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)
He nods. “No problem, man. Nice place by the way.” He walks out of the garage toward his car in the driveway.
My words make him stop. “You know her.” It’s not a question. I saw the way he looked at her last night at Blackout when he realized who it was that I was staring at. He did a double take, and I want to know why.
Sighing, he turns around to face me. “I know of her.” He corrects me.
My teeth clench. How many more Lords that I know will recognize her? You can’t try to sell a lie if everyone already knows the truth. “How?”
“William,” he answers.
I frown. “How do you know her stepdad?”
He runs a hand over his messy hair. “Before I gave myself over to you guys, I hired an attorney to help me with Elli.”
“Meaning?” I want to know exactly what William did for him.
“I bought her our house, and when I had him bring the papers over for her to sign, I had him slip in a marriage license.” His eyes drop to his wedding ring as he absentmindedly spins it around his finger before they meet mine. “And then the morning I turned myself into Carnage I met with him again—off the books—to get all my affairs in order to make sure Elli was taken care of. He had pictures of Annabelle and her mother on his desk. I’ve never met her face-to-face, and I don’t think she knows who I am.”
“So Elli knows who William is too?” I make sure I understand him. “Does she know who Annabelle is?”
He shakes his head. “No. I made up a name…introduced him as Mr. Tate. The less she knew, the better. I can’t say if she knows Annabelle or not.”
I nod, it could be worse. “This stays between us.”
“Of course.” He agrees. “But I hope you know what you’re doing.” With that, he gets into his car, starts it up, and drives off.
THIRTY-SEVEN
CHARLOTTE
It’s dark out. The clock on my dash tells me that it’s after ten o’clock. I woke up a few hours ago naked in my bed. I felt a little tired and managed to relax in the bathtub, trying to go over what the fuck had happened and how I got home.
Slowly, the pieces came back to me. Last night at Blackout. The call I got from the unknown Lord and then the call to Haidyn. Him showing up at the club, the drinks, the drive to his house. The water…me asking him to be my first. Then there was a gap.
Where had my entire day gone? Did I do ecstasy at Blackout? Had I taken something that I don’t normally do?
Then like a fucking baseball bat to the face, it hit me. Waking up taped to the chair this morning, him giving me something, asking me questions, and putting me to bed like a child.
I sat at my desk to log what we had done, only to find my laptop gone. The one that the Lords gave me. It was there yesterday before I went out, so he had to have taken it.
That leads to now and why I’m pulling into Haidyn’s driveway and slamming on my brakes. Getting out of my car, I rush to the front doors and shove them both open, not even bothering to knock. For a man who should always be on alert, his door isn’t locked.
“Haidyn?” I shout, slamming them shut. “HAIDYN!” I scream, stomping my way to the living room and come to a stop when I see him sitting on the couch, leaning back with his arms across the back cushions. His blue eyes are on mine, and there’s a smirk on his face. “Where the fuck is it?” I demand, my hands going to my hips.
“Hello, doll face—”
“I’m not in the fucking mood, Haidyn. Where is it?” I step forward, my right hand gripping the strap on my purse. I’m not even going to bring up the fact that he drugged me. I’ll save that for another day.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Annabelle.” He slowly gets to his feet.
The sound of my name just infuriates me more. A reminder that I tricked him. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so goddamn stupid and did his homework before he and his brothers let me into their home. I huff. “I’m giving you one chance to hand it over. Right now.”
He no longer tries to hide his smile. Instead, he lets it light up his face, showing off his dazzling white teeth, and it just makes my skin boil. “Or what, doll face?”
I reach into my purse and pull out what I need. Dropping the Louis Vuitton to the floor, I point my gun at him.
If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he takes a step closer to me, and I don’t retreat. Get as close as you want, motherfucker. It’ll just help my odds.