Revival of a King (Black Hallows Book 1)

by G N Wright

  “What is it?” I ask my voice coming out a little shaky and I see him look at Asher like he is contemplating what to say in front of him and I wave my hand, “Speak freely.”

  He nods briefly and takes a deep breath, and he hands me the folder, “Elliot Donovan has put a bounty on your head.” I feel Ash tenses behind me, and he snatches the folder before I can even open it.

  I feel the fear grip me instantly, doesn’t matter how much training I’ve had, the thought of him knowing I am near still instills fear into me. We knew this would happen, expected it even. I knew someone like Greg Donovan would never let me go and neither would Elliot. Clearly, they know I’m back in town, but I wonder how they found out.

  I look back to Linc who for the first time since I have met him looks worried, “What’s in the folder?”

  “Emails between your parents and him.” Ah, so my sick fucking DNA providers told him I’m back, how nice of them.

  Ash throws the file at me and stands and starts pacing muttering to himself, “Fucking sick piece of shit, fucking slit his throat while he sleeps tonight.”

  I stand, placing my arm on his to stop him, “Ash chill, it’s fine.” I mean it is definitely not fine but the last thing I need right now is for him to lose it on it on me and fuck up our plans.

  “Fine!” he shouts “Fine! It’s not fucking fine, that sick bastard is after you,” he continues to pace not concentrating on us whatsoever. “Was once not enough?” he shouts, and I tense and look to Linc who I can see analyzing every little thing.

  “I won’t let him get to you again, Elle. Last time I wasn’t strong enough but I’ll fucking die before I let him near you this time.”

  “Ash,” I snap quickly bringing him back to us and I see him realize what he has said, and he shakes his head.

  I go to speak to try to rectify what is going on in his head when things go from bad to worse. The doors to the gym fly open and both Ash and I recoil in panic as Cassie comes running into the room.

  “Mommy, Daddy, look what I made!”

  Chapter 23

  LINCOLN

  My brain practically short circuits as a little toddler comes racing into the room like a little ball of energy. She obviously lives here as it isn’t even lunch time yet and she’s wearing peach pajamas with matching slippers which slap against the floor as she runs towards Elle. I look back and forth quickly between the two of them and my brain feels like it might explode.

  Searching for Elle for the past few years means I have practically dug up her whole life including pictures of when she was young. This girl looks like one of those pictures come to life. Like I am staring at three-year-old Elle running towards her future self. Only logic tells me that isn’t the case.

  I look back to Elle and see her whole persona change in an instant. The shock and panic on her face is masked instantly as she bends down just in time to catch the little girl throwing herself at her. She locks eyes with me over her shoulder before pulling back to speak to her.

  “Show me, baby,” her voice is calm and caring in a soft tone I have never heard her use before. The little girl holds up a crown shaped cookie decorated with pink icing and sprinkles and a bite already taken from the corner.

  “For you Mommy, King’s wear crowns,” the little girl says excitedly before she looks at Asher.

  “I’ll make you some too, Daddy!” She says matter of factly, and I almost choke on the air I’m breathing when she refers to Asher as Daddy. What the fuck?

  I try to quickly sort through the things I know. Elle told me she’s a virgin who has never been kissed yet she stands before me now with a daughter in her arms. I told her just last night I thought something bad had happened and that I thought Asher and she were more like family. But what if they aren’t just like family but are a family, a real one?

  I look to Donovan who is staring at me with the most intense glare I have ever seen. The glare that says if I make the wrong move here then I’ll be leaving here in a body bag. I look between the three of them and the little girl finally looks up at me. Even if I hadn’t heard her call Elle, Mommy, it wouldn’t matter she is like a carbon copy of her. Little blonde curls reach her shoulders, and she has the exact same eyes as Elle.

  “Stranger, Mommy?” the little girl half shouts as she scrambles to hide behind Elle’s legs, clutching her cookie tightly to her chest as one of her arms circles Elle.

  “No, baby, this is Lincoln. He is a friend of Mommy’s, it’s okay.”

  The little girl smiles slightly, taking me in, she is so like Elle as she looks me up and down before deciding for herself. She steps forward and holds her tiny hand out to me.

  “Hi, I'm Cassie, nice to meet you,” the words don’t come out properly pronounced, showing her young age but her voice is sweet.

  I step forward and so does Donovan and I slow my movements as I bend down so I meet her tiny height.

  “Nice to meet you too, I’m Lincoln but you can call me Linc.”

  “Linc,” she repeats slowly testing it out and then smiles “Hi, Linc.”

  “Hi,” I smile back automatically. “That’s a pretty awesome cookie you made.”

  She gleams from ear to ear before holding it up proudly, “It’s cause my mommy is the King.”

  “So that must mean you are a princess, huh?”

  She nods eagerly, “Uh huh!”

  Elle cuts in now picking the little girl up and she curls her tiny arms around Elle’s neck, it's obvious they adore each other. Asher steps up next to them and puts his hand to the girl’s back and rubs it up and down. The tension in the room is practically visible when Elle takes a deep breath.

  “You know, Linc has a secret too, baby,” the little girl looks between us eagerly and I’m confused as to what she means.

  “What is it, Mommy?”

  “Can you keep a secret?” she lowers her voice looking around like she is making sure no one is around to play with her.

  “Yessss,” the girl hisses back, joining Elle in the game.

  “Linc here is Superman,” I smile when I realize what she’s referring to and that quickly turns to a little laugh when I see Cassie's shocked face and Asher's confusion. “Yeah he protects people, looks for bad people and helps make them go away.”

  “Does he protect us, Mommy?”

  Elle looks at me now and I can see the truth bigger than ever before, this is what she has been so worried about, why she has been pushing Marcus away. Whatever feelings she has don’t matter, she isn’t a normal teenage girl, she's a Mom. No matter what happens she is always going to put this little girl first. I finally understand her. I don’t let her answer as I cut in to answer Cassie.

  “Always, little princess,” she smiles even bigger and Elle smiles too, and she hugs her closer like she can protect her if she just stays in her arms.

  The doors bursting open ease the tension and we turn to see an older woman walking in already speaking, “There you are sassy pants. Sorry, sweetheart, I thought she had gone to the bathroom and I---” she cuts off as she realizes someone else is standing by her and looks at Elle in a panic.

  “It’s okay, Helen,” she gestures to me, “This is Lincoln, he is a friend of mine and he works for Zack.” Elle looks to me, “This is Helen, Zack's mom,” she explains.

  Her demeanor changes completely when she realizes I’m friendly, “Oh, well hello, sweetheart,” she walks over to me and shakes my hand. “It’s lovely to meet you,” she looks at Elle, “about time you had some friends, little rose,” she laughs.

  Elle huffs, “I have friends,” the little girl reaches out and Helen grabs her and she curls up to her in a very familiar way and it only adds to my confusion about the dynamic here and I see both Elle and Asher watching me as Helen continues.

  “Pssshh family doesn’t count as friends so take away me, Asher, Arthur and Zack and who do you have?” She says the word family with so much conviction that I know she really means it.

  “Whatever,” Elle respo
nds, “I have friends,” she mutters to herself before looking back at me.

  Helen senses the tension creeping back in, “Well, shall we leave Mommy to train some more and go finish our cookies?” and the little girl nods eagerly. Helen turns to walk away, and Cassie looks over her shoulder at me.

  “Bye, superman” she yells sweetly, and I smile “Bye, princess” I say back.

  I wait until she is out of the door and it’s closed behind her before I turn back to them.

  Asher speaks first, “If what you have seen here today ever leaves this room, I will make you fucking disappear without a trace,” he says calmly and I’m not stupid, I’ve heard the rumors about him. Him and Elle might have some sort of friendship, but he is still a Donovan and that psychotic blood still runs through his veins.

  I look to Elle and can see that she agrees with him even if she looks less pleased about it.

  “She’s yours?” I question stupidly because it is without a doubt true and she nods but I notice Asher doesn’t move an inch at my question.

  My brain starts working overtime as things start making more sense. The little girl can’t be older than three which means Elle was pregnant at fourteen, right when she left town. I look to Donovan again who is still staring me down and things start slotting into place.

  I think about everything I know for a fact. Elle left town, Michael was killed a few months later, Elle came back emancipated and living with Zack Royton, she has a daughter that calls Asher “Daddy.” Yet if that's the case why is she back here gunning for Elliot? Asher just said he won’t let him get to Elle again.

  “Who’s her father?” I ask tentatively and Elle flinches slightly which gives me my answer before anyone can speak it.

  “I am,” Asher answers, clenching his jaw tightly like one wrong word or move will send him into an outburst.

  I breathe out slowly as I think about how to ask the next question, “And who is her biological father?” I say slowly.

  Asher steps forward, “You are entering dangerous fucking territory, Blackwell.” He looks every bit the Donovan he is as he stands before me now. His fitted grey workout clothes allow me to see how much tension he is holding in his shoulders. He would end me right here and now if he felt it was necessary and all for these two girls.

  Most people would look at him and see your typical billionaire's son but the only thing I see is pure anger and hatred. It rolls off him in waves and it seems the only person able to calm the storm is Elle. Yet, I can also see the love he has for these two, he would kill and die for them. I’m sure he already has.

  Elle reaches out and grips his arm as she speaks to him but with her eyes locked on mine, “Ash, it’s fine,” he turns to her immediately.

  “Baby girl,” he says in shock and I can see the anger rolling off him. “He’s a fucking Rebel or have you forgotten that? This doesn’t concern him.”

  “This has concerned him since the night he put my knife into Nate Maxwell’s heart to protect me,” she replies without breaking our eye contact.

  “What?” he roars at her. “He’s the fucking back up you had, are you fucking kidding me?” He starts pacing up and down beside her again like he did when I first came in here with the intel that sits forgotten on the floor.

  Elle ignores him as she addresses me, “You told me you are all in, that still true?”

  “Of course.”

  “Even if that means keeping things from your brothers?” We both know she is referring mainly to Marcus.

  “I have been doing that since the day you came back,” I reply honestly.

  The next words out of her mouth is the conclusion I had already come too but was praying I was wrong. All the things I have seen, heard, or read all start to add up. She’s a virgin, with a daughter. Asher Donovan is protecting them both with everything he has. She came back to this town for a reason and the only reason I could come up with, she has been pushing away. She wouldn’t let Marcus get close to her or allow herself to get close to him.

  The training, the hunting, the panic attacks, it all makes sense and points to only one answer.

  “Greg Donovan is her father.”

  Five words that change everything. As soon as she speaks them into the air, I know that I would protect her and that little girl with my life, even if it means keeping Marcus in the dark the whole time.

  Chapter 24

  ELLE

  Ilet the words I have never spoken aloud linger in the air like the poison they are. Speaking those five words sickens me because they aren’t true, not really. If you look at DNA then yes, Greg Donovan is Cassie’s father. Just like Jonathan King is mine but what the fuck does DNA matter? The only father I consider now is Arthur Royton, a man who has given me more in the last three years than my own father did in fourteen.

  Just the same as Ash is Cassie’s father, he has given her everything he can and protected her with everything he’s got. The sacrifices he has made for her, she will never know but I am eternally in his debt.

  Greg Donovan isn’t a father; he is a rapist. A rapist that took everything from me but left me with the best thing I could have ever asked for. Raped and beaten, I was stolen back and taken into the night before I could be sold off to only god knows where. I spent weeks in bed with Helen and Arthur looking after me, when the vomiting first started, they both passed it off as stress, PTSD. None of us ever imagined it was morning sickness.

  Helen is the one who noticed first, I guess when you have spent as much time as she did trying to conceive a child, she knew what to look out for. When the lines turned pink, I felt sick, disgusted, I was already broken and now I had a rapist's child growing inside me. I wanted it gone and to never think of it ever again.

  They took me to a private clinic and when they checked me over, they gave me an ultrasound. The second the sound of her heartbeat flowed through the room I felt different, better. I was no longer the damaged broken little girl who had been raped, I was pregnant and going to be a Mom.

  Four months after I left Black Hallows, Ash knocked on the door to tell me that Michael Riviera was dead, murdered in cold blood for protecting me. That is the moment I would have broken completely, fallen apart with no hope. Except I did have hope, I had something more important than myself to live for.

  I told Asher I was pregnant, and he didn’t even hesitate, he took me in his arms and told me he would always be there for me, for us, no matter what. That the baby growing inside me didn’t deserve to know that they were fathered by a Donovan. That is the moment I asked him to be her Dad because at that moment I knew he would lay down his life for her like he had already done for me.

  Lincoln's face tightens as I speak the words and Asher pulls me into his arms from behind so my back hits hits chest, like he can take away the pain of the truth.

  “Explain,” he says through gritted teeth and I can see the anger and pain in his eyes.

  Ash cuts in, “Elle, you don’t have to do this,” he says, tightening his hold around me.

  “Yeah, Ash, I do,” I sigh as I steel myself against what I am about to say, I gesture to the benches next to the mats and we all take a seat.

  “Elliot Donovan runs a sex ring,” I blurt out. “I mean I’m sure after the past few weeks you have sort of figured that out,” he nods a strained nod as I continue. “Well, they took me,” I shrug like its no big deal, “at first I didn’t know what had happened, I woke up disoriented and groggy, tied to a bed and Ash was there with me.”

  Ash speaks up, “I followed my dad there,” he says quietly. “I heard him on the phone when I was outside his office and heard him say Elle’s name. I had never been out there before but I just had a bad feeling so I followed him, what I saw--” he chokes on his words slightly as he tightens his hand on mine until his knuckles are white. “What I saw I will never forget.”

  Linc looks to me as I carry on, “I was drugged, raped and beaten,” I lift up my baggy workout top to show the scars on my stomach and he curses.


  “They thought Ash being there meant he was ready to be part of the family business,” I laugh a humorless laugh, “but he was my salvation.”

  “I didn’t save you, I failed you,” Ash says to himself in sorrow, but I can’t answer him right now if I want to get the rest of the story out.

  “Ash was gonna go get my parents, but he saw my dad with Elliot at the building where they were keeping me. There were a few men from town there with them, with one notable exception.”

  “Michael Riviera,” Linc finishes for me and I nod.

  “Ash snuck me out and Michael was waiting for us. He ran through the woods with me until we were right on the other side of town, carrying me the whole way. Zack was waiting for me there. The rest as they say is history, I left town with Zack and didn’t look back.”

  Linc looks both upset and angry but I feel nothing, talking about that night is just like reading off a shopping list for me. I blocked out all those emotions years ago and forced myself to keep them shut away. If I ever tried to open that box, I fear not even my daughter would be able to save me.

  “Why’d you come back?” Linc finally speaks as he looks to me and I feel Ash squeeze my hand. “Why not stay away from here and never look back?”

  I take a long deep breath and then blow it back out as I try to think how to explain my vengeance to him, but Asher is the one who answers him.

  “She came back for Marcus,” my head whips to him in shock and I meet his gaze as he stares at me. “Come on, Hells. I thought we were all being honest here,” he looks to Linc and then back to me. “If you are going to trust him, which can I say, I think is a fucking mistake by the way then you have to be honest with him and yourself.”

  “I--” I start but don’t know how to finish. “I want revenge, on Greg, his crew, Elliot, my parents, all of them. That’s what I want and what I came back for, for me and for Marcus.” I take another deep breath as I think about how to admit the next part to them, to myself, “I also wanted to see how Marcus was. I mean I knew he was okay; I kept an eye on him after what happened to Michael, but I needed to see for myself.”