Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
I stop and turn to face him. A laugh bubbles up in my chest, but I force it down. “You’re lying,” Men don’t pay for their wives. That’s the kind of shit you see in movies.
He goes on. “Your phone. He tracks you with it.”
My pulse races at his words. “No …”
“Your incoming calls and texts. He blocks them.” He growls.
My knees start to buckle at the blow to my chest his words have on me, but I manage to stay standing. But I argue, “He couldn’t …”
“Think about it. Your mom has told me that she can’t reach you. I’ve tried calling and texting you.” He steps toward me, and I’m frozen in my spot. “That weekend he went to New York but came home early, he blocked Sarah’s number so she couldn’t call you to come party here without him.”
Tears start to sting my eyes at how much sense his words are making, but I don’t want to believe it. “No. How would he …?”
“That first night here at the party … when you caught me with Ashley? He retrieved your phone, keys, and ID from the check-in before driving you home. He downloaded an app to your cell to give him access to everything. Even the things you google. He can hear every call, read every text. He tracks you.”
Tears fall from my eyes even as I shake my head at him, refusing to believe what I know is the truth. It has to be. It makes too much sense.
He sighs, “I know there’s no hope for us anymore. But I just thought you should know who you’ve married.” His eyes drop to my ring.
“How …” I clear my throat. “How do you know all of this?”
“Because I did it to Ashley,” he replies simply. “All the Lords do it to their chosens. Why do you think we make everyone turn in their cells for the party? It’s to give us access to them when everyone else is too busy partying.”
I swallow the lump that gets lodged in my throat. It has to be true, right? It explains so much. Why my mother couldn’t reach me. Why Sarah’s calls wouldn’t go through when he was supposed to be gone, but magically did when we returned from our weekend at the cabin. How he found me on my father’s private jet. And the fact that he placed his hand over my mouth and nose the day after I googled breath play. “How do you know he gave my father money?” I ask, my shoulders shaking.
He reaches up, scratching the back of his neck. “I know because …” He pauses, his arm dropping to his side, sighing. “Because I offered fifty for you.”
Reaching up, I cover my mouth to hide my sob. I knew he didn’t love me, but this? It was all a game to him. I was nothing more than a high-paid prostitute. My father sold me to the highest bidder.
“Blakely …” He steps toward me, and I take a step back, hitting the bedroom door. He stops. “I’m so …”
“Get out!” I shout. More embarrassed than anything. Ashamed that I thought I was doing something right when it was really the stupidest goddamn thing.
“Blakely …”
“GET OUT!” I scream, stepping out of the way and opening the door for him.
He walks toward it, pausing once he gets to the door. “Ryat was right about one thing. You really do look stunning.” Then he exits the room, and I slam the door shut, locking it.
I fall to my ass and bring my knees to my chest, holding a hand over my mouth to quiet the sobs.
Every single person sold me out. Every goddamn one of them! No one was on my side. They never asked what I wanted.
Pulling my hand from my mouth, I look down at my ring and start yanking on it. It pops off and goes flying across the room. I crawl over in my expensive dress and pick it up. Then I walk over to his bed, placing it in the center of it.
Entering the bathroom, I look at myself in the mirror. My makeup smeared across my face. I expected to look this way later this evening for a different reason. Not even bothering to wipe it off, I grab my clutch that has my phone in it, knowing I’ve got one chance and one chance only to get away. Because if everything that Matt said is true, Ryat will find me within minutes.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
RYAT
“CONGRATULATIONS ON THE nuptials, Ryat.” Gregory comes up to me, shaking my hand.
“Thank you, sir.” I take a sip of my champagne.
“Remember what I said.” He nods at me. “Need anything. Let me know. I owe you.”
I give him a nod and pull my cell phone out of my pocket. I notice that Blake’s been gone for a while now. Pocketing it, I look up and scan the crowd. I see Sarah and Gunner in the far corner at the bar.
Making my way over to them, I take another drink. “Hey, have you guys seen Blake?” I ask.
“No.” Sarah frowns. “I’ve texted her twice and no response.”
Gunner shakes his head. “But by the way … smooth, man.” He gestures to the stage and the little show I put on.
I smirk, but it drops when I spot Matt across the room. He stands with his back to the wall with a drink in his hand. It’s the smile on his face he’s giving me that makes my skin crawl. Alarms go off as he just stands there staring at me.
My cell rings, and I pull it out, dismissing him. I see it’s a blocked number, so I turn and open the sliding glass door, walking outside. I stand on the back terrace, looking over the Olympic size swimming pool lit up with floating white lights and hit answer. “Hello?”
There’s a long stretch of silence that greets me. “Hello?” I ask again, and nothing. “Who is this?” I demand.
“Your wife.”
The cold tone used for those two words send a chill up my spine, freezing me in place. “Blake?”
“How could you?” Her words shake, telling me she’s angry.
“How could I what?” I look up and over the manicured yard. “Where are you?”
She gives a rough laugh. “Want to make sure you get what you paid for?”
My head snaps up, and so does my pulse. “Blake ….”
“How could you?” she seethes. “You know, I never expected you to love me. But I was dumb enough to think you at least respected me.”
“Where are you?” I growl through gritted teeth. Spinning around, I yank open the door and enter the ballroom.
“Long gone, Ryat.”
“Where?” I demand, running through the ballroom and down the hallway.
“You wanna play games, Ryat? I can play. I can play them all day long.”
I come to my bedroom and slam the door open. Looking around, I don’t see her. “You better-“
“What?” she interrupts me. “Come back and bow down to you? Not a chance, Ryat.”
I catch sight of something on the bed. Walking over to it, I see it’s her wedding ring, purse, and cell phone. Motherfucker! She’s running. “I’ll find you,” I grind out. “I already told you that once … and Blake.” I take in a deep breath, my hands shaking. “When I do, I will drag you back by your hair, kicking and screaming.” I’ll do whatever it fucking takes. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
She gives a soft laugh, like she doesn’t believe a damn word I just said. The sound crawls all over me like hot lava, burning my skin, making me even angrier. “You can’t find what you can’t track, Ryat.”
Oh, but I will. “I’ll see you soon, Mrs. Archer.”
“No. You won’t.” Click.
“Goddammit!” I shout, throwing my cell across the room, and it hits the wall, the screen shattering in a million pieces.