Page 55 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

We make it easily and quietly to his back porch, where he has conveniently left his patio doors wide open. Dare anyone have the audacity to try to break into his house. I note the cigar in the ashtray and the empty tumbler on the table. Like he was having a pleasant quiet evening that has just been interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Isn’t that nice? I love ruining someone’s night and their fucking life. We slip inside silently and hear Asher's voice filtering from the next room.

“My father doesn’t know I’m here.”

“I thought as much,” Rolland responds. “What can I do for you, my boy?” My lips curl in disgust at his tone. Patronizing fucker.

“It’s what I can do for you actually,” Ash replies coolly.

I follow their voices to Atkin’s office; the door is slightly ajar, giving me a clear sight of Asher. Sensing my presence his jaw tightens, and his hands clench into fists. He’s holding himself back, stopping himself from ending Atkins by his own hands. He knows I can do it, that I want to do it, but he still thinks I shouldn’t have to. He would take pleasure in taking out every one of my enemies without remorse and so would the guys beside me.

“And what’s that?” Atkins asks and I can hear the smile in his voice, like the thought that Asher could possibly offer him anything, is laughable. We shall see who’s laughing soon.

I push the door open, letting it bang against the wall, alerting him to my arrival. His head snaps around as I reach behind me and pull the tranq gun from my waistband. Watching his face fall from smug arrogance to recognition and fear thrills me. I lift the gun and shoot it directly into his thigh before he can even move. It’s got a small dose of his favorite drug, not enough to knock him out completely, but it will keep him compliant enough until we can get him tied up.

The guys filter in behind me as Asher catches Rolland and lowers him into his chair. Lincoln moves to help him before he pushes past them to hack into his computer, no doubt downloading everything. Ash makes quick work of tying him up just as Marcus opens the plastic sheeting and spreads it across the floor. Jace and Tyler stand silently watching us work in unison. Once we have Atkins where we want him, we wait. Only a couple of minutes pass before he is pretty much fully lucid again.

When his eyes collide with mine, I offer him my most sinister smile. “Dr. Atkins, we’ve never officially been introduced, I’m Elle King.” His eyes track my movements and I note him taking in the wall of muscle behind me, He knows he’s fucked, but they always try anyway right?

“What the fuck is this? Don’t you know who I am?” He slurs out and I laugh. It’s always the same. I pull my knife from my thigh and run my fingertips along it as I settle my other hand to lean against the gun on my side. His eyes flare wide and his bravado from a second ago begins slipping as I step up in front of him.

“Anything you want, just take it.” He manages to stutter out and I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me again.

“Is that your life motto Dr. Atkins? Anything you want you just take?” I spit out dragging my knife lightly down his shirt. Not enough pressure to do any damage, but enough to have him squirming in his seat.

“I never meant...” He starts, but I hold my hand up to stop him.

“You can save the excuses and the lies. I know everything. Every sordid little thing you’ve ever done. From the bad batches of drugs that killed people to the type of fucking porn you watch. So please don’t annoy me further by lying to me. This isn’t an interrogation.”

“Then what is it?” He asks nervously again looking at the guys over my shoulder. I wish he would stop that. The real threat is standing right in front of him. The lack of respect pisses me off, so naturally, I stab him. “It's retribution,” I grit as my knife plunges into that spot I love so much in a man's thigh. He screams out in agony and it releases the tension in my shoulders. I really needed this.

“This won’t be bloody, she said,” Tyler snorts from behind me and I flash him a grin.

“Oops?” I say with a shrug and he just laughs. “You’re right though, we should get a move on.” We don’t have the luxury of time on our hands tonight. Once his building is set alight it won’t be long before someone comes looking for him. Not that they’ll find him, but still, it’s best to be quick. I pull the other tranq gun from my waist and don’t hesitate as I slam it into his other thigh. This dose a lot deadlier than the last.

I watch his body react and my grin gets bigger. “I imagine right now you feel your legs and arms getting heavy, you want to move them, but you can’t. Your head will get fuzzy soon, you'll start to slip in and out of consciousness, until eventually you blackout. Don’t worry though it won’t kill you.” This would have scared him more if he weren’t already bleeding out, but oh well. What’s done is done.

He grunts as his body starts to shake, tears and sweat pouring down his face. “What's the matter Atkins? Don’t you love the rush? Aren’t you getting off on it? Or is the high not the same when you are on the receiving end of it?” I purposely bait him as his eyes begin to roll back into his head. He’s fighting it, or at least trying to.

I watch as his body slowly starts to shut down, but I can’t let him die. I hold my hand out to Marcus and he hands over the syringe I asked him to bring. This one is filled with adrenaline, and I pump it straight into Atkins. Time may be off the essence, but I like my enemies to suffer too much for a quick death. I don’t deserve this death, but so many others do. So many people have been hurt by him, he probably doesn’t even realize how many. The adrenaline takes root, and his eyes flare open as his grip tightens on the chair. I can practically see his heart beating out of his chest.

“People like you deserve to die. You deserve pain and suffering. Not just for what you do to all those girls, but for what you do to the people who get left behind.”

He gurgles as he tries to talk, but it’s just gibberish that makes no sense, getting lost in the choked sob he lets free.

“Pathetic.” I want to end him. Want to take my knife and sink it right into his fucking chest until it meets his heart. The only thing stopping me is the resentment and grief I can feel burning through my back. He deserves this more than I do. I shake my head giving Atkins one last look before I turn and walk over to Jace and hand him my gun. “He's all yours.”

He looks at me as he grips the gun, clasping his hand around it. He doesn’t have to say anything, I can see all the thanks I need right there on his face. This isn’t going to heal him, help him get over losing Rachel, or lessen the grief he feels. It will just allow him the pleasure of knowing he took out one of the people responsible for her death, If there is only one thing I could ever offer him, this would be it.

I leave the room just as the gunshot echoes out behind me, and instantly feel overwhelmed with a sense of pride. Jace didn’t even hesitate to pull that trigger, and that’s how I know that he’s going to be OK. We all are. One way or another, we will make it through this, together.

Chapter 33

MARCUS

After how we have spent the last three weeks, going back to school just seems so ridiculously normal. Lincoln is driving, Jace is up front, and Elle and I are sitting in the back. She had worried about leaving Cassie every day, but she knows that Asher has her, no matter what. They’re staying home with Zack, Arthur, Helen, and the twins. A couple of Max’s guys will stay with them too, while the rest of them are already waiting for us at school. They’ve gone back and forth with Lock and managed to get security cameras fitted fucking everywhere. Excessive, but necessary. Elliot Donovan isn’t playing, and neither are we. Mix that, with his fucking psychopathic son thinking Elle is his, it’s safe to say we are all on edge. We know a pushback is coming, we just don’t know when. When they inevitably get the news of Rolland Atkins’ disappearance, I know they won’t sit and wait any longer.

We’ve been off radar for weeks and this is the first time we will be doing what is expected of us. The hour drive to school has been spent mostly silent, but the nerves are practically screaming from our bodies. Elle got Lock to change our schedules, so all our classes match up, which eases some of my fear. I should be scared, I am scared, but not for me, for Elle, my brothers. I can’t lose them. We have come too far. I just want all of this to be over so we can actually live our lives.

“Starbies?” Jace breaks the silence.

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