Filed to story: The LORDS Series Free PDF by Shantel Tessier
“He said not to worry about her. That she was where she belongs.”
My stomach drops at her words. “He said those exact words?” I question.
“Yeah. I didn’t get a good feeling about it, and when I questioned him further, he dismissed me.” She huffs. “Typical man.”
Where the fuck could she be? And where should she be?
“How are you doing? How are you feeling? Are you taking care of yourself?”
That sounds like such an odd question, considering I don’t have control over myself. But I tell her, “Yeah.” I don’t want to worry her. She can’t do anything for me.
“What about birth control? You’re still taking it, right? I don’t want them to knock you up and trap you.”
“Of course.” I snort. “God, could you imagine…?” I trail off, coming to a stop. “I have an IUD,” I say more to myself than her.
“That’s good.”
But a memory comes to mind of how I woke up when I got here. I was naked, tied to a table, and they put me to sleep. I felt like I was out for hours, but all they did was place a tracker in me. Right?
What if…they had someone remove my IUD? What if they tied my tubes? A hysterectomy? Would I know that? From what I remember, all women must be sterilized here at Carnage. I’m no longer his. I’m a prisoner here. Like all the rest. No…could Saint do that? He was mad that I fucked other men when I thought he was dead. So I can see him making it impossible that another man could knock me up.
That thought makes me weak in the knees. Saint hasn’t given me any contraceptives to take. He hasn’t used a condom that I know of. He also hasn’t fucked my cunt while I’ve been awake. Only my mouth. He’s also the only one out of the three who I’ve been with. I know why Haidyn hasn’t touched me. He hates me.
But Kashton? I nibble on my bottom lip before asking, “What’s up with you and Kash?” Maybe Jasmine is the reason he hasn’t touched me. Maybe he’s in love with her or something. I almost laugh at that thought. Lords never love a woman.
“I don’t want to talk about him.” She dodges my question. “Kashton isn’t important. You are, Brit-” She stops herself. “Ashtyn.”
I want to ask her more questions about her and Kashton, but I know she won’t answer. So I tell her, “I promise I’m fine.”
“Where are you? I’ll come and visit.”
“No. No. No. Don’t do that,” I rush out. I’m not sure what has been said between the Lords and Bones, but it was obviously getting heated at the show, and I don’t want to cause any problems for her. Fuck the Lords and Bones, but I won’t put her in harm’s way.
“Ashtyn, you don’t sound like a woman who is okay.” She huffs.
“I…I don’t know where I’m at.” I lie to her, and my throat tightens.
She’s quiet for a long second before she speaks. “I’m saving your new number, and if I don’t hear from you at least once a day, I’m coming to find you. Got it?”
A smile spreads across my face. “Got it.”
SAINT
I’m sitting at my desk when the door flings open, slamming into the interior wall. My head snaps up, Kashton grabs his gun, and Haidyn jumps to his feet.
“What the fuck, Ash?” Kash barks, dropping his gun to his side. “You want to die today?”
“Where is Whitney?” she demands, ignoring Kashton while glaring at me. “And what did you do to me when I arrived? Other than the tracking device?”
The room falls silent, and my teeth clench. I look over at Kashton, and he runs his hand through his hair, letting out a long breath. Giving her that damn phone was the worst thing he could have possibly done. I don’t know Jasmine, but she’s going to fuck shit up. Kashton just wants some sort of lifeline to her since Jasmine has apparently blocked his number. I’m not sure what he did to her in the bathroom back in New York, but it was enough to piss her the fuck off.
“Fuck Whitney,” Haidyn states.
“Haidyn!” I growl.
He steps out from behind his desk and walks over to Ashtyn. She glares up at him with her shoulders squared. “Bones isn’t the one who ratted you out. Whitney was.”
“No.” She shakes her head.
“She’s here. In a cell in the basement. Ask her yourself.” He goes on.
“Haidyn!” I shout. What the fuck? Her talking to Whitney is the last thing I fucking want to happen.
He turns to face me. “Let her see.” Haidyn shrugs carelessly. “Whitney gave her up to save herself.” He turns back to Ashtyn. “She’s a coward, just like you. No wonder you two were besties.” With that, he storms out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.
The room fills with her heavy breathing, and when her eyes meet mine, I can see unshed tears in them.
“You didn’t answer my other question.” She lifts her chin, trying to act like she’s not about to cry.
I cross my arms over my chest and just stare at her. I’m not going to either. Let her think whatever she wants.
The first tear falls from her bottom lashes, and she turns around, giving me her back, and rushes out of the room.
“Fuck!” I hiss.
“Saint-“
My phone ringing interrupts whatever Kashton was about to tell me. I’m not in the mood to talk to him right now anyway. “Hello?” I snap into the phone.
“Hey, just wanted to let you know we’re about five minutes out,” the Lord states on the other end.
Goddammit, I forgot they were coming today. “Okay.”
FIFTY-FIVE
ASHTYN
I run down the hall to see Haidyn waiting for the elevator. “I want to see her.”
He chuckles. “Don’t believe me?”
Reaching up, I grab his shirt and pull on it. He spins around and steps into me. “Watch it-“
“I want to see her.” I interrupt him. “Now.”
He rubs his chin, then nods. “Okay.”
We enter the elevator and take it down to the basement in silence. Stepping off, I follow him down the long and cold hallway, through the plastic strips that hang in the doorway. We pass a few prison cells that have full concrete doors. The only way to see inside are the little slots that they feed them through. Water and bread are all they get. Well, that’s what they were fed when I was here last time.
He comes to a stop at a cell and punches in some numbers on a keypad. When it unlocks, he pushes the door open, making me flinch due to the loud squeeze that echoes through the basement.
“Go ahead.” Haidyn gestures with his hand. “But I’m not sure she’ll tell you anything.”
I move to stand in front of the open door, refusing to go inside it. I’m not that desperate for information. A brunette lies on a stretcher, like the one I remember being strapped to. She’s also wearing a straitjacket, staring up at the concrete ceiling.
My feet move me forward into the cell, and my pulse races. “Whitney?” I ask roughly.