Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
“How could he do that to her? He’s supposed to protect her.”
“Lords don’t marry for love.” Some do, but it’s rare, and she already knows that. She’s just trying to justify what she saw.
She doesn’t ask any more questions. Instead, she sinks further into the passenger seat. I pull up to her house, and she’s out before I can even open the driver’s side door.
“Ash?” I call out as she runs toward her house.
I rush up behind her and grab her arm, turning her to face me. She whimpers in my arms, and I hate how terrified she is of me. “You’re okay,” I say and force her eyes to mine. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay?”
She nods, crossing her arms over her chest, not believing a damn thing I just said. I look at her house and then back at her. “You can’t tell anyone what you saw.”
Her watery eyes meet mine, but she says nothing. “No one, Ash.”
“I under-“
“I don’t think you do,” I say, tightening my hands on her upper arms. She tries to pull away, but I maintain my firm grasp. “No one. Not a soul.”
“I understand,” she snaps, pulling away from me, and I let her go.
With a heavy sigh, I watch her turn away from me. She runs up her steps into her house and slams the front door shut.
TWENTY-ONE
ASHTYN
I sit straight up in bed, the covers falling to pool in my lap. Straining my ears, I hear a sound in my house, and I jump out of bed, grabbing my cell from beside me. I had fallen asleep after I finished a bottle of wine and cried into my pillow.
A look at the clock tells me that Saint dropped me off five hours ago, and it’s still dark outside.
Getting out of bed, I pull up his name and hover over the call button when I hear water running in my kitchen. Maybe he’s come back, and that just pisses me off. How dare he think I’m just going to forget what I saw? Or that he doesn’t have to answer my questions?
I make my way in there, expecting it to be him, but I come to a stop when I see someone else standing at my sink filling a glass of water. “What are you doing here?” I ask, taking a step back.
The man turns to face me, his eyes dropping to my bare feet and running up my oversized T-shirt. He sets the glass down and leans back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ashtyn-“
“How did you get in?” I demand.
He reaches into his pocket and removes a key. “Dad gave me a key when he got you the house.” Then he drops it onto the counter.
I roll my eyes. “Leave.” I don’t want anything to do with any Lord right now-especially my brother. I didn’t see him there, but there were several in cloaks and masks. He could have easily been one of them. I turn and walk out of the kitchen, but he grabs my arm, yanking me back. I spin around and slam my fist into his face. I’m not in the mood to play games at the moment. Or be touched by anyone.
“Fuck, Ash.” He covers his nose with his hand.
“Don’t touch me!” I scream.
He holds his arms out wide, taking a step back. “I’m here to check on you,” he states.
“Bullshit,” I spit out.
Sighing, he removes his cell from his back pocket, unlocks it, and sets it down on the counter. Saint’s voice fills my kitchen. “Hey, man. Where the fuck are you? Your dad is pissed that you’re not at Carnage. Speaking of which…” He sighs heavily, sounding stressed. “I took Ash with me, and she saw…some shit. I just dropped her off at her house. She was pretty upset. I wasn’t able to stay with her because I have to head back. If you get a chance, can you stop by and check on her, please? I’m really worried.” He pauses. “I have to go. Kash is calling me.” Click.
“What did you see?” my brother asks, pocketing his cell.
I drop my eyes to the marble floor. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Ash-“
“You want me to believe that you came by to check on me in the middle of the night because Saint asked you to?” I’m not buying it. They’re testing me. Saint told me not to tell a soul what I saw. Although I’m pissed at him right now, I’m keeping my mouth closed. I won’t give the Lords a reason to kill me. That would be them taking the easy way out.
“Look, I know I’ve been a shitty brother. But…” He looks away from me. “There is some shit going on that I’m trying to make sure you stay out of.”
I step forward. “What do you mean? Does this have to do with what Dad was talking to you about the night of the party in the woods? The girl who went missing?”
His silence tells me enough.
“So you are in trouble with the Lords? Is that why you’re avoiding Carnage?” I can only imagine how mad our father is right now if Adam is supposed to be there like the others, and he’s not.
“I’m trying to find who is setting me up,” he growls. “And I can’t do that if I’m having to babysit you.” His eyes narrow on mine.
Babysit me? “You haven’t been a brother for years, Adam. I don’t need you to start now.” I roll my eyes and turn to walk away.
“Don’t blame Saint.”
I whip around. “He’s a Lord. He’s part of the problem.” Fuck him and what he thinks about my opinion of Saint.
He rounds the island, and I take a step back as he advances on me, but my ass hits the counter, stopping my escape. “Listen, Ash. Whatever you think you know, I promise it’s not the truth, and whatever you saw is a very small fraction of what the Lords are capable of. This…” He holds his hands out wide, gesturing to my house. “Is what the Lords want the world to see. Money and power are what they want us to think they will give us. But the dirty truth is Carnage.”
“What about it?” I ask nervously. I’m getting a sickening feeling after what I saw earlier this evening there. My father never talks about what goes on at Carnage, and my mother never asks. Either she knows or she doesn’t care.
“Carnage is a prison. It’s where the Lords send their own that do them wrong. We, the Spade brothers, are the ones that run the Lords’ hell.”
“Saint-“
He steps into me, cutting me off, and I tilt my head back to look him in the eyes. My stomach tightens at the look in his. “Saint is the only one who can protect you. He’s the only one who cares about you.”
I flinch at his harsh words.
“So whatever you saw, or whatever he did, just know any other Lord could do the same to you. Saint will be the only one to ensure it doesn’t happen.” Placing his hands on my upper arms, I stiffen. “I’m going to go away for a little while.”
“What? Where are you going?” I rush out.
“It’s better that you don’t know.”
“Adam…”
“Go home,” he snaps. Letting go of me, he steps back.
“I am home.”
“No. To Mom and Dad’s. Do not stay here alone. I had a key, but the next person who comes over might not. I’ve called Saint, Haidyn, and Kashton. All of their phones are off.” I swallow nervously as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’m not going back to Carnage, so I don’t know what’s going on…”
“Do you think he’s okay?” I can’t help but worry, and my pulse races at the thought that they might be doing the same thing to him that he did to that woman.
“Saint can hold his own, but you need to get the fuck out of here. Go stay with Mom. Saint will call you when he’s able to.” He goes to exit the house.
“What about you?” I ask, hating how worried I am for him. We’ve never been close, but that doesn’t mean I want him killed. The Lords preach brotherhood, but they’re as shady as they come. They’re raised to fight for the smallest amount of money and power. You can’t just undo that once you’re initiated. If they feel threatened, they attack. And no law or rule states that they can’t get “rid” of their own. If they think you deserve it, then they allow it.