Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 168587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 843(@200wpm)___ 674(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 843(@200wpm)___ 674(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
She snorts. “I saw you, Lake. The way you obeyed every order he gave you.” Her eyes look me up and down with disgust. “Like an obedient bitch in heat,” she spits out. “And Bethany filled me in on what I didn’t see.”
I open my mouth to say I didn’t have a choice, but Tyson and I have moved past that. Early this morning when he had me bent over the Lords’ table—the very same one she had been hogtied on—we took our vows by choice. “He chose me.” I lift my chin with pride. “And I choose him.”
I’m proud to say I’m Laikyn Grace Crawford.
She throws her head back, giving a manic laugh that sends a chill down my spine. “You think because he fucks you, you’re something special?” She shakes her head, and her matted hair hits her face. “He’ll never love you, Lake. You’re just another worthless bitch to him.”
I tilt my head to the side. “What’s that make you, Whitney?” Her eyes narrow on me. “He put you here. Alone. Your husband is dead.” If Luke isn’t by now, he will be soon. “So what does that make you?”
She lets out a feral scream, her body shaking violently. “You fucking bitch!”
“You’ve been dead to me for three years, Whitney.” Her eyes widen at my words. “You’re still dead to me now.”
“You don’t deserve to have what I had,” she cries. “I fell in love with him, and Dad made me let him go.”
“You set him up,” I growl. “You let the world—you let me—go on believing he killed you. For fuck’s sake, Whitney, people thought you guys were engaged and you were expecting.” I remember Collin and his friend talking about it at Blackout.
“Speaking of baby…” Her watery eyes drop to my stomach. “You’re welcome.”
I step forward, my hands going to my flat stomach. “What do you mean, you’re welcome?”
“It was my idea to have Tyson knock you up. Once Luke realized you’d no longer be useful to him.”
Useful? There’s that word again. “Why would you do that?” I ask breathlessly.
The cruelest smile I’ve ever seen graces her bruised and dirty face. “Because I knew he’d fuck you every chance he got.” She steps forward, the chains pulling as tight as she can from the wall. “I wanted to give you the greatest gift in the world.” I swallow the knot in my throat. “And then take it away from you.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I shake my head at what she did. “I never did anything to you,” I growl.
“You took him from me!” she shouts.
“He was never yours to begin with!” I scream, my lungs burning. “You might have had a chance with him, but you blew it. Now you can rot here while I remain his wife carrying his children.” Her eyes narrow on me. “I hope it eats you alive to know that he loves me. That he married me.” I smile, feeling at peace that it doesn’t bother me. Giving her my back, I move toward the door when her next words stop me.
“He won’t want you once he finds out that you fucked Luke.”
My pulse begins to race at her words. “I’d never cheat on my husband. I’m not you.”
Her face goes red with rage. Taking in a deep breath, she lifts her chin like she’s not chained to a wall, and a smile spreads across her face that makes her look crazy. Like she should be in a padded room with a straitjacket on. I guess she’s not far from it. “If Tyson doesn’t already know, he will soon. I’ll make sure of it.”
I step closer to her, my hands fisting. “I’d never cheat on my husband!” I scream them this time, my body vibrating with violence. I want to get close enough to beat the shit out of her, but I can’t. I won’t put my babies in any position where she can harm them.
“After Luke knocked you out in the hospital bed, he fucked you.”
“No.” I shake my head, refusing to believe that.
She gives a rough laugh. “Yes. He wasn’t allowed to after your wedding, but you were no longer a virgin, so it didn’t matter anymore.” She steps forward, and her arms are pulled behind her due to the shortness of the chains. It doesn’t seem to bother her. “If you weren’t already pregnant, he was going to make sure it happened.”
“No.” Tears sting my eyes once again. A part of me knows she’s telling the truth, but I don’t want to believe it.
“I recorded it.” She smiles at me and my heart stops. “We needed a video to share for those who would bid on you.”
My chest is so tight that I can’t breathe. Tears run down my face, and she watches them as she steps back into the darkened corner as if satisfied with hurting me. I don’t want to believe it. Tyson showed me her phone. The texts. If there was a video on it, he would have shown me. At least told me what happened. “You’re … lying.” I manage to get out through my trembling lips.