Chapter 45

45

LINCOLN

W hen I wake up, I am nestled into Asher's right side, our hands locked against his stomach, with the last lingering scent of Logan all around us. After we showered, he heated up some pasta dish Elle had in the freezer, and we ate in silence, before our roles were reversed, and I was forcing him to take some painkillers before we both climbed into bed. It somehow felt empty without Logan, even though the two of us have shared a bed alone before, but it wasn't long before we both drifted off.

My eyes scan the room, and I can see the clock on my nightstand reads almost 5am, which means we have slept for over fifteen hours, missing the rest of yesterday completely. I thought my sleep would be fitful and clouded in nightmares, but to my surprise, I didn't rouse even once until now, so I must have been more exhausted than I thought. I guess grief will do that to you. I can't bring myself to move at first, my eyes solely on Asher's necklace from Logan, the one that matches my own, except his is rising and falling gently with the movement of his chest.

He made it out, he survived, I didn't lose him.

When I try to slip away to the bathroom, Asher startles, grabbing my hand tightly in his, and looking around the room sharply and on instant alert.

"What is it? Everything okay?" He gasps in pain, moving to sit up, but I stop him with a gentle touch.

"Everything is fine, Ash," I reassure him, seeing his trauma clearly for what it is, and wishing I could take it away. "I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

I move quickly, using the toilet, washing my hands, and brushing my teeth, before heading back into my room to find Asher now sitting up. He hands me a bottle of water, which I take in silent thanks, before he slips into the bathroom himself.

When he returns, my eyes can't help but track his every move, logging every injury on his body and memorizing it for later. I pull on a pair of sweats and a shirt, before helping Ash do the same, and when he drops on to the bed with a grunt of pain, my anger intensifies.

"It's time," I tell him, and when his eyes meet mine, I know he sees every word I'm not saying, because I don't have to say it. This is who I am, a monster, a murderer.

"We better get some coffee," he sighs, gritting his teeth as he climbs back to his feet, and I bat his hand away, slowly helping him down the stairs to the kitchen to make us some coffee.

What I don't expect to find is most of my family already there and waiting for me.

Elle is sitting between Marcus and Jace, all of them nursing their own cups of coffee already, while Arthur, Zack, and Max are on the opposite side, all with their laptops open as if they are working already, but when we enter they all freeze. As soon as we walk in, Elle jumps up, moving around the island and throwing her arms around me, squeezing me tight.

Shocked by her outburst of emotion, all I can do is stand there and accept her hug, as she curses into my chest, "Don't ever f ucking do that to me again, Lincoln Blackwell."

I pat her back, leaning down and whispering into her hair. "I won't, I'm sorry." But when I pull away, her eyes are still encased in shadows, it's only then I notice the tension in the room. "What is it? What happened?"

Her eyes flick to Ash, before she sighs and moves back around the island, sliding a large envelope I hadn't noticed before across to me. "It was delivered to the funeral home late last night," she replies, and as I flip it over, I note it has Logan's name scrawled across it, in what I can only presume is blood.

Motherfucker.

"From what we can tell she delivered it herself, but she managed to evade cameras as she left, we don't know where she went," Zack grunts, clearly pissed at not being able to find them, but only one word sticks out in my mind.

"She?" I ask, and they all share a confused look.

"Didn't Ash tell you?" Zack asks, looking at his brother, but when I follow his stare, Asher just shakes his head.

"Yesterday wasn't the day for this shit," he snaps, stomping to the coffee machine, but before he can pour himself a cup, Marcus is up and doing it for him, much to Asher's annoyance of course. He takes a deep slug of his coffee before he sighs, "It was Sierra Banks." The four words have me blinking back in confusion, as he mentions the name of one of our clients. "Well, it was who we know as Sierra Banks, we don't know her real name. She stole Sierra's identity two years ago, and has been passing as her ever since, we can only assume it was all for the end game of getting closer to you," he adds, but still I'm confused.

"I don't understand, I only met her at the office, I didn't recognize her from anywhere, so what the fuck does she want with me?" I ask, looking between all of them, but they just shrug, as I look back to the envelope in my hand.

Ripping it open, I find a note and a bur ner phone, with only one number programmed into it. Ignoring the paper, I dial the number and put it on speakerphone, before anyone can say another word.

It only rings a few times before I hear her voice. "I was starting to think you had forgotten about me, baby," she purrs, sounding nothing like the polite and friendly woman I met during her meeting with Asher, and it's only now I remember her interest in me.

"How could I forget about you when I didn't even think about you to begin with," I clap back, the anger building inside of me, but I know people like her, I am people like her, and I know what it's like to play with your food.

"What's the matter, baby, aren't you enjoying my games?" She asks with a giggle, and I watch as both Arthur and Zack wordlessly curse at her nonchalant killing of Logan, but I know what I have to do.

"I can't play your games properly if I don't know the rules," I tell her, and she sighs at me instantly.

"That's the problem with you, Lincoln, you have too many rules. It's why you couldn't save that boyfriend of yours, the same way you couldn't save your mother." Her words aren't malicious, or said with intent to hurt, in fact, she says them as casual as if she were talking about the weather, and my hands itch to be around her fucking neck.

"What's the next game?" I ask, pulling her attention back on track, and I swear I hear the smile in her tone.

"Oh, that's easy, baby, I'm bored of all my toys and practicing my craft. Now I want the real thing." Me, she wants me. I don't say anything, my mind working overtime trying to figure out why she is doing this, why me. When I still don't respond, she pushes on. "Come on, Lincoln, play with me, I know you want to," she teases, and it makes me sick.

Logan is dead and she thinks this is a g ame.

"The only thing I want from you, is to feel the life slipping from your body with my hands around your neck," I snap, not able to contain my temper any longer, but all she does is moan out in pleasure.

"Oh, baby, don't threaten me with a good time," she gasps, her breaths now coming in pants as she adds, "Come on, Lincoln, why don't you come and face me like a man."

I inhale a deep breath, trying to control my temper, as my family all watches with baited breath, no doubt tracking every word she says. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me where that is?" I ask, and she laughs maniacally.

"You know, you have a certain reputation here in Black Hallows and its neighboring town. In fact, when I whispered your name to people, I saw fear in their eyes. They see you as a ruthless monster, but all I see is a pathetic little boy," she grunts, and I hear some shuffling in the background that I try to zero in on. "You know, your father would have already found me by now, and had me strapped to that little table of his," she taunts, not realizing her mistake, or maybe she does, but it doesn't matter, because now I know exactly who she is, and more importantly, I know where to find her.

My father's murders were covered up, because he had friends in the right places, and with his son and heir not saying a word to anyone, there was no one to dispute what they said about him. Only four people knew the truth about what happened the night I killed him, and two of them are already dead.

"When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish he'd killed you first," I warn, my family still not fully understanding who she is or how deep this truly goes, because I am only just realizing it myself.

"What makes you think that isn't exactly what I want?" She groans, and then the call goes dead, and all I can do is stare at the bl ank screen.

My eyes flick down to the note and it reads only four words.

I love you, Lincoln

The last words my mother ever said to me.

Sierra Banks is the girl from my father's table. Her real name is Vivian West, and she is the only person to ever survive him, besides me of course, and today one of us will die just like he did.

Before anyone can even open their mouth and ask any questions, a message comes through on the phone, and when I click on it, it shows her location. I turn to move, but Zack grabs my arm and halts me in place.

"Nearly all of the men who work for Max are in the basement waiting for instruction, the Hallowed Crows are lining the perimeter, and Elle over there has that fucking psychotic Italian and his bazooka on speed dial, you are not getting out of here alone," he tells me firmly, and I let my eyes trail across all of them around the island, noting the determination in their eyes.

"This isn't your war," I tell him, when I bring my stare back to him, and he laughs.

"And it wasn't yours, when my sister came back to town to bring it to its knees, yet still you fell in line like a loyal soldier. You walked into the Donovan mansion and brought home her little girl," he snaps, and I see the rage curling beneath his skin, ready to be unleashed. "My brother is dead, Lincoln, and I know you feel the pain I feel, the wrath, so don't tell me this isn't my fucking war."

I don't let his words in, I can't, because right now I can't be the Lincoln that his brother fell in love with. The one who took stupid pictures in matching pajamas, and clung to him like a lifeline. Being that Lincoln got him killed, now I am the monster my fat her made, yet still I nod as if in understanding, placing the phone on the island for them to see, and taking a step back.

"I'll be ready in thirty minutes," I tell them, before walking out without another word.

Heading straight up to my room, I rush inside and lock the door, moving to my desk and quickly pulling up the letters for each of my family members that I keep there. There are six in total, though now one is useless, but I print the ones meant for Jace, Marcus, Elle, and Cassie, and slip them into envelopes, writing their names on the front, and leaving them on my desk in case they need to find them easily.

Then I get changed, taking one of the outfits I usually reserve for hunting, and putting it on, before sliding my feet into a pair of black boots, and glancing around my room one last time. This place is the only home I have ever truly loved, and it's filled with memories of all of them, and despite everything, I hope Elle King knows how much she changed my life.

When I reach the basement, I find mostly everyone who was in the kitchen, already there and suiting up, but Asher is nowhere to be seen. All the guys are in their usual attire, and Jace silently hands me a vest, one I know I won't need, yet still I take it, tucking a couple of weapons in my jeans, before leaning against the wall and waiting.

Just like I expected, Zack steps in the middle of everyone. "The location is in the middle of nowhere, which means it's open on all sides, so prepare for anything," he tells them all, handing out sheets of paper to everyone, and I reluctantly take one. "Do not go anywhere alone, and kill any threat on sight, we are not taking any more risks and losing anyone else."

He reels off more commands, pairing people together as we all start heading up the stairs to the garage. I use the distraction to slip off to the back of the house, to the track where Marcus keeps his bike, and when the rumble of engines begins, I slip off into t he trees and follow behind them until we reach the gate.

Then I watch, as they all turn left towards the location she gave them, but I turn right, to the place I know she truly is.

Sorry, Rebels, but this war ends with me, and me alone.