Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
Her pretty blue eyes meet mine, and she holds her arms out wide. “Why the fuck am I even here, Saint?” I don’t answer. I don’t have to. The simple answer is because this is where I want her. She’s mine. She snorts at my silence. “Move on…I did.” With that, she goes to walk toward the bathroom.
I drop my coffee cup and grab her hair. Spinning her around, I shove her into the wall by the bathroom door and wrap my hand around her fragile neck. Her nostrils flare, and eyes narrow up at me, but she doesn’t fight me when I place my face in hers. “We took vows…”
“Like that ever mattered,” she snaps. “You married a dead woman, Saint. No one knew I existed.” Her voice rises.
“I did,” I shout in her face. “You’re my wife-“
She gives a rough laugh that makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. She truly doesn’t give a fuck. “A Lord doesn’t marry for love, Saint.”
I release her neck and step back from her, needing a second to collect my thoughts. I thought there was a reason why she shot me and ran. Could it have just been that she wanted me dead and she knew that a divorce wouldn’t happen? “You truly believe that bullshit? That I don’t love you?”
Her bottom lip trembles, and her breathing picks up. “You proved that…” She pushes off the wall. “I asked you to save me, and you refused.”
I frown. “Save you…” I trail off, remembering that day like it was just moments ago. They say that people tend to block out the bad things that happen to them, but I’ll never forget the day she left me. “You asked me to kill you,” I say through gritted teeth. “That’s not proving love.”
“And you couldn’t do it.” She pushes off the wall and shoves me, but I don’t move. “Huh? Which one of us was the coward?” Her small hands hit my chest once again. “You son of a bitch. I never asked you for anything. I just wanted you to do one thing, and you couldn’t fucking do it.”
“I wasn’t going to kill you!” I scream, my heart racing with how fucking worked up she’s gotten me.
She takes in a deep breath, trying to control herself, and her pretty blue eyes fill with unshed tears. “I would have done anything for you, Saint. Anything.” The first tear falls from her bottom lashes to land on her cheek. “I was trying to save you, but you wouldn’t do the same for me. If you would have just let me go…” Her voice breaks, and she swallows.
I reach out to cup her face, and she goes to pull away, but I grab her face in both of my hands to force her to look up at me. “What do you mean, save me?”
Her watery eyes search mine before she whispers, “It doesn’t matter, Saint. It’s over. You won.”
“Ashtyn-“
She pulls herself free from me and turns, walking into the bathroom door. She slams it shut, and I hear it lock. I go to ram my shoulder into it when her bedroom door opens behind me. “Saint?”
“What?” I snap, turning to see it’s Kashton.
“We’ve got a delivery.”
Letting out a breath, I decide to let her cool off while I go and rip some brand off a Lord’s chest. Poor unlucky bastard will have to endure my bad mood.
FIFTY-FOUR
ASHTYN
A knock comes at my door, and I sit up before the door opens. Jessie enters. “Your presence is wanted in the office.”
I’ve been confined to my room for the past week. We flew back to Pennsylvania, and I haven’t seen the guys once. It’s been driving me nuts, and I know Saint is aware of this. He’s punishing me for our fight the following morning. And honestly, I hate it. I will never tell him the truth because it won’t change anything. It’s over and done. He lied to me. Why should I divulge information to him?
Getting out of bed, I make my way to their office. I step inside and see Saint standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me. His cell to his ear. “That’s not what I fucking said!” he snaps, spinning around. His eyes meet mine, and I stiffen at the way they pin me in place. “Get it fucking right, or I’ll carve it into your fucking head.” He ends the call and pockets his cell. “What do you want, Ashtyn?”
I swallow nervously at how cold he said my name. “You…” I clear my throat. “Wanted to see me.”
“No. I didn’t.” He falls into his seat, dismissing me.
I nod to myself and turn to leave.
“I did.”
Stopping, I look over at Kashton, who stands from his desk. Walking over to me, he holds out a cell phone.
“What the fuck is this?” Saint snaps.
“It’s a phone.” He hands it to me. “It’s got four numbers in it. The three of ours…”
“And the fourth?” I ask softly.
“Jasmine’s.”
My eyes widen. “What-?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!” Saint shouts, coming over to us. He goes to take it from me, and I step back. “What the fuck are you doing, Kash?” he barks out.
“You heard her in New York. She contacted the police and filed a report. She needs to know that Ashtyn is okay. And if she does, maybe that will keep her from sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.” The way his voice softens with the last sentence, I feel like he’s trying to protect her. I’m just not sure from who. I would never hurt her. She’s the type of friend that I always wished I had.
Saint runs a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he grinds out and gives me his back, walking back over to his desk.
* * *
I don’t waste a second and already have her number pulled up before I can lie down on my bed.
It rings a few times as I nibble on my nails. Just when I think she’s not going to answer, it stops.
“Hello?” she asks softly.
I flinch, realizing she’s probably just gone to bed from a long night at Kink. I sit up. “Jasmine. I’m so sorry to call you so early. I wasn’t thinking…”
“Who is this?” she asks through a yawn.
“It’s Ashtyn…Brittany,” I correct myself.
“Oh my God, girl,” she gasps, now wide awake. “Are you okay? Where are you at? I’ll come get you,” she rushes out.
I smile and let out a soft laugh. “I’m fine.”
“But…that guy you were with? Do you know him? Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been calling and texting you nonstop.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated how? Like I need to show up with the police? Or I need to set the place on fire to burn the rats?”
I laugh softly. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I promise.”
There’s an odd silence on her end, and I wonder what she’s thinking about me. What did Kashton do to her in the women’s restroom? I’m sure Bones barged in there after we left.
“Does this have to do with Whitney missing as well?” she asks, breaking the silence.
I slowly get to my feet. “What do you mean Whitney is missing?” I haven’t heard that name in so long. She was on the run too from Tyson Crawford. Poor thing, she’s lucky she got away. Whitney ran to Vegas and became a Queen. But I never spoke to her. We kept our distance. I was too afraid if she got caught, I’d be found.
“After seeing you and the stunt that Kash pulled, I called Titan to check on Whitney. I had been trying to get ahold of her since I saw the wreck your place was in, hoping she could help me find you. But she hasn’t been answering my texts or messages either.”
“What did Titan say?” I ask, having a tightening in my chest. “Is she okay?”