With more force, I gripped the edge and threw it into the wall. Another shattering display of my anger rained down to the floor.
A single second passed before the box scurried back together again.
Again, and again, and again, I destroyed the gift from the gods.
And again, and again, and again, it pulled itself together to torment me with the immortality of my imprisonment.
Irrationally I gripped the edge and slammed my hand against the wall. The pain of the destruction cut through my palm until warm blood crawled down my arm. The pieces pulled right from my skin just to seal themselves back together with my own flesh and blood.
“Pandora, stop.” His echoing words drifted up the open space, rumbling through the room and into my chest.
My gaze lifted until I was looking up at Zavier.
His frame filled the doorway. Dark and worried eyes searched my fallen face. He studied me so intently it was hard for me to even notice I had a larger audience.
Ashton peered questioningly around his friend, his gaze flickering over the blood dripping from my palm.
I was crazy. He must have thought I was fucking crazy.
He had no idea just how crazy I was. Mentally insane would have been a more accurate phrase.
Zavier kneeled low, his big palms pushed across my knuckles. His fingers swept over my shaking hands and warm blood.
“Come back inside.” His whisper quieted the rage crashing down within me.
I didn’t nod, but he didn’t wait for me to, either.
No one spoke a word as Zavier’s pulled my body against his. He tucked me close to his hard chest. My hands were held between us, careless and forgotten. Ashton pushed open their door. His eyes were wide, but I couldn’t meet his stare.
The moment I was inside, their friend Brock walked out of a room on the far wall. He halted in his tracks. His lips parted when his attention fell on the crimson color staining my dress.
“What the fuck happened to her?”
It was then I realized why Zeus wanted four. I had found three so easily.
Brock. He was acting as if Ashton, Zavier, and Brock were already in the box.They’re as good as done in his eyes.
I hadn’t even considered Brock. Zeus had.
I shoved out of Zavier’s hands. I stumbled as my hit the floor.
This had to stop.
The only way to save them was to leave them. To announce defeat and run out to find miseries I wasn’t too involved with. Run out into the city and claim the first three—four—poor, unsuspecting people I saw and open that fucking tragedy on their lives.
“I need to go.”
“You already did that once, and when we found you some weird deja vu shit was going on with a creepy fucking box. You’re not leaving. You’re explaining.” Ashton’s gaze pinned me in place. I stood among the four men.
Zavier shot Alex a look from the corner of his eye. He seemed to be appraising the man who he was just now seeing as a god.
Zavier knew. Alex knew.
Ashton and Brock were completely naïve. And safe.
“It was really nice meeting you guys.” I gave Brock a confusing, false, and forcefully sweet smile.
His brow tensed and lowered over his gorgeous eyes.
