Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
Ashtyn.
She’s positioned on her stomach in the middle of the family room I know all too well. A man straddles her back, but his face isn’t included in the picture. I can tell by her shoulders that her arms are tied behind her back. There’s a knife at her neck. He’s already cut her because blood trails down her perfectly tan skin and onto the marble floor.
Her baby-blue eyes are bloodshot from crying. Tears run down her pretty face, snot leaks from her nose, and duct tape covers her plump lips.
My chest vibrates, my blood boils like a forgotten pot of water on the stove. It’s overflowing and sizzling onto the burner.
I scan the text.
You want her?
She’s already mine. Ashtyn belongs to me. She’s my girl.
Fuck yes, I want her!
My fingers fly over the letters, replying as quickly as I can. I had received the picture of her minutes before I even opened it up. If she’s already dead…
You’ve got ten minutes.
My phone alerts me of his response, stopping that thought.
“We’ll make it.” Kashton slaps my shoulder as he sits behind me in the SUV.
I can’t stop looking at her. I haven’t spoken to her since I dropped her off at her house five days ago. We’ve been locked at Carnage taking care of shit for our fathers while they’re out of town. I just happened to turn my phone on right before I got the text. I haven’t even had the chance to check the cameras in her room today.
“Why the fuck does Tyson have her?” Haidyn demands, taking the curves fast in the middle of the night.
“The Lords,” Kashton answers when I don’t. I can’t seem to form a single fucking word. The world is black, my vision impaired other than the picture of her on my phone. My mind clouded and my body so energized, I could jump start a car.
I’m vibrating with rage. An animal waiting to be set off its leash to attack. Destroy.
The car comes to a screeching halt outside of the mansion. I’m out of the passenger door before Haidyn can even put the car in park. Running up the stairs, I shove both doors open to the house so hard they hit the interior wall with a bang.
I rush into the family room where I know she is. Tyson sits on the couch, his arms fanned across the back looking as comfortable as can be. He’s lucky I don’t blow his fucking head off. I would ask him why the fuck he’s even here at Ashtyn’s parents’ house, but I already know. Kashton was right. The Lords are the only logical answer my head can come up with right now.
Another Lord by the name of Miles Hopper jumps up from the couch. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he demands. When we don’t answer, he spins around to look at Tyson. “What did you do, Tyson?”
Tyson also ignores him.
I catch sight of Ashtyn lying face down on the floor, hands zip-tied behind her back and duct tape over her mouth. I’ve had her in this position plenty of times. But she’s always been naked.
To see her in such a vulnerable position that another man put her in makes me fucking feral. Explosive. The blood rushes in my ears when she lifts her head off the floor, and her watery eyes meet mine. Her body fights the restraints as she rolls side to side and begins to mumble unintelligible words behind the tape.
Hang on, sweetheart.
I remove the pocketknife from my back pocket and flip it open as I storm over to her. Leaning down, I cut the zip tie around her wrists and grab her arm, yanking her to her feet more forcefully than I mean to. I rip the tape off her lips and remove the cloth inside her mouth, and she sobs, immediately throwing her body into mine and wrapping her arms around my neck, standing up on her tiptoes.
I wrap my arms around her protectively, feeling her tremble against me.
“You can’t take her,” Miles growls, then turns to face Tyson once more. “We have a job to do.”
I knew it was for the Lords. They’re only sophomores this year. They are both here because this is their initiation. The question is why?
“And we did it.” Tyson nods to her mother who lies dead on the floor next to where I found Ashtyn. The blood that has pooled around her tells me that she was stabbed or shot.
“She’s supposed to be dead,” Miles snaps. “Everyone in this house must be taken care of. If her brother isn’t here in thirty minutes, I’m going to fucking gut the bitch.”
Adam? Why am I not surprised this has to do with him?
I pry Ashtyn’s arms from around my neck as she protests and push her to the side as Miles turns back to face me. I bury my knife into his neck and then yank it out. Ashtyn covers her ears as Miles makes gurgling noises before dropping to his knees.
Fucking bastard. Over my dead body will I let him touch what’s mine, let alone kill her. He got off easy. Only because I want to get her out of here as soon as possible.
Kashton pulls her into his arms to comfort her as I wipe the bloody knife on my jeans.
Tyson stands from the couch. “You understand what this means?” he asks me, his eyes going to a sobbing Ashtyn. Haidyn takes her from Kashton. Gripping her thighs, he picks her up, and she wraps her legs around his waist, burying her face into his neck. Her sobs fill the room. Tyson’s eyes come back to mine, waiting for a response.
I nod, closing the knife and shoving my now bloody hands into my pockets. “I owe you.” Looking over at her, I’ve never seen her this terrified, and the thought of losing her is maddening. What if Tyson hadn’t sent me that picture? What if Miles had killed her before I arrived? I tell myself not to think about that right now. He did send me a picture, and I did make it in time.
I saved her.
Walking over to Haidyn, I rub her back, and she pulls her face from him to look at me. She removes her arms from around his neck and reaches for me like a child needing to be comforted. I take her from him and hold her shaking body to mine as we turn and walk out of her mother’s house, knowing she will never come back here.
Tyson saved her from the Lords. The very men I vowed my life to. Life as she knows it will never be the same. She will depend on me for everything. Not like I was ever going to let her go anyway.
* * *
I crawl into the back seat of the SUV while Kashton closes the door behind me and then gets in the passenger seat, and Haidyn starts the Cadillac.
She’s straddling my waist, arms wrapped around me, and continues to sob. “You’re okay, sweetheart.” I rub her back. Poor thing is trembling. I can only imagine what she went through. Did she watch them kill her mother? I mean, if you ask me, she was a piece of shit. Whether she deserved to die or not, I hate that it might have happened in front of Ashtyn. “I’ve got you now,” I tell her. “You’re safe.”
“Where to?” Haidyn asks, his eyes meeting mine in the rear-view mirror.
“Carnage,” I answer for more reasons than one. If the Lords want her dead, I have to hide her. To the world, she no longer exists, and thankfully, I have the right place to keep her. Plus, her father will be there. He’ll tell me exactly where Adam is, and we’ll figure this out.
“No-ooo.” She pulls away from my neck and shakes her head quickly.
“Ash, sweetheart…” I reach up and push the hair from her tear-streaked face. “We have to.”
“Please?” She gasps. “Not there.” She blinks, and fresh tears run down her gorgeous face.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.” I pull her into me once again and nod to Haidyn, who is still staring at me in the mirror.
Thirty minutes later, we arrive at Carnage. I carry her inside. She hasn’t said a word, but she’s quit crying. I’m pretty sure she’s gone into shock.
I place her on her feet, and she sways. I remove her shirt, bra, shorts, and underwear. I run a hot bath for her and look at her neck. It’s not deep, and it’s quit bleeding. “I’ll call Devin to look at it,” I inform her. I don’t think it’ll need stitches, but I’m not a fucking doctor.
Taking her hand, I help her into the tub, and she sinks into it. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stares straight ahead.
“Saint?” Kashton pokes his head in and nods to me.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell her, stepping out into the adjoining bedroom where he and Haidyn wait. “What?” I ask tightly. I’m not in the mood for any more surprises tonight. I want to get her cleaned up and in my bed, where I can hold her for the rest of the night.
“Altus isn’t here,” Haidyn announces.
“Meaning?” I snap.