God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5)

by Rina Kent

On a scale of straighter-than-straight Jer to fluid-as-lube Kill to confused-as-shit Gareth, I wonder where Brandon King falls. Not that I’m tempted to find out. That would be crazy. * * * Just kidding. I am crazy.

NIKO 💀💀

“Oh cool, you remember! Nice to officially meet you, Brandon. Or, hold on! I actually found you a perfect nickname. Lotus flower. You know, because you managed to bloom so beautifully while surrounded by the muddy swamp that is Landon. Isn’t that so fucking poetic?”

Hello, lotus flower’s inbox, lovely to see you again this evening. You looked hot today. Not that I’m hitting on you or anything since you’re sooo straight. Let’s consider this my hopeless one-sided crush on a straight guy. You don’t have to reciprocate. Unless you want to *eyebrow wiggle emoji* *sunglasses emoji* Yup. All good. My texts are still sitting prettily in here. Will check again later to make sure.

HE IS SUCH A MENACE

“Listen to me, you thick fucker. I’ve been tolerating your nonsense for far too long, but enough is enough. You’re not my peer, friend, or anything in between. So crawl back into your hole and stop being in my fucking space or I will crush you.” “Talk dirty to me, baby.”

NIKO STAHHHPPP💀💀💀

He’s in a frenzy. A craze. He is crazy. And yet as I stand here, the only feeling that goes through me is resounding relief. He didn’t leave. He came back.

“You need to stop looking at me like that if you don’t want me to fucking devour you.”

“Do you feel how hard I am for you?” Kiss. “How ravenous I turn when it comes to you?” Kiss. “I’ll devour you fucking whole, my beautiful lotus flower.” Kiss. “I’ll make you forget about anyone who came before me, namely fucking Clara.”

“Why, hello, Straight Brandon’s dick. You look pretty gay to me.” He strokes again, harsher this time, eliciting a shudder from me.

NIKO!!!!

“You’re a fucking nightmare,” he mutters, his throat working beneath my fingers. “Your nightmare.” “I hate you.” “I don’t.” “You’re fucking crazy.” “About you,” I whisper against his lips and claim them with a guttural moan.

“You taste like my new favorite addiction, baby.”

“Tell me more. Your mouth makes me so fucking hard.” I roll my hips and slam them against his groin.

“Want to blame me again?” I murmur against his skin. A puff of air leaves his mouth and he nods once. “Then blame me all you want, baby.” I slam my lips to his, taking what’s mine. Because he is fucking mine.

SQUEALING!!!

“I don’t know why the hell you’re obsessed with me, but I’m telling you that it’s impossible. I’m not gay.” He bursts out laughing, the sound scraping at the edges of my sanity, and I want to reach out to stop it, but I can’t move. Shut up. Shut the fuck up⁠— “Not gay?” he sneers at me. “Baby, you came three times on my hand, mouth, and fucking fingers. You choked on my cock and came because of a mere prostate fucking. If that isn’t gay, I don’t know what is.”

BRANDON “DENIAL” KING AND NIKOLAI “NEWSFLASH” SOKOLOV

I jerk my arm away. “Why the hell would you lick me? Are you a dog?” “Woof.” He grins and I can’t even muster the emotions to be mad at him. Bloody wanker is mental.

“Since we’re done with that stupidity. It’s time for my condition.” He wraps his fingers around my neck. “Don’t run away from me again. If you do, I’ll flip the world upside down to find you. You’re mine now, baby.”

No one has ever said that to me. No one has ever been so obsessed with me that they act like they’d move heaven and earth to protect me. I shouldn’t even want protection or this toxic connection. But the reality I’ve been trying to ignore crashes into me. I want him. I fucking crave him. So much it hurts.

“I’m going to fucking ruin you as badly as you’ve ruined me, my lotus flower. I’ll get so far beneath your skin, you’ll never fucking get rid of me.”

“No one,” she says, her voice a bit high-pitched. “You know how Kill likes to talk shit.” He searches his surroundings. “Moi?”

Killian is still a funny little shit 😂💀

My grin is wide as I stroke his nape. “Did I mention that you’re so adorable when you’re jealous?” “Shut your fucking mouth, Nikolai.” “As you wish, baby.” I press my lips to his, teasing at first, and then bite down and breach his mouth with a growl.

“You’ll kiss me?” he asks cautiously, hopefully, even. “I’ll always kiss you, baby.”

STOP THEY ARE SO CUTE

My brain checked out and my thoughts came to terms with how utterly fucking tired I am. Of myself. Of everything. I still am.

Bran 😭💔

“You’re mental.” He smiles a little before he shakes his head. “There was no one. I don’t even like sex.” “You obviously do.” “Only with you,” he whispers, his fingers stroking my pulse point beside the bandage. Only with you.

“Wanna know what you look like when you come?” He speaks against my lips, his breath stroking my skin and his intense eyes swallowing me in their depths. “You look like fucking mine.”

“Tell me something in Russian.” I cup his chin and stare deep into those eyes that have become my undoing as I say the words Grandpa said Russians take seriously and literally. “Ya nee ma goo bees tee byah zhit.”

If I wasn’t sure before, I am now. I’m completely and irrevocably in trouble because of Brandon King.

“Jer.” “What?” “I can’t take this, he’s so fucking adorable.” “For leaving a hickey?” “For staking a claim and being sneaky about it while complaining that I leave too many.”

“Because I’m fucked up.” His voice sounds like death’s lullaby, anguished and shattered. “Because I look at myself in the mirror and get the urge to shatter it to pieces. Because I’ve been haunted by the bitter taste of nausea and self-loathing for so long, I don’t know how to live without them. I was doing fine, pretending and putting on a façade, so why the fuck did you ruin that? Why did you come into my life and destroy every wall I built and ruin every lie I told myself? Why do you touch me like I’m beautiful? Why don’t you hate me when I can’t stand my-fucking-self?”

Bran my baby 💔💔💔💔

I narrow my eyes at the phone. Of course I’m not a joy compared to that clown Remington. Bran even once said, “He’s just so funny.” He fucking isn’t.

All of the boyfriends hating Remi fckin sends me 💀😂

“You’re mine, Brandon. Fucking mine. If you think there’s another option out there for you other than me, I have a news flash for you.” I bite the shell of his ear and he moans, the sound muffled by my hand. “You fucking don’t. Just know that I’ll slaughter anyone you let near you and fuck you in their blood.”

“You have a peculiar visitor.” “This early…?” I lift my head and I can hear the sound of my shattering heart as my eyes meet those deep-blue ones. Nikolai is in my parents' house.

WHY DO THESE MEN SHOW UP AT THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS’ HOUSES UNANNOUNCED THEY’RE INSANE 💀💀💀

Now, the thought of being without him terrifies me. Death terrifies me because it would take me away from him.

He can’t possibly be worse than Killian. Anyone is better than Killian. It was an exaggeration on Bran’s part to emotionally prepare me. Again, no one can be worse than Killian.

Levi is NOT having it 💀

He’s in love with him. It’s not a crush, mere admiration, or a fling. My son is fully, truly, and irrevocably in love with the gangster. God rest my soul in fucking pieces.

LEVI IS SO FED UP HAHAHA

My hands freeze as I study the artistic patterns of the lotus flower and make out the elegant font beneath it that reads Property of B. King. He had it inked on the spot that he said was for something special.

MY HEART 😭😭

“Absolutely, and, baby?” He kisses the top of my head and his next words nearly give me a heart attack. “Even if you hate yourself, I’ll love you for the both of us.”

Niko 😭😭😭

“You have complaints, baby? You can voice them, but there’s no guarantee I’ll take them into account.” My lips part and I can feel my heart crawling up to my mouth and spilling on the ground at his feet. His smile falters. “What’s wrong?” “You just called me baby.” “Oh. It⁠—” “Don’t say it was a mistake.” “It wasn’t. I want to call you that sometimes.” I clutch him by a fistful of his jacket and drag him against me. “I need to kiss you⁠—”

“You…you saw…you saw…” My voice sounds like it’s coming from underwater as my vision blurs with moisture.

I’m gonna throw up

“That’s my twin brother. My other half. You don’t get it, Dad. He…he’s my. Other. Half. And I couldn’t be there to stop him from trying to take his own fucking life. I couldn’t be there when it got to be too much. He pushed me away and I thought he hated me. All this time, I failed to realize he hates himself.”

I’m fucking sobbing

“Brandon, son.” Dad sits beside Mum and they both grip my hand tight. “This family can’t exist without you, you understand?” “I don’t want it without you,” Mum says on a sob. “Yeah, Bran.” Glyn strokes my cheek, eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I can only be here because of your care and understanding. You’ve helped me countless times. I wouldn’t have gotten here without you. So please, please, let us help you this time.” “Let us be your family,” Dad says, and I can’t control the tear that slides down my cheek.

God this hits so fucking hard

That only manages to make a vein throb in his neck, nearly popping from the skin. “I’d kill for you, I’d shoot myself if that makes you breathe better without me shadowing you, but I’d never…ever hurt you, Bran.”

LANDON 😭😭😭

“What type of voodoo did he use on my control-freak brother? More importantly, why did it have to be him? You’re allergic to violence and I’m pretty sure he’s illiterate.”

LAN 😂💀

My brother stops at the door. “One more thing.” “Yeah?” “Please tell me you top the motherfucker.” I let my lips curve into a smile as I shake my head. Lan’s face falls and he looks like he’s on the verge of a heart attack. “Bloody fucking hell!” He throws the door open and then shouts, “Nikolai, you fucking wank, come here.”

Landon really said “I don’t care that you’re gay but I cannot handle you being a bottom” 😂😂💀💀

“This thing only beats for you and because of you. I used to live an aimless life where adrenaline was my god, but you came along and tamed my demons. You balance me. You complete me. You’re fucking in me. So seeing you bleeding out on the floor was no different than watching myself die. No, it was worse. I’ve never felt so scared for my life, but you…you’re my everything. How could you do that to me? To us?”

“Not even if you beg for it. I love you, lotus flower, and that means I’ll be by your side during all of your battles with your demons. I’ll kill them for you if you let me. I’ll listen to them if you want me to. But I’ll never leave you, so you’re stuck with me.”

“I can’t believe this!” Nikolai throws his hands in the air. “Hello, Petty Police? I’m reporting my dad.” “Lock me the fuck up.”

THEY ARE SO FUCKING FUNNY

“You’re the most beautiful thing on earth,” he whispers against my neck, peppering kisses there as he meets my gaze in the mirror. “I’m lucky you allowed me in your life.” Kiss. “I’m lucky you love me.” Kiss. “I’m lucky you’re letting me fight your demons with you.”

“You had Niko’s lotus flower tattooed on your chest?” “Not on my chest.” I take his hand in mine and press it on the skin. “My heart.” “Fuck me.” “In a good or bad way?” “I fucking love you, baby.” He kisses my lips long and hard. “I can’t believe you have a tattoo.” “For you.” “For me,” he repeats with raging possessiveness.

“Remember when you told me to tell you something in Russian?” “You said I was cute.” “No. I said ‘I can’t live without you,’ and we take that quite literally in Russia.”

“That scene was our beginning, as unglamorous as it was. No matter how scared I was of you and everything you presented, I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re the purest, most passionate soul I’ve ever met. You loved me when I didn’t even like myself. You held me together when I was falling apart and helped me put myself back together one piece at a time until I became the man I am today.” He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a dark-blue velvet box, then opens it to show two rings. “I love you more than words can describe and I’ll be honored if you choose to spend the rest of your life with me so I can give back a fraction of what you’ve given me. Nikolai Sokolov, would you marry me⁠—” The words aren’t fully out of his mouth when I fall to my knees in front of him and drag his lips to mine, kissing him like a fucking madman until I’m lost in him and he’s breathing my air. He wrenches his lips back but seals his forehead to mine. “Is that a yes?” “Fuck yes, baby. I’ll marry the fuck out of you and make you my husband today if you want.” His grin nearly blinds me as he slips the ring onto my finger. The inside is engraved with a fucking lotus flower and N X B. “Good.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles over the ring. “I’m supposed to be the one who proposes,” I grumble while slipping his ring onto his finger. “I hate you for beating me to this.”

CRYING GIGGLING KICKING MY FEET SCREAMING