Page 74 of Rebellion of a Kingdom

He ignores her sentiments of course, “have you got everyone settled?”

“Yes,” she nods, “they all know where they are going and appreciate the settlements you provided.”

“It’s the least I could do.” He replies solemnly.

“I heard what happened with Cassie.” she starts, and he stops her immediately.

“Hey, it’s not your fault, you were busy with your own family.”

“Look,” she pauses, and I can tell whatever she is about to say, Asher isn’t going to like, “I heard something, one of the maids, she's been bumping uglies with one of the guards. They’re all being pulled to the compound tomorrow,” she hesitates before adding, “for a wedding.”

A wedding. Tomorrow. Fuck.

Asher nods at her before surprising us both and pulling her into a quick hug, “Thank you, Gail. For everything.”

A tear escapes her eyes which she wipes quickly. “Anytime, my sweet child.”

“Now get out of here and don’t come back.”

A smile spreads across her face, “not unless you do.” She gives him a quick kiss before she disappears the way she was heading, and Asher leads me in the opposite direction. We head down a back set of stairs and into the kitchen. He turns on the gas on the cooker and then proceeds to smash numerous bottles of vodka on the floor.

He continues to pour liquor on the floor, as we head out of the house and when we finally reach the front door, he looks at me, nodding for me to go. Just as I turn, I see him pull a lighter from his pocket, he flicks open the flame and tosses it to the floor and we both run side by side and get into the car.

The house goes up in flames as we hit the drive and for the first time ever I hear Asher laugh. A full, throaty, loud laugh. “You have no idea how many times I have wanted to do that.”

He slams his foot down on the pedal and we speed off into the night with the orange glow lighting up the sky behind us.

We’ve got a wedding to crash.

Chapter 44

ELLE

Ishould feel something, anything, but I'm numb. Void. Finally, completely broken. I don’t know how long I’ve been in this bath, but the water is stone cold. I see the goosebumps covering my body and the wrinkles on the pads of my fingers and toes. I could have been in here for hours and I wouldn’t notice. All I can do is replay what happened over and over again in my mind.

The knife slicing across her neck.

The sound of Jace’s despair.

The look on Greg’s face.

The vomit I choked out.

My submission.

All of it a never-ending stream in my head. The silent cries continue to wrack my whole body, but no tears come. I have none left. I have nothing left. My only salvation? That Cassie is safe. Marcus promised he would take care of her. She has him, Ash, and the rest of my family. So many people to look out for her and protect her. I want to hope that I’ll make it back to her, but hope is for the weak. I'm done thinking I can win this war. Rebelling against them was a stupid idea. All it brought me was pain and death. No justice, no redemption, just pure fucking grief. I can't fight anymore, they won.

Jace is here with me, a constant reminder to why I can’t win. I won’t put him in any more danger. He’s sitting in the corner of the room we’re in. He hasn’t spoken, not since Taylor’s blood seeped under his body as he lay there, staring into her dead eyes. He’s still wearing the same blood-soaked clothes and the same broken expression. His wrists are raw from the chains and handcuffs he has been kept in, and his injuries are still seeping blood every now and then. But he doesn’t feel them, he doesn’t feel anything. Just like me.

Under normal circumstances, I'd be worried about him seeing me naked, but he isn't even here anymore. The Jace Conrad I knew, the one I came to love quickly and easily, has gone. He may as well have died when Greg sliced Taylor’s throat. I saw it, saw his own hope perish along with her life. We aren’t surviving this, dead or alive, we are both just gone.

The door opens and three women rush inside, dropping an array of things on the table against the wall and pulling out a towel. I have no idea where we are, I can only presume we are still at the compound. After what Greg did, I didn’t even bother to fight against the needle he slid into the side of my neck. Just kept my focus on Taylor’s lifeless form as I let the darkness take me. By the time I woke up, Jace and I were in a slightly nicer room, I was laying on a bed with actual sheets on it and he was tied to a chair in the corner. I didn’t move. I just lay and let the ache of my grief collapse inside of me.

I don’t know why Jace is still here. I vaguely remember Greg saying we had a deal and maybe that’s why. Did I save Jace's life only to offer up Taylor’s? The old Elle would fight, kick, scream, do anything that wasn’t just sitting here, but that was before. This is after.

Do not defy me. Submission is my only salvation now.

One of the women grabs me by the arms and stands me up, directing me out of the tub as the other wraps me in a towel. I am ushered over to a chair where I spend the next couple of hours being pricked, poked, and fucking polished into the perfect bride. Jace was led from the room, still in cuffs, halfway through my makeover and all I could do was watch him go. Broken and alone.

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