Total pages in book: 266
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 250787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1254(@200wpm)___ 1003(@250wpm)___ 836(@300wpm)
“Ashtyn?” I shout. “Ashtyn. I’m going to pull you out.”
I grab her arm and yank her through the broken glass of the SUV. “Ash?” She flinches at my tone, and I pull her to a sitting position. Her eyes meet mine, but she’s not seeing me. “What hurts?” I demand. My hands push strands of hair from her bloody face. “Breathe!” She tries to push me away, but I grip her face in my hands. “Fucking breathe, Ash. Come on, baby girl. Take in a deep breath for me.”
She begins to choke and then cough. “That’s it. Deep breaths. One after the other.”
“Hai-dyn.” Her body trembles in my hands.
“Don’t fucking talk, Ash. Just breathe for me.”
Her hands go to her chest, and she yanks on her dress. “Burns…”
“You’re okay. It’s okay.” I run my knuckles down her face, wiping away her tears.
“You’re bleeding,” she whispers.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“Hai—”
She’s yanked from the ground by her hair as she screams. A man pulls the back of her to his front, wrapping his arm around her neck.
I slowly get to my feet and lift my hands in the air. “Let her go.”
Her hands dig into his arm, trying to fight him off, but it’s useless. She’s too weak after the car wreck that we just had. I’m guessing this is the bastard who ran us off the road.
He laughs at her efforts. “Haidyn. It’s good to see you again.”
Who the fuck is this? “Let her go!” I shout, stepping forward.
He pulls out a gun and presses the end of the barrel into her cheek. “What would Saint say if he knew what you’ve done to his girl?”
My jaw sharpens, and I look at her before looking at the masked man behind her. How does he know what we’ve done?
“Get in the van,” he orders me.
“I’ll go with you, but she stays behind.” I nod to a crying Ashtyn.
“Hmm, as tempting as that is, that’s not happening.”
I run a hand down my bloody face. I’m so over this shit. “Then you can go fuck yourself.”
The man laughs once more before he points the gun at me, and I let out a breath since it’s no longer pointed at her.
Lifting my head, I take another hit from the cigarette before putting it out on the railing. Then I enter the house and take a drink of vodka before making my way to the bedroom, leaving my cell phone off on the coffee table. I’m done for the night. I’m going to finish this drink and then hit my home gym. I need to work out. It’s the only thing that seems to help. If I’m going to be sore and have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, then it might as well be because I did it to myself. Not because that piece of shit shot me.
Then I’ll circle back to the photos tomorrow and start all over.
ANNABELLE
I sit outside the gated entrance to the house that I’m not supposed to know exists. After I spoke to the Lord yesterday, I went home and pulled up the picture of the black house and did a reverse Google search. It led me here. It seemed too easy.
It’s got my mind reeling. If I got the photos from the Lords, then why aren’t they the ones to confront him? Especially if they know he’s here hiding out at this house? What the fuck do they want from him? The unknown is driving me insane.
I have until tomorrow to give the Lords something, or I’ve officially failed. I had the opportunity to turn them down and walk away, but I accepted my assignment. So now if I fail, I’m useless to them. And I refuse to be the woman naked and tied to the chair who gets killed over a Lord. The women in my world give the Lords too much power as it is. I refuse to give him my life.
As I stare at the gated entrance, I can’t bring myself to push the button. What will I say when he answers? How will I explain that I knew he’d be here? What if he’s not?
If his brothers can’t find him, does that mean they don’t know this place exists? So I shouldn’t know it’s here. It’ll bring up questions that I can’t afford to answer. Haidyn doesn’t know I’m seeing him because I was ordered to do so.
Obviously, he knows I’m part of his world. They would never allow just anyone to enter Carnage. Especially to come and go. Once you’re in, you belong to them.
Picking up my cell, I try to call him once again, but it goes to voicemail. I’m getting desperate and very, very pissed.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I put the SUV in drive and speed off, needing to clear my head and think of a different approach. How can I get in? I need to get his attention. Maybe I could park down the street, jump the fence, and set his house on fire?