Page 2 of Cruel God

Yes, there were times that I was jealous of Lily. But it would always pass quickly, and then I’d love her again.

I brought my toes to the line and steadied myself, easily dropping the stone in the number one block. Then, with one leg, I hopped to block number two.

A loud noise of screeching tires hurt my ears, and everyone turned to look down the street, a black van speeding down the road.

Suddenly all the kids were crying out, scrambling to get away as the black van stopped next to the pavement. The door slid open, and two masked men jumped out.

“Hope!” I heard Lily’s screams, but I was frozen. “Hope, run!”

I couldn’t. I couldn’t run as I watched one of the masked men rush toward me. It was only when his arm snaked around my body, jerking me up and lifting my feet from the ground, that I started screaming and kicking.

“Colton!” My screams were so loud, it hurt my ears. “Colton! Help me!”

“Leave me alone!” I heard Lily yell. “Put me down.”

“Lily,” I cried out—fat, warm tears streaming down my cheeks. Lily looked my way, and everything seemed to slow down. Like a movie. A slow-motion scene forcing you to see every move, every facial feature, and every second taking a lifetime to tick by.

Lily’s eyes found mine, and the fear that flashed in her irises slithered across my skin. She stopped screaming, her face pale and tear-stained. But she stopped screaming as if she knew it was no use and accepted what was happening.

“Lily.” I whispered.Don’t give up. Don’t stop fighting.

A black bag got pulled over her face, and panic slammed against my chest. “Lily. Li—” A large hand covered my mouth. It smelled like dirt, and I struggled to breathe.

I glanced up at Colton’s bedroom window and saw him look out. For a second, I was so happy to see him, thinking he’d come and rescue me.

But he didn’t.

He never came.

* * *

COLTON

12 years later

It’s beentwelve motherfucking years, and it finally felt like I was a few steps closer to finding her. She wasn’t dead. I could feel it in my soul. My little sister was still alive, and there was no way in hell I’d stop until I found her.

Not a single night went by that I didn’t think of her. That I didn’t see her little face peeking into my room, asking me to go outside with her. I’d never forgiven myself for not going. If I had, maybe she’d still be here. She’d be twenty-four years old now. Possibly even engaged or married. She’d be living a life of her own, and my mom would never have committed suicide because she couldn’t breathe not knowing where my sister was, whether she was safe or harmed. Alive or dead.

Four. That’s how many lives I destroyed because I was obsessed with getting a scholarship so I could go to college. Hope. Lily. My mom. Mine.

I ended up not going to college anyway. How could I? How could I have gone on with my life knowing I had destroyed the lives of those I loved the most? I couldn’t. There was only one thing I could do, and that was to find Hope.

For years I spent every minute of every day working and paving the path that would hopefully lead me to her. I had given up my entire life, my morals, beliefs, and everything to become the man I was now. A man who could survive in the dark underbelly of New York City. A man who could look darkness in the eye without squirming. For years I pretended to be one of them, one of those sick motherfuckers who dwelled within the darkest pits of hell dragging the innocent down with them. I played my part, cloaked my true intentions with deception. My hands were soaked in blood, and my humanity drowned within the tears of the dead, all because I was a man fueled with determination to right what I had wronged no matter how many more lives I had to destroy to do just that. Because in the end, there was only one life that mattered…and that was hers—the girl I had sold my soul to find.

Years of walking among the wicked, pretending to be one of them, had finally brought me to this moment. The moment I managed to get close to the one man in the entire goddamn world who would know where she was. The one man who had the means to lead me right to her. My little sister. The sole reason I was looking the devil in the eye right. Fucking. Now.

That devil’s name. Rex Cain. Self-declared god of everything evil and vile. My last hope of finding her.

Now, all I had to do was gain his trust. Do everything, be everything he demanded of me so I could secure my place in his realm.

Rex Cain has no idea who I am or why I’m here. But he will, as soon as I find my sister…and burn his kingdom to the fucking ground.

Chapter 1

REX

Present

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