Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
“We’ll have Devin check on the baby,” I assure her. I don’t want her to panic or think the worst. So much is happening. We’ll take one thing at a time.
“I didn’t even think about it,” she rushes out. “I made Ashtyn keep it a secret because I didn’t think you wanted kids. I’ve been trying to think of how to tell you…”
“Charlotte,” I command, stopping her. “It’s okay.” I don’t want her to regret her decision. I understand she felt abandoned and did what she thought was right.
She nods, looking around aimlessly. “Okay.”
I look up at Kash. “Can you…?”
“Go. Go.” He waves us off.
I take her hand and pull her out of the basement and to the elevator. Isabella isn’t going anywhere; the guys can have her tonight. I’ll get everything I need from her another time.
Thirty minutes later, we’re entering our bedroom in the birdcage, and I lie her down on my bed, cuddling up next to her. “Talk to me, doll face,” I urge, pushing her hair from her tear-streaked cheeks. “How long have you known?” As I ask the question, my hand drops to her flat stomach, and I push up her T-shirt. Thoughts of her pregnant belly come to mind. How beautiful she’ll look. Devin did an ultrasound and assured us the babies are fine. And that he’s more than willing to let us see them whenever we want. “Use your words, doll face.”
She sniffs before licking her lips and whispers, “Two days ago. You were still in the hospital. When we got back from Dollhouse and the sedative wore off, I got sick again, and Ashtyn talked me into taking one of her tests.”
I sigh, dropping my forehead to hers. Both of my hands cup her soft face. I hate that I left her tied to her bed all alone and had no clue that she was pregnant. To raise my children. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.” What would Isabella have done to her and my babies if they hadn’t pulled me out of there when they did?
“I’m the one that’s sorry, Haidyn. I promise…” she rushes out. “I swear I didn’t know.”
I shut her up with my lips crashing onto hers. I hate hearing her apologize for something she had no control over. She opens her mouth for me, and I deepen the kiss as her hands go to my hair. She digs her fingers into it, pulling tightly.
Did I want a child? No. Not before she came into my life. But just like Isabella put Charlotte in my life, her stepfather made sure she always remained a part of it. I was willing to give my life up for hers. Now she’s giving me life. Nothing could be better.
I pull away and she sucks in a deep breath. “I love you, Charlotte,” I tell her. I hope she knows that by now, but I want her to hear it. I was taught that words mean nothing, but she’s made me realize they are important.
She blinks, fresh tears falling from the corner of her pretty blue eyes. “I love you, Haidyn.”
EIGHTY-FIVE
HAIDYN
We all sit in our office, including Adam. He stands over in the corner. I’m thankful he stayed here with Charlotte to take care of her. I called Kashton and Saint to pick her up from her house because I knew they could protect her at Carnage. I never thought to ask Adam. He’s always coming and going, and I didn’t want her on the run like he is. But like the brother he is, he stepped up and helped take care of my girl. I owe him for that.
After I found out that my wife is pregnant, we spent a few hours in bed and then Kash told us that our presence was needed. So here we are. She sits quietly on my lap with my arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.
“Did you get anything else out of Isabella?” I wonder.
Kash shakes his head. “She just kept saying you killed our fathers, and you deserved to be punished.” He adds chuckling. “And she yelled at Bill a lot.”
Ashtyn is sitting over at Saint’s desk, and at Kash’s words, her head pops up, and her eyes go to mine. “Why did you kill them?” Her voice sounds hopeful. As if I’m going to tell her that I killed them for her.
I hate to disappoint her. “I??”
“I don’t know why you kept it a secret all these years.” Saint interrupts me. “Not like we give a fuck.”
He says that now, but I remember what it was like after they were found dead. We were ordered to go into “training” for the following six months. We all hated our fathers for different reasons and wanted them dead, but Isabella made us hate life when she took over.
Adam steps forward. “I killed them,” he announces, and I run a hand through my hair. I wasn’t going to admit it, but I was also planning on taking his secret to my grave.
Ashtyn pushes herself to her feet. Her hand going to her growing belly. “What?” she whispers. “Why…?”
“Bullshit!” Saint snaps. “You were long gone by then.”
“Whose getaway car do you think Ash used the night she ran?” Adam asks Saint, and the room falls silent while Saint’s body grows rigid. Adam’s eyes slide to his sister’s. “I was trying to make it right.” Walking over to Saint’s desk, he steps in front of Ashtyn. “I regret not being able to save you the night Tyson called me. I know you don’t believe me, and you owe me nothing, but I’ve been trying to make up for that night ever since.”
Ashtyn shakes her head softly trying not to believe him but the way her eyes start to water tells me that she thinks he makes sense. She just never thought of putting two and two together. “No…that night in Saint’s room after everything went down here at Carnage with Benny, you told me you heard I had run??”
“I lied.” He interrupts her.
“You lied then, or you’re lying now?” she demands. “Because it’s hard to tell.”
“Fuck, Ash.” He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.
She pulls her lip back with disgust. “I can’t believe anything you say.”
“You couldn’t even stand the sight of me,” he yells at her. “How could I tell you the truth when you didn’t want to hear it?”
I told her to run. I gave her the key to the tunnel, and I knew that Adam was inside Carnage, and his car was on the other side. The keys were in it.
It wasn’t like we had a plan that night. She wasn’t supposed to find them or be a part of it, but the plans changed, and we had to wing it.
“I had found out what happened to you and the fact that Dad knew Benny had raped you…and that he also knew Saint had cheated at the vow ceremony…it didn’t sit well with me.” Adam sighs. “Please know I didn’t choose to leave you, Ash. I was just doing what I thought would help.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this? That Adam was involved that night?” Saint demands, looking at me, knowing I had to be the one who told Adam everything. No one else inside these walls knew that I was still in contact with Adam at the time.
“I told her to run. The alarm was sounding, and our fathers were dead. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure what was going on. Then I ran into her in the hallway after she shot you,” I say, and Ashtyn drops her eyes to the floor. “By the time you woke up, Isabella had already arrived. Kashton and I were two weeks into training. Six months later, it just seemed too much time had passed.” I look at Adam. “He had followed her that night and knew where she was. He told me she had a new life. She was happy. I didn’t want what we did to be for nothing.”
“That wasn’t your call to make,” Saint snaps.
“Would you have brought her back if she had a child?” Adam asks, and Saint glares at him. “Hmm? If you had found her four years later and she had a child, would you have kidnapped them both?”
“She lost the baby,” Saint argues, and Ashtyn flinches at his words. “I could have been there for her, and he took that from me.” He points at me. “He’s her guardian, for fuck’s sake,” Saint yells, and I feel my wife stiffen on my lap. “He was supposed to take care of her for me. Not take her from me.”
“Don’t blame Haidyn.” Adam shakes his head. “I asked him to help her. For me. He gave her a life! The life that I wanted her to have,” Adam screams. “A better one…one that she deserved.”
Saint snorts. “She was a stripper fucking for money. Some life.”
Ashtyn’s head snaps up, and she glares at him. He lets out a long breath and reaches out for her, softening his voice. “Sweetheart??”
“Fuck you, Saint,” she snaps, storming out of the office and slamming the door shut. He rushes after her.
The room falls silent, and I run my hand down my wife’s leg, trying to reassure her, but I’m not sure of what exactly. That I’m here for her? That all the lies and deceit are over?
This is what brothers do-they fight. But once again, we’re all back here at home where we all belong.
CHARLOTTE
Haidyn is Ashtyn’s guardian. I’m not mad. I actually expected it, and it makes sense. He did so much for her then and now.
My mother was right about one thing-my husband has a big heart and will do anything to protect someone, even if that means giving his own life.
We all leave the office and me and Haidyn make our way up to his room. We enter, and I close the door behind me. Leaning up against it, he turns and comes back to me.
“Hey,” he says, softly cupping my cheek. “Talk to me.”