Page 79 of Ruthless Rebel

Unknown : I can only kill so many men that look like you

Unknown : Now I want the real thing

My mind flashes with the five bodies that were dumped around Black Hallows, all bearing some resemblance to me, along with the photo of my cabin, and the note with my nickname. All of this is about me, he took them because of me, and now I have to be the one to get them back.

Lincoln : Then tell me where you are

Unknown : That’s boring

Unknown : Let’s play a game instead

I’m aware of more people entering the kitchen and multiple conversations going on around me, but my focus remains on the phone. Taking a deep breath, I respond.

Lincoln : What kind of game?

Unknown : Hide and seek

Unknown : I’ll hide them

Unknown : You come and seek them

A game, this is a fucking game? Anger courses through my veins as I tap out another message and press send.

Lincoln : They could be anywhere

Message failed to deliver

I toss the phone back against the island as Max curses, and it doesn’t take a genius to know he just realized the same thing I did, the phone has gone dead. Yet before I can even say anything, the kitchen door bursts open and Seb storms inside holding another box.

“This was just delivered to the Crows on the front gate,” he grunts, placing it carefully on the center of the island between us all.

“Who gave it to them?” I snap, standing so abruptly that I knock back my chair, and his frown only deepens.

“It was a ten year old little girl. She lives in a foster home and said some guy gave her the box, a hundred bucks, and this address,” he replies solemnly, and the rage inside of me only increases.

Fucking piece of shit.

I rip off the lid, only to pause when I see it’s filled with papers starting with my birth certificate. Then it’s sheet after sheet of my entire life, from the first school I was enrolled in, the first foster home I was placed in, and pictures of me with Marcus and Jace and all the others. There’s my file from Hallows High, and my profile from the website for Zack’s office here in town. Anything and everything this person could get their hands on that relates to me.

I take out everything, laying it on the island for everyone else to see, my life laid bare for them, but it doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is getting Logan and Ash back.

“What is all this?” Marcus asks, scanning his eyes across the stacks of paper in confusion.

“It’s my life,” I mutter, just as confused as he is by all of this, but still I keep going. It isn’t until I reach the bottom of the box that I pause, frowning a little at what’s waiting there.

“Superman, what is it?” Elle asks, trying to see inside the box, but I am already reaching in and pulling out the items.

First, there is a set of keys. To what, I’m not sure, but it’s the second item that has me confused. It’s an invitation to the Fire and Ice Ball we attended at Hallows Prep, before everything went to shit. The ball was orchestrated by the Donovans, so why am I being sent it now?

“He wants me to find them,” I say to no one in particular, trying to make sense of all of this. “And this box holds the key to where they are.” It’s only now I notice Arthur and Helen are standing in the corner, and I can’t bring myself to meet their eyes.

Their son is missing and it’s all my fault.

“The Fire and Ice Ball?” Marcus questions, looking at the invitation. “Why the fuck would they send you that?” He adds, echoing the question in my mind, but before I can respond, Elle beats me to it.

“Those keys were for the Donovan estate, they belonged to Ash,” she says, her eyes focused on nothing but them.

“Are you sure?” I ask, handing them over to her so she can inspect them even closer.

---