Page 23 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

I’m sitting on the back porch staring at the tree Elle and I had sex under a couple of weeks ago. The night she told me she was scared; it turns out she had every right to be. I imagined multiple ways the party could go wrong, but Cassie being taken wasn’t one of them. Or at least wasn’t one I was willing to admit.

“I miss Cassie,” I admit freely. Missing Elle is obvious. She was a constant part of my life for so long, even when she was gone. But Cass was something unexpected and she’s easily slipped into my heart.

Asher’s hands grip his knees tightly. “I miss her so much it physically hurts,” he confesses. His honesty is brutal.

“Do you think she’s okay?” It’s a question I have been scared to ask for so many reasons. The answer might just kill what bit of hope I have left.

He doesn’t answer for a while and I almost think he isn’t going to. “My father has a sickness that turns my stomach,” he starts slowly. “But he has always cared about Greg. Loved him.” I’m not really sure where he is going with this, but I remain quiet. “Elle is different for them, for him.” He doesn’t have to say which him; he means. “I saw his eyes that night, the obsession in them, he wanted her, but it was more than that. Possession, ownership, craving.” He huffs a long breath before adding, “Cassie will be an extension of that for him. They won’t risk hurting her.”

I’m not sure if his answer relieves me or makes things worse. I just reach out and grip his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Letting him know I am here for him, whether he needs me to be or not. I think about how many times I worried about Asher being in my way when it came to Elle. Not once did I ever think I was looking at the wrong Donovan. Now he is going to be the one to help save them with me.

“What are you doing out here anyway?” He changes the subject.

“I was just thinking about how much I hated you when we were kids.” I don’t know why I tell him that, but it’s that or we sit in the deathly silence of our failures.

He huffs a laugh slightly. “Just as kids?” he asks with a small smirk.

“Yeah, now I know that you don’t want my girl, you’re slightly more likable.” I grin as I shove his shoulder with mine.

He rolls his eyes as he leans back against the sofa, we’re on. “I never wanted her, at least not the way you always did.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know that now, you prick,” I lean back next to him, “but what was I supposed to think about another teenage boy hanging around her.”

“I wasn’t just hanging around her, you were there too.” His words give me slight pause, I never thought about him trying to be my friend too.

“Oh, come on, you were barely my friend,” I scoff.

“Yeah, that’s because of your dumb ass, not mine. Me and Elle always made the effort to include you.” He rolls his eyes again and I kind of want to punch him a little for being insufferable.

I sit up to take a sip of my drink. “Yeah, until you both used to hide from me, and I’d spend half the day looking for you both before giving up and going home.” I smile a little at the memory, “Where the fuck did you always go anyway?” I ask, turning to look at him. He’s sitting up straight with a stern look on his face.

“The tunnels,” he whispers, “the fucking tunnels. I can’t believe I forgot.” He stands abruptly and starts to walk inside before turning to look at me, “Come on we need to find Max, now!”

What the fuck are the tunnels?

Chapter 14

ELLE

Rigging the last wire makes me miss Jace, his pyromaniac ways made for the perfect accomplice on things like this. But I can't make myself wish he were here. This is one of my riskier plans and I don’t want to put him in danger. Whatever it takes, really means whatever it takes. Once I attach the last wire, hoping it looks good enough, I cover it with a bit of tarp and then sit and wait.

The clubhouse is quiet, not what I expected when I decided to come here, but a pleasant surprise. It isn’t long before I hear the familiar rumble of motorbikes and immediately think of Marcus. He hasn’t been on a bike since he lost his when Elliot burned the loft down, I make a mental note to get him another one when I get back to him. If I get back to him.

I hear the click of the lock before the door bangs open and the sound of shuffling feet and cocky voices fills the air. I take a deep breath and pray I haven’t just walked into a fucking den of lions, and when I look up, I meet the surprised eyes of the President of the Hallowed Crows MC and three of his men.

The one to his left, who I notice is wearing the VP patch, immediately draws his gun when his dark eyes meet mine. “Who the fuck are you?”

I hear the click of the safety get flicked off, and I smile chaotically as I pull the tarp off the small bomb I rigged up before they got here. “I’d put that safety back on if I were you.”

All of their eye’s flick to the device at my feet and the receiver in my hand. Crazy idea? Definitely. Necessary? Absolutely. We aren’t playing the small game anymore, it’s all or fucking nothing.

Another one of them huffs a smile, “You set that thing off and you die too.”

I flick my eyes to his, returning his smile, “I’m not afraid to die, Ezra.” The use of his name startles him, but he barely lets it show. I know all of their names and I’m sure they know mine. You can’t go to war without knowing everything about your opponents’ armies.

President Connor O’Sullivan finally speaks, his Irish accent curling around his words. “What are you afraid of Miss King?”

I smile big, but roll my eyes at the same time, “Ah, my reputation precedes me.” I can only imagine the bullshit that gets spread around about me.

---