Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
He arches a brow. “Secret?”
“Why them? They’re Lords, right?” I can’t figure out how they ended up there. Of course, Lords are like anything else in the world. Some are richer than others. Some are smarter, more ruthless. How did they get control of a fucking city? Carnage covers hundreds of thousands of acres in the middle of nowhere tucked back in the mountains. All surrounded by barbed wire fence taller than any man could get over. Only has one entrance and exit that I’ve seen so far.
My father’s jaw sharpens as he turns his head to look away for a second. I know more than he wants me to. Is it supposed to be a secret that they are one of us?
“How did they end up there?” I continue to dig at his silence.
“End up there?” He gives a rough laugh, eyes now back on mine. “Son, they are Carnage. They run that place like it’s hell itself. They may be Lords, but they don’t think like us. They don’t handle things like us. They can’t function out in the world like you and me. They’re trained differently. Their initiations were different. Everything about them is different.”
“You make them sound like machines.” I snort. “Everyone has a weakness.” Elli is mine. The fact that I’m digging around proves it, but I can’t let anyone know. The Lords will use it against me. They will take what you love and ruin it just because they can.
He tilts his head to the side, confused by my question.
“You saying they’ve never been in love?” Impossible.
He cracks a smile. “There’s always a woman. I can’t say love was involved, though.”
“One woman?” I verify, sitting up straighter. He had said they share everything.
He nods. “There are several stories that involve Carnage. One is she was killed. The other is she escaped.”
I frown. “So she was a prisoner there, or a patient?”
He shakes his head, getting irritated with all my questions. “Why do you care?” His eyes narrow on me.
I sit back, crossing my arms over my chest and shutting my mouth. I sound too desperate. “Just curious. Heard some rumors and wanted to know if they were true. I find it odd that they’re kept a secret.”
He goes to open his mouth, but his cell rings and he digs it out of his pocket. “It’s Malcom,” he announces, and I roll my eyes. My future father-in-law. “Give me a second.” Placing the phone to his ear, he smiles. “Hello, Malcom…” Opening up the door to the right, he steps out of his office, knowing I’m not fucking leaving, and he wants privacy.
I pull up my phone and click on the app to see Elli. She lies in bed sleeping. She’s been doing it a lot lately. She’s not eating enough. Between how much she’s been drinking and what I’ve done to her body, she’s exhausted.
Locking my cell, I pocket it and catch sight of the box that my father had shown me the other day. Full of pictures of Elli. I get up, walking over to it. Pulling the lid off, I pick one up.
She’s young. Underage for sure. She’s blindfolded, tied to a dingy mattress in a basement. It’s dark but the flash lights her up. She’s clothed in a yellow sundress. The thought of her in this kind of situation so young makes my pulse race. That I should have seen signs. That I should have paid more attention to her.
Scanning the photo, I see a mirror on the wall above her head. I squint, trying to focus on what I see. It’s a man, standing there staring down at her. It’s James. You can’t miss him. He’s dressed in a button-up and slacks. His arms crossed over his chest, eyes on her.
Who the fuck is taking the picture?
I hear the knob on the door open and I shove the picture into my pocket and put the lid back on. I’m falling into the seat when he steps back in, cell now in his hand. “We’re having drinks tomorrow night with Malcom.”
“We are not,” I state.
He sighs. “Son…”
“I’ve got somewhere to be.” I stand, needing to get the fuck out of here.
“Easton?” he calls out, and I stop and turn to face him. “Whatever you want with Carnage, let it go. There’s a reason you didn’t know they existed. They are unbeatable. One of them is lethal, but all three of them … you don’t know suffering until they decide to drag you into their world. Nothing survives there.”
I flinch at his words, praying that he’s wrong. I look away from him, not wanting to reveal what Ryat told me. He didn’t have to come to me like he did. I’m thankful for that, but I won’t betray his trust or loyalty. So I say, “The girl-“
“She’s gone, Easton. If she escaped, her time on the run will run out. If she’s dead, she got lucky.”
She has to be alive. My future is in her hands. But if I go by what my father just told me about the Spade brothers, they could already have her chained to a blood-covered cot in a padded room. For all I know, they killed her years ago and then came up with the rumors to cover their tracks.
“I’ll drop it.” It’s not the first lie I’ve told my dad and it won’t be the last either.
He clears his throat, letting me know this conversation isn’t over just yet. Picking something up off his desk, he walks over to me. Holding out a white envelope, he says, “This arrived for you today.”
“What is it?” I ask, taking it from him. My blood runs cold when I read over the black writing.
Please join us for an engagement party…
It’s Chance and Elli’s party invite. I wad it up and let it fall to the floor where it belongs. Then, without another word, I turn and leave his office.
ELLINGTON
I STAND IN my room back at my parents’ house in front of the floor-length mirror tucked into the corner. My makeup and hair are done. I’ve just got to get dressed.
But I can’t seem to force myself to do it. This is it. My mother is throwing me and Chance a party. We’ll officially be announcing our engagement tonight in front of all of her and Linc’s friends. Just another sea of Lords and Ladies that they want to drown me in.
I hate that Sin is on my mind. Kira was able to get all the tallies removed from my skin. I’m pretty sure she took a layer off with it, but all reminders of that night have been erased as if it never happened. And I haven’t seen him since. It’s like when the masked man broke our only way of contact and left me crying.
I feel inadequate. Like he’s too busy with Amelia. She’s fulfilling all of his needs, so I’m long forgotten. Left to rot in the bottom of the tub like that useless cell phone.
I hear the click of the doorknob and I turn around to see my door open. I stiffen when Linc enters. “Get out of my room,” I say, trying to straighten my shoulders, but my voice cracks, giving away that after all these years just being around him affects me.
The smile on his face tells me he noticed it. Shutting the door, my heart begins to beat wildly in my chest when he locks it. “This will only take a few minutes.”
I rush over to the adjoining bathroom door, thinking I can get in there and lock him out, but he beats me. I whimper and take a step back when he steps into the doorframe, arms out wide, blocking it.
Reaching out, he grips my chin, forcing my head back. I take in a deep breath, glaring at him down my nose.
“Get on your knees and thank me,” he orders, getting straight to why he’s in my room.
My legs begin to shake. My breathing becoming labored. “Fuck you,” I spit in his face.
Letting go of my chin, he slaps me across the face so hard it knocks me to my hands and knees. Opening my watery eyes, I see it’s where I first willingly lay down for the masked man. I dig my nails into the carpet, refusing to cry at the sting lingering on my cheek. I’m so tired of looking so weak.
“You know, Elli…” he starts as his shoes walk away from me and over to my bed. “James took his time with you at first due to how young you were. Legal age of consent in the state of Pennsylvania is sixteen.” He makes it sound okay. That James was somehow a gentleman for waiting until the state says I was old enough to give consent to be fucked. “I’m honestly impressed he was able to wait that long. I would have fucked you the moment I took over this house.”
“I never asked him-“
His laughter fills the room, interrupting me and sending a chill up my spine. “You’re right. You never asked. You begged him long before then.”
My throat closes up because I can’t argue that.
He opens my top nightstand drawer before shutting it. He turns back to face me, and I try to get up on my shaking legs and run to my door, but he grabs my hair. I cry out as he yanks me back and bends me over the side of the bed, pinning my legs to it with him standing behind me.
I scream as he brings my arms behind my back and zip-ties my wrists. My stomach sinks and I can’t hold back the tears that fill my eyes.
“They can’t hear you down there, Elli. Everyone is in the west wing getting ready for your party.”
Yanking me off the bed, he shoves me to my knees. My head falls forward and sobs rack my body, so hard I can’t catch my breath.
“You will open that mouth and you will thank me for everything I’ve done for you.”