Rebellion of a Kingdom by G.N. Wright
Chapter 24
MARCUS
We spend the rest of the morning together as a family. One huge, dysfunctional yet somehow perfectly fitted together family. Arthur and Helen put on a huge spread of food and we are kept entertained by stories of Zack and the twins’ childhood and what it was like when Elle joined them. Max chips in with stories about his school days with Zack, and me and the guys add our own stories about some of the foster homes we were housed in together. It’s a perfect morning after the terrible week we’ve all endured.
Elle keeps Cassie in her lap the whole morning as they eat, laugh and play. Asher never leaves their side for more than a minute. I catch him multiple times just staring at them with a concerned look on his face. A look that tells me this isn’t over, not for him and I can’t help but feel the same. We almost lost both of them and the threat to them is still out there. How can we settle when we not only know that, but also know they won’t stop until that they have them. Not unless someone else stops them first.
The rest of the day is spent turning the house into Santa's grotto. There are multiple trees and decorations everywhere. I have no idea where it all came from or how it got here so fast, but I can only presume from the smile on Helen's face that she is used to pulling off the impossible to keep her family happy. It isn’t long before a few of Max’s security guys pile back into the house with boxes and bags filled with gifts. Max, Tyler, and Liam will be staying with us for Christmas, but the rest of his guys leave tomorrow morning to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with their families. The house isn’t on Donovan's radar and it’s completely secure. Mix that with us all staying here together under the best security system money can buy, well it’s safe to say we feel protected enough to relax a little.
Elle hasn’t spoken about anything other than having the perfect Christmas for Cassie and I don’t blame her. I don’t know what is going to happen once Christmas is over, but for now I am happy to just be here with her, with everyone. She tucked Cassie into bed and then came to my room, where we proceeded to rip each other’s clothes off. We fucked hard and fast in the shower, then long and slow in bed, and once my girl was finally satisfied, she left to go back to Cassie. I was only in bed an hour before I found myself creeping down the hall and quietly opening their door, only to find Asher shaking his head at me with a smile, as I climbed in on the other side of them.
When we wake up the next day it’s Christmas Eve and it follows a similar pattern to yesterday. We have a big family breakfast and then us guys are all put to work in the spare room, wrapping presents and building toys. My Christmas Eves usually consisted of sneaking out of whatever foster home I was in and heading to my dad's grave to get drunk. Last year was a little better as I had the guys with me, but this year is completely different. I’m sitting building a dollhouse while my brothers build a bike. Something I didn’t think I would ever see, at least not for another ten years. But here we are, and I have never felt more at home.
Elle and the girls are in the kitchen making gingerbread houses while Helen preps all the trimmings for tomorrow's dinner. Everything feels so mundane and normal, just family stuff. Yet the ache in my chest has never felt such relief. I haven’t been this happy in years and when I lost my dad, I didn’t think I would ever be this happy again. It really is the perfect day.
When evening comes, I go in search of the girls and find the cutest sight I’ve ever seen. Elle is sitting in the center of the huge corner sofa with Cassie in her lap, they are wearing matching red pajamas, and both have their hair braided. Lily is on Elle’s left with Helen next to her and are both wearing exactly the same outfit too. It’s like the picture-perfect family photo. I can’t help but smile at them.
Cassie is the first to spot me and she dives off Elle’s lap running towards me, “Look, River.” She stops in front of me and does a little twirl to show off what she is wearing, “Christmas jammies.” She squeals and my cheeks hurt from how big I smile.
“You look beautiful princess,” I say, scooping her into my arms and heading towards the sofa, dropping down next to Elle on her right. “Just like your mom.” I add, leaning in to give Elle a kiss on the cheek causing a blush to coat her cheeks. Doesn’t matter that I’ve seen her naked, covered her body with my mouth, every time I give her a compliment she still blushes.
“We’re watching Frozen.” She squeals and I laugh. Of course, we are.
We wait a few more minutes for everyone else to arrive. Asher is the first to find us, coming right over and sitting next to me, and then Arthur comes in and drops down next to Helen. Lincoln enters with Logan trailing behind him and I don’t miss the way Asher tracks them across the room. I have no idea what their dynamic is about, but there is definitely something there. Zack wheels himself in with Max and Liam, they help him from the chair to the sofa and give him some pillows to ensure he’s comfy.
Jace is the last to arrive, looking around the room before he slinks over to a lone chair by the window and slumping into it. Tyler joins him and they quietly pass a bottle of whiskey between the two of them.
Elle hits play on the movie and by the time Elsa sings Let it Go, Cassie is fast asleep, so we switch the movie to Elf, giving us all something to laugh about. We have hot chocolate courtesy of Helen and homemade cookies that the girls made earlier in the day. It’s the perfect Christmas Eve.
Once everyone is in bed, I help Arthur bring all the presents out of hiding and place them under the tree ready for morning. He told me I didn’t need to help, but I can’t help it, I have this energy burning inside of me, like I just need to be doing something. I rearrange the presents three times after Arthur leaves to go to bed and that’s where Zack finds me.
“I thought everyone was asleep.” I look up from the box in my hand and shrug.
“I’m not ready yet.” I can’t help but feel like the words mean more than being ready for sleep.
“Me either.” He replies simply, as he rolls his shoulders, wincing slightly at his injuries.
“How are you?” I ask awkwardly, realizing we haven’t really spoken much.
“Sore, relieved, fucking pissed.” He shrugs and I huff a laugh.
“What do you think is going to happen now?” Greg shot him, or one of his lackies did, wanted him dead, yet here he is, alive and well.
He looks at me, like he is gauging my reaction to whatever he is about to say, “I think this is far from over. I think that Greg will stop at nothing to have her.” We both know the her he is talking about isn’t Cassie. “I think he’s a fucking psychopath that needs to be executed.”
I laugh, I don’t know why, I just can’t help it and then he laughs too. “I never thought I’d have things in common with a girl's older brother.” I say and he laughs harder, wincing again in pain.
“Fuck, I needed that,” he adds when he finally stops. I smile again because I know exactly what he means. He moves to leave but stops first to add, “don’t stay up too late, the girls will have us up at the crack of dawn.” He says with a smile of his own and I nod as he leaves.
I finish up moving the presents one more time until I am happy with them, then take a drink of the milk and bite of cookie that Cassie left out for Santa before heading to bed. On my way back to the room I see someone pass in my peripheral heading down the hall towards the door. Instinct has me following before I can even think about it and when I round the corner, I find Asher reaching out to grip the handle on the front door.
“Going somewhere?” I ask and he startles slightly before sighing and turning round.
He’s dressed head to toe in black with a Glock secured at his waist and bag in his hand. I raise my eyebrows at him, and he scowls.
“I just have a couple of things to take care of.” He says hesitantly and I can tell he’s on edge. More so than usual.
“What and those things need doing on Christmas Eve night when everyone is sleeping?” I want to make sure he knows how stupid that sounds.
He snaps, “Yes, they do,” he moves to leave again before pausing and looking at me, “Do you wanna come with me?”
That is literally the last thing I expected him to say, but I take in his stance and attire again. The all black and the gun, the tense set of his jaw and his hunched together shoulders. Wherever he is going is somewhere dangerous. I give him a sharp nod, turning to run to my room, grabbing shoes, my jacket, and then a gun of my own, before heading back out to him. I follow him silently to one of the cars parked outside. We climb inside and drive away from the house. From our family.
We’ve been driving in silence for about twenty minutes, when I finally crack, “where the hell are we going?”
The corner of his mouth tips up in a cocky smile, “I knew you’d crack before we got there.” I roll my eyes, “we are going to pay some old friends a visit.” The way he spits the word friends tells me everything I need to know.
By the time we stop in front of a house just off of Riverside I can feel the tension rolling off him. Like it’s taking everything in him to hold himself back. I don’t recognize the house, so I wait for him to say something.
When he doesn’t say anything or even move, I ask, “whose house is this?”
He snaps his gaze from the house to mine, “inside that house live two men, two of my brother’s friends. Ken Andrews and Adam Kirkland.” Their names don’t sound familiar to me, so I still remain just as confused. Who the hell are they and why are we here?
When I don’t say anything in response he continues, “Kirkland held both her arms down in a vice grip, he held them so tight he left bruises.” His words turn my stomach, fuck I know exactly why we are here. “Andrews.” he laughs, “Andrews is the one who dragged me into the room after my father found me, the proud look in his eyes still knocks me sick. He said he was glad I had found out on my own and that Greg would show me the ropes. Andrews laughed every time she cried. I got there too late, it only lasted for a couple of minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. And I couldn’t do anything, nothing, but just stand there and pretend I was enjoying it. Now though, now I can do everything.”
The fire starts to burn in my veins, the tension pulsing through my entire body. I know why he’s here. I know why he invited me. Cloaked in black and armed with guns, ready to bring death on the men who hurt our girl. Vengeance happens tonight.
We move in unison as we exit the car and walk towards the house, both of us looking up and down the quiet street. It’s dark and deserted like the reaper himself cleared our path for us, awaiting the justice we are about to serve. I can tell that Ash knows exactly where he is going and that we aren’t just going in blind, because he pushes up towards a side door, quickly producing a lock picking kit. Fucking hell is everyone I know just a walking talking serial killer in the making? He quietly, and efficiently picks the lock, and gently pushes the door open.
I move in close behind him as we enter and we are greeted by complete darkness, but I trust Asher enough to follow his lead. We find both Ken and Adam passed out on the sofa with the soft glow of the television lighting up their ugly faces. I look to Ash and he is staring at them intently, like he can’t quite decide how to make them suffer. He grinds his jaw before looking at me and nodding.
We step towards them and I raise my gun, but Asher moves before I can pull the trigger and cocks one of them with the gun startling him awake. He shoves his gloved hand across his mouth to muffle his scream, but it still wakes up the other guy. He startles, but I aim my gun at his head to ensure he doesn’t move.
Both their eyes flare in recognition when they look at Asher and he removes his hand allowing the scum to speak.
“Asher, what the fuck man?” The one he hit says, but I can see the fear in his eyes already. He may be the youngest of the Donovan clan, but even I’ve heard the stories about the people who cross him. They disappear without a trace.
“Long time no see, Andrews.” Ash drawls in the deadliest tone I’ve ever heard from him. Which means the guy I’m aiming my gun at is Adam Kirkland.
“What the fuck, Donovan. Does Greg know you’re here?” Adam barks and I have to laugh, they really think they have an in with the heir to the Donovan name. I can tell from the look of the house they are staying in and their lack of knowledge about Ash, that they are exceptionally low on the food chain.
Ash smiles a sinister smile, “I will get to Greg eventually, but tonight is about you two.” He says leaning down to get in their face and I watch Ken gulp.
“Remember how funny you found it, Kirkland? How you laughed as the tears ran down her cheeks? How you begged Greg to have a turn?” He grits each word out with such wrath, yet his whole body is completely calm, like he is completely at ease doing this.
“Wait, this is about King?” Adam asks in panicked confusion. “Fuck you care about one of your brother’s whores for? Jealous?” He smiles thinking Asher will find it funny.
Asher smashes the gun into his face. “Like anything that disgusting piece of shit could ever do would make me jealous.” He grits at him as Adam coughs, spitting out some blood. “But you were jealous, weren’t you Kirkland? I remember how desperately you pleaded.”
“Look man, you saw how Greg was. She belonged to him, no one else. His plans for her changed as soon as he had a taste of her.”
Ash grits his teeth at his statement, but before he can react, I shoot Adam right in the stomach. His words setting fire to my fucking rage.
Asher does laugh now, sadistically, and loud before doing the same thing to Ken Andrews. Then shakes his head looking at me, “who knew you could be so much fun.” His grin is infectious considering where we are and what we are doing.
He opens the bag and pulls out a little saw and my eyes flare wide. What the fuck.
Both the guys are gurgling in pain as the blood pours from their stomachs. Ignoring them, Asher quickly secures both of their wrists with cable ties, before injecting them with some shit that makes their bodies stop moving. I can see from their eyes they are still awake and aware, but completely fucking helpless. Asher steps back admiring his work and then he pulls out two little plastic bags. I panic as I remember back to when he said he would gift jars of cocks to Elle. Thankfully, he only cuts off one finger from each of them and drops them in the bags.
When I eye him, he shrugs tucking them away in his bag and packing up everything else apart from his guns. When he’s satisfied, he looks at me with a nod and I know we are done here.
“For our girls?” He asks and I smile mirroring one of his own sadistic grins and reply with a nod, “for our girls.”
We raise our guns at their heads, completely in sync. We look at one another and nod, both of us pulling the trigger at the same time and clocking them right between the eyes. See you in hell, fuckers.