Page 7 of Revenge of a Queen

I huff a dry laugh, “I think the days of him relying on me for anything are over,” I reply with a grim smile which she returns. She understands, I took a risk for her by keeping her secrets from Marcus, now I will pay the price but it's a price worth every penny. “Just call me if you need anything,” I say, nodding to the two of them before I turn to leave.

I knew I wouldn’t get away without a warning from Asher. I hear him behind me but don’t react. Before I make it to the door, he is grabbing me and pinning me to the wall by my throat. Fuck. It isn’t the first time someone has had me gripped by the throat but it’s the first time I have more than fucking liked it. His touch elicits something in me that I rarely feel, need, pure carnal need. What the fuck? The last thing I need, is to be lusting over a fucking psychopath who may or may not be in love with his best friend.

His grip is firm and tight just how I like it, it makes me realize how long it’s been since I have fucked anyone. Trust me when I say there aren't a lot of guys around here that I would let into my bed, even for just the night.

“Donovan,” I say as casually I can manage.

“I am only going to say this once, Blackwell, so let me make myself perfectly clear. Marcus and that other lost boy in your sad little crew are your responsibility. If you or they step out of line and become a problem, I will not hesitate to neutralize you.”

“I’m not scared of you, Donovan,” I try to keep my voice smooth and calm, but his closeness is intoxicating. Like Icarus flying too close to the sun. A touch from him is like a touch from the devil, like molten lava, dark, burning, and branding. I feel my cock hardening in my jeans and if he moves any closer, I am sure he will feel it.

He laughs a sinister laugh as he leans in closer to me, “I’ve dealt with bigger threats than the South Side Rebels,” he uses his free hand to poke at my chest as he continues, “you are a blip on nobody’s radar,” poke, “I will revel in making you scream if I need to,” poke.

“And who makes you scream?” I reply before I can stop myself, that dark look in his eyes taunts me. I think about the few encounters we have had with each other, I barely took notice of him, other than being Donovan's youngest son, before Elle got to town. I mean yeah, I dug up his entire life and could tell you every school grade he’s ever earned, or how he works out in the same place every weekday, but it’s all shallow stuff. Nothing of real interest to tell me about him as a person. No, that comes with our interactions between Elle. I have watched him closer than ever.

People think that Elliot and Greg Donovan are bad men, and they are. They’re truly evil and only live for power and money. Asher Donovan is moulded by the two of them, except much worse. Because he isn’t like them. Asher doesn’t care about his money, doesn’t relish in his power. No, he lives for family, for love, and to protect these two girls. There is nothing more dangerous than that.

“None of your fucking business,” he snaps back, before taking a deep breath. “Don’t underestimate me, Lincoln. You think my father and brother are bad because they commit their crimes in the light of day, but you’ve seen nothing. The shadows of the night hide my crimes and when I bury a body, it stays buried. I don’t care who I have to bleed out, as long as the blood doesn’t belong to those two girls in there.”

“On that we can agree,” I reply honestly. “You can trust me,” I add, even though I know that is the last thing he is going to do. I thought when Elle welcomed me into the fold and I found out about Cassie, he would soften up to me, but I was wrong. Asher Donovan is a fucking vault; I’ll be lucky if I ever break through.

He laughs, “I trust nobody. Trust is earned and you have done nothing to earn mine. That being said,” he finally releases his grip on my throat, I should feel relief, but I don’t. I watch as he looks around to make sure we are still alone and then he reaches into his pocket and slams something into my chest. I rush to grab it as he pulls his hand away before it falls to the floor. I don’t let my gaze leave his but from touch alone I can tell it’s a USB. “For your viewing pleasure only,” he adds, and I cock a brow at him, he huffs another breath. “Elle has enough on her plate today, so you look into this alone for now. Don’t make me regret this.”

He doesn’t wait for my response before he turns and heads back towards where he left Elle. I don’t waste my time leaving the house and climb into my SUV before I adjust my still painfully hard cock. Fuck, where the fuck has this come from? That is so not going to happen, for so many reasons.

1. He’s Asher fucking Donovan.

2. He’s straight.

3. He’s a fucking psychopath that would murder me in cold blood if the right mood struck him.

I put the car in drive and leave before I get myself into any more trouble today. I put Asher Donovan out of my mind and bring my thoughts back to the other man who's also a thorn in my side: Marcus Riviera.

I enter the loft and find Jace coming from down the hall where Marcus’ room is, he sees me instantly and offers me a sad smile.

“He’s not here,” he says even though from the silence it’s obvious. If Marcus were here things would be loud, there would be shouting, fighting, breaking, and drinking. Lots of drinking.

I head straight into my office and turn on my laptop and check my tracking program. I created it over a year ago, the guys and I have been using it ever since. We have it programmed into our phones and cars, even his bike. They sync up with a program on our phones and a chip in our watches, we can use both to set off an SOS if need be. I click onto Marcus' name and they are all black. Fuck. Green means everything is okay, red means we are in trouble, and black means they aren’t on which right now means only one thing. Marcus has gone off the grid.

Chapter 4

ELLE

It’s been a week. A week since Marcus walked out of the house, with my biggest secret, and nobody has seen him since. I’d like to say things have been fine without him, but that would be a lie, everything is a fucking train wreck. I’m angry, the two remaining Rebels are lost, and Asher is downright insufferable. Don’t even get me started on his pathetic band of merry followers at school, the boys think it means open season for their chance at top dog, and the girls are heartbroken that their King isn’t here to pine over.

It’s Monday lunchtime, I’m on edge but settled into my new normal of eating lunch at the Rebels’ table. Marcus might be gone but Lincoln and Jace have barely left my side. It should be annoying, but I’d be lying if I said it was. It’s actually quite nice, relaxing even, to know that no matter where I am, someone has always got my back. I understand now what Marcus found in his brothers, that he didn’t have before on the North Side. I mean yeah, we had each other, and he tolerated Ash for me, but he never really had that friendship with guys, that brotherhood where you always have each other's backs. He found that in his Rebels, and then I came back and ruined it. How much more am I gonna take from him?

Now that both Linc and Jace have become privy to the other half of my life they have become a fixture at the Royton household. With Marcus gone, we have taken to having dinner together for the last four nights. It’s probably stupid to invite them further into my life, especially considering Jace still doesn’t even know half of the truth, but I couldn’t stop it. Cassie asked for Marcus for three days straight before I caved and invited Lincoln back over to appease her slightly. With Linc came Jace. There was no point shutting him out anymore, considering he knows about Cass and unsurprisingly they have quite the little friendship going.

Jace is still pissed at me for not trusting him. Not about the fact that I didn’t tell him, but the fact then when he found out I asked him to keep it quiet. Like it was a given for him. He doesn’t understand why I had to ask, and I get it. He has been telling me I’m part of their fucked up little family ever since I got back to Hallows. But what he doesn’t understand is how hard it is for me to trust people with my secret. Cassie is everything to me and the more people that know about her the more danger she is in.

I flick my gaze around the cafeteria, and I see about fifty percent of the student population watching us but pretending they aren’t. They are all wondering where their King is, and what his absence means. I grind my teeth at the fucking bullshit high school drama that I know is going to unfold. Last week people were cautious, but now that we are into the second week of school without an appearance from Marcus things are going to get complicated. Someone is going to mess with the power balance, I just have to wait to see who it’s going to be.

The bell rings signalling the end of lunch and everyone starts to move.

“We doing dinner at Casa De Royton tonight?” Jace asks, and the guilt overtakes me immediately knowing Linc and I have revenge plans tonight.

With all the commotion of Marcus finding out about Cassie, I completely forgot that the reason Asher came to the house that day was because he said he found something. Something he then trusted Lincoln with, before me, but tonight we deal with it together. Asher will resume his usual role of Cassie's protector while Lincoln and I check out the intel.

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