A Gift from the Goddess novel Chapter 120

“Are you ready to follow the rules now?”

…Rule number one… obedience. Always follow the orders from the boss. No questions asked.

I’d broken that rule. I knew I was breaking it the moment I’d chosen to run that night. I knew it would land me here. And yet I still did it.

I pulled my body upright from the old bed, more sluggish than I would have liked, and hated how I still felt so sore from the injuries inflicted several days earlier.

‘Days’. That was the key word.

That was how long I’d been trapped in here, alone with my thoughts as it forced me to reflect on every decision I’d made leading to this point.

Because, at its core, that was the true punishment.

It wasn’t the pain. No, that was always over quickly. Gavin did a great job of making sure the damage inflicted was swift yet efficient. Always enough to get the point across and never seeming to even flinch as he did what he did.

But it was the psychological punishment that truly made it horrific.

…‘Days’.

I’d been in here… for days.

Alone.

In pain.

Wondering how I’d managed to convince myself that running had been worth it.

Wondering how much longer it would take before punishment was finally over.

And now this was the first thing spoken to me after all that time. This voice of my father on the other side of the door, asking if I was ‘ready to follow the rules’.

Yes, I was ready.

Of course, I was ready.

I was about ready to do anything, to say anything, if it meant finally getting out of here. I’d learnt my lesson the minute Gavin had ripped me from my bed. There was only one authority in my life and that was my father. It had always been my father.

…Someone I just wanted to be free of.

I forced that thought away as quickly as it sprung to mind. It was thoughts exactly like that which led me to this moment. Testing the patience of a man who had none. I wasn’t exempt from the rules because of our relationship. If anything, this punishment had been necessary. I’d clearly become too complacent in its absence and needed the reminder.

Really, it was my fault.

All my fault.

“Raven?” prompted my father.

Slowly, I swung my legs out of the bed and stood up, taking a deep breath. The first one I’d done in so long, my chest having felt too sore earlier.

…And I committed to this decision to obey.

To obey *him*.

“…I’m ready,” I replied.

It didn’t take long before I heard it. The sound of a key clinking for a few seconds before the satisfying click of the lock. Within moments, I found myself face-to-face with my father after all this time.

“Good,” he said, entering the room towards me. “Because there is work to be done.”

…Already? So soon?

But, no, that was another incorrect thought. I should be thinking ‘thank you’, praising how lucky I was to be given another chance. This was a good thing for me. A moment to redeem myself. A moment to show that I was still loyal.

My father held out a manila folder towards me and I took it, giving a small nod to show how grateful I was. Forcing myself to believe that very thing.

“It’s a clean-up job,” he simply said. “You know what to do.”

…And, of course, I knew only too well.

.

~~~~~~~

Within the hour, I had packed my things and gotten dressed. A black attire that made it impossible for anyone to recognise me; this being accomplished via a moveable cloth mask that could be pulled up to cover both my neck and lower face.

That was one of the most important things when completing a mission like this. Making sure that no one saw me. Or, at least, if they did, then ensuring that they wouldn’t remember my face.

After all, no one wanted to be recognised at a murder scene.

I left my house and swiftly started heading to the location, choosing to stick to the shadows of the night and alleys along the way. Thankfully, my speed and strength made the journey easier, but I’d be lying if I said my injuries weren’t interfering at all. Truthfully, even back in the fresh air and with slightly faster healing, I knew I would still need another day or so before I fully recovered.

But I persevered regardless.

Running with only the intent in mind of proving myself to my father.

Telling myself that nothing else mattered.

I made it to the location perfectly on time, intending to enter the run-down looking apartment complex, but as I did so, I felt something that wasn’t just the ache of my injuries.

It was a burning in my mind, the start of a headache. Similar to what I’d experienced on the night of the charity event. One I wished would never return. And yet here it was again, now of all times.

I gritted my teeth against the pain and pushed through it. This wasn’t the time and I could deal with it later once the job was done.

For now, I just needed to focus on my mission.

And so I slipped through the front door silently, making no noise.

That had been the easy part; entering the public area without being noticed. It was late at night but not late enough that people wouldn’t still be around, coming home from the local pubs and bars. Yet I knew this wasn’t that big of a deal when this side of town was as neglected as this apartment’s security was lacking.

A straightforward job, all things considered.

I hadn’t been given much information. Just a first name, a brief description, a time and a location. I hadn’t wanted to press for more details since it wasn’t something I needed to know. Not to mention that I didn’t want to push my luck, having broken rule number one this week already.

‘Rule number one; obedience. Always follow the orders from the boss. No questions asked.’

There was no need to undergo another reminder so soon.

I silently made my way up the stairs, choosing to avoid the elevator, until I finally came upon the room I was looking for; apartment thirty-six. Located conveniently around the corner and somewhat away from the eyes of anyone arriving via the elevator.

But the burning in my head hadn’t subsided, something I was doing my best to ignore. In fact, it made lockpicking the front door harder as concentrating became increasingly more difficult.

Just a little bit longer though. I had to hold out for just a little bit longer….

Inside, I could hear sounds coming from a T.V. and smelt the scent of someone located in the same direction. This almost guaranteeing the target’s exact position. All I needed to do was sneak up and end this quickly. A job that should be simple enough to complete with the new dagger I’d acquired from the armoury.

I took a few cautious steps, testing the floor for any weakness that may create sound, and proceeded to move. Moving closer until—.