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Chapter Twenty-Three

Jolie

The tracking devices arrived yesterday, which worked out perfectly, as the guys were out. I had to get creative, though. There was no way I could get to their phones, so I decided one each for their cars would work.

I had a small-ass window of time this morning while Petra cooked them food. There was no instruction manual on how to stick a tracker to a car, but I found some metal glue in the gardener’s shed and improvised. I know they will be super pissed if the lumps of glue in their mufflers are ever found, but honesty is the best policy and all that. I’m positive they know where Trace is; what I can’t figure out is why they won’t just tell me. Also, what was with the kidnapping? If that was them, what is this whole Gods bullshit? I feel like I have a hundred different puzzle pieces from different damn puzzles and no idea which pieces belong to which.

I throw the metal glue in the shrubs on my way back inside, making my way towards the kitchen.

“Do we really have to go?” Marlow whines. “You know my mother.”

“You know you have to. With recent events, Mr Z needs to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

“Will he announce that Trace is back?” The hairs on my arms stand on end.

“You know he has to lie low. Jolie can’t find out. I have a meeting with him and Mr Z this morning to talk about what happens going forward.”

I decide to make my presence known—looks like I have plenty of spying to do. If Brennan is going to see Mr Z and Trace, that means I’ll have his location. Internally I get giddy. Trace wouldn’t avoid contacting me unless he was being held against his will.

“Morning,” I chirp, popping into the kitchen. Reaching up into the cupboard and grabbing a mug, I turn back around to find all six sets of eyes looking up at me. “What?”

“Nothing, you just look nice this morning.”

Even if I hadn’t overheard part of their conversation, I would now know something was up. Boston giving me a compliment is just unheard of. I look down at the oversized shirt with a raised eyebrow. It’s the same one I have yet to return to Marlow; the guy is tall, so it makes for a good nightie.

Brennan coughs. “It might be a good idea to wear pants, though.” He takes my mug and starts making my coffee—a routine we have started to do every morning. I get a cup down and he swoops in and takes it, then makes it for me.

Case laughs and Laughn holds his hand out for me. I slide my hand into his and he uses it to pull me into his lap. Boston, Davis, and Marlow all watch me curiously from the opposite side of the table.

“You never have to wear pants,” Laughn whispers in my ear, making me laugh.

A throat clears from the entry and Mr Myers stands there.

“Dad,” Boston says as Brennan places my coffee down in front of me. “We were not expecting you home so early.”

“Your mother changed our flights so she can help Betty Emmerson with the gala dinner. Apparently someone else fell ill.” He takes in the way I’m sitting on Laughn’s lap, and his brows pinch, but he doesn’t say anything.

“I’m sure my grandmother will appreciate the help. We all know my mother wouldn’t want to ruin her manicure over such a tedious task,” Marlow replies, and Mr Myers snorts but composes himself quickly as Mrs Myers joins us. She also quickly assesses me, but just smiles.

“It’s nice to see you have settled in, Jolie, and that the boys are being nice. I was worried they would act like barbaric animals in the presence of a beautiful young woman.”

“They have been perfect gentlemen,” I lie, and Mr Myers laughs.

“I highly doubt that, but it’s good that they have taken you under their wing,” he says and excuses himself for a business call.

“It will be good for you to have friends for next year,” Mrs Myers continues.

“Next year?” Tilting my head quizzically, I look around at the guys. No one will meet my gaze.

“I thought you might want to attend university. There is a special academy the boys will be attending, and I made sure that you had an interview. It was a little presumptuous of me since I know you can legally leave once you graduate, but this could set you up for the future, and what harm is an interview?”

How can I do anything but nod along?

“What academy is this?” I ask her.

“The G.O.D.S Academy,” she states, and I hold my tongue. What is with all this Gods stuff? Rich people . “It stands for Gifted, Obedient, Dedicated Students.”

“Or deadly,” Laughn whispers in my ear, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“I’m not gifted at anything,” I state.

“Pish posh, everyone is gifted at something. We can sort that out later. For now, I have Angela coming after school with some dresses for us to try on. We need to look our best for this gala. We can’t have Elizabeth one-upping us... No offence, Marlow.”

“None taken,” he says with a smile. “We all know what she is like.”

“Well, I better get dressed for school. I will see you this afternoon.” She smiles at me as I leave the kitchen.

My day just got better; I will know Trace’s location by tonight. But this whole G.O.D.S Academy has made me curious. Is that where they took me for the fights? And does it have anything to do with Trace? If some weird organisation is behind what happened to him, I will bring them all down, one by one, until the whole place has burnt to the ground. I might be biding my time, but I will sacrifice everything and anyone who gets in my way.

It takes me fifteen minutes to get dressed, and by the time I make my way downstairs, Marlow is leaning against the wall, his backpack resting at his feet.

“I take it you’re on Jolie duty today.”

He just smiles.

“I like that you wear my shirt,” he says, pushing off the wall.

“Why?” I ask as we walk out to his car.

“Who doesn’t like their girl wearing their clothes?” he says, slipping into his seat.

I’m left standing there with my mouth hanging open, ready to protest. Instead, I storm to the passenger side and climb in.

“You do realise I’m no one’s girl, right?”

“Just because you don’t know it yet doesn’t make it any less true.” The asshole shrugs and turns on the stereo.

“I Fall Apart” by Post Malone filters through the car as we drive towards the school, and by the time we arrive, all the others have already parked their cars.

I don’t miss them all standing in their spot, directly above where they park. Laughn is sitting on the ledge, one leg out straight and the other hanging over the edge as he smokes a cigarette.

Slipping from the car, I feel Laughn watching my every move, the weight of his gaze on me until I’m out of sight. I climb the stairs, taking them two at a time because I need to find Jimmie and ask him if Kai messaged him.

When I make it to the courtyard, Jimmie, Sinclair, Danika, Joshua, and Kai are all at a table. I look over to the Gods and Case is staring his brother down.

Sitting between Sinclair and Jimmie, and directly across from Kai, I blurt... “So why didn’t you tell me that Case was your brother?”

I hear Danika whisper, “What the fuck?”

“You didn’t ask, and honestly, at first I didn’t realise you knew him.”

“Cut the shit. You knew,” I snap.

“Fine, maybe I did, but seriously, how is it my fault he doesn’t like me?”

“Wait, back up. We haven’t moved past the brothers part,” Jimmie adds, looking at Kai and then over to Case.

“Different mums, same father. My mum was just a poor girl from a poor family.”

I shake my head. I can tell he is lying to me, but I’m not sure how I know—beyond the fact that he sang the last part to the tune of a Queen song.

“I’m on to you, and I know exactly why you’re here.” Staring him down, I can’t believe I didn’t pick it before—the striking resemblance to Case. When we met, I had a feeling I knew him. It must have been the eyes.

Looking over at Case, I mentally cringe as hurt flashes across his face. I never intended to get this close or to actually care about them. I only did it to find Trace. My plan has not changed, but I realise it’s going to be harder to walk away from some of them when the time comes.

Danika sighs. “I wish someone would look at me like that.” Her comment snaps me back to the table and I catch Joshua looking at her.

“Sometimes it’s just staring right at you, and you don’t realise it,” Sinclair remarks. Clearly, she notices the way Joshua looks at Danika. Now Danika just needs to see it.

“Is anyone else being dragged to some gala dinner?”

This piques my interest, as I figured the gala would be only for people involved in this Gods bullshit. Turning my attention back to Jimmie, I listen as he whines about having to go.

“I will be there. Mrs Myers is helping organise it. Plus, I’m curious to meet Marlow’s mother—she sounds fun,” I quip.

Sinclair snorts, but Kai bites. “There is nothing about that woman that is fun. She is a predator of the worst kind. One wrong look from her will make you want to kill yourself.” He shivers at the thought of her—she must be a real piece of work.

My leg is tapping insistently under the table. The anticipation of finally finding out where Trace is has me feeling nauseous, and I need to check in on where Brennan is heading.

“I need to pee.” Standing, I move to squeeze down the bench past Jimmie.

Speed walking all the way to the bathroom, I lock myself in a stall and pull out my phone, bringing up the tracking app. The one thing they had in the box was a QR Code—for real- time tracking—and I watch as the blinking light moves along a highway. Wherever he is going seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Interesting.

Now I just need a car. I need to see where this is with my own eyes. Surely one of the guys will lend me theirs.

Making my way towards form before I am tardy enough for a late slip, I hear a hushed argument with familiar voices. Instead of rounding the corner, I flatten myself against the wall and listen.

“There is no damn choice, and you know it. I’m her handler and you will have to get over it.”

“Well, you better make sure she is ready. We only have a few months before the next trials and Mr Z thinks this is all some test for her—both having to find Trace and realising who we are.”

“So, they have told her nothing?”

“Nothing, and it’s fucking killing us not saying anything. If we mess this up, he will take her from us again.”

“No,” Kai says, raising his voice. The intensity and power behind that one word intrigues me. “Get your team together tonight and I will bring everyone else, including Trace. We need to find out why she is that important to Mr Z and what he isn’t telling us.”

“This better not backfire. I can’t lose her again.” Case’s voice is a low growl. “Also, how the hell are you going to bring Trace out?”

“I happen to know Mr Z is indisposed until just before the gala. So leave it to me.”

“What are you not telling us?” Case snaps at Kai.

“We can’t talk about it here. I will send you the meeting location tonight. Be ready to leave.”

Well, that saves me time finding a car. I will just follow them tonight and confront them all. I’m over being kept in the dark.