Page 14 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

Lily crosses the kitchen and grabs my arm, her fingers bite into my skin. “Where is Cassie?” she demands.

“The Donovan’s have her.”

The words feel like they strike every person in the room. No one is immune to the situation and every single person here will feel the effects of tonight forever.

Lily stands dumbfounded as she tries to comprehend what I just said. She blinks a couple of times and I watch the tears escape onto her cheeks. She takes a deep breath and dashes them away quickly, but I saw them. Saw the love she has for my daughter. She looks back around the room until she finds Asher. She moves quickly towards him and out of nowhere, slaps him hard across the face,

“Lily!” I shout in protest. What the fuck?

Ash barely flinches at her attack. Given the injuries he has already sustained, I don’t know how, but it’s like he doesn't even feel it.

“I told you this would happen,” she screams at him. “I told you that you being around her would be no good for her.”

“Lils!” Logan cuts in. “Stop.”

“Stop?” she laughs in disbelief. “They fucking have her, Logan. Don’t act like we don’t all know exactly what happened to bring her into this world.”

She turns back to Ash. “What the hell are you still doing here? Go get her.” She pushes him hard, and he allows himself to stumble away from her. Her words look like they have cut him deeper than anything else.

“Lily.” Helen’s voice cuts through the tension. “Enough.” Her tone silences the room, but then Ash clears his throat.

“It’s fine, but thank you, Helen--” he starts, but she cuts him off.

“Nothing about this situation is fine, but you will not turn on one another.”

“Why? I’m a Donovan.” He shrugs. “Their bad blood runs through my veins too.”

“You are nothing like them!” Helen snaps back at him. “They are vile and filled with hate. That’s not you, Asher. Don’t let me ever hear you say that shit again.”

He takes a deep breath, trying to absorb her words, but I know how much hate he will be feeling towards himself. “I should have done more to protect her; I know exactly what my father and brother are like. I should have done more. I could have done more for her.”

“Ash,” I move until I’m in front of him. “You did everything you could, you’ve risked it all for us for the last four years.”

“Yeah, and it was all for nothing.” His tone is flat, and I can tell he will blame himself for this forever.

“No, it was so our daughter could have a father. So, she could know love and joy, and what it means to have a daddy who loves her.”

“We need to get her back, Elle.” His words are barely above a whisper and I know he means we, as in me and him. There is a knowing look in his eyes that mirrors my own. We both know we will do whatever it takes.

I give a slight nod of my head and then step back. “We’ve all had a long night and there’s nothing more we can do right now.” I look each of them in the eyes. “Go, we will reconvene in a few hours with Max and the guys and start making moves to get our girl back.”

No one moves, but I can no longer stand the tension and the pity. I leave the room at a quick pace and don’t stop until I get to my room. Once there, I quickly grab the empty black bag from under my bed and start filling it with clothes. Anything that I think I might need to take on my retaliation. When I hear footsteps approaching, I quickly shove it back under the bed and climb into the blankets.

Marcus appears thirty seconds later with the permanent grimace that has been on his face all night. I don’t want to speak to him right now. If he talks, I will break and confess everything. I can’t do that. Not now.

“Come lie with me?” I ask before he can speak, and when he sees the no doubt empty look on my face, he nods and climbs in behind me. He curls his arms around me until we are one and then we just let the silence eat up the room.

It isn’t long until his breathing evens out and I know the exhaustion of the night has finally got the better of him. I wish I could do the same, wish I could slip into the unconscious lull of dreams and pretend that this fucking chaotic shit show wasn’t my reality. I am fairly sure the only thing keeping me awake at this point is the pure determination to bring my daughter home.

The sun is already starting to peek through the curtains, and I know I have to go before it’s too late. I silently climb from the bed and slip into my wardrobe. I change into fitted black cargo pants, a long sleeve black top and combat boots, tossing my leather jacket over my arm and pulling my hair into a slick ponytail. Once ready, I move quietly back into the room and look over Marcus’ sleeping form. He looks peaceful and I wish that could be the look etched onto his face forever. That this life stops tainting him and hardening his already brick exterior.

My phone lights up on the nightstand and I slowly reach my arm out to retrieve it. There is a text message from Max that simply says, We’re good to go.

I take one last look at Marcus as I pick up my bag and open the door. I whisper into the night and pray he hears my words in his dreams.

“I wish on all the stars I make it back to you.”

It’s time to do what I should have done the moment I came back here. I am going after every single person who has wronged me and my family. Every single person who has had a hand in hurting me is going to die. I need to get my girl back, but before that I need to make sure it’s safe for her to come back. This town is about to be shaken up until it isn’t built on crime and dirty money.

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