Chapter 32

“You should have called me sooner,” a deep, male baritone rumbles reproachfully.

“I was scared,” a female replies.

“I’ll always protect you, tesoro,” softer this time.

“Like you protected her?” Scathing.

“Tesorito.” Pleading.

“Save it. Save her instead.” Dismissive.

“What happened?” Confusion.

“Once she passed out they were less interested in playing. They like the screams and the fear and reactions too much. They left and when the cleanup crew went in and found out that her heart had stopped…I called you.”

“And now?”

“They got her heart working again but she hasn’t come round yet.”

This isn’t my memory.

“I’m going to need your security footage,” a new, tougher voice adds.

“Of course. But they wore masks.” Sorry.

“Personal details, identities then,” they snap.

“You know we can’t.” Firm. Apologetic.

“You’ll do it if you want to live.” Unyielding. “Now. Go.”

This isn’t my past nightmare.

I know those voices.

The beep of a door unlocking, opening, fresh air washing over me dances at the edge of my consciousness, teasing me to come back. But the seductive pull of the darkness is hard to resist and I succumb to it with open arms.

Then I’m rudely pulled back by persistent, insistent shaking.

Crack.

A blow to the cheek that feels like child’s play makes me laugh.

“Better than that…” I mumble.

“Wake up! Odi!”

A massive yawn escapes me but it seems to do the job of drawing enough air into my lungs to make my eyes open.

I gasp, staring up into the concerned face of Hector. Frowning, I try to remember if he ever gave me his full name…or if I gave him mine. It shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. Not when—

“What…doing…here?” Ugh my mouth feels like it’s full of cotton wool. “Drink.”

Thankfully, Hector seems to understand me and presses a bottle of water into my hands. I take it then freeze.

“It’s safe. I promise,” he insists gently. I attempt to open the bottle but I’m too weak, so Hector does it for me. I take small sips of the water but I’m so thirsty I just want to gulp it down in one. “Easy, careful now.”

“Thanks.” I pass the almost empty bottle back to him and he discards it on the bed beside me.

I blink. I’m on a bed? The last thing I remember is—

“You’re safe, I promise. Trust me. Just give yourself a couple of minutes to recover and I’ll get you out of here, I swear.”

Somehow his presence does calm me. I’m sure I should have a million questions for him, but I can’t summon the energy to ask any. I just nod and accept his gentle calm.

He looks me over, wincing when he takes in the state of me. I must be a mess but I’m too numb to feel the damage. Without hesitating he reaches up and pulls his T-shirt off. I expect him to hold it out to me like he did the water, but he doesn’t. He pulls the shirt over my head, carefully helping me to get my arms through the sleeves and then gently untucking my hair.

“Thanks,” I whisper.

He’s so close. There’s no pity on his face, just pure concern and kindness. He reaches out, tentatively and slowly like he’s giving me a chance to pull away, but I don’t. His huge, calloused hand cups the side of my face gently.

“I was so worried when I heard you scream down the line,” he murmurs softly. His fingers are lightly caressing my cheek but it almost seems unconscious.

“It was you that called me?”

“I was going to see if you wanted to train.”

“I was on my way to see you.”

“I’m so glad you answered the call and were able to signal for help.”

“Me too. How did you find me?”

“A…friend called me.”

“Oh.”

The gap between us seems non-existent and I swear Hector’s gaze keeps flicking to my lips.

I wet them nervously, still feeling the aftereffects of the drugs in my system.

“Hector,” I whisper.

“Mmm?”

“Thank you for saving me.”

“Of course. I want to protect you, or help you to protect yourself.”

“I’m scared,” I admit.

“Of what?”

“I was drugged.” I hesitate. “I…I really like you but…the drugs make me…act out of character,” I confess awkwardly. I want to kiss him, to lean forward and close the gap between us, but I’m terrified to reignite the fuel that’s still simmering in my veins.

“I understand, Odi.”

Relief floods me.

“But I don’t care.”

He makes the first move, pulling me towards him with such care that I know I could pull away and put the brakes on if I wanted to. But I don’t want to.

His thick lips are soft and pillowy against my own but I don’t erupt in the flames of desire. It’s nice, comforting and new. But it doesn’t set me on fire. Which is both a relief and a bitter disappointment.

“Back the fuck off, Heracles,” an icy voice warns.

Hector freezes then pulls away from me with a grimace.

“Sorry,” he whispers for only me to hear.

He shifts, moving back to a respectful distance, and I’m able to see who interrupted us. Axel. Face like thunder, fists curled and raised, ready to strike. Hector’s pose becomes deferential, his massive form seems to shrink and his head is lowered in respect.

I have no idea what’s going on. Why Hector found me first, or why Axel is here, seemingly alone when I half expected The Trinity to save me.

“Hector? What did he call you?”

“What the fuck are you doing kissing a God, Odi?” Axel snaps. “What are you thinking?”

“What?” My head spins in confusion. What is Axel talking about? Why is he mad at me?

“Tell her, Heracles,” he grinds out.

“Why do you keep calling him that? His name’s Hector. He works in the gym.”

Axel laughs but it’s cold and humourless. The sound makes dread pool in my belly, hot and heavy, as ice slithers down my spine.

“Tell her, Hector, how Heracles is the Greek God of heroes, sports and athletes.” Axel scoffs.

“He’s also the divine protector,” Hector says, staring at me intently.

“I don’t understand.”

“Come, Odi. Let me get you home.”

Axel holds out a hand to me, and after a split second of hesitation, I take it. Because despite everything, he’s known. He’s lethal and terrifying but I know him. I know his darkness, his danger, his damage.

“Stay away from Odile, and tell the rest of the fucking Gods to do the same.”

Hector – or whatever the fuck he’s called – is a stranger to me, but Axel’s words slowly sink in. Part of me wants to insist he’s wrong, but…when has Axel ever been wrong?

Axel helps me to my feet with surprising tenderness, wraps his arm around me in a way that’s reminiscent of Kaiden, and leads me out of the prison where I had hoped to die.

“Odi, please! Wait! Let me explain! It’s not like that.”

I hesitate but can’t bring myself to look back at Hector. He’s one of them. One of the ones responsible for…this. It doesn’t matter that he was the first on scene seeming to rescue me, he was still involved. One of them. A God.

I feel so stupid.

This thing that was developing between us was so new. It wasn’t even a bud yet. More like the shoot of a seedling barely breaking the soil. But it was new, and exciting, and it felt so healthy to form a friendship with potential to be more that could thrive outside of manipulation and games and everything negative I’ve ever known to be associated with love.

I can’t look at him because part of me knows that if I see genuine remorse in his eyes, I might crumble and let him explain the pain away.

But I can’t do that.

I won’t.

If I’ve had to harden my heart against The Holy Trinity, the three boys I’ve loved as long as I’ve understood what the word meant, then I can easily turn away from what might have been with Hector.

Axel leads us along the corridor and into the lift at the end. I start shaking around the same time the doors slide shut. Axel squeezes me tighter and I’m transported back in time. I’m thirteen again, clinging to Axel and sobbing. No tears fall today, but the emotions are just as real and raw.

I keep waiting for…something. But nothing comes. Axel doesn’t say a word, doesn’t explode or react in any way. He just holds me like I’m precious to him and the steady thrum of his stone heart soothes me in a way that only nostalgia can.

The lift ascends and stops, pings our arrival. I’m starting to really hate that sound. If I never step foot in an elevator again for the rest of my life, it’ll be too soon.

We step out into that sumptuous hotel lobby I was brought in through and this time the woman who met us when I was here with The Gods races towards us, frantic with worry and remorse.

It strikes me that she seems ageless. She carries herself like a confident, experienced and wise woman, despite her panic right now, yet her unlined, youthful face could put her close to my age. Under different circumstances I might be curious to know more about her, but now that I fully understand her line of work, she can rot in hell for all I care.

“Oh my goodness, Axel, I’m so so sorry! I honestly had no idea who she was. I would never have accepted her if—”

“Save it,” Axel snaps. “I’m taking my girl home.”

“Yes, of course. I have a car waiting. I thought she might not be comfortable on the bike after…”

She doesn’t finish that sentence. There’s no need. After she bought me and then sold my body for one night of torture to the highest bidders? Or were they just the most eager, depraved monsters she had on speed dial? Did I fetch a good price? Was I worth it?

Axel growls something which could be thanks or a warning not to push it, and stalks past Arcelia without a backwards glance. I don’t know why he doesn’t put a bullet in her for this.

Then it hits me.

He knows. He knows who did this, but he also knows what happened to me in that room. What happens here at this hotel. He invested in it. He backed her and her twisted, sick, hotel of horrors theme.

They all did.

My stomach lurches and I just make it through the double glass doors out onto the street before emptying the contents of my stomach all over the pavement, narrowly missing my bare feet.

As an investor, he probably gets a share of every transaction. Which means he just made money off my suffering.

I knew Axel was into…well, a lot of fucked up shit, if the family ‘business’ was anything to go by, but this?

This is too much.

I stumble on the pavement and put some distance between the two of us while we wait for the car that was arranged to pull up.

Axel begins to pace, running his hands through his hair in agitation.

“Who did this to you?” he eventually demands.

I say nothing and his frustration grows.

“Damn it, Odile! Tell me who did this!” His sudden shout makes me jump and despite my resolve to stay strong, I flinch. Axel doesn’t seem to notice though, back to pacing and growling to himself.

“They’re dead. They’re so fucking dead that their entire family line will be wiped out today. Every living blood relative is gone. Those associated by marriage, gone. Their fucking housekeepers and their barbers and their dog’s fucking vets are gone.”

“You know,” I whisper, the words awkward and difficult in my mouth. I swallow hard but when I speak again my voice isn’t any louder. “You know who did this.”

Axel freezes like my words have stabbed him.

“The General wouldn’t dare…” he mutters disbelievingly.

His back is to me and he doesn”t turn. I don’t think I could bear to see his face anyway. He knows.

“Who would dare, Axel? Who would be so bold as to take on The Holy Trinity’s wrath?” My tone is bitter, sarcastic, hurt.

Axel said being The Doe would keep me safe. He fucking lied. Being The Doe, having The Holy Trinity back in my life…might not be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, but it’s now in the top fucking five.

“Odi—” I’ve never heard such a pained, pleasing sound come from Axel before.

“They wanted to send you a message. I hope it’s been received and understood,” I say tersely. “Now I’d like to go home.”

A sleek black limo pulls up and I step forward to open my own damn door before the driver can get out to do it for me. I’m half tempted to slam the door after me, but I’m not that petty.

I clamber over the slippery leather upholstery to take the seat furthest from the door. Axel climbs in, notices how far I’ve positioned myself from him, and sighs. The driver closes the door, probably terrified he’ll be fired for failing to open it before me and trying to prove that he’s good at his job.

“Odi,” Axel begins on a resigned and pained sigh. “I can’t kill The Gods.”

I refuse to look at him. I stare at the blacked out window which only shows my own reflection staring back at me. I concentrate on a smear on the glass instead. I don’t want to see myself. Don’t want to assess the damage.

“Not yet anyway. Not so long as we’re a part of the Hunting Grounds. But as soon as we’re done, I promise you, they’re dead. All of them.” I don’t miss his heavy emphasis and the fact he means Hector too. I don’t know the full story, hell it would seem I don’t know anything, but I’m almost certain that Hector doesn’t deserve to die.

There I go again. Caring. When I clearly shouldn’t.

I shake my head and I’m proud of myself when my words come out like steel encased in ice. “We’re done. And I don’t need you to kill anyone for me. I’ll do it myself. I’ll kill every last son of a bitch involved in the Hunting Grounds if I have to, and then I’ll come after everyone associated with that hotel.”

Wisely, Axel doesn’t say a word, and the rest of the journey passes in uncomfortable silence. I seethe and stew, plotting my revenge... It’s better than cracking and crying.