Chapter 38

38

LOGAN

I can still remember the sound of our car colliding with another when I was five years old. There was screaming, crying, glass breaking, metal screeching, it was awful. I can remember the doctor's face at the hospital as he told the social worker our parents didn't survive. I can remember the feel of Lily's hand squeezing mine as we walked into what would become our new home. I can remember being woken up in the middle of the night and finding a broken and scared Elle in my living room. I can even remember what it felt like to walk into a house and find Zack bleeding out on the floor.

I thought I had experienced the worst life had to offer.

I was wrong.

They got me as I left the florist, I was picking up flowers for my parents grave, and I'd parked my car down a side street. I was so focused on texting Lily to let her know I was on my way that I never even saw them coming. Five of them jumped me and tossed me into a van, until I was dumped, god knows where, tied up, and left to rot. I don't know how much time passed before Asher was brought in, but sometime later they opened the door and dumped him next to me.

Since then it's been periodic beatings , my entire body aches from their torture, and my skin is caked in blood, but it's nothing in comparison to watching them rein down the same treatment on Ash. I know he can take it better than most, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Pathetic Donovan scum," one of them spits, kicking him in the stomach, as another one stands watching, and two more hold me in place because apparently even tied up we are a threat.

"Fuck you," Ash spits, coughing blood onto the floor. "Untie me and face me like a man you fucking cunt," he adds, taking another kick, and smiling up at them in typical psychotic Donovan fashion.

"You think you can take us, Donovan?" The other one sneers, spitting into Ash's pool of blood on the floor in disgust at the mere thought of it.

"I know I can, you fucking piece of shit," he snaps back, slamming him in the balls with a sharp kick of his leg.

"I'm going to fucking end you," the guy roars in pain, pulling out his gun, but his friends stops him with a firm hold.

"Boss wants them alive, remember," he scolds, as I share a look with Ash.

It's something we had already deduced when they brought us here, no way are these pricks in charge. No, someone else is running the show, we just don't know who.

The other one still cocks his gun. "Rumor has it he survived being shot before," he grunts, leaning down and pressing the gun to Asher's chest. "Is that true, little rich boy?"

Asher's mask doesn't falter for a second, as his smirk widens even more. "Even the devil knew to send me back," he grits, before spitting blood right into his face, and then smashing his head into him.

The guy howls in pain but then he is on him, hand around his throat, choking him until Ash is gasping and spluttering for breath. "You think just because you cleaned up this town with that little slut of yours that you're invincible, huh? Well everyone has a fucking weakness, and we already know yours." He smacks the gun across his face, and I hear the cracking of his nose. "I'll see you in hell, Donovan," he spits, then shoots..

"Asher!" I scream, as he groans in agony, blood instantly soaking his shirt even more, as the door slams open behind us.

No one enters, but my eyes stay trained on it, hoping it's Lincoln, but with the way all the men don't react, I know it's their boss. It seems whoever is behind this is smarter than their little lackeys here.

"Let's go," one of the other men mutters, as his friends throw me to the ground, and the other releases a now silent Asher with a grunt.

I wait until they are both out of the room before I am dragging myself over to him. "Ash, Asher," I snap, nudging his body as best I can, until his tired and swollen eyes blink open and collide with mine.

"I'm okay, Lo," he coughs out, turning to the side so he can spit up more blood, and fuck he doesn't look good.

"Just hold on, okay, Lincoln will be coming for us, we are getting out of this," I promise, even as his blood soaks into my pants and mixes with my own. "Tell me what hurts?" I ask, scanning his swollen cheek, black eyes, and limp arm.

"Everything," he grunts, his face now pale, as I try and track where the wound is, but it's no use, there is just too much blood from that and the earlier beatings.

I push myself up against a nearby pillar, getting closer to him, so I can inspect the damage, and somehow I know what he was feeling in the moment he cut out Billy's heart, because if I could do the same to those men right now for hurting him, I would.

"Lincoln is coming, he will make them pay," I repeat, more to myself than him, knowing that Lincoln has probably ripped apart half of Black Hallows trying to find us. Asher goes quiet, and I nudge him with my foot. "Hey, no, you need to stay awake," I demand

"If I don't get out of this," Asher grunts, choking out some more blood, while I try not to panic.

Guilt wracks my entire body since I know he took that last beating for me. It was my turn, yet he antagonized them when they came in, throwing himself in their line of fire to protect me. Now I'm forced to watch someone else I love suffer.

"I need you to tell Cassie that I love her," he continues with a cough. "I need you to tell her that she saved me, that I love her, and that I'm sorry I had to leave her."

I'm already shaking my head as tears start to blur my eyes. "Don't you fucking dare give up on me, Ash, you've survived this before, and you will again. Lincoln is coming, he will be here, just hold on," I plead, scraping my hands against the pillar, desperately trying to break the restraints around my wrist so I can help him.

"Tell Elle there is a file in the safe in my room, she has the combination, it has all the details about Cassie's inheritance in it, and that she should take it to my lawyer if I don't make it, he knows what to do," he pushes on, his voice hoarse and raspy. "Tell her to look after our girl and give her the life she deserves," he gasps, shifting a little and then wincing in pain.

I'm not sure if the wetness on my face is blood or tears, but it doesn't matter, because soon we will be saved.

"Stop fucking saying shit like to me, I won't be telling them any of that because we are getting out of here. Lincoln will save us, and you will spend the rest of your life making sure Cassie is just as much of a tyrant as Elle, maybe even more. You will be at her prom, her graduation, her wedding, and you will enjoy every fucking moment of it with Lincoln and me by your side, just fucking hold on for me okay. No running, remember?" I cry, and he looks at me and smiles a bloody smile.

"No more running, Lo," he nods, looking sleepy, as the door bangs open again, and I dive sideways, putting myself in front of him, knowing he can't take another beating.

"Well aren't you two just adorable," the unfamiliar voice coos, and I feel Asher stiffen beneath me in recognition.

"What are you doing here?" He forces out through gritted teeth, making the newcomer smile.

"I told you I knew all about monsters, Mr. Donovan, and now it's time to teach one a lesson."

The men from before flood the room, grabbing me roughly and dragging me away from Asher. This time it's the crunch of metal against bone as they beat me, but it doesn't matter. Not me being beaten, or Asher bleeding, none of it matters because Lincoln is coming.

He is coming and he will make them pay.

The last thing I hear before I pass out is Asher Donovan's pained roar.