Page 49 of London Has Fallen
“I want that key,” I snap. Artemis ignores me as he climbs to his feet, flinching in pain. I can see exhaustion is weighing heavy on him. That is the only fucking reason I don’t push him on using that freaking key to constantly break into my room. I lead him into the adjoining bathroom and turn the shower on. The cubicle isn’t big and it will be a tight squeeze but I mean, the dude literally squeezed inside my pussy so I’m sure we can make it work.
“I’m gonna need your help.” I spin around to see him struggling to remove his shirt. I help him remove it and cringe every time he grunts or hisses in pain. The moment his shirt is removed my eyes widen. Purple and black bruises cover his entire front. I move to the back and the sight of the four slices down his back has my hand shooting up to cover my mouth. “It looks worse than it feels.” His tone is laced with pain, I circle around him and bite my tongue not trusting myself to speak as I unbutton his jeans and push them and his boxers down his legs. The wound on his leg is patched but blood has soaked the gauze. I slam my eyes closed at the sight of boot print bruises that litter his legs.
I push to my feet and stand before him. He reaches out and grips my face between his hands. “Why did you go?” I ask without thought.
A sad smile graces his face. “Killing him isn’t as easy as you think. If I take him out then the laws state that me and my brothers will be taken out by the other leaders. I don’t have a choice but to weather his punishments because I would rather it be me than them.”
“If I were to win the trials, what happens to you and the brothers?” Rather than answer me he places a soft kiss to my lips then releases me as he steps into the cubicle. I strip off and follow in after him, it’s a tight fit but we make it work. He hisses when the water touches the cuts on his back. I grab my loofa and gently wash the cuts. They aren’t deep enough to need stitches but they will leave scars, as I was cleaning the third cut it’s then that it hits me. “He cut you four times because the four of us passed the trial.” It’s not a question but he still answers me.
“It was meant as a reminder that I can’t save them or… you.” I move to stand in front of him, ducking under his arm where he has them both resting flat against the wall. His hair has flopped onto his forehead. I reach up without thought and use my fingers to brush it back, his eyes close briefly at the feeling of my touch. When his eyes open they hold a haunted look in the depths.
“I don’t need you to save me, Artemis,” I whisper, this moment feels so different from all the others, there are no masks in place to shield our feelings from the other.
“Yeah, you do and you won’t believe me until the final trial. Believe me, London, I doubt my brothers will even pass it.”
“Why do you say that?”
His eyes harden as he stares down at me. “Cronos and I failed, our rings don’t hold the Anyolite ruby because we failed to complete the final trial.” I fucking knew it! The rings the five of them wear mean something.
“Do I get one?”
He smiles and shakes his head. “No.”
“Why not?” I huff out.
“Because we are made to wear these by our father as a constant reminder of what we lost. The triplets got theirs this year. Their rings will never be complete, Costa will make sure of that.”
“How?” I push.
“He won’t allow them to finish the trials,” he says somberly.
“What happens when they don’t pass the trials?” A shadow clouds his features.
“They are the last chance to save us all. If they win, they can spare our lives but if they fail, Costa has the right to end the five of us because we all shamed our family by failing.”
“If I win, can I spare you five?” My voice is firm.
He drops his hands to my waist and pulls me flush against him, it takes me a second to realize that he wants me to hug him, I wrap my arms around, careful not to touch the cuts on his back. This feels weird, I’ve hugged people but not like this. I’ve needed comfort from someone before but this feels strangely okay… better than okay actually.
“I wish it was that simple, baby, he won’t let you pass the trials.”
I take a shuddering breath and speak my truth, I can’t allow him to think that whatever this is between us will derail my plans.
“If you try to kill me to save them, I will fight back and kill you, Artemis, I have my own family to fight for.”
He places a kiss on the top of my head. “I know, no matter who he sends after you, even if it’s Cronos, you fight, London, and don’t allow him to break you. Make it the fuck out of here alive and take the Greeks down. End the trials and spare the lives of all future male heirs.”
Why does it feel like he is telling me he isn’t going to make it out of this alive?
Artemis
Cronos dropped me off some clothes and the first aid kit. He wasn't happy about the fact London told him I would be spending the night here with her. I can tell my brother doesn’t approve of my relationship with her, he also doesn’t realize that I can see through his bullshit. He likes her. London patched me up and helped me dress before we fell into bed. She tried to scoot as far away from me as she could but I wasn’t having that. I fixed that issue by pulling her into my side so she could rest her cheek on my bare chest and I could hold her close.
Whatever this is won’t last, Costa made it clear tonight that she is to die. He wants the war with her family. Her death will cause her family to break the alliance resulting in the other families coming to his aide to take out her entire family, giving Costa the power he needs to take over the US. My brothers and I won’t be alive to see that, I saw it in his eyes tonight he has something planned. If I could run away with them and never come back, I would. Deserters are chased to the ends of the earth and brought back to Mykonos to stand trial before the Godfathers, they never make it out alive. They see the trials as an honor. They love pitting all the heirs against each other and watching them kill off each family line—it’s fucking sick.
“Bellezza,” London whispers, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What does it mean?”