by G N Wright
“Knew what?” he steps forward.
“Just fuck off, Marcus. She doesn’t need you anymore,” the glare he serves him would scare a lesser man, but Marcus doesn’t even entertain him. Ash turns to me, “Come on, Hells Bells, let's go home.”
I don’t miss the recoil Marcus has when Asher says the word home. He leads me away and bundles me into the car and before I know it, we are speeding away into the night with Marcus staring after us.
Chapter 11
ELLE
Fuck me, hangovers are not fun. My head is pounding, and I honestly feel like if I move, I’m going to hurl my insides out. I shuffle from under the duvet and groan out loud as the light pouring through the drapes burns my retinas. Fuck my life. Remind me to never drink again if this is what you get, it’s not fucking worth it.
“Hungover, baby girl?” Ash’s voice startles me, and I almost throw myself out of bed trying to lunge for the Glock I keep next to my bed and he laughs at me.
“Fuck, Ash. Alert a girl to your presence, you little fucker. I almost shot you.”
My best friend is sitting next to me with a beautiful smile on his face that he saves just for us and I relax instantly. He’s shirtless showing off his lean toned physique and the large angel tattoo on his chest. He really is gorgeous. Seeing him like this when he is just his relaxed carefree self really makes my heart burst. Moments like these are so rare and I cherish them.
“Righttttt, I’ll try that the next time you're in a drunk coma like sleep but let’s be honest, you are shooting no one in that state,” he rolls his eyes dramatically and then winks at me.
“It’s a good thing I love you, Ash,” I smile at him. “Otherwise I’d shoot you just for your attitude.” He knows I am totally bullshitting but I’m hungover so who the fuck cares? We always tease each other like this. I’m probably the only person in the world who gets away with teasing him and I secretly love it. We share a bond made as kids, forged by darkness, and strengthened by grief. These moments where it is just us where we can feel like any other two teenagers, heals my soul and I know he feels the same.
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” his eyes turn into his usual dark serious glare and that’s when last night starts to come back to me.
The alley with Marcus, the panic attack, Ash coming to help and all three rebels seeing me vulnerable. Fuck me with a rusty pipe. I scrub my hands over my face and exhale loudly.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Ash. You know me,” I offer him a small smile.
“He puts hands on you again and I’ll cut them off. I don’t give a fuck who he thinks he is,” he deadpans totally serious. He doesn’t have to mention Marcus' name for me to know who he is talking about. He doesn’t care that we all used to be friends, the only thing that matters to him is our safety and fuck if it doesn’t make me love him more. I know he would die for me without hesitation and it’s hard to find that kind of love in this shitty world.
I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder.
“I know you just want to protect me, Ash, but you don’t have to worry about Marcus. He isn’t a threat,” he knows this, but I still feel like I need to remind him. His protection knows no bounds.
He leans his head against mine and grabs my hand as he replies, “I failed you once Elle and I promise it will never happen again. So, I will protect you against everyone even if that someone is yourself.”
I don’t respond because I don’t know how. Ash would protect me with his life, and I would do the same for him, but I would also do the same for Marcus.
We lay like that for a while until Ash's phone goes and he turns rigid as he looks at the screen and then swipes before placing it next to his ear. I can’t hear what is being said on the other line but from the tension rolling off him I know its family business. Ash is just responding with one-word answers until he says, “I’ll be there in one hour.”
He throws the phone down and exhales.
“Time to go back to hell.”
“Where did they think you were all night?” I muse.
He smiles and winks at me, “In bed with a beautiful girl.”
I laugh, “Ah yes, what a wild night you had. I’m sure there were plenty of people last night that would have happily warmed your bed and given you some action.”
“And I’d take a night keeping you safe over that any day baby girl,” his tone serious again.
I give him a sorrow smile back “I know, Ash. Always?”
His face lights up, “Always,” he says simply.
That has been our little saying to each other since we reconnected after that awful night. Just letting each other know that no matter where we are or what happens, that we will always have each other's backs.
He throws back the duvet and climbs out of bed picking his pants off the floor and quickly pulling them on and then shrugging into his shirt. He looks pristine considering he is climbing out of a bed that isn’t his and putting on yesterday's clothes but that is just Ash for you. He would look stunning in a sack never mind his bespoke Hugo Boss shirt and pants.
He leans down and drops a kiss to my cheek and then disappears out of my door. I look at the time and it’s still only 9am. Lord knows what time Ash put me to bed last night but all I want to do is turn over and sleep but that’s not on the agenda for today. It’s Saturday which means it’s a day for Zack and I, my favorite time of the week and unlike last Saturday we won’t be alone.
Now that I am fully settled in the house and school, it's time for the rest of our family to join us.
When Zack took me from Hallows, he drove me straight from this hell hole to his parents’ house. That was the first day I met Helen and Arthur Royton.
They are the kind of parents every kid wishes they could have. Beautiful, smart, funny, caring and absolutely devoted to their children. The day I met them was the day I found new parents, a new home, and a new family.
They lifted me up from the depths of hell along with Zack and made me who I am today. I'd be lost and probably dead if it weren't for them. My new family gave me everything I had always needed, and I will forever be in their debt.
I'm not the first stray they took in. Zack’s piece of shit of a mom gave him up at birth. Her loss was Helen and Arthur's first gain. They realized pretty early on in their marriage that they couldn't have children of their own and decided there were already plenty of children out there who needed a home and loving parents.
Since then they have taken in three more children. The twins who have just left for college and more recently a little girl. They are always willing to help out anyone with anything.
I make my way to the kitchen and can already hear all the commotion that can only mean they are already here. I round the corner and am greeted with my favorite sight in the whole world. Nearly my entire family in one room.
Arthur is helping Zack with breakfast and Helen is sitting at the breakfast bar. But it’s the smallest of the Royton clan that sees me first and I get the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on the littlest face.
She has a mouth full of chocolate pancakes, her favorite and she is tapping away on a tablet playing an alphabet game.
“Sassy Cassie, I have missed you, baby girl,” I coo as I ruffle my hand through her soft messy curls and drop a kiss to her head.
“I’m not sassy, I'm a pwincess,” she replies in her sweet voice.
“Oh, I’m sorry, princess, if you’re a princess can I be the queen?”
“No, you’re a King, remember, silly?”
Her response makes me smile and it is probably the only time I smile at the thought of being a King. I thought about changing my name, but my name is part of who I am and tells the story of where I came from, regardless of how shitty that is.
Helen pulls me into a hug next. She is almost 50 but looks in her late 30’s. She has got beautiful silver blonde hair that is sleek straight and is wearing cream linen pants and a silk champagne blouse. She
squeezes me tight and it feels like home.
"Here's my little rose," she coos, "I've missed you, honey."
"It's only been a week."
"And that's a week too long, my child," she pulls back and starts fluffing my hair in a motherly manner. God, I love her.
Arthur looks just as young as Helen even though he is in his early 50’s. His hair is dark and slicked back with his grey coming through on the sides and in his slight facial hair. He is dressed in one of his usual jumper and chino combos and that forever friendly smile.
"Bacon and waffles for my little firecracker," he winks at me as he slides a plate across the counter to me.
"My hero," I smile at him. He was the first to realize the way to my heart is through my stomach and has been plying me with food ever since. He reminds me of Michael, the type of dad who would do anything for their kids or just the type of person that would do anything for anyone really. He knows me so well and I know I can always rely on him no matter what.
Arthur and Zack grab plates of their own and we all head over to the dining table so we can eat together comfortably. I am so happy to have them here with us, it completes the dynamic of our family and soothes my soul instantly.
Even when they were still working the first year I was with them, we always made time for family dinners. It was our thing. We would talk about anything and everything, sharing stories from our past and making plans for our futures. They always made me feel like I truly belonged with them.
Arthur was a world-renowned surgeon who was a true leader in his field and Helen was a family lawyer who was a force to be reckoned with. Both of them retired just over two years ago so they could devote more time to each other and their family.
Helen is the one who helped me get emancipated from my parents and is a true inspiration for the kind of parent I could only long to be. After the week I’ve had with my run-ins with the Rebels and my devil creators, it’s nice to finally be able to relax and breathe.
We spend the day catching up and moving Helen and Arthur into the large guesthouse out the back of the main house. It keeps them close to us but also offers them privacy of their own. Being back in Lucifer’s town means we want to keep eyes on them as much as possible.
After helping them get settled they all head out for dinner and I wish life could be simple sometimes and I could go with them, but I have work to do. I've got a little mission planned for tonight to follow up on some leads I gathered during the week.
Zack comes to my room before they leave.
“Dressed to kill, I see,” he smiles lovingly at me.
I am wearing fitted black leather pants tucked into combat boots and a black lace bodice. The perfect outfit for me to blend into where I am going tonight. Showing off skin and ink yet perfectly hiding the knife sheathed at my waist, the gun at my ankle and the black jeweled knuckle dusters look like accessories to my ensemble.
I am making sure I have enough weapons at my disposal considering I am going alone. This is not like the elite clubs where I plan to blend myself into a group of ‘friends’, no tonight's mission is in a shit hole of a bar where I need to be low key and keep to myself.
“Always, Z,” I offer him my most sinister smile and he just chuckles at me.
“Be careful sweetheart and watch your back.”
I scoff, “Like you don’t have people watching it for me.”
He smiles, “Yeah, well call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Tonight, is all about hitting the first mark on my list, one of Donovan’s low life drug runners. They use him because he’s got looks that attracts the girls and while he distracts them with his charm and fake Rolex, he spikes their drinks to make them more agreeable. Then the sick little fuck transports them right to the devil’s playground for his twisted games but not before he tests out the merchandise himself.
Elliot Donovan thinks he is untouchable, well I’m about to take his business apart piece by fucking piece until he’s got nothing left. Only then will I grant him the mercy of ending his life with a bullet to the skull.
It’s going to be a game of chess and it’s time to take out the first pawn.
Chapter 12
MARCUS
Ihaven’t slept. I couldn’t. I just kept playing Elle’s face over and over in my head when she just fazed out right in front of my eyes. Fuck. I don’t think I have ever felt panic like that since the night she left town.
One minute I was looking into those ocean blue eyes, alive with rage and heat and the next it’s like they were totally blank. Just vague and lifeless and I never want to see her look like that ever again. I wanted to do something, help her but before I even got the chance Donovan was dragging me out of the way and cradling her in his arms.
Which why wouldn’t he? She is his to cradle. Seeing them together makes me feel things I don’t understand, and I don’t fucking like it. Whatever made her react like that last night I never want to see it happen again and the fact that I somehow caused it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
God my head is truly fucked up. She has been back in my life for less than a week and my thoughts have never been so chaotic. I need to shut it down. I sit up and my head is throbbing, and my back and neck are stiff from laying on the sofa for so long. I didn’t bother trying to stumble to bed and from the empty bottles surrounding me on the floor it’s probably a good thing I didn’t. I doubt I would have been able to make it.
“You look like shit, player,” Jace comes into the living room in his sweats with a towel around his neck. He must have come from the gym we have here in our loft.
We have lived together for the last year after we all started making serious money working for Mr. Royton. He’s our unofficial boss and excuse for having so much cash at such a young age. We have been making big money pretty much as soon as I hit the south side and teamed up with the guys.
The Donovan family is so powerful that no one had the balls to go against them meaning the playing field was wide open for someone to step up. That someone just happened to be me. It didn’t matter that Donovan had fucked my dad over and took all our money before he killed him. I had enough contacts and respect that it was easy to start over.
Mix that with Linc being recruited for his super hacking skills and bringing us along for the jobs he is given means we are flush. We all have legitimate bank accounts set up which houses our “clean” money and anything else we stash around our house or in one of our other secret places.
We chose this place because it’s off the main roads and offers us privacy. Add that to the fact it has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a gym, an office, a games room and a rooftop garden. All wrapped up securely with a top of the range camera and motion sensor system thanks to Linc. This is our safe haven.
“I feel like shit too,” I croak out, my throat sore from a mixture of too much whiskey and weed.
“Wanna tell me what the fuck happened with Elle last night?” he snaps at me and it takes me aback completely. Serious is a tone that I rarely hear from Jace and to hear it now about someone he barely knows irritates me.
“Yeah, I think I’d like to know that too,” Linc says coming from his office and I want to roll my eyes, it looks like I am being double teamed on this one.
I blow out a breath, “Honestly, I don’t fucking know.”
I think back to last night and seeing Elle with Asher’s arm around her and how it fucking flipped a switch in me. I don't know what the fuck happened, but my hatred suddenly felt a lot like jealously and lust and it confused the fuck out of me. I went from thinking about how much I fucking hate her to how much I wish it was my arm around her.
She looked fucking beautiful as always and then she was with him and chilling with his friends, friends that used to be our friends and then dancing with that Taylor chick like the music was fucking composed to the movement of her hips. I was as hard as steel watching her and all I could think about was how much I wanted to grab onto her and never let g
o.
“She’s like a stranger to me now,” I admit to myself out loud.
Jace and Linc take a seat across from me on the other side of the sofa but I can't even look at them. I am too lost in my thoughts of last night.
Her presence is like a drug and I’m addicted. So, when she fled from the party I followed. The rage in her eyes when I grabbed her lit an inferno inside of me that I never want to burn out.
“I don’t know what happened, one minute she was looking at me all calm and collected and the next she was shaking, and her stare was just vacant.”
Last night just cemented the fact of how much has changed in the last few years we have spent apart. We aren’t Ells and River anymore; we are just two strangers who share half a past. In all honesty, I hate the way things are between us, but I don’t know how to change them or if I even should.
“It all just happened so fast,” I continue. “We were going head to head like we have been all week and then she freaked out and before I knew what was happening Asher knocked me out of the way.”
Asher giant fucking prick Asher, he is just always there now. Him and Elle, always fucking together. That used to be us, me and her, inseparable and always on the same side. Now we might as well not even be in the same place, we are so far gone from each other I don't know if we can find our way back.
“She was having a panic attack, Marcus,” Linc states like it was so fucking obvious. “So, something must have triggered it,” he looks at me expectantly.
I huff, “Look, I had her gripped by the arm and she was talking shit to me and then I moved one of my hands to her throat and then she just flipped, but in my defense she did have a fucking knife to my throat.”
He and Jace trade a look and it pisses me off that they are clearly on the same page as each other here.
“Look man,” Jace starts, “think about what you were told and then think about what you know about Elle. Then think about all the shit we have seen this week and the stuff we overheard. We already agreed we don’t have the full story.”
