Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
I left Adam behind in Vegas. He said he had something to take care of, and I left it at that. It was a fucking waste of time. I have nothing but a picture of a man that we don’t know, and I’ve barely slept in the past twenty-four hours when I could have been passed out and high on pain meds.
Kashton and Ashtyn are still blowing up my cell, and I continue to ignore them both. Still nothing from Saint. I’m not even sure what to do now. I had a plan, but of course nothing is going as I wanted it to. Like my fucking life.
Sighing, I lean back and close my eyes again, trying to get a nap in before I land back in Pennsylvania. Who knows what shit show I’ll return to.
ANNABELLE
“O.M.W.” by Mellina Tey blasts from my earbuds as I round the corner toward my house. It’s a muggy morning, and the road is still wet from last night’s storm. I’m drenched in sweat. My goal for this morning was two and a half miles, but I went well over three.
Slowing down, I suck in breath after breath coming up to my house. I see the bright red Ferrari backed into my driveway. Wesley stayed the night last night. Again. The guy is becoming more clingy than I like.
I remove the earbuds and hustle up the steps, opening both double glass doors. I try to catch my breath as the smell of bacon hits me.
Making my way down the hallway and through the archway to the kitchen, I see Wesley standing at my stove cooking. “Smells great, babe.” I give him a smile as if I’m thankful.
He turns to me with a smile, holding a spatula in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. “I thought you’d be hungry after your run.”
I tell myself it’s not his fault we’re in this situation. He’s so thoughtful and a really nice guy. I feel bad for using him the way I do. But the Lords ordered it, so I couldn’t not do it.
I lean up on my tiptoes and give him a soft kiss on his lips. “I have to get ready.” Then I walk toward the primary bedroom.
He follows. “Babe…you have to eat.”
“I’ll grab something on my way out,” I state, entering my en suite bathroom. I remove my cell holder around my right arm and stop my playlist. Then I peel the nasty sports bra off my sweaty chest and back before shoving my leggings down my thighs along with my thong.
I turn to start the shower and see him standing in the doorway. With both arms above his head, he’s gripping the top of the doorframe. His eyes drop to my legs and slowly make their way up to my chest. We haven’t had sex. I hate to say I tried one night when I was wasted, but he turned me down.
I wouldn’t say he’s religious, but he believes in values that people in my world don’t even know exist. He’s been engaged before, and she cheated on him. She was still going to walk down the aisle. He called it off three weeks before the big day, and he said he couldn’t go through that again. I haven’t cheated on him, but I’m no better than her. I’m only in this relationship for myself. I told myself the Lords wouldn’t know if I slept with one guy. Who knows when I’ll become a Lady. It could be years from now.
We made a pact on our third date that we both wanted to wait until we got married. A month into our fake relationship, I threw myself at him, and he told me no. He reasoned that if we couldn’t honor something so small, how could we ever honor each other in a marriage? He sees me as the endgame while I’m just playing him.
A part of me says fuck the Lords. How will they know if I’m no longer a virgin? But another part of me knows they see everything, and he isn’t part of that world. I refuse to get him hurt because I stepped over the line drawn for me by the Lords. They love making the innocent pay, and the guy I’m pretending to be with is definitely innocent. So I haven’t tried since.
“I was thinking about trying out that new restaurant tonight?” He looks away, breaking the silence. “That sushi place that you sent me the link to?”
“Sounds good.”
He nods to himself before walking toward me. He kisses my cheek and then turns to leave. “Have a good day today, babe. Call me when you get a chance.”
I don’t have time to savor the shower, so I hurry to wash my hair and body, already trying to mentally prepare myself for what’s to come. That’s why I went for a run. I needed to clear my mind.
Once finished, I turn off the water just as I hear a crashing sound. “What the fuck?” I grab the towel on the counter and rush into the kitchen to find the eggs and bacon on the floor. My cat is eating them up. I sigh. “Muffin.”
She looks up at me and meows. “Well, one of us should enjoy it.”
Making my way back to the bathroom, I proceed to get ready. Drying my hair, I twist it into a tight bun at the nape of my neck. Then I put on very little makeup, just powder and mascara. Entering the closet, I pick my most unflattering tan bra. No push-up, no designs. And then a black button-up shirt. I tuck it into a white pencil skirt that hits my knees and comes high up on my waist, then top it off with a white blazer and a pair of three-inch heels. Not my first choice, but I’m not trying to look too fuckable, just professional.
Then I make a quick coffee, head to the garage, and get into my SUV. I set out to take the twenty-minute drive to the middle of nowhere. Carnage is a prison of sorts, if you can call it that. Prisoners are treated like kings compared to how the Spade brothers treat the men and women they lock up.
Pulling up to the gates, I roll down my window and punch in the access code. They open, allowing me to enter. I take the winding two-lane road until the trees clear, and the building comes into view. It’s an old castle. From just the time I’ve spent here, I’d say the place is haunted. But if I were locked inside and tortured until they decided to let me die, I’d haunt the fuck out of the place too.
Getting out of my SUV, I take the steps on shaky legs. I’m thankful I decided to wear my subtle three-inch heels and not my hooker ones.
When I push open the doors, Jessie greets me like the last time, dressed in his usual all-black tux. He frowns when he sees me. “Good morning, Miss Hewett. Did no one call you?”
“Call me for what?” I inquire. Dear Lord, not this again. I’m still having nightmares of my last session with Haidyn.
I don’t talk to any of the Spade brothers other than Haidyn, and that’s only because I’m forced to be in his presence. If I saw him out, I’d drool over him, of course, but I sure as fuck wouldn’t have the balls to confront him. Well, maybe if I had enough tequila. But I’d have to be so drunk that I’d probably puke on his combat boots.
“Haidyn isn’t here.”
My eyes shoot to the staircase as Saint Beckham Carter walks down them. He never speaks directly to me, and I prefer it that way.
“Where is he?” I demand. He cares about no one’s time but his own-typical self-absorbed Lord. But I’m a new me. Well, newer than I was when I was here last time. I’m staying no matter what he tries to throw at me today.
“Don’t know.” He shrugs, coming to stand next to Jessie.
“Saint,” a woman calls out, and I look up at the staircase once more to see a brunette coming down after him. She holds a cell in one hand. “He’s not answering,” she growls. “You said Haidyn??”
“Can the two of you give us a second?” Saint interrupts her.
She stops and frowns at him before her eyes meet mine, noticing they’re not alone. It’s the girl from the photo with Haidyn and the other Spade brothers. She’s supposed to be dead. Or so that’s what I’ve found from the research I’ve done on the Spade brothers. Obviously, that’s not the case. My eyes drop to her left hand to see she’s wearing a wedding ring, and I glance at Saint’s left hand. He also wears one. Interesting.
“Saint…”
“I’ll be right up,” he says sternly, and she straightens her shoulders before turning and rushing back up the stairs.
Without a word, Jessie turns and walks out of the grand foyer, disappearing down a side hallway.
“May I speak to you privately?” Saint asks, and the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
“Sure,” I answer because you don’t tell a Spade brother no. I’m honestly surprised he even asked. The Spade brothers I’ve done research on force you to do what they want. Usually, it involves gags and chains. Just like Haidyn showcased the last time I saw him.
He turns and begins to walk away, and I silently follow him. He enters a room to the left of the foyer and shuts the door behind me. I turn to face him and run my hands down my skirt. It’s a nervous habit that I’m aware of but can’t seem to stop. “What’s going on, Saint?”
“Haidyn has been gone for a week.”
“When is he coming back?” I can’t not report to them. Although Haidyn doesn’t give me shit at our meetings, at least it’s something.
“We don’t know.”
“Well, what do you know?” I bark, getting pissy. My ass is on the line. I wouldn’t volunteer to be here if I didn’t have to.
“That’s all I can tell you,” he answers vaguely.
I hold my arms out to my sides. “Then why are we hiding out in here?”
“Things have been…complicated.” He avoids my question once again.
“This is ridiculous.” I pull my cell out of my purse and call Haidyn’s number. It’s the first time I’ve ever needed to call it. Placing it to my ear, I listen as it rings once and goes to voicemail. I hang up and look at Saint. He has a told you so look on his face. I call it again. It goes to voicemail after the second ring. “Dammit.”
“I’ll let you know when he returns.” He reaches for the door and opens it for me. “Oh, and Charlotte…”
“Yeah?” I turn and look at him.
“You’ll let me know if he contacts you first.” It’s not a question, but it confuses me even more. Why would Haidyn reach out to me before his brothers? What the fuck has happened that they aren’t speaking to one another?