Page 34 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

Asher answers first, "You can thank your precious Max for this one." He grits out, and I can tell there hasn't been much improvement in Ash's opinion of Max while I've been gone. He continues, "When we set on a final plan to get Cassie back, we needed a way to bring you home. He thought telling you Zack was gone would bring you back. Clearly, he doesn't know you well enough. They got to you just in time before you ruined our whole plan."

The mention of Cassie jolts me from my relief about Zack, "Cassie" I say, barely above a whisper. "I need to go get her." I stand up on shaky legs and stumble from the room with Asher quick on my tail and Zack wheeling further behind.

Ash grips my arm and drags me back, "They've got it handled, Hells Bells, leave it be."

I rip my arm from his, "Like hell." I push away from him and continue through the unfamiliar surroundings. I reach the living room, but it's empty and when I see the curtains pulled back, I notice how dark it has gotten. Fuck what time is it? How long was I out? How much time have I wasted?

I keep moving until I find the front door and move towards it, throwing it open, but Ash's hand finds my arm once more. He pulls me back until he has me blocked in against the open door. I fight against the dizziness trying to cloud my eyes and the nausea swirling in my stomach.

"Are you done being reckless and stupid." He asks in exasperation.

I struggle against him, "How could you?" I shove him off me, “how fucking could you let them go?”

The beeping of the gates startle me as soon as the last word leaves my mouth. Heart pounding, my head whips round as it opens, and headlights shine brightly across us both. The van speeds inside before the gates even fully open and stops a few meters from the porch.

I inhale a sharp breath as the back door opens, Jace steps out first, followed by Liam and Elijah. Max climbs out next and then stops to help Logan with a pale looking Lincoln, and then finally, Marcus.

I don't hear anything, see anything, feel anything, until the small bundle of blankets in his arms moves, and the top falls down, revealing a small mass of blonde curls.

As soon as she feels the cool air brush through her hair, she whips her head around, her gaze finding mine with ease. Then I hear a sound I have been praying to hear every second since I walked back into the house after the ball.

"Mommy!"

Chapter 20

ELLE

She’s here, she’s really here. I fall to my knees at the sight of her wriggling free from Marcus’ hold as she rushes to get to me. She doesn’t look hurt or traumatized, only tired and happy. The impact of her body slamming into mine is a feeling I won’t ever forget. I wrap my arms around her, and it feels like I inhale the first real breath I have taken since she’s been gone. The grogginess from whatever Ash gave me and the anger I felt at the whole situation just moments ago, now completely forgotten. My baby is home.

I can’t hold in my sob as I snuggle her tight into my arms. I don’t even know what my tears are for right now, happiness at her being back, fear of what could have been or relief that she seems unharmed. The truth is, it’s everything. I never should have become a Mom at fifteen, but there isn’t one second since the day she was born that I have ever regretted her. She fixed my broken heart and has held it together every day since. Every moment in the last week that has passed without her felt like a lifetime. Nothing would have ever healed my severed pieces if I didn’t get her back.

All I can do is hold her and cry. Her tiny hands gripped around my neck and her little legs curled around my torso. I bury my face into her curls and inhale her sweet scent, allowing everything about her to overtake my whole being and soothe my crushed soul. I haven’t stopped fighting, surviving, barely hanging on, just to try to get her back, and now she’s here.

Asher drops to his knees beside us and pulls us both into a crushing embrace. I feel his deep exhale as he lets himself have a moment of raw love with us. She’s here, she’s safe. We are still a family. We came so close to losing everything, that I thought I would never have this again, not without giving myself over to the enemy. But we are here, together, and safe.

Cassie finally pulls back, looking between the two of us with a tired smile on her face, “I missed you so much Mommy Daddy!” She exclaims and it just causes me to cry more.

She frowns, then reaches out to wipe my cheeks to get rid of the tears, “It’s okay Mommy don’t be sad, I’m here now."

I take a deep breath as I force the words out that are locked in my throat, “I’m sorry, baby, I just missed you so much.” I try to stop, but my emotions are getting the better of me. It’s like I have held them all in until this very moment.

“Mommy is just so happy to see you little angel, we both are. We missed you.” Asher replies as I continue to cry. I can hear his own emotion lacing his words and I see a lone tear track down his cheek. The only time I have ever seen him cry is the night I woke up in the warehouse. At least his tears are for better reasons this time.

I try to force myself to stop crying, but it just starts a fire in my throat, but I don’t want her to see me upset. I want her to know how happy I am that she is here and safe.

“Grandpa Elly said you’d come get me and he was right.” The smile that follows her words is big and bright. I force one onto my own face, even though her statement chills me to the bone. Grandpa Elly.

I take another deep inhale as I look at Ash briefly, before focusing on her again. I don’t want to ask my next question; I don't even want to think it. “Did Grandpa Elly hurt you baby?” The words taste like poison on my tongue, and I’m not sure I want the answer, but I have to know.

She scrunches her nose up in confusion, “No,” she says sweetly and then smiles, “he gave me ice cream and candy and let me play every day.” Her words as usual are rushed and slightly mispronounced, but the tension eases in me ever so slightly.

How? How can she have survived a week in the Devil's mansion, and be here now unscathed?

“Are you sure baby? Did he…” I pause as the bile rises in my throat, “did he touch you; did anyone touch you or hurt you, it’s okay, you can tell Mommy.”

The smile drops from her face and my blood runs cold as I prepare for her answer. “No everybody was nice. I played with Elly and Greggy and a nice lady named Sarah came by, but she was sad.”

The mention of my mother’s name jars me, I dread to think of all the things she must have been told. “And what did they say to you about why you were away from Mommy.”

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