God of Pain (Legacy of Gods #2)(85)

The guard raises a brow. “What?”

“Name. The dead man’s fucking name.”

A cloud of smoke reaches me first, clogging my already closed throat, before his calm words cut me in half. “Green. Richard Green.”

I drive my fist against the wall so hard, pain and blood explode from my knuckles.

Eli casts a glance at me, brows knitting before his face goes back to a blank slate. “I assume your boss is the one who encouraged those girls to come forward and pulled strings to destroy the Green family?”

“You assume correctly. I don’t know how true those accusations were, but I’m certain that Boss made sure to ruin Richard’s reputation so thoroughly that no one considered him a hero anymore. In fact, people started expressing relief that such vermin had been killed.”

“And that’s all you told Landon?” Eli asks.

“That’s all I know.” He throws his blunt down and steps on it with his shoe. “I’ll be in touch for my money.”

“I suggest you run as far as you can go.” Eli squeezes his shoulder. “Debts will be the least of your worries if your dear boss or his son finds out there’s a traitor in their ranks.”

“You fucking—”

Eli squeezes tighter, then whispers, “You aren’t running.”

The guard glances at the ground, but before he can reach for the gun, Eli picks it up and releases a displeased sound, then points it at him. “No guns on UK soil, remember? But maybe I can change the rules just this once?”

The guard spits at him before he hobbles out of the alley.

I’m only half focused, half conscious about what’s happening around me. Then the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together.

The clearer the image, the bloodier it gets.

The muddier my head turns.

The heavier my breathing becomes.

I pull my fist from the wall—my good one, the one I use to fight with—then slam it against the wall again. Stronger this time so that a splash of blood decorates the dirty surface.

Not enough.

This pain isn’t enough to drown the chaos that’s nearly splitting my brain open. Or the facts that come with it.

Such as Lia and Adrian Volkov being the villains of my childhood.

Annika’s parents are the reason I grew up into this hollow person with no core whatsoever.

I’m on that floor again. My face tight, my lungs burning, and I’m crawling on the hard wood.

Like those worms, I’m struggling, wiggling, biting my lips, fighting. That’s why I loved hunting them. I always liked squashing them.

It was better if they died fast instead of opening their mouths and being strangled further.

Instead of having white foam on the side of their mouths that wouldn’t go away no matter how much they spat. Or gagging on their own vomit.

My heart burns to the point of self-destruction. This must be what happens to machines when they reach the end of their lifetime.

They need to be destroyed.

I punch again, but this time, I meet a softer surface.

“Ow.” Eli uses his hand that he let me punch to shove me back. “Instead of hurting yourself, how about you use this destructive energy to hit someone who actually deserves your wrath?”

And then, like an unconventional older brother, he forbids my self-ruination and drags me to our next hunt.





The subject of the hunt happens to be back at the mansion.

The moment we walk through the front door, we find Landon lounging on a chair, a phone in hand.

“What took you so bloody long? I finished my pending business, paid a visit to a completely drunk Remi, played a game, and was just about to call it a night.” He finally lifts his head. “I figured Eli would make you hasten the process if you confided in him. I must say, I’m wounded, right in the middle of my nonexistent heart. I thought we shared a connection, Cray Cray. Judging by your expression, the cunt spilt it all?”

I storm in his direction, pull him up by the collar of his T-shirt, and punch him with the same hand I nearly broke against the wall.

Landon falls sideways on the chair and his phone clatters to the ground. He smiles as I grab him again, my fingers digging into his skin.

“You saw me with her. You fucking witnessed it all, every single part of it, so why the fuck—” I cut myself off because my voice is too scratchy to be heard. I swallow hard. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know it was her family for sure until recently. I’m superhuman, but not enough to locate the right guard who’ll sing when his mouth is shoved full of money. I did try to warn you. Not my fault nobody listens to Lan, even when he’s always right.”

I drive my fist into his face again. “You should’ve told me.” Punch. “You chose to use me instead.” Punch. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Blood explodes from his nose and the corner of his lip and he spits it on the carpet, but he doesn’t attempt to fight me. He’s letting me use him as my relief outlet.

“Would it have changed anything?” He grins, revealing blood-stained teeth. “You’re so into that mafia princess that you can’t see straight anymore, Cray Cray. I bet you’re more upset about your relationship with her than about the truth you so earnestly searched for all these years. I must admit, I liked you better when you were an emotionless little heathen.”