Page 55 of London Has Fallen
“I hate you," she cries. I nod and place a kiss on her lips.
“I know, hate me all you want and come after me my little demon but never give up. I'm so sorry it had to be me,” I whisper against her lips as I slam inside her one last time before I finally come. Instead of feeling sated or relieved, I feel disgusted. I cup her face between my hands and stare into her eyes.
Broken, that's what I see when I look into her eyes.
“Who’s next, she looks like she's got at least twelve more rounds in her." Anger sores inside me at Costa’s declaration. I pull out of her and cringe when she flinches, she wasn't even wet so I know that shit hurt her. I discreetly tuck myself back into my pants and remove the hoodie I wear covering her nakedness. “What the fuck do you think you're doing, take that off her!"
I slowly turn back to face Costa and the other leaders with my head held high, the triplets eyes widen at the sight of me. Unlike them and London, Costa can't differentiate the difference between me and Cronos.
“I, Artemis Argyros, hereby declare the completion of my final trial.” The outrage on Costa’s face is priceless, the other leaders appear just as shocked as he does.
“You are not permitted to take part in these trials, boy,” my father snaps. I keep my gaze on the other leaders as I answer.
“Nowhere in the rule book or guidelines of the GOTN does it state that I cannot participate in a selected trial. I have not broken any rules here and what you just witnessed is the final trial, which all you sick fucks just watched me do.” They bristle at my insult but say nothing. Costa moves to stand before me, but I keep my gaze focused over his shoulders and watch as the other leaders form a huddle and mutter amongst themselves.
“You think you have outwitted me, you think because you fucked some whore that you can overthrow me?” I don’t bother answering him. “You will never take my place at the head of this family, I’ll make sure of that, you little cunt.” He turns away from me. I reach forward and snag the keys from his pocket, he wheels around and tries to reach for me, but I jump back a step.
“The trial is complete. She was my conquest and weakness to conquer so therefore she is no longer needed,” I say in a tone that dares these fuckers to argue with me.
“Get in here!” Costa yells for more guards and I tense in preparation for a fight. The triplets begin to shout and beg for him to just let me go but their arguments fall on deaf ears. The other leaders do nothing to intervene or say a fucking thing in fear of what Costa might do. I rush to London and use what little time I have to free her, I manage to get one hand unshackled before the guards swarm the room with their guns trained on me. I discreetly press the keys into her palm as I stand to my full height and look directly to my father. The bastard stands there with a wicked smirk on his face, he knows he’s won and everything I just did to try and overthrow him was for nothing!
“Do your worst,” I grit out. Costa may have had his men beat me in private before so the other leaders never found out how he kept his best soldier in line, but now that I have crossed a line in their presence he is within his rights as the leader to exact his pound of flesh. The guards await their signal from their master like good dogs, the odds aren’t in my favor, nine on one.
“Teach him a lesson,” he says with a smile. I dart forward and tackle the one closest to me to the ground. I manage a single hit before I’m hauled backward and thrown to the ground. I know the drill. I curl into a ball and cover my head and face, the stitches in my leg already tore earlier, the pain has become a constant reminder that I’m living in hell.
“Get the fuck off him!” I hear one of the triplets scream. I shout in pain when one of the motherfuckers stomps on my ribs and I feel it crack. Tears blur my vision as pain explodes in every part of my body. This is one of those times where I wish I would pass the fuck out. When a gunshot sounds out, the beating stops. I groan in pain and use all the strength I have left to roll over. The sight of Cronos standing there with a gun pointed at our father has my blood turning to ice.
“Enough of this, you will release him and allow him to walk free,” Cronos orders, I hear the shackles behind me clink and bang as London finishes unchaining herself. “Come here, darlin’.” A second later I see her limp past me, wearing only the hoodie I left draped over her.
“You are not walking out of here,” Costa snarls. I chance a look at the other leaders and glare when I see them standing there with pale faces. How are men of their stature scared of Costa? Combined they have the power to overthrow him and force him from his position, but they are too fucking scared and weak to do it. I was a fucking fool for thinking that completing the trial would garner me their backing, they will never turn against him out of fear. “Drop the gun before I drop them.” Horror washes over my twin's face. I flick my gaze toward Costa and my heart stills in my chest at the sight of Ares on his knees with a gun pressed to the back of his head.
“Artemis,” he whispers, the pain is forgotten as I push to my knees and stare up at Costa.
“He’s your son,” I shout. Costa scoffs and rolls his eyes like holding a gun to his child’s head is nothing.
“You want to save his life?” he taunts with a smile.
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation.
A dark gleam enters his eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be you, it was supposed to be him.” He spits as he flicks his gaze to Cronos scowling. “You are easy to control, he isn’t.” He sneers as he returns his gaze to me.
“Then kill me and let them go, you have my word they will disappear?—”
“No!”
“Artemis.”
“Fuck no.”
“Stop!”
The four of my brother’s shout but I ignore them and push on. “I am the oldest and the next in line. Cronos is weak and will never lead, the triplets want their freedom and will never come after your crown. You kill me, you son of bitch, and let my brothers go! You hear me, you fucking let them go!” I scream hysterically, the feeling of being trapped and backed into a corner is suffocating. I’m grasping at straws right now to ensure that they all make it out of here alive.
“You want them to live?” he asks.
“Yes,” I answer.
Costa smirks and holds his hand out to one of his guards, the fucker places a hunting blade in his hand. “The four of them will live but you will not.” My brothers begin to shout and spew threats but their fight will do nothing, I see it in our fathers eyes. He may rule the Greeks and have all the leaders in a chokehold but he won’t allow me to live after what I did tonight in case there is a slim chance I could rise against him. Costa flicks his gaze to London and smiles wide. “You get to kill your rapist.” I flinch in shame, hearing him call me that has bile rushing up my throat.