done something different.

I would’ve—

A hand grips me by the elbow and hauls me to the surface. I cough and splutter, unable to get the air in my lungs fast enough.

My blurry vision is half camouflaged by my hair, but I manage to focus on the man who’s gripping me by the waist. With one hand and bold strokes, he swims us in the direction of the shore.

His clothes are soaked, his hair sticks to his forehead, and a muscle clenches in his jaw.

It’s unfair that he looks drop-dead gorgeous. That he drips with feral masculinity without having to do anything.

It shouldn’t be allowed, not when I’m trying my hardest to make him cut ties with me.

Once we’re in shallow water that reaches our knees, I try to pull free. Not only does he not release me, but he also stops in the middle of the water and slams me against his front.

The breath is knocked out of my lungs as I stare up at his raging eyes. “Creighton…”

“Shut the fuck up, Annika. I’m so close to being completely unhinged. Don’t test me.”

“What’s wrong with you now?”

“What’s wrong with me? I don’t know. You tell me. Since you thought it was a brilliant idea to jump into deep waters.”

A map of shivers covers my skin, and it has nothing to do with the air and is more related to the lash of his voice, the worry in it, the care that he probably doesn’t want to show it.

My voice softens. “I didn’t know it was that deep.”

“Did I or did I not tell you to stop?”

“Well—”

“Answer the fucking question.”

“You did,” I whisper out of habit, then glare. “But you were blocking me. I had nowhere to go.”