Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
A soft hand squeezes mine, and I look down at Charlotte standing next to me in her black dress. My free hand holds the umbrella over us. The words she told me last night echo in my mind. “It’s not your fault.”
But it is. I made a deal with the devil to protect my brother, and it ended up costing all of us everything. So much could have been avoided if we had come together years ago. I did what I thought was right, but now that I have Charlotte, I see it was all wrong. I could have saved a lot of people, a lot of heartaches. But here we are. It’s too late to turn back. I have a wife and children on the way.
We can only move forward and try to live with the losses we’ve been dealt.
“He wouldn’t kill himself,” Ashtyn cries as the rain covers her once curled hair. Now it sticks to her shoulders and face. Her umbrella is open and on the ground. She gave up holding it long ago.
“Ash-“
“No.” She cuts off Saint. “I don’t believe it.” She pulls out of his arms and runs to the casket. She pushes it open and screams when she sees what’s left of her brother. We chose a closed casket for a reason. Saint didn’t want her to see him that way-what was left of him. Should have sealed the damn thing shut.
“Jesus.” Kashton grabs the lid and slams it down as Saint picks up his wife. Her legs no longer able to hold herself up when she falls into the mud.
Saint carries her to their car he has parked by the entrance of Carnage. He’s taking her back to the main building.
“Goodbye…brother.” Kash speaks brokenly before leaning over, kissing the wet casket, and walks to his car.
“Kash?” I call after him, but he jumps in the driver’s seat, slams the door, and turns the opposite way as Saint did. He squeals his tires, exiting the gates, and leaves Carnage.
I remain where I am, unable to say goodbye. The last time I stood here was after our six months of “training.” I finally had a chance to breathe and came out here where our fathers were buried. I wanted to tell the bastard goodbye. That I wasn’t sad he was killed. And that I hope he rots in hell. One that is far worse than Carnage. But now I can’t seem to move.
“Haidyn?” Charlotte says in a soft voice.
I look down at her, and she gives me a sad smile squeezing my hand. Giving a quick look around, she sees we’re alone, then turns to face me. “Let’s go home.” Her eyes are bloodshot from crying, and her makeup has run a little.
I look back at the casket and the headstones that surround it. Our fathers are buried in the cemetery here, and now the first one of us. One by one, we’ll all be placed in this ground. Even in our death, we won’t be able to escape this hell that we’ve created.
That’s the point-you’re born a Lord; you die a Lord.
I turn around and pull my wife toward the car. Opening her door, she gets into the passenger seat, and I close it. Walking around the front, I get one last look over the hood at my brother before I slip into the car.
CHARLOTTE
I’m surprised he didn’t take us back to his house in the woods. He chose Carnage. Maybe because it was closer. Or perhaps it’s because he wants to be near Saint and wait for Kashton to return. I’m not sure.
We get out and make our way inside and up to his room. I sit on the end of the bed, and my mind wanders to Ashtyn. I feel sorry for her. I know we’ve had our problems, but that doesn’t mean I want her to suffer the loss of a brother.
My mother isn’t dead, but she might as well be. I can’t say I feel sorry for her being down in the basement. She deserves that. After everything she did to the Spade brothers, and that’s just what I now know. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Everyone in this world is evil. Even my husband.
I look down at my ring, and a smile tugs at my lips. The sound of the shower turning on gets my attention, and I see he’s left the bathroom door cracked. I get up, unzip my dress, and remove my muddy heels.
Making my way into the bathroom, I go to open the shower door, but the sound of his phone buzzing on the counter gets my attention. Walking over to it, I see a text flashing across the screen.
UNKNOWN: Midnight tonight. Airfield.
I bite my bottom lip as the screen goes black, wondering who the hell sent that and what they could possibly want with my husband. It could be anybody.
Deciding to circle back around to it later, I open the shower door and step inside. I wrap my arms around him from behind as he faces the sprayer, and I squeeze him.
He removes my hands and turns around in them. I reach up and place them around his neck instead. I can see the regret in his pretty blue eyes. He blames himself, and I hate it. I wish I could take his pain and loss away, and deep down, I know I can’t. But I’ll try.
Rising up on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his. His hands drop to my ass, his fingers dig into my skin, and he picks me up. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he deepens the kiss. He knows I’m here for him. My Lord can use me however he wants. I’m his toy, his whore. And if he needs to use me to make himself feel better, I’m all for it.
Pulling away, I take a deep breath and speak. “I want to change my name.”
He frowns at my words. I’ve been thinking about it for quite some time, and I want him to know who I am. Who I really want to be. “Legally,” I add. “To Charlotte. For you.”
Slowly, he releases me, and I unwrap my legs from around his waist to stand. His large hands cup both sides of my face. “I love you. Annabelle…Charlotte…the name doesn’t change who you are.”
“I want to be who you fell in love with,” I whisper. I was named after my mother and her best friend-twin sister. I want nothing to do with that life and family. I’m going to start my own with this amazing man, and that starts with who I want to be.
He smiles at me. “You are, doll face. You’re my wife. You’re going to have my babies. None of those things change because of your name.” I open my mouth, but he’s quick to speak. “But if you want to change your name, then change it. Just don’t do it for me.”
In our world, we’re kept as secrets. You can’t talk about who we are or let anyone find out about the society. But Haidyn taught me to use my words. To say what I want and how I feel. I love who I am with him more than I ever loved who I was before he entered my life.
Charlotte Reeves is who I was always meant to be.
EPILOGUE ONE
HAIDYN
Igently turn the doorknob to my room and step out into the hall so I don’t wake Charlotte. Turning to walk down the hall, I pause when I see Saint and Kashton doing the same thing. It makes me wonder where Kash went after Adam’s service and when he returned.
We look at one another and then down at our phones.
“I got a text,” Saint states.
“Me too,” Kash adds, and when they both look at me, I nod.
“Come on. Let’s see what the fuck is going on.” Saint begins to walk toward the elevator. Taking it down to the garage, we decide to take the bikes. It’s been a while since we’ve all gone for a ride, and tonight seems like as good a night as any. Thankfully, it stopped raining at some point.
We choose to wear our helmets. That way, we can speak to one another if need be. We ride out of the gates of Carnage and down the curvy road. My eyes catch sight of the driveway that I saw my wife’s SUV sitting, and it’s crazy to think of the events that led us to where we are now.
Arriving at the airfield where we were instructed to meet, we come to a stop at a black private jet to see a matching SUV parked next to it. “Who the fuck could it be?” Kash inquires as we climb the stairs onto the jet.
“What the fuck?” Saint barks out when we see two familiar faces sitting on one of the leather couches.
They were in the middle of speaking and came to a stop when they heard Saint. Bill picks up his scotch and takes a sip while he holds his cell in the other.
My eyes look at the man sitting next to him and frown. He has a manila folder in his hand and is wearing an all-black suit with a matching tie. Just like the last time we saw him-four years ago.
“How the fuck do you two know one another?” Kash demands.
“Have a seat, gentleman.” Bill gestures to both couches on either side of the aisle facing one another and purposely avoiding the question.
“What do you want?” I ask, looking at the one we haven’t seen in years. Why now?
“Brothers.” He acknowledges us.
I sit down on the one on the right while Kash and Saint pick the one across from me.
A cell ringing breaks through the silence, and I look down to see a phone light up with a picture of the detective and a girl. She’s dressed in a black graduation hat and gown; his arm is over her shoulders pulling her into his side and they’re both smiling. He declines the call, turns off his cell and flips it over.
I look up as he clears his throat nervously and Bill looks from the phone to the detective with narrowed eyes. “Why is…?”
“Later.” The detective cuts him off.
What the fuck is that about?
A woman walks out from the back, fixing her blouse as if she just picked it up off the floor and stumbles to button it up. She comes up next to them.
“Tell my pilot we’re ready.” Bill gestures to the air. “And get these men whatever they want to drink.”
“Of course.” She smiles at him and then drops her eyes to her shoes as she makes her way to the cockpit.
“What the fuck are we doing here, and where are we going?” Saint demands, looking at his watch. Kash doesn’t have anyone back at home in his bed as far as I know, but Saint and I do. And I’d much rather be balls deep in my wife than here with these two men.
“I’ll let you know once we’re up in the air.” He sits back in his seat as the engines start.
We get comfortable knowing they’ve got something to tell us that we obviously need to hear. What else could Bill have to say that he hasn’t already filled us in on?
The flight attendant takes our drink orders, which is just Kash. He wanted vodka. Pretty sure he’s been drinking all night since we buried our brother. Saint and I opted out. The last thing I want is to be drugged. We’re still Lords, so anything is possible. Plus, in a one-on-one fight, I’m not sure how well I’d be able to perform right now. I’m still not a hundred percent myself yet, and all the energy I do have, I use on my wife.
The plane levels out, and Saint begins. “Okay. What the fuck are we…”
The back door opens-the same one the woman came from-and we all jump to our feet.
“No fucking way!” Kashton gasps.
“What the fuck?” Saint demands.
I just stare at the man who has a smile on his face. “Brothers.” He spreads his arms out wide.
Kash is the first to embrace him in a tight hug, slapping his back. “What in the fuck, Adam?” He laughs, shoving him. “How many lives do you have?”
“I’m like a cat,” Adam jokes.
I chuckle and embrace him next. When he pulls away, he turns to face Saint, and he crosses his arms over his chest.
Adam sighs. “Sit, please. We have a lot to fill you in on, and I don’t want to have to keep you all night.”
“We buried you,” Kash states the obvious. “Your body…It was cold.” He points at me. “It wasn’t like Haidyn’s fake death where he sat in a morgue. You fucking shot yourself…you had no face.”
Adam runs a hand over his dark hair. “Yeah.” His green eyes meet mine. “Although it wasn’t my body. We had to pull some strings.”
“We?” I ask, and my eyes shoot to the two men also on the plane with us. They say nothing.
“So, what…you’re a detective or a cop?” Kash wonders, looking at Adam. “CIA?” Then jokes. “Hitman?”
“Not necessarily.” He shakes his head, chuckling.
“Then what the fuck are you?” Saint growls, tired of fake deaths and games.
He slaps the detective on the back. “He’s my boss. For the past four years, I’ve been undercover working in a top-secret division that specializes in human trafficking,” Adam announces, and the plane falls silent. He licks his lips and continues. “After we had our meeting senior year at the house of Lords, I began to investigate the disappearance of the girl I was accused of killing.” His eyes drop to his hands in his lap. “At first, it was to prove my innocence, but then it became more than that, and this has been my life ever since.”
“This whole time?” Kash smiles at him as if a proud dad. “You’ve kept this a secret? Why not just tell us?”
Adam sighs and ignores that. “The Lords want me dead.”
“No shit.” Saint snaps, “But why?”
“They-“