28. Chapter 28

Ilook at Jessica in shock and she must read my expression for what it is. "I can't condone what he has done to all of you. No brother of mine is going to get away with that, twin or not," she says with a sad look.

Nix looks toward the uncles again with a narrow eyed look. "You're going to let us have access to the armory, aren't you?" he asks, but really he isn't asking.

As angry as I am with them for setting everything in motion, I wouldn't wish harm to come to them. Making them regret it in other ways is a completely different story though.

They both nod and quickly get to their feet, ready to lead us to it and give us anything we want. I look around at the office space and cringe at the mess I hadn't really paid attention to when I raced in. My only concern was my guys.

"I can call my cleaners if you need, they"re a little preoccupied but they should be able to swing it," I offer as I stand and move to follow them with everyone else.

Matthew shrugs as he briefly glances around. "No, we created this mess, in more ways than one, so we will clean it."

The uncles lead us down to the basement and into the reinforced armory. It wasn"t the first time I had been in here, I had been there a million times before, but this time I felt like we were preparing for war. Even Jessica takes a holster for her gun, as well as another matching one for her other side. Once we are all thoroughly armed, we make our way to our SUV plus one of the uncles' vehicles, Jessica sliding into the car with them. We left our phones behind in the armory, which the uncles explained blocks all signals, so if he was using them to track us, then he wouldn't see us coming. But it meant we were also going in blind.

We follow their car as Jessica directs them to our destination and when we finally pull up outside our destination, I gape up at it as we all exit the vehicles. "Okay, that's fucking creepy," I breathe out and I feel slightly nauseous already.

Jessica frowns at my words. "Why?" she asks, concerned.

It"s Nix that answers for me. "Because Ash lives here too," he says. The building we are standing outside is where my first apartment is, the one I bought when I left the military. Before I bought my other properties.

She sighs and shakes her head in disgust before leading us into the building. There is minimal security in this building, which was one of the reasons I installed the extra security on the door of my apartment.

It shouldn"t come as a surprise when she leads us to the floor directly below mine, and I'm thankful he didn't also have the same door because getting past that would have been difficult.

Rick steps forward, producing a lock picking kit, and he has the door quietly opening within seconds. We all move on light feet as we enter Jason"s apartment, weapons drawn, ready for whatever may come.

The sight that greets us sends a chill down my spine. Computers and screens are scattered everywhere, displaying details from various aspects of my life. I can recognize details from at least two of my apartments, along with some of the rooms from the apartment we were just staying in.

There is still no sign of Jason so we spread out. There are photographs of me plastered across the walls, spanning the past twelve years of my life and even earlier. Images of me in the military, from my travels, and various points since leaving the military. It"s moved beyond creepy and into the realm of deranged stalker territory.

Before I can fully process the horror before me, a hand clamps over my mouth, silencing any protest that may have escaped. Another arm wraps around my body, restraining me as Jason"s voice whispers in my ear, sending a chill down my spine.

"Did you think I wouldn"t know the moment you stepped into this building?" Jason whispers, and I shudder, feeling like my skin is going to crawl off my body to get as far away from him as possible. "The only reason I waited here was for you, because you and I are leaving here together. I"m going to make you finally see that you belong to me." His breath is hot against my skin and the revulsion I feel is almost suffocating as he slowly moves me toward the door, his grip unyielding.

The others finally spot Jason tucked behind me and raise their weapons. "Let her go, Jason, it"s over," Nix says, taking a step in our direction.

Jason scoffs, releasing my mouth, only to draw my own gun and press it against my temple, his grip unyielding. "I don"t think so," he snarls, shuffling me closer toward the door.

"What do you hope to achieve, Jason? I don"t want to be with you," I protest calmly.

"But you will," he insists, tapping the barrel of the gun against my temple. "I know it. I"ve researched Stockholm syndrome. I just have to keep you with me for a while, and I"ll make you love me the way I love you."

It's official, this man is fucking nuts. He's completely left the galaxy of sanity and gone straight into a black hole.

"You aren't getting past me, not alive anyway," Rick snarls as he steps in front of the door to the apartment, blocking Jason's exit.

"Let me go, Jason, this isn't a fight you will win," I say softly.

"No! I already showed you, I couldn't have you, then no one else was going to. And if they've come to kill me now, then I'm fucking taking you with me," Jason snaps, the gun in his hand shifting against me.

His other arm loosens on me and I manage to spin around and my hand swings at his face. He doesn't stop me, scoffing until the moment my hand makes contact with his cheek. He stumbles back in surprise, his hand reaching up to touch the cheek I struck. His hand touches the three deep gouges in his flesh that are now there and starting to drip blood.

He looks at my hand and blinks in confusion as he tries to focus on the rings I am wearing, before looking back into my eyes. The rings that I had secretly stored in the uncle"s armory in case of emergencies in a micro fridge built just for them. But the tiny pins I spun open in the rings have already done their job.

He crumples to the ground, like a puppet with his strings cut. He is no longer the puppet master manipulating my life. I pull off the rings and drop them on his body. As I stare into his now lifeless eyes, all I can think is I'm finally free. The guys are suddenly dragging me into their arms, and I let out a long breath. I have my men and my life back.

I glance at Jessica to see her looking around the room sadly. When she sees me looking, she offers me a smile. Opening my mouth, I prepare to say sorry, but she shuts me down, "Don't you dare apologize, Ash. Whoever this was, he wasn't my brother anymore. You did the right thing and I'm proud of you," she says firmly, her words like a balm to my soul.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back, focusing instead on the overwhelming sense of freedom coursing through my veins. For the first time in years, I feel like I can truly live without fear, without the constant shadow looming over me.

And there were four men that I couldn't wait to live that life with.