Rebellion of a Kingdom by G.N. Wright
Chapter 38
ELLE
Iwake up to Marcus’ hands roaming across my naked body. I don’t know how many times we fucked last night, but I do know I lost count. Against the bathroom counter, still covered in blood, in the shower as it washed down the drain and multiple times between these sheets. Just endless hours of pleasure, riding the high and adrenaline of the night before. I should feel something, guilt, grief, remorse? I don’t. I feel nothing but peace and pleasure.
The only sins I will think about are the ones I committed in this bed with my River. I won’t think about my father, about Cherry. I won’t feel any sort of regret. Not for him or for her. They both got what was coming to them. I think Marcus was expecting me to break, distracting me with his body so I could do nothing but be consumed by him. He didn’t need to do that; it happens without him even trying.
That’s why now, instead of worrying about the bodies that were dropped last night, I think about the way his hands grip my waist possessively, the way his stubble covered mouth grazes up my neck. The tug of his teeth on my earlobe, the pads of his fingers as they slip between my legs and cup me. The groan he releases when he finds me wet for him, is fucking unholy.
“Mmm, morning, little King.” He mumbles into my ear, as his finger sinks between my folds, brushing against my clit.
“Morning,” I moan out breathlessly, as he swipes his fingers around my sweet spot, my toes curling in response. Fuck. It doesn’t matter how many times he fucks me. I always want more. My hips start to roll against his hand, and I feel his smile on the curve of my neck.
“Does my baby need something?” He asks, letting his teeth sink into my shoulder as I muffle my moan with a pillow, pushing my hips back into his groin.
“Marcus, please.” I beg, and the hand that still grips my waist tightens.
“I fucking love hearing you moan my name, Ells.” He grits through his teeth, as his hand moves to grab his hard cock, as he lines it up between my ass cheeks, slowly letting it slip down until he finds my entrance.
“And I fucking love you.” I hiss, as he slams inside with a loud moan.
“I love you too, baby.” Using his free hand, he lifts me up and rolls us over, so I’m on top with my back to him. “Now ride me, Ells, show me how much.”
I reach out and lean my palms onto his thighs so I can rise up and then I slowly sink back down. His hands fly to my hips again tightening around me. He pulls me down even further and holds me there, so I am feeling him deep inside. When he squeezes me, I start to slide up again and he uses his grip to slam me back down. We do this over and over until we are fucking each other relentlessly, moaning and panting and desperate for more. When I find a rhythm, he sits up, leaning back on one of his hands and using the other to reach around to rub my clit. We fuck slow and hard, until Marcus can’t hold back. Pushing me forward, he slips out so that he can reposition me on my knees before he comes up behind and slides back inside. He fucks me hard and fast, hitting that perfect spot inside.
“I’m getting close,” he grits out. “Touch that pussy for me.” I slide my hand between my legs and press my fingers in quick circles around my clit, feeling myself clenching around him as my orgasm begins to build. “Ah, fuck, Ells, just like that.” One hand grips my side as the other slips into my hair pulling slightly and the moan I let out is fucking porn worthy. “Fuck!” He groans, as I come around his cock. He thrusts a few more times before I feel him spill inside me. Both of us fall forward, breathless and sweating, and then he rolls me over, pushing my hair from my face. “So, fucking perfect. I love you” He kisses me again and I can’t get the smile off my face.
“I love you.” I repeat back to him and now he smiles.
“Pinky promise, you'll tell me that forever.” He grins cupping my cheek and kissing me again.
I bring my pinky into the air and he laughs as he curls it with mine, “pinky promise, River.”
After we have both showered for a second time, we quickly get dressed and make our way into the kitchen. Only Helen and Cassie are in there and both smile wide when they see us.
“Mommy.” Cass greets me, and I move towards her.
“Morning princess, you okay?” I ask, dropping a kiss to her head.
“Yes. Grandma said we can have slumber.” She tells me excitedly, and I look at Helen with a smile. It’s something we haven’t done in ages, yet Cassie loves it. We did it at the old house. We would drag mattresses into the living room, pile them with blankets and pillows and have an on the floor sleepover with all the family. We’d eat pizza, watch movies, and Arthur and Helen would even show old family photos. We all love doing it and I know we are long overdue for it.
“Sound’s perfect baby, I can’t wait.” I say, smiling as Helen hands me a coffee and I thank her.
“Can River come?” She asks with her pleading tone, and I laugh.
“Of course.” I say, sitting down next to her and leaning close, “how about we invite daddy and all the other boys too?” I ask, and she gleams up at me before throwing her arms around my neck.
“And Taylor too?” She adds, and I can’t turn down her cute face, so I agree to invite her.
“Yayyy!” She practically screams down my ear but seeing the happiness on her face is worth the deafness she might have just caused me. Mom life, hey.
We spend the rest of the early morning making breakfast and reading books to Cass, not even once thinking about my father and the fact that I just killed him. I just think about how I will do everything in my power to be the parent to her, that I should have had growing up.
Once Cassie gets distracted by Logan playing Mario Kart, I leave her and Marcus and head off to see where everyone else is. I haven’t seen Ash, Lincoln or Jace yet this morning and I want to check in and catch up after everything that went down last night.
I find Lincoln busy at work with Elijah so leave him be, and Zack tells me that Asher is sparring with Tyler out back. I shake my head at that and then head off to hunt down Jace, texting Taylor on my way to invite her over.
I find him at the back of the garden, where he has dragged one of the sun loungers. He is lying down staring up at the sky with a lit joint hanging from his mouth and he doesn’t sense my presence, until I flop down between his feet.
“Stalking me, Queenie?” He asks, without looking at me.
“How did you know it was me?” I ask curiously.
His eyes find mine and he smiles, but it’s nothing like his real smile and I frown, “you’re the only one who would ignore my silent brooding and come check on me.” He says matter of factly.
“Ah, so you admit you are brooding,” I tease, hoping to turn that fake smile into a real one, but he just shrugs. I know how hard he is finding things. How much of the past is being dragged up by being here with me. I hate that he is caught up in this. “Well snap out of it, we’re having slumber night.”
“Should I know what that means?” He inhales another drag of his joint and I can’t help myself when I grab it and toss it away. “Hey!” He protests, but I ignore it.
“Slumber night is Royton tradition and I’m calling mandatory attendance.” I stand, trying to enforce my fake authority and he glares up at me as I add, “sober.”
He rolls his eyes, pushing himself into a seated position, “I’ll be there.” He grumbles, and I note he is still wearing last night's clothes.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out, reading the new message from Taylor that says she wouldn’t miss it, with a smiley face. I can’t help my smug tone as I say. “Yeah, well so will Taylor, so I suggest you take a shower.”
I don’t linger for his response as I turn and head back to the house but smile when I hear him shuffling along behind me. He might not admit it, but she’s definitely already one of us and I can’t wait for both of them to realize it.
I spend the rest of the afternoon helping Helen set up for the slumber. We get the guys to push all the living room furniture up against the walls and then drag a few of the mattresses into the center. Max sends one of his guys out to get a big projector with a screen, and Lily adds a few fairy lights for ambience. By the time Taylor arrives, the whole room looks like a giant bed, filled with pillows and blankets.
Cassie is bouncing excitedly between Arthur and Helen on the sofa, as she yells out higher and lower to Zack and Max as they fix the projector to the wall.
“Wow, so when you said sleepover, you really meant sleepover.” Taylor stands awe struck at the door, as she takes in the room.
“Tay, you made it.” I greet her with a hug, and it feels good to be doing something so teenage like.
"Yeah, Owen gave me a ride." She eyes me curiously like she's waiting for me to expand on Owen's presence at her house, but when I don’t, she continues. "This place looks insane."
I laugh, "yeah well, what my daughter wants, she gets." I shake my head at the thought. I'm not usually the kind of Mom to give her things on a whim, but after everything that happened, I can't help it. I realize how precious time with her is.
She smiles, clutching her bag tightly. "I still can't believe you have a daughter."
"You get used to it." Marcus curls his arms around my waist from behind.
"I can't believe you got used to it. That's the most unbelievable part." Taylor jokes, and I can't help the laugh that bursts out of me.
"Miracles can happen." I jest lightly, and that earns me a nip to the neck from River.
“Watch it, little King.” He murmurs into my ear, and I can’t keep the wide grin from my face. These are the kind of nights I want. Fun and light-hearted, surrounded by my friends and family. Nights like this make it all worth it.
"Where should I set up?" Taylor questions.
I nod for her to follow me. "You're over here by Cassie and I. Come on."
I get Taylor settled and then we join Lily in the kitchen to make fruit mocktails for Cassie. Surprisingly, Lily gets on really well with her and it's nice to see a little friendship forming with them.
We watch two princess movies, eat more popcorn than I care to admit and have taken part in more Disney karaoke singalongs than I thought possible, with so many guys here. Tonight, is what we all needed, a reminder as to why we are doing any of this, a reminder of what we could lose.
A couple of hours later, Cassie is snoring softly beside me, tired out from all the fun of the slumber. Everyone seems to have settled in their own little groups. Max and Zack are playing Call of Duty, while a few of his guys watch. Ash is sitting in the corner tapping away on his laptop, Lily is sitting by him and she keeps pointing to things on the screen and he keeps batting her hand away.
Marcus, Lincoln, Jace and Logan all sat by the sofa, they’re laughing and joking and every so often I watch Jace's eyes float across the room towards Taylor and I.
“You think he would make it less obvious.” Taylor grumbles.
“What?” I’m guessing she has noticed the same thing I have, but I want to be sure.
She huffs, “Conrad and his lingering eyes, way to make a girl feel flustered.” She fidgets with her empty mocktail glass and pretends like she isn’t looking back.
“You like him.” I tease, bumping her shoulder with mine and I see the blush against her pale skin.
“What’s not to like? Look at him! He’s a freaking walking temptation.” She slowly flicks her eyes his way, then huffs again when she catches him already staring at her. “No eighteen-year-old should be that attractive. It's unnatural.”
I follow her gaze towards the guys and grumble my agreement. Because she is right. Marcus with his dark brooding eyes, Jace and his tattooed torso, Lincoln, and his little corner of the mouth smirk. Hell, I can even appreciate the sharp line of Logan’s jaw. All of them are ridiculously good looking, yet more than that because they also have personalities that rival their looks. A dangerous mixture for anyone who gets too close, they’re hypnotic.
“So, what are you waiting for?” I wonder. I know Jace doesn’t want her in this, but she’s already in it whether he likes it or not. I mean technically she was one of us before he was.
“A cold shower,” she mutters under her breath before adding louder, “I thought after the dance, when I kissed him.” She shrugs, “I don’t know, that he would make a move.”
I flinch at the mention of that night. Fuck. To be normal and be worrying about something as mundane as kissing a guy and him not reacting to it. She doesn’t even know half of it. Jace probably forgot all about it.
I sit up on my knees and grab her hand, “look, there has been a lot going on, but I know Jace likes you more than he is letting on, so if you like him, then you should tell him.”
She looks at me and then back to him before she also shifts to her knees. “You know what, you’re right!” She agrees, her face setting into determination. “What’s the worst that could happen?” She adds and then before I can say anything, she stands and makes her way across the room to the guys, and I have no choice but to follow.
Because she’s right… What’s the worst that can happen?