by Nicole Hall
Goddess Forsaken
Rise of the Lost Gods - Book 1
Nicole Hall
To everyone, you are worthy of love
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Divinity Bound
A Note from Nicole
Also by Nicole Hall
About the Author
1
Lindsey
How had she lived so long without a hot tub? Lindsey Haven inched lower until the water covered her head, allowing the jet to hit her sore shoulder muscle. A meathead in Detroit had come after her with a metal pipe, and she’d taken a hit before she’d subdued him. The bruising had finally faded, but the muscles were still pissed.
Thanks to Sabine and Alex’s offer of their house, Lindsey could take a break for the summer. Avoid any more meatheads while she figured out what the hell had been happening to her. Strange lights no one else saw, faint voices no one else heard, and worst of all, random fires that no one else could have caused. Technically, she couldn’t have caused them either, but seeing flames erupt from literally nothing—more than once—had made her a quick believer.
Lindsey pushed the memories away. She had a summer of solitude, starting now, to figure out what was happening. The pressure and the hum of the vibrating jets against her skin allowed her to focus on something besides the turmoil of her thoughts.
As long as she could hold her breath, the world—and all her problems—would cease to exist. Though Lindsey had never been one to hide from the hard stuff, she stayed right there under the water until her lungs burned for air.
When she surfaced with a gasp, the last thing she expected to see was another person watching her from the deck. A tall, good-looking man wearing black swim trunks and nothing else. Her gaze tripped up the sleek muscles on display to his face where it stopped on high cheekbones and piercing hazel eyes.
Adrenaline zipped through her system as she took stock of her situation. No weapons in her bikini or the hot tub, but she’d taken down bigger guys on her own. He stood at the far edge of the patio with his arms loose at his sides, but his artful nonchalance belied an alertness that made her nervous. The water would offer a certain amount of slippery protection, but she’d move better on land.
Lindsey stood, then gingerly stepped onto the deck. His focus stayed firmly on her face, points for that, and the appreciation there triggered an answering fire in her belly. She didn’t have a problem with the attraction, especially when it seemed to be mutual, but trespassing was a solid no-no, even for sexy criminals.
He smiled slowly and lifted his hands in surrender. “I come in peace.”
“That’s reassuring. This is private property. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“I’m Dax, and I live here. At least for the next couple of months. Who are you?”
Lindsey’s eyes narrowed. Granted, she’d been tired when she’d fielded the call from Sabine a few days before asking her to house-sit, but she’d have remembered any mention of a dangerously attractive man staying there with her. He definitely hadn’t been around when she’d arrived earlier after driving south for almost twenty hours.
“Lindsey. Got any proof you’re supposed to be here?”
He jerked his head at her phone, sitting on a chaise next to her. “Call Alex. I assume you have his number since I found you relaxing in his hot tub.”
Lindsey watched him while she scooped up the phone and speed dialed Sabine.
“Hey Lindsey, did you make it in all right?”
“Do you know a Dax?”
The pause on the other end of the line told her Sabine had definitely kept some information to herself. “Yes.”
“Can you describe him please?”
Sabine chuckled. “His last name is Russell. Tall, dark hair, hazel eyes. Wicked grin. Even more wicked sense of humor. Looks like he belongs on the cover of a romance novel. I think he—”
A shuffle and a thud in the background interrupted her, then Alex came on the line. “Dax is doing a job for me, and I insisted he stay at the house.”
Lindsey didn’t talk to Alex often, but there was no mistaking the command in his voice. “Sabine asked me to house-sit while you guys were gone for the summer.”
He sighed. “I’m aware. I forgot to warn Dax.”
Irritation tightened her grip on the phone. She had other places she could go, but none immediately. And none where she wouldn’t be putting people in danger. “If Dax will be here, it doesn’t sound like you need a house-sitter.”
“Maybe not, but Sabine had her reasons for asking you. If you’d rather not stick around—"
Another jostle as Sabine shouted something that sounded suspiciously like traitor. Suddenly, she was back, breathless.
“This was all last minute when Alex accepted the contract with this new company, and the assholes insisted we had to work in their office. We couldn’t pass up the chance for the business. It’s only for the summer. I’m sorry for springing Dax on you, but we have plenty of space in the house. You won’t even notice him. Please stay.”
Lindsey watched heat flare in Dax’s eyes as he stared back at her, waiting for judgement. Sabine was wrong. The house could have separate wings and she’d notice him.
She was on the verge of a polite refusal when a flash of light near the back door behind him caught her attention. It was there and gone in an instant, so Lindsey couldn’t be sure she’d even seen it, just like all the other times. But unlike before, the quiet female voice in her mind came through crystal clear.
You need to stay.
She didn’t react. Lindsey knew she didn’t react, but when her attention returned to him, Dax’s smile had disappeared. His brow furrowed, and he took a step forward. When Lindsey held up a hand, he stopped immediately. The show of patience surprised her.
Maybe ten seconds had passed, but Lindsey’s perspective had changed. If she wasn’t going insane—and she’d never really entertained that possibility—the voice was stronger here. She’d need to stay to find out why.
Lindsey could live with Dax. When compared to the other weird stuff happening, he was the least of her worries, assuming he could protect himself. Especially when he followed unspoken orders so nicely.
Sabine wasn’t as easy-going. “Lindsey? You better not have hung up on me. I thought we were friends.”
“I’m still here. I promised I’d stay, and I’ll stay. Next time, give me a little heads-up, okay?”
Sabine cleared her throat. “Of course. Do you need anything else?”
“No, I’m good. If I have any other questions, I’ll call.”
“Great.” Sabine hesitated, then spoke softly. “You can trust Dax, you know. Whatever you’re dealing with, he might be able to help.”
Lindsey scoffed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Go back to whatever you were doing before I interrupted you. Crisis averted.”
Sabine chuckled. “Gladly.”
The call ended, but Lindsey took a moment to gather herself before she lowered the phone. Dealing with strange half-naked men was a skill she’d had to hone for her job, but she’d left the zip ties in the SUV with the
rest of her gear, and she suspected that method would lead to a whole different place with this particular man.
The moment she lowered her arm, Dax’s smile returned. “Am I cleared?”
“For now.”
If she hadn’t been well-trained, she might not have noticed the minute release of tension from his shoulders. Then again, it wasn’t her training that had her staring at his chest. “Looks like we’re roomies for the summer. Unless you’d rather go somewhere else…”
He laughed and crossed the patio toward her. “You’re not getting off that easily.”
Lindsey maintained her position, not sure what to make of him, but he stopped next to the hot tub stairs. “Want to join me?”
Yes. Hard yes. But giving in to temptation this early would be a mistake. “No, thank you.”
“Such civility. I get it though. You don’t know me. It’s natural to be afraid.”
Her brows rose. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Dax hopped in and settled on the far side of the water. “Prove it. Stay and have a conversation with me. It might be nice to get to know the person you’ll be spending the summer with.”
Lindsey crossed her arms. “I think this manipulative little demonstration tells me everything I need to know.”
His smile only widened. “How about if I ask nicely? Will you please do me the honor of keeping me company for a little bit?”
A twitch of her lips threatened to ruin her ‘take me seriously’ face. The man was charming; she’d give him that. The air outside wasn’t cold—it was June in Texas, after all—but her muscles were stiffening up after the languid heat of the water. Maybe a few more minutes. Besides, gathering information about him might help her avoid him in the future.
Lindsey put her phone back on the chaise and climbed into the hot tub opposite him. He had the grace not to gloat, but triumph edged into his grin.
She sank down until the water lapped at her chin. “You can have five minutes of my time.”
“I’ll take what I can get. Why are you here, Lindsey no-last-name?”
Subtle, he wasn’t, but Lindsey appreciated the straight-forward approach, even if she didn’t practice it. “Haven. My last name is Haven. Sabine asked me to house-sit. She wanted someone to take care of her cat and…other things.”
He tilted his head. “Why did you accept?”
Lindsey shrugged. “Why not?” She deflected out of habit, then studied him. “What about you? Why are you here?”
Dax didn’t sidestep the answer as she had. “Alex offered me my dream job on a silver platter, with one stipulation. I had to use my considerable skills on a different job, only for the summer, with his house as the home base.”
He paused, searching for the right words. “I was already thinking of moving nearby. There’s something about this place. Not the house necessarily, but the whole area. The first time I visited it just…clicked, you know? I’m supposed to be here.”
Lindsey understood what he meant. Alex and Sabine had built the deck up next to the hot tub and put a couple of lounge chairs around the raised portion. Stairs led down to the stone patio and the path ended at the back door. On the surface, her view toward the house mimicked any other suburban backyard, but beyond the railing on every other side, the trees grew wild. A sense of purpose hung in the air.
He’d put into words the feeling she’d been trying to ignore since she’d driven up the gravel driveway. A click, as if she’d finally found where she belonged. She’d lived all over the country, but no place had felt like home in the way these woods did.
Except she didn’t believe in fate or destiny or whatever he thought was happening. With her past, she preferred an untethered existence. Home only built disappointment.
Lindsey swiped at the bubbles floating near her face. “What’s your dream job?”
The moment passed, and Dax focused on her again. “Cyber-security in the private sector. What do you do when you’re not house-sitting?”
She pursed her lips. No harm in telling him what he could find out with a simple Google search. “Mostly I’m a retrieval specialist.”
Dax grinned. “You’re a bounty hunter?”
“It’s not as thrilling as it sounds.”
He studied the parts of her visible through the churning water. “I’ll bet it’s plenty thrilling. I can see you as a bounty hunter, actually. You’re in great shape, and you’re confident without being cocky. You should own the title though. For the coolness factor if nothing else.”
“Yeah, well I’m not interested in the coolness factor, I guess. I also do odd jobs repairing things while I’m in town. People are more likely to cooperate if they think you’re helpful.”
“When I want people to cooperate, I tell them I’m a hacker for the government. The title impresses them.”
She toyed with asking what Alex had him doing for the summer, but she wasn’t ready to hear about Dax’s ‘considerable skills’ just yet. “That’s not what you told me.”
He shifted, sending ripples of water toward her. “I’d rather impress you in more…meaningful ways.”
His low voice scraped along her nerve endings and spread a flush across her face. Five minutes had come and gone, but despite her intentions, Lindsey wasn’t in any hurry to leave. That realization alone blared a warning through her head. She was tired and unsettled, not the best mindset to deal with a seductive roommate. Especially when she kept involuntarily imagining what it would feel like to run her hands down the planes of his chest.
“I’d better go in. It’s getting a little too warm for me.”
Dax raised a brow and reached toward her. For a split second, Lindsey thought he’d read her mind, but his arm went past her to adjust the temperature. He smirked and took his time with the buttons.
The motion brought him closer than he’d been since they’d met, and Lindsey forced a slow, calming breath. She certainly wasn’t immune, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of reacting. Dax was testing her, and she’d be damned if she’d give him a reason to think her weak.
As he returned to his seat, his leg grazed hers. A ghost of a touch, but reverberations shot through her. Heat pooled low in her belly, and Lindsey had to cover her gasp with a yawn. Sweet mother of dragons, she’d gone too long without sex if an innocent brush of skin had her ready to jump in his lap. Too bad for him she’d had a lot of practice taking care of that particular need herself.
He sat back with his arms spread along the lip of the hot tub and searched her face. “Better?”
At least she could blame the steaming water for her red cheeks. “Thanks, but I’m still heading inside.”
He sighed, then levered himself out of the water and over the edge before she could act on her words. “I’m definitely getting a hot tub when I buy my own place.”
Water streamed over lean muscle, and the late afternoon sun peeked through the canopy of trees to surround him in a golden glow. Even Mother Nature knew the man was beautiful, and the whole situation reeked of temptation. The fluid grace of his movements distracted her until she realized he was reaching for her towel.
“Hey! Hands off.” Lindsey smoothly vaulted onto the deck using her good arm and made a grab for the material.
Dax was closer. He snatched the towel and held it behind him. “I was here first.”
Lindsey’s heart raced at the dare in his tone. “The hell you were, and what is this…elementary school?”
He shrugged—again with the maddening grin—and raised the towel out of her reach. “Finders keepers. You want it? Come get it.”
The thrill of challenge set off her competitive streak. He wanted to play? That was fine with her. Lindsey didn’t lose.
She faked a defeated slump, then lunged when he relaxed a smidge. Dax held his ground, not budging an inch, but she’d anticipated that. Surprise lit up his features when she edged past him and used the lounge chair to bound up at the towel.
Had he been any slower, the gambit would have wo
rked, but the man had lightning-fast reflexes. He spun and caught her around the waist mid-air, keeping the towel out of her reach.
The maneuver pressed her flush against him as he absorbed most of her momentum. Dax’s arm stayed around her even after her toes reached the wooden planks, and she could feel just how much he was enjoying this little exercise. He wasn’t the only one. Her lips parted on a shallow breath, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Dax leaned in, and his arm lowered just enough. She braced one palm against his chest and leapt for the prize.
Her fingers brushed the towel, but a sharp pain shot through her shoulder and down her back, making her hiss. Dax’s arm around her tensed, and Lindsey let him take her weight while the throbbing waves subsided.
She’d stupidly forgotten about her injury. Damn that asshole and his pipe.
Lindsey clenched her jaw against the spasm. In her current state, she was no match for Dax physically. Screw it, let him keep the towel. She could clean up any water she dripped on the floors later. Or he could.
Dax’s eyes narrowed as she carefully straightened. “You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” The ache had faded enough that she could move again, so it wasn’t entirely a lie.
“You’re not fine.” He stepped back and draped the towel around her, breaking all contact. “What happened?”
“None of your business.”
His stiff posture relaxed at her terse response. He tsked and shook out his wet hair with his hands. “Keeping it a secret only makes me want to find out more. One more question. For each of us. In the spirit of newfound friendship.”
Lindsey took her time running the towel over her limbs. She still had several outstanding questions for him, but one would do. “Okay. In the spirit of friendship…but I get to go first. How do you know Alex and Sabine?”