Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
“I can say without a doubt that Annabelle is one of them.”
“It’s too late,” I say, shaking my head. I’ve already made her mine. I’ve branded my name on her ass. I’m too far in with her to toss her to the side. And if he’s right…she’s innocent-just another woman caught up in a life that will destroy her.
“Is she in your bed right now?” He goes on as my mind runs wild with the new information.
I don’t answer, and he walks toward me. My silence is answer enough. Coming to a stop at the top of the stairs, he speaks, “Go home…grab your gun and put a bullet in her head while she sleeps.” He takes the first step off the stairs, getting closer. “I love Annabelle like she is my own, but I promise you, that’s the best outcome she’ll get.” With that, he walks down the stairs, passing me.
FORTY-NINE
HAIDYN
Ipull up to my house and push the garage door opener. I start to enter, but I pause when I see her SUV. I knew it was going to be here, but it’s weird seeing it.
Pulling in, I park next to her Cullinan, turn off my car, and get out, closing the garage door before I enter the house. It’s dead silent and pitch black since the sun hasn’t come up yet. Making my way to the primary suite, I open the door and enter, closing it behind me.
The curtains are open so there’s a little light in here from the sconces that hang on the outside of the house. She’s lying in my bed. Her back to the window, her arm stretched out on my side of the bed. Her cat lies on my pillow like always.
Walking over to the nightstand, I remove my gun from the waistband of my jeans and go to put it on the surface but pause, looking back at her. She looks so pretty and peaceful.
Her dark lashes laying on her cheeks, her pouty lips are parted, and she softly snores. I release the gun and get undressed. Picking up the covers, I lie down next to her and pull them back up to cover us both as Muffin meows and jumps off the bed.
I run the back of my knuckles along her cheek, over her jaw, and down her neck. Her pulse is strong and steady.
“Haidyn?” she whispers, her eyes remaining closed.
“Yeah, doll face. It’s me,” I tell her, my thumb running over her bottom lip.
She gives me a faint smile, then she does something I don’t expect. She moves closer, pressing her soft body into mine and draping her left arm over my side and her left leg over my hip.
It makes me tense for just a second before I melt into her warm embrace. Lying down on the bed on my side, I run my right hand up her back, feeling the curve of her spine and over the nape of her neck. I can feel her Lords crest that they branded her with before I allow my fingers to slide into her soft hair and cup the back of her head. I hold her as if she’s a dream I don’t want to wake up from as I remember part of our “training.”
Four years ago
“I have something to show you,” the woman says with a smile.
I grind my teeth. “I’m not in the mood for games,” I inform her, stepping into her. The four guys rush forward, and she raises her hands to stop them.
“No worries, boys. We’re just talking.”
I need to check on Saint. This is the first time she’s let me out of my basement cell in days. “What the fuck do you want?” I still don’t know where the fuck Kashton is.
“I want to show you something.” She steps forward.
Throwing my head back, I take in a deep breath, trying to calm my fucking temper. I’ve had enough of this bitch. “What is it?”
Giving me an evil smile, she turns, and I follow her like the good boy she’s trying to make us into. It’ll never happen. But I can play the game just as well as she can.
We make our way outside, and I look over my shoulder to see her four guys following us. I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans and wish I had my sunglasses. There’s not a single cloud in the sky; it’s the middle of the day, and it’s hotter than usual for this time of year. It was snowing just last week.
As we approach the back fence surrounding Carnage, she steps to the right, and I stop at what I see.
A woman stands with her back pressed into the ten-foot chain-link fence, on her tiptoes, spread-eagled. Each wrist and ankle are secured with barbed wire, and it’s also wrapped around her neck twice. Blood runs down her naked body from her struggles to get free. And there’s a fresh scar-horizontal on her lower stomach. Her once flawless skin is sunburned. “How long has she been out here?” I demand, stepping forward, knowing exactly who it is.
The sound of my voice has her body thrashing, and her muffled voice from being gagged fills the black hood that covers her face.
“Two days,” the bitch answers.
I turn to face her. “Why is she here?” I bark. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this,” I shout, panic gripping my chest.
She tilts her head to the side. “I think she has everything to do with this…with you.” She smiles. “You brothers share everything. Including women.”
Crazy fucking bitch! “Let her go!” I shout, stepping forward, but she doesn’t retreat.
She frowns. “Women are supposed to mean nothing to you. And her.” She points at the sobbing woman. “She belongs to you. So what are you going to do with her?” Walking over to the woman tied to the fence, she rips the hood off her head.
Wide, bloodshot eyes meet mine, and she screams around the duct tape placed over her mouth.
I walk over to her and rip it off her face. “Hai-dyn,” she sobs, her body shaking, yanking on the barbed wire, trying to get free.
“Shh,” I say, placing my hands on her tear-streaked face. Her skin is hot and clammy. Two days? They probably haven’t given her anything to eat, let alone water. “Calm down, baby,” I tell her, and she closes her eyes tightly. “Can you do that for me?” I ask, and she nods the best she can. “That’s my good girl,” I say, and she whimpers at the praise.
“See, Haidyn, you always have a choice,” the bitch adds cryptically.
I release Sierra and turn to face her. “Why is she here?” I demand.
“She’s your chosen, Haidyn. The Lords gave her to you as a reward for all of your devotion and hard work. She belongs to you until you’re done with her. So she will stay here with you at Carnage and go through training with you. Everything I do to you…I’ll do to her. And as long as she survives, I’ll let you still fuck her. Oh, and don’t worry about the possibility of pregnancy. She’s already been given her hysterectomy.”
Sierra cries and now the fresh scar makes sense. Sterilization is a requirement here at Carnage. Doesn’t matter man or woman, whoever is brought in as a prisoner is to be made sure they can never reproduce. How long have they had her hidden here if they’ve already done that to her?
“But…” The bitch continues, getting my attention and pointing at her four men who followed us out here. “If you choose to be done with her, then you give her to them.”
“No,” I snap as Sierra’s cries turn to sobs, knowing exactly what she means. Either I keep her here for me and allow the bitch to torture Sierra or I hand her over to her men to let them rape her. “Absolutely not.”
The woman’s frown deepens.
“Haidyn…please…” Sierra sobs, and I turn back to face her.
My eyes quickly scan the barbed wire around her wrists, neck, and ankles. She’s been cutting herself trying to get free. There’s no way for me to get it off unless I cut it, and I have no way to do so.
“PLEASE…” Sierra screams, her panic rising at what’s to come. “Don’t let them do this to me!” She yanks on the barbed wire, and it cuts deeper.
I’ve shared her before, but this is different. Things have changed since Ashtyn ran, and I’m not about to let these sick bastards rape Sierra because I’m being tested. Or let them punish her for nothing she’s done.
“What the fuck do you want?” I shout at the woman, losing my patience. We both know it. I’m powerless here, and I hate it. I don’t love Sierra, but I also don’t want to see her being tortured or raped by these men. She has nothing to do with Carnage. She’s here because of me. I turned down Ashtyn as mine, and then I helped her escape. Sierra was stuck with me as her Lord because of my father. After I refused two different chosens, my father decided for me. It was no longer an option. We were forced into each other’s lives. She didn’t choose me. Everything leads back to me.
“My men work hard, Haidyn. And I believe that hard work should be rewarded. Like yourself.” She reaches out and one of them hands her a pair of pliers. “Cut her free and let them play.”
My eyes drop to the pliers as my heart races at her words. Sierra won’t stand a chance. Two days with no food or water…she’s exhausted and bleeding. Even if I could take all four of them on, she wouldn’t be able to get far.
This bitch has taken over Carnage, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Saint is still in the hospital with no word on his condition other than they’ve got him sedated for a better chance at recovery. I don’t believe that shit. I haven’t seen Kash in days. I can only save one person at a time.
Taking them in my hand, I turn back to Sierra. She shakes her head, fresh tears falling from her eyes. “Please…no…”
I pocket the pliers and place both hands back on her face, gripping her tear-streaked cheeks. “Shh, calm down. Deep breath, baby.”
She sniffs, snot running from her nose.