Chapter 27

27

JACE

M ost people would find it strange if their best friend called them in the middle of the night, asking them to meet in the middle of nowhere to set something on fire, but those people don't know Lincoln Blackwell. My brother never asks for anything, so when he does, I know it's serious. It's why I was already sitting up in bed when I saw his name flashing across my phone screen, it's why my jeans were already half on before he even asked for my help, and it's why I left the warm bed of my beautiful girlfriend, because I know if he is the one who is asking for help, then it means he really needs it.

Plus, I really fucking love setting shit on fire.

It didn't take me long to quickly rush back to the mansion and grab some supplies before heading off to the location that Lincoln sent me, and I'm not surprised to find him already waiting by the time I pull up. That's just who my brother is. The silent and unwavering member of our family, who saves everyone without question. He kept Marcus and I from going off the rails for years, he killed a man for Elle, multiple men really, he took a knife in the back for Cassie, and he tried to stay in a burning warehouse the day Donovan was shot. He goes out of his way to pu t everyone's lives above his own, and I know it's because he thinks he is expendable. He sees everyone else's lives as more important than his own. It's both his nicest strength and biggest flaw.

When I climb out, he greets me with a gentle nod and a smile. "You came," he says by way of greeting, and I can't help but frown.

"You called, of course I came," I reply with a shake of my head, heading to the trunk of my car and pulling out the supplies I'm going to need.

Then I follow my best friend into the woods.

We walk in silence for a couple of miles, Lincoln somehow knowing exactly where we are going even in the dead of night, and I can't help but smile, he always was a little strange. It's why I decided to be his friend, he was just so quiet and brooding all the time, that I just felt like he needed a little Jace in his life to make it better.

"Are we really not going to talk about where we are going?" I finally ask, searching his blank expression in the dark, and as usual coming up with nothing.

"No," he replies blankly, just like I knew he would, picking up his pace.

"You're impossible," I groan, following him, but suddenly he halts, and I almost slam right into him.

"Do you know why I called you?" He asks, and despite our lengthy friendship, and the fact we both see one another as family, I shake my head no, because I don't know. "I called you because I know out of everyone you won't ask questions, that you won't push me on this when I am asking you not to."

His words hit me right in the gut, because I know he is right. Marcus would be his usual, insufferable self and ask a thousand questions, wanting to pick apart any answer he would give, and Elle would come in all blades blazing ready to end any threat, and then there is Donovan. Donovan would erase the person from existence with the snap of his fingers, which just leaves me, his brother. The one he knows will always have his back without question.

When I don't say anything he just carries on walking, and of course I follow, yet still I find myself saying, "Just because I don't ask the questions, doesn't mean I don't want the answers."

My brother sighs, slowing down until he once again stops and turns toward me. "I can't give them to you."

I think over what I want to say, before I ask, "Can you tell me why you can't give them to me?"

"No," he tells me plainly, and I almost smirk. My silent brother certainly has a way with words.

"Well, okay then," I sigh, pushing past him and carrying on in the direction we were walking, hoping I am going the right way.

"Okay then," he repeats, following after me. "Just like that?" I don't know why he is questioning me about this, isn't this what he wanted? Isn't this why he called me?

"Yes, just like that," I confirm, still struggling to find my way in the dark.

"Why?" He asks, grabbing my arm and pulling me to stop, and I see it then, the uncertainty. I still don't know everything he went through as a child, but I know like me, the trauma still haunts him, even out here in the dark.

"Because you're my brother, Linc, I've always got your back, no matter what."

He searches my stare, no doubt looking for the lie, but he won't find it. "You know I don't deserve that level of loyalty, especially from you," he tells me quietly, and I know instantly what he is referring to.

"Lincoln, I'm alive because of you, you saved me," I tell him firmly, even though I know he will never believe it.

"I didn't save you, I enabled you," he scoffs, looking as disgusted with himself as he did on the days he delivered me those drugs, the ones I still crave so much, and I think I always will.

"No, you didn't. I would have gone out and found those drugs with or without your help. You're the reason I didn't end up in a ditch with a needle sticking out of my arm, or worse." This isn't something we talk about often, or ever really for that matter, and he needs to know that none of it was his fault. "I'm an addict, Lincoln, and it took me a very long time to come to terms with that, but now I have a life I could have never even dreamed of, and it's all because one person never gave up on me. So if that person needs to call me in the middle of the night and wants me to set fire to the whole goddamn earth, then yeah, I'm there, just like that."

He watches me silently for a moment, ingesting every word I just said, before he sighs, "You're one in a billion, do you know that, Jace Conrad?"

"Meh, I'm alright I guess," I shrug with a smirk, and finally he smiles. "Now are we setting fire to something or what?"

Lincoln nods, taking his spot back up front and leading me deeper into the woods. We walk silently for about fifteen more minutes until we finally come to a clearing, but it isn't empty. Set back, nestled deep in a group of trees, is a large run down cabin. It looks like it has been abandoned for years, but with how intentionally Lincoln led us here, I can easily presume that's not the case.

"This is it?" I ask, looking around and seeing nothing but trees for miles.

"This is it," Linc confirms, before turning towards me. "I need it to disappear."

I look between him and the wooden struct ure, assessing it and creating a plan in my mind, before I look back to him. "Consider it done."

Then I make my way over to the cabin, walking around the exterior, then taking a look inside, finding its weak points and then dousing them in accelerant. Only once I'm sure that I've found the most effective starting points for the fire, do I set the flame, then we both stand back and watch it burn.

By the time the sun appears on the horizon, the cabin is nothing but burning ash, and Lincoln doesn't say a word, turning on his heel and starting his walk back the way we came. I have no choice but to follow him, exhaustion clinging to me, and the need for a drink or something stronger rearing its ugly head inside of me.

"Are you heading back to Riley's?" He finally asks, as we reach our cars in the early morning light, and I am already shaking my head.

"No, my girl is smarter than a fucking textbook. She will smell the fire on my clothes and start asking questions, and I don't want to lie to her."

Lincoln looks off into the distance for a moment, before he turns toward me and sighs, "You don't have to lie to her, Jace, I would never ask you to do that."

I'm already nodding. "I know, but I also know whatever we just did was important to you, so I promise it will stay between us."

Again, he looks off toward the sunrise, a look I can't decipher in his eyes, before he smiles back at me. "Thank you, Jace, not just for choosing me to be your friend, but for always having my back, even when I don't deserve it."

I open my mouth to respond, but he is already climbing into his SUV and driving away.

Then I don't see him again for over a week.