Page 6 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

I can’t bear the compassion in his words. “You know nothing!” I hiss, pushing off the wall and shoving him away from me. “You think you know the sickness that burns through the veins of my brother and father, but you don’t. I have a rapist and a murderer as my role models.”

I crack my jaw back and forth to try to ease the ache there as I lean back against the wall to hold myself up.

I scrunch my eyes closed as I think back to the night, I saved Elle. “You didn’t see what they did to her. What he did to her.” I don’t have to say Elle’s name for him to know what I’m talking about. “Do you have any idea what it was like to overhear the things my father said about her and pray it wasn’t true? What it was like to follow him to where he was keeping Elle and for him to think I was there because I wanted in on the action?” I grimace in disgust at just the memory.

“How Greg held his blade to her stomach on every thrust, laughing at every pained sound she made. How I had to stand there powerless, biding my time to help her.” I shake my head, wishing for once I could forget the look on her face, wondering why I wasn’t doing anything. Knowing that to truly be able to help her, I had to pretend I enjoyed it. To act like I was one of them.

“You didn’t see the confusion and despair in her eyes. I did.” I bang my fist against my chest at my words. “I felt her agony.” Bang. “I felt her horror.” Bang. “And I couldn’t do anything.” Bang. “And now that same sadistic fuck has my daughter. So, don’t tell me you know.”

“You’re not the only one who knows what it's like to have a murderer as a father.” His words give me pause as does the look on his face. It's unwavering, like what he’s just said is the most truthful statement he has ever spoken. “I know what it’s like to have someone you love taken from you, more than you know,” he adds.

“I have to get her back before it’s too late.” I can hear the fight leaving my voice, but I try to convince him one last time.

The look in his eyes tells me he knows what it’s like to be too late. He takes a deep breath before stepping towards me. "I know, but we fucking need you, okay? We need a plan, and we need you. All this?" He gestures with his other hand to me. "Lock it the fuck down until we need it."

He sees it, sees me. The line I usually walk, that I am so far away from now. The one thing that ties me to that line and kept me from slaughtering every fucking one of them is gone.

“What if we don’t?” I whisper, letting my worst fear bleed out into the open. “What if we don’t get her back?” The question tastes like poison on my tongue.

His other hand finds my shoulder, bringing him fully into my space and I no longer feel the desire to push him away. "I promise you; we will get her back. You have my word.” His voice is smooth and unwavering. “I told you I would die for them and I will. I will get her back if it’s the last thing I ever fucking do." His promise hangs in the air like a declaration of war.

I can't talk so I just nod, and his exhale hits my cheek before he nods back, straightening up. He releases my shoulders just as the front door slams open. His gun is in his hand with his body blocking mine in less than a second.

"Woah, baby, chill." Logan's flirty voice floats into the air and I see Lincoln visibly relax.

"Fucking hell, Logan. Where the fuck have you been?" Lincoln’s voice is harsh, and his words are clipped.

"Oh, someone's needy. Been waiting for me, have you?" Logan continues to tease, clearly not reading the room.

"Lo," I step out from behind Lincoln, speaking his barely used nickname and his smile falters a little.

"Shit, psycho. Didn't see you - - what the fuck happened to you?" His smile changes to worry in an instant as he takes in my swollen and no doubt bruised face.

"Logan," Lincoln hesitantly steps towards him and I see Logan's glare flicker down to his bloodied hands. We don’t even get a chance to say anything else before he rushes past us. Lincoln storms after him and I follow, getting to the room just as Logan’s legs give out on him.

Lincoln manages to hold him up as he regains his footing and then he’s trying to push him off. “Let go of me, Lincoln,” he spits, trying to force Lincoln’s grip off him.

Logan isn’t as big as Lincoln so Blackwell doesn’t even stumble as he holds him and responds, “You can’t help them, just give them room to work.”

“That’s my brother. He needs me.” I hear the crack in his voice as he lets the emotions take over.

Lincoln grips his face in a vice hold, forcing his stare to lock with his. “I know Logan, but you can’t do anything right now. Come help me with Ash, yeah?” It’s the first time he has ever referred to me as anything other than Donovan or dark prince. It feels familiar and safe, but somehow wrong to be hearing it like this.

Logan turns his attention to me, his face pained, and as pale as a ghost. “What happened?” He moves towards me and grips my face so hard that I hiss, but the pain is welcome at this point. Nothing could hurt me more than the empty ache in my chest. I shuffle from foot to foot unable to keep still, desperate to run from this house and not stop until I have my daughter back.

“You know what happened.” I rip my face from his hands and watch as realization dawns on him.

“Where is Cassie?” he asks me before swinging his gaze to Elle who is still sitting on the floor next to Zack's body. When she hears our daughter's name, she looks towards us. I thought the worst look I would ever see in her eyes was on the night she was raped, but that was nothing. She looked scared, confused, in pain, but there was still life there, still parts of her remaining no matter how small. Now though? Now she looks lifeless, like her heart has been ripped out and it’s by sheer gravity that her body is still rooted here. It pushes me over the edge.

I push Logan away from me and scramble to get to the door and escape. Leave this fucking house and finish this fucking war. Kill every fucking person that gets in my path. Not resting until my daughter is home and my skin is soaked in the blood of my enemies.

Again, I almost make it out of the room, but this time I have two pairs of hands gripping me, still I fight. For me, for her, for Elle. I have to get my daughter back, my girl. I will happily die trying.

I fight against both Lincoln and Logan as Marcus joins them in restraining me.

“Ash, look at me.” Elle steps up between them and tries to talk to me, but I can’t look at her. I promised her one thing, the only thing I could promise. That I would keep her and our daughter safe and I fucking failed. She is never going to forgive me, and I won’t ever forgive myself either.

Chapter 3

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