God of Wrath (Legacy of Gods #3) by Rina Kent

The wisest thing to do under the circumstances is to drop the subject, ignore her as I’ve been attempting to the past couple of days, but the fucker of a beast who has been craving her since that first taste refuses to let go.

I meet Ilya’s gaze. “What else did she say?”

“She refused to leave until we told her about your state, and when I did, she complied and got off the property without incident.”

She wasn’t supposed to be here in the first fucking place. What does she want after the ‘Lan’ episode?

My fist clenches with the need to find the fucker and erase his features. She won’t be thinking about him if I somehow transform him into an ugly monster.

How are you any different from him?

I internally shut down that voice and start walking again. Ilya falls in step beside me, vehemently refusing to leave me unguarded, despite the fact that I told him I prefer to do this solo.

He also said I could have complications since I refuse to rest, so he’s here in case he has to take me to a doctor.

“Boss.”

“Hmm?”

The sound of birds and other small forest creatures swirl in the pause Ilya takes to speak up.

So I throw him a glance.

He clears his throat. “She looked worried and had tears in her eyes. Miss Knight, I mean.”

I slide my finger against my thigh, back and forth, back and forth. Like a cryptic language.

Fuck if I care.

That’s what I should say, and mean it, but I don’t.

This is the part that didn’t go according to plan. The part where I could’ve and should’ve been able to cut ties with her the moment we were done on that deck.

The part where I should’ve erased her from my life as if she were never there in the first place.

But it took my beast one taste to develop an obsession with her.

Or maybe the obsession has been there for some time now and it only just grew.

“She was most likely worried about Annika,” I say.

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s not important right now.” We walk for a few more silent beats. “We need to plot payback for last night’s fire.”

Our security team was able to gather footage of some men in masks who managed to infiltrate the property.

And while we couldn’t get identities, Ilya was able to pinpoint one of them as an ex-colleague from the Serpents by his tattoos.

The part that caught my attention, however, isn’t foolish painted masks or tattoos. It’s not the audacity of those fucking snakes to come to our property, breach our security, and set us on fire.

It’s how they got here.

Through the forest.

We’ve had a few infiltration attempts in the past, but they all came through the gate or over the walls.

No one would even consider coming through the forest, considering its thick and mystic nature, not to mention the cameras.

Which brings me to suspicion number two. How the fuck did they manage not to get caught by our cameras?

Only one got a shot of them, and that was newly installed.

It’s as if they knew exactly where the cameras are. And that’s impossible unless there’s a traitor in our ranks.

“Did someone say payback?” Nikolai sprints in our direction wearing only shorts and then punches the air. “With fists and mayhem and burning down the whole fucking island?”

“We can’t act rashly when we haven’t gathered enough info yet,” Ilya says, forever the mediator.

Nikolai lunges forward and pins Ilya with an elbow to his throat. Ilya isn’t a small man, but my friend is similar to a titan. “I say how about you admit that you’re the one who gave the Serpents inside intel? Confess now and I’ll only skin you after you’re dead. If you don’t, I’ll do the opposite.”

I touch his shoulder. “Let him go.”

“This motherfucker is suspicious, Jer. It’s no coincidence that our inner security was leaked to the Serpents after he defected from their ranks and pretended to be your loyal servant.” He stabs Ilya’s trachea with his elbow. “Speak before I murder you.”

“I didn’t do it,” Ilya mutters even as his eyes bulge. “I wouldn’t have sold them out and revealed their identity if I had.”

I grab Nikolai by the nape and wrench him back, forcing him to release Ilya.

“This isn’t the time for inner conflict.” I stare at my friend. “If Ilya wanted to give them something, he would’ve handed over the mansion’s blueprint, including the newly installed security cameras. And he wouldn’t have stayed during the fire or saved Gareth.”

“The motherfucker could’ve been faking it.”

“Enough.” I exert pressure on Nikolai’s neck. “We should focus on making them pay your way.”

Light shines in his usually dead eyes and he smirks. “You can’t take that back. We’ll do it my way and you’ll tell those fuckers Kill and Gaz to obey me.”

“After I plan it.”

“Do your thing. But I’ll use explosives.”

“Explosives will get the authorities’ attention. No.”

“You said my way.”

“Anything but explosives.”

I’m sure he’ll come up with an equally screwed-up method, and I’ll allow it.