Page 25 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

I smile at the underestimation of my skills. “I don’t know. I didn’t have an army when I took down Captain Baizen and Joseph Kavanagh, maybe I’ll just improvise.” I shrug my shoulders casually and see all of their surprised faces at my admission.

Connor is the first one to step closer to me, “You bring home my Rebecca and you will have the full charter of Crows behind you. No questions asked.” Every word is delivered with force and determination, like he is really ready to join the war against Donovan, it makes me giddy.

Standing, I pick up the bomb, smiling as I see each one of them tense up, “Chill out, it’s fake,” I say like it’s no big deal, when really it was the craziest idea I’ve probably ever had.

“You just walked in here with a fake bomb and nothing else?” Aiden asks, looking slightly impressed, even though I know he would never admit it, and I shrug again.

“I didn’t need anything else.” I move to walk past them but pause as I stand in front of O'Sullivan. I offer him my sweetest smile and then launch the knife in my hand across the room to the dartboard hanging there. I don’t have to look to know it hit the center. “Bullseye.” I smirk. “I’ll see you soon Mr. President.” I toss him a wink, and then walk out leaving their shocked faces behind.

Chapter 15

JACE

The pain is paralyzing. I’m not bleeding, at least not on the outside. No, my affliction is purely psychological. Grief, it’s a fickle fucking emotion, can creep up on you at any time and take over your fucking life. I was getting better, or better at handling it, hiding it. Yet now, I am drowning again with no air in sight.

The day I met Marcus everything changed for me. I had forgotten the feeling of friendship, trust, family. Rachel left a hole in my heart so fucking deep that I thought nothing would ever matter again. I tried to fill it will alcohol, weed, fucking coke, but all that did was numb it for a while. Until numb was all I was. Marcus rescued me from a deathly fate that we don’t admit to. Not out loud anyway.

Now, that feeling of pure helplessness is back. I feel lost, weak, completely fucking useless. The fact that I can still feel anything at all is the worst bit. I don’t want to, would give anything not to. I just want to turn off every fucking emotion in my body and exist as nothing.

I think about the weeks running up to Rachel's death. She was different, running with an older crowd of girls, out of the trailer a lot, acting strange. Nothing like the big sister I had grown up with. I remember one night in particular, a couple of days before her body was found. She came back to the trailer crying, mascara running down her cheeks and her hair and clothes disheveled. Our asshole parents weren’t home, they never fucking were, so the only person to comfort her was me. She hugged me so tight that night, told me that Black Hallows was an extremely dangerous place and that one day she would get us out of here. Three days later, she was dead.

The day I was pulled out of school by the principal and told there had been an accident, was the worst day of my life. An accident, a fucking accident. That was a funny way to describe a murder. Rachel's body was found out in the woods by a pair of hikers. She was naked, beaten, and bloodied. I barely had time to register what happened to her before I was being hauled off into the foster system.

My parents didn’t even give a fuck about Rachel’s death, so they didn’t care about me leaving. One day, I was barely surviving them with Rachel by my side, and the next, I was in a home full of strangers with a box of stuff. Some of it Rachel’s. I only had a notebook, a blanket she stole for us and a strip of pictures from a photobooth. Inside the notebook were words I will never forget.

Jace,

If you are reading this then I’m sorry I didn’t protect us better. I tried. I really did but I didn't stand a chance against them. This town is a dark place and I hope you escape it. Go live your dreams somewhere else.

I love you always bud,

Rachel xoxo

PS. Don’t trust the Donovan’s.

I didn’t know much about the Donovan’s, at that point. I was just a poor kid from a trailer park. I didn’t think anything of them until Marcus moved into the home, I was in. He was very vocal about his vendetta against them and hearing their name brought back the memories of the note. I listened to what he had to say, learnt what I could, and then we started making money together. A couple of well-timed stake outs and a few bribes allowed me to piece together what happened to my sister. The day I met Elle; I saw the same look in her eyes that I had seen in Rachel’s. Cold, distant, determined. It was like I was drawn to her, like I knew her from another life. We bonded immediately and that only grew the more I learned about her.

It’s how I know she won’t come back to us, not without her daughter. Maybe not at all. Maybe I will lose them both like I lost Rachel, and that pain will be unbearable.

I snort another line at the thought. I don’t even know where I am or how long I have been here. I’m outside, I know that at least, except the world looks weird, on its side. Nothing where it should be. I wish I could just end this feeling. Maybe coke isn’t the vice I need. Maybe I should pump some heroin, that always seemed to do the trick for my parents.

I try to focus on something, anything that isn’t this awful feeling inside. My vision is blurry as a dark angel wanders towards me. Maybe death has finally come to put me out of my misery.

Jace.

The black-haired siren calls out to me. It’s angelic and laced with the offer of peace, but they aren’t within reach. Not to someone like me. I am not worthy of such gifts.

Jace.

I smile as the voice pierces my bones offering me slight comfort. Maybe death is the right choice, maybe I have nothing left to offer this life anymore. I am nothing but a reckless and damaged playboy with too many vices. I couldn’t protect my sister; couldn’t protect my best friend's girl and I couldn’t protect Cassie.

Jace.

This time, it isn't just the angel's voice that touches me. This time, I feel their grip on my shoulder, it’s so life-like. I reach my hand out to clasp theirs and smile at the silkiness of it. The afterlife is going to be good for me. The slap comes out of nowhere.

I groan drunkenly, “I didn’t think angels would hit so hard.”

“Jesus’ effing Christ. Conrad, you’re a mess.” An annoyed, tired tone hits my ear.

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