Page 20 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

“Blackwell is right,” Asher starts.

“I usually am,” Linc snaps in retort, and Ash rolls his eyes.

“She isn’t here, there would be more security if she were. My father wouldn’t risk losing something with such a high value,” the words are dripping in disgust as he talks, yet his words mirror my thoughts. We are extremely in tune with each other, both more than aware of all the sordid things his father is capable of. How Elliot Donovan birthed a son with such honor when he was raised in the same house as fucking Greg, will always astound me. He should know he is nothing like those snakes.

“He lost you,” I say, without taking my eyes off the property in front of us and Asher scoffs a laugh.

“If you think I’ve ever held any importance to my father, then you’re dumber than you look.” I look towards him as he speaks, “Only heirs’ matter in this society, second born are irrelevant.”

I don’t get a chance to respond as Elijah climbs back into the car. “The only person there is a housekeeper and from what I can tell, she looked like she wasn’t expecting any company.”

“Elliot only ever uses this place to entertain females he needs something from but are too well known to bribe.” Asher responds to him in a bored flat tone as he looks back to the property. “This is a waste of time, the only place he will be keeping Cassie is close to him, which means she is being kept at my estate behind a 25 ft wall and countless guards.”

“I agree with Asher, this is bullshit,” Jace replies.

I don’t bother responding, just start the car and leave, heading back to Elle’s house. By the time we get home, it’s officially Monday morning and all I want to do is eat and try to grab a couple hours sleep. I am beyond tired. Being out all day and night has worn me out physically. The constant ache of missing Elle and Cassie however, is what's causing true exhaustion.

We pull up and are barely out of the car when Max emerges at the front door, “You need to see this,” he gestures inside and then disappears. I didn’t miss the extra cameras on the gate on the way in, or the team of guards trickling around the property line. Something’s happened.

We all make our way inside and follow Max into the living room where him and the rest of his team are all staring at the huge flat screen on the wall. I look around the room, but no one says anything. Their sole focus is on the news report playing on the TV. I turn my attention to it and see a crime scene being shown.

The reporter is standing in front of a huge office building and it’s swarming with police. Max starts laying out documents on the coffee table as we watch, and I flick my gaze between the two. What the hell?

“The body of Joseph Kavanagh was found about an hour ago hanging from the window of his office,” Max starts, as he picks up the remote and mutes the news report.

“He killed himself?” Lincoln questions and Max looks at him and then back to the rest of the room, before settling on me.

“Not exactly.” He takes a deep breath as he gestures to Mason who starts to bring up pictures on the TV screen in front of us.

“He was stabbed multiple times before he had his throat slit. Then he was tied up, had a sign stapled to his chest and then thrown from his window.” His words are emotionless, but I can see the undercurrent of panic and anger rolling off of him.

“What did the sign say?” Asher asks with just as little emotion as Max.

Mason swipes through a few pictures until he stops on one of the bloody sign that they must have pulled from his body.

‘I PROTECTED RAPISTS!’

Holy shit. They really woke the demon in Elle when they came after her family. I’m not surprised, but everything she has done so far has been in the shadows. Now she isn’t only stepping out into the light, but into the public eye. She might not have revealed herself, but no one is safe.

Mason clears his throat, “His office was also covered in evidence of his own crimes that he had buried over the years.”

“She knows better than this,” Max snaps, losing some of his cool and I snort, causing him to cut his eyes to mine, “Something to add, Riviera?”

“Yeah, you’re a fucking idiot if you thought this would go any other way.” I can’t keep the smile off my face as I talk. We may be in a fucking shit show of a situation, but Elle always loved the dramatics.

“Elle knows how to cover her tracks,” the quiet dude called Liam starts, but I cut him off.

“Sure, if it were Elle playing the game with her head on straight. But we aren’t dealing with a rational Elle right now, are we?” I grit through my teeth, “We are dealing with loose cannon Elle. The one who walked in here and found her brother fucking dying and her daughter gone. If you thought she was just gonna go about things silently, then you don’t know her at all.” I am beyond fuming; how could they think this would be any different? She will do whatever she needs to do, if it means that she makes it to Cassie

She is done covering up the crimes of this town, including her own. She isn’t whispering into the ears of Donovan's minions anymore, she is shouting from the rooftops and slaying whoever is in her path. She needs us now more than ever.

I look at Asher and then to my brothers, “Come on, let’s get out of here.” I don’t even wait for them to respond before I am stalking out the room.

“Where are you going?” Max calls after me

“Where I should have gone from the start,” I yell back

I head to the garage towards Lincoln's SUV and pull out a smoke as I wait for the guys to follow me. I only manage a couple of drags before they appear.

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