Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
He pulls up to a six-story building with an all-glass front. A set of sliding glass doors reads entrance. It’s too large to be a house, but there’s no sign out front to say what it is or to give me a clue as to why we’re here.
He pulls my SUV to a stop, and a man opens my door. “Good afternoon, miss.” He smiles at me kindly, then looks over the top of the car and nods. “Haidyn.”
“Lance.” He acknowledges him, then walks around the back to me. He grabs my hand and pulls me up the six steps. I’m nervous as fuck. My knees are shaking. What could we possibly be doing here?
He didn’t say one word to me on the drive and never turned the radio on. We just sat in silence, and I know he did it on purpose. He wanted me inside of my own head. My mind raced with the what-ifs while I tried to calm my breathing.
Entering the building, I see a set of chairs to my right. He lets go of my hand, placing his hand on my lower back, and guides me to one. “Stay,” he commands like I’m a fucking dog.
All I’m missing is a collar and a muzzle. Then he disappears down a hallway.
The sliding glass door opens, and a woman enters. She plops down next to me, smiling as she speaks. “You here for David?”
I look over her fishnet stockings, six-inch heels, and red halter top. She reminds me of the woman in the video that the Lords sent me of Haidyn when he was picking up the prostitute. “No.”
She throws her hair over her shoulder. “How did you hear about this place?”
I frown, even more confused. It’s not like it’s hidden in the middle of nowhere. It’s beautiful and easily seen from the main road. “My boyfriend brought me,” I answer. Because explaining a Spade brother is blackmailing me won’t go over well with Haidyn when he finds out. Plus, I doubt she knows what a Lord is. I’d rather not have that conversation with her either.
Her smile widens. “That’s nice of him.”
I have to hold in a snort at that.
“What are you having done?” she asks.
“Excuse me?”
Her brown eyes drop to my chest. “Is he getting your tits done?”
Mine harden. “No.”
Then her eyes roam my face. “Your nose?”
What the fuck? “No,” I bark.
Jesus, where the hell did he bring me? Thoughts of someone knocking me out and giving me a new face has me terrified. I’ve seen those shows of people on the run before. A plastic surgeon great at his job, can make you look like a different person. And I know how easy it is for the Lords to give you a new identity. He could be planning to get rid of Annabelle and Charlotte altogether.
“Don’t be offended.” She rolls her eyes, sitting back in her chair. “Everyone could use a little help.”
I go to tell her to fuck off, but the sound of boots coming down the hallway has all my attention before Haidyn appears.
The girl next to me gasps. “Haidyn. Oh my God. What are you doing here?” she asks excitedly.
He moves to step in front of me, his eyes slowly going to her. I watch her run her hands down her thighs and lick her lips. All of a sudden, she’s in heat, and I want to vomit. Do I look that desperate when he’s around? Fuck, I hope not.
“Amber.” He nods once before looking at me. He grabs my hand, pulls me from the chair, and leads me down the hallway he appeared from.
“Wait?” she calls out, and I try to stop, but Haidyn continues to pull me away from the seating area. “Haidyn Reeves is your boyfriend?” she demands.
I look at her over my shoulder, and her once friendly look has changed to what I can only describe as pure fucking hatred. Her narrowed eyes go from mine to the back of Haidyn, and she crosses her arms over her chest. Scoffing, she shakes her head and storms out of the sliding glass doors, stomping her heels.
“I’m not into labels, but if you want me to brand my name on your ass, I’ll be glad to oblige.” Haidyn chuckles.
I roll my eyes, letting him pull me into a room. My breath catches when I see what’s in it. There’s a white table in the center with what look to be medical restraints strategically placed in various spots from one end to the other. A gush of cold air rushes over my face, and I shiver, stepping back. It reminds me of the gynecologist. It smells of disinfectant and the bright lights hurt my eyes. A set of cabinets run the full length of the right wall. There’s a sink and a box of gloves along with a biohazard trash can.
Haidyn walks over to the table, and my pulse races. “I’m not getting on that,” I say, my voice shaking as much as my knees.
He turns to face me.
I spin around, grab the door handle, and go to pull the door open, but his hand slaps against it above my head, slamming it shut. I’m yanked back by my hair, and I cry out when he shoves my back into the wall next to the door. He steps into me, one hand gripping my chin while the other holds an open pocketknife to my cheek.
I’m gasping for breath, trying to pull my face away, but he’s got me pinned in place. “Haidyn,” I whisper.
His blue eyes search mine as he speaks. “You either undress yourself or I cut every piece of clothing off you so when we leave this place, you leave with nothing on.”
My hands grip his T-shirt, my breathing erratic. Tears sting my eyes. “Please…”
“This is not a negotiation, doll face. I tell you what to do. You either do it or I do it for you. If you pick option two, then you’ll be punished afterward. Do you understand?”
The cool tip of the knife slowly glides against my cheek, and I swallow nervously. “Y-yes.”
Letting go of my chin, I keep my back to the wall, and he lowers the tip of the knife to the collar of my hoodie. His cold and unforgiving eyes focus on mine. “What’s it going to be, Charlotte? Are you going to be a good girl and get undressed, or will I have to cut your clothes off?”
My trembling hands grip the hem of the hoodie, and I pull it up and over my head, sniffling.
“That’s my good girl.” He closes the knife, putting it away and picks up the gown, holding it out to me. “Undress. All of it. I want you naked. It opens in the front. I’ll give you three minutes.” With that, he exits the room and closes the door as the first tear runs down my cheek.
TWENTY-TWO
HAIDYN
Istand outside the room, giving her a few minutes of privacy to let her mind wander. She knows I’m going to see her naked. The gown is just a false sense of security.
Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket, I give it a quick look before I go back in there. I’ve had it on silent since I arrived at her place.
I have a text from Kash.
Call me. It’s urgent.
Grinding my teeth, I hover over his number but am reluctant to press call. He answers on the first ring. “Make it quick,” I say in greeting. This is the first time I’ve spoken to him since I left Carnage.
“We found out a few things about Benny,” he informs me.
Glad I took the call. “And?”
“He was a Lord.”
“Was?” I ask, wanting him to get to the point. I’m not in the mood to play guessing games. I have the toy I’m going to play with behind the door I’m leaning on.
“Yeah. He never made it through all the initiations. Failed sophomore year.”
Running a hand through my hair, I growl, “Then how did he know so much if he wasn’t a fucking Lord?” We had looked for a Lords crest and hadn’t seen one, but there was no reasonable explanation for that. And Ashtyn was seeing him while she lived in Vegas. No way would she have willingly dated or fucked a Lord when she was on the run from them.
“We know he was working with Laura and Ashtyn’s mother four years ago, but we think he’s connected to someone else…”
“Who?” I bark out, hating that he’s not willing to give me information. He’s the one who said to call him.