Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
“Haidyn, please wake up,” I whisper, wondering if they have cameras in here. If so, how long until they return? Until they realize this is all a setup? “Haidyn, please…I need to know you’re okay.” I sniff, and it hurts since I’m pretty sure my nose is broken. “Please…Haidyn.” I shake his bare chest with my free hand.
He’s cold to the touch, so I reach up and feel for a pulse. It’s weak, and it makes me cry harder. “Please don’t die. Please don’t leave me again,” I beg, yanking the bloody hoodie up and over my head and laying it over him with shaking hands. “I love you.” Tears fall from my eyes and drop on his cheeks. “Did you hear me?” I scream in his face, needing him to open his eyes. “Look at me.” I gasp, trying to catch my breath. “I love you. Please, Haidyn…don’t do this to me…to us.”
HAIDYN
I can hear her voice. It’s as if she’s right here with me, but I know that’s not possible. She’s at Carnage with my brothers where she belongs. Isabella was lying. She wants me to think she won.
“Haidyn, please?” my wife begs, and it feels like the room shakes.
I don’t know what she’s begging for, but whatever it is, I’d give it to her.
“HAIDYN!”
Her voice is louder, and then there’s a bright light in my eyes.
“Please wake up. I need you to wake up.”
“Char…?” I cough, unable to finish saying her name. It’s not real. It’s a trick my mind is playing on me. My own personal hell. Any second I’m going to have to choose…watch her mother’s minions torture and rape her or kill my wife. Even though I know it’s not real, I can’t kill her. I can’t live if she doesn’t. I’m a coward.
“Yes, Haidyn. It’s me. Wake up. Please…”
My heavy eyes crack open, and I expect to see nothing but the black room, but there’s a light by my head. It shines on the opposite wall next to the bed.
“Oh my God.” I hear a voice sob. “Haidyn.”
I turn my head to the left, and the light moves, shining on my face, and I blink rapidly.
She crawls onto the bed and lies down next to me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me. My one hand tangles in her soft hair while the other holds her waist. She’s crying. Her small body shakes against mine. “You’re okay, doll face. You’ll be okay.” Fuck, I can smell her. Strawberries and cream. It’s as if we’re lying in our bed back at home. “Take the brands.” I tell her. “Can you do that for me, doll face?”
“Haidyn-what…?” She sniffs.
“Do whatever they want you to do. I’m so sorry I let them hurt you. I promise that I love you. Just do whatever they want you to do. Can you promise me that, Charlotte?”
“Haidyn,” she cries softly. “No…I love you…”
“Shh, it’ll be okay.” I want her to know that no matter what, she’ll be okay without me. “I love you,” I whisper.
Somehow, I feel a little more at peace. I had already made up my mind that I was going to leave her, but I didn’t know until now that I needed to hear her one more time. I was already willing to give up my life for hers. Now I can without them hurting her in the process. She shouldn’t have to prove who she is. Not when I can show her who she can be.
Maybe this is what hell is. I’ve had it wrong all these years. It’s not Carnage or physical torture. It’s the mind games. The what-ifs…what could have been…
I wish I could say that I’m stronger than this, but I’m not. If I’m dead, then they won’t have anything to show off for. They won’t force her to do shit against her will if I’m not here to witness it.
I don’t need a gun and a bullet to end it all. I just have to let go of her.
EIGHTY-ONE
CHARLOTTE
His body goes limp against mine just as the door opens. I jump off the bed and spin around to see two tall figures enter the room. I can’t make out who they are because I’ve been in a blacked-out room, and the light from the hallway behind them is blinding.
I reach into the back of my jeans, pulling the gun out that Bill put there after he dragged me out of his car. I point it at them, stepping in front of the end of the bed that my husband lies on, blocking him.
“Wait!” One throws up their hands. “Charlotte, it’s Kash and Saint.”
I lower the gun and sniff. “Something’s wrong with him,” I rush out, stepping to the side. “He was talking to me, but I couldn’t get him to wake up.” I can’t explain it, but he wasn’t really here. “Then he went limp.”
They both run past me and over to Haidyn. “Is there a goddamn light in here?” Saint snaps.
I turn the flashlight back on my phone and shine it on the wall, searching for some kind of switch, but see nothing. I go out into the hall and search the wall. I see a few switches and flip them on and then rush back to see if they’ve worked.
It did. The room has a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, and both of his brothers are leaning over the bed, speaking into his face and shaking his shoulders. Nothing.
“Let’s get him the fuck out of here,” Kashton barks to Saint.
I wrap my arms around myself. “Where is everyone?”
“Tyson and his boys are searching for your mother. There’s another guy…”
“I’m right here.” My hair is grabbed, and my neck yanked back to stare up at the ceiling.
“Let her go,” Kashton demands. “And I won’t blow your fucking head off.”
Wesley laughs. “Do you really think I’ll let you drag me to Carnage? That I’d ever go back to that god-awful place?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Saint barks.
He doesn’t answer and the room falls silent, and I try to wiggle free of his hold. I’m so tired, and my head pounds. I just want to crawl back into bed with my husband. He needs me. We’re wasting time.
“Wesley…”
“My name isn’t Wesley,'” he shouts, shaking me.
I feel the heavy gun in my right hand, and I point it down at the ground, not taking a second to think about it. I pull the trigger, momentarily going deaf as it echoes in the tight concrete box. Wesley shoves me forward, and I turn around to see him step out of the room. His mouth is open, and he’s screaming, but the only thing I hear is the sound of my ears ringing from the first shot.
Lifting the gun, I shoot again, and he falls to his knees as blood covers his jeans.
The gun is ripped from my hands, and I’m pushed to the concrete floor onto my back. I look up to see Kashton straddling me. His hands grip my wrists, holding them down as he looks over to the right. His mouth is moving, but I can’t understand what he’s saying.
That ringing is still there. I don’t even try to fight him.
He lets go of me, gets up, and yanks me to my feet. Placing his hands on either side of my face, he searches my eyes as his lips move but still nothing. Picking me up, he carries me out of the room, and my head hangs off his arm as I see Ryat and Sin rush into the room and help Saint pull an unconscious Haidyn out of bed.
I’m carried onto the plane and set on the couch. I haven’t spoken to anyone. My ears finally quit ringing, but my face is still pounding.
“Fuck,” Kashton hisses. Pushing my head from side to side, he examines my face. “I think you broke her fucking nose,” he growls.
“I had to do something,” Bill growls, walking on next.
“Haidyn is going to kill you.” Kashton goes on.
“He has to live first,” Bill snaps. “Now get over here and help us.”
Kashton leaves me to walk back over to the open door. Next, I see Sin, Ryat, and Tyson helping Saint carry Haidyn onto the plane. He’s still unconscious. I sat next to him in the car holding his cold hand. I would pray, but there is no God. Not one who listens to a murderer.
I jump to my feet and rush over to them.