God of Pain （Legacy of Gods #2）
Rina Kent
To a love that’s nurtured by pleasure and intensified by pain.
AUTHOR NOTE
Hello reader friend,
If you haven’t read my books before, you might not know this, but I write darker stories that can be upsetting and disturbing. My books and main characters aren't for the faint of heart.
This book contains a talk of child abuse and suicidal thoughts. I trust you know your triggers before you proceed.
God of Pain is a complete STANDALONE.
For more things Rina Kent, visit www.rinakent.com
LEGACY OF GODS TREE
BLURB
I made a terrible mistake.
Being a mafia princess, I knew my fate was already decided.
But I went ahead and longed for the wrong one.
Creighton King is bad news with a gorgeous exterior.
He’s silent, brooding, and obviously emotionally unavailable.
So I thought it’s over.
Until he awakens a beast inside me.
My name is Annika Volkov and I’m Creighton's worst enemy.
He won’t stop until he breaks me.
Or I break him.
PLAYLIST
The Death of Peace of Mind – Bad Omens Karma Police – Radiohead
Therapy – VOILA
Drinking with Cupid – VOILA Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran & Bring Me The Horizon A Way to Restart – Colours in the Street In Circles – Holding Absence Same Team – Alice Merton
All the King’s Men – The Rigs Empty – Letdown
Half the World – Arcane Roots Beyond Today – James Gilespie
You can find the complete playlist on Spotify.
1
ANNIKA
There’s someone out there.
Or someones.
The sound of their harsh breathing slips from outside the room, going up and up in staccato, resembling a trapped injured animal.
A feral animal.
My eyes fly open and I stumble out of bed, smoothing my hair so it falls to my lower back. Then I tug down on my purple sleep shirt that barely covers my ass.
Shadows linger in the corner, twisting and groaning like starved beasts. The only light comes from the balcony bulb that I always leave on. I don’t reach out to the lamp’s switch or even attempt to touch it.
Something tells me that if I shed light on whatever animal is lurking out there, the situation will diverge in an ugly direction.
My steps are inaudible, which comes naturally to me. But the remaining calm part doesn’t.
It’s impossible to control the tremors that slash through my limbs or the sweat that trickles down my back, making my shirt stick to my overheated skin.
This isn’t right.
My brother’s mansion should be the safest place on campus and the second safest on earth after our home back in New York.
It’s why he insists I spend certain nights here. I don’t meddle in his business, but I know what those nights entail—mayhem, chaos, the butchering of poor souls.
So the best place to keep me protected is right under his wing with a dozen guards watching me.
You know that ivory tower Rapunzel stayed in? My room in the Heathens’ compound—my brother's anarchy-infested club—is the personification of that.
Hell, there are even guards beneath the balcony, so even if I actually attempted to climb down the tree, they’d be the ones to catch me. They’d scowl, grunt, and report my actions to both my brother and my father.
Yikes.
On the bright side, however, I’m protected. I’ve been protected since the day I was born into the Volkov family.
And I am a Volkov.
I nearly laugh at the shiver of fear that refuses to be purged from my system. I don’t know about anywhere else, but I’m safe here.
Okay, whatever is lurking out there, you better be some injured bird or something trivial. Otherwise, be ready to die.
The balcony curtains flap inside, the white material soaked in the color of the night and the dim light.
I pause once I’m a few steps away. Did I open the balcony door last night?
No. No, I didn’t.
The logical approach would be to turn around and run to the door, call for my brother or any of his men, and hide in my gilded cage.
But here’s the thing.
My toxic trait is curiosity, like I really can’t sleep at night if I don’t satisfy that thirst for knowledge.
The spacious room with its fluffy pillows, purple sheets, glittery wallpaper, and everything glam and pretty slowly fades to the background.
The soft light from the balcony is my only compass as I take a step forward.
Fate works in mysterious ways.
Ever since I was little, I’ve known that I wouldn’t always be a sheltered little princess fighting for her family’s approval. That one day, something would come for me when I least expect it. I just didn’t know what it would be or what it would entail.