Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Shoving my door open, I slam it, hoping it’ll wake her up. But when I open hers, she’s still out.
Fuck!
Bending down, I place my arms underneath her and lift her from the car. I carry her up the stairs and into the house, then climb the grand staircase headed for her room. I lay her down in her bed, and she moans, her hips lifting off the bed slightly.
“Saint.”
The sound of my name on her lips makes my legs weak. I sit down on the side of the bed, and unable to stop myself, I reach out, running my knuckles over the thin white material of her bathing suit top, brushing them against her nipples.
“Yeah, sweetheart?” I ask, my voice rough. My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I ignore it, knowing it’s one of the brothers wondering where the fuck I am.
She arches her back, taking a deep breath. “I want you.” Her pretty blue eyes flutter open, unfocused and heavy.
I smile, my hand cupping her face, and she leans into it, eyes falling closed. “You’ll be mine soon, Ashtyn. I promise.”
She’s out once again, and I take what little strength I have, stand, and walk out of her room, knowing I have to do whatever it takes to make her mine.
I enter through the open gate at the house of Lords. It’s fifteen minutes from Barrington University. It was once a hotel that was given to the Lords. It’s a weekend, so the gates are open because they’re throwing their usual weekend party, getting ready for the ritual where all the seniors take their chosen. Otherwise, the gates remain closed to outsiders.
I take the long and curvy entrance faster than I should and come up to the renovated hotel. It’s white brick with black shutters and has six columns on the large front porch. I follow the roundabout that has a pond and fountain in the center. Staying right, I drive under the breezeway and park in the back. I see Haidyn’s bike, Kashton’s car, and Adam’s G-wagon. I bring mine to a stop next to them.
All Lords are required to live here throughout our years at Barrington. They’re pretty strict on it up until your senior year. Then we’re allowed a lot more freedom. Especially us Spade brothers because we spend so much time at Carnage.
I enter the building through the back and jump on the elevator, taking it down to the basement. Once I step off, I walk down the hallway and stride into the room. It’s more like a bunker. Racks on the far wall display guns and knives of various sizes. The others already sit at the large table in the center of the room. All three of them look up at me.
“About time,” Adam snaps, checking his watch. “What the fuck took so long?”
“I’m here.” I avoid his question.
“Should have left her at the party,” he bites out.
I choose to ignore him. He’s been treating Ashtyn like shit lately. I don’t like it, but it is what it is. The door opens behind me, and I plop down next to Haidyn.
Lincoln—a Lord who runs the house of Lords, enters the room with another man I’ve never seen before. He wears an all-black suit with a matching tie. His dark hair slicked back. He can’t be more than twenty-five.
“Brothers, I called you all here for an important meeting.” Lincoln steps back and gestures to the man that I notice he didn’t introduce to us.
“Hello, gentlemen.” He tosses us each a manila envelope.
I open mine up to see a woman lying on a bed. She’s naked, her head hanging off the side, her neck slit from one side to the other. Blood runs down the edge of the bed and puddles onto the floor. Her ankles are tied together with barbwire. I’m guessing her wrists are too since her arms look to be secured underneath her.
“Over five months last year, twenty girls went missing. Five of those were found raped and murdered,” he announces.
“The other fifteen?” Haidyn asks, scanning the picture.
“Still missing,” the man answers.
Adam slams his folder down. “What does this have to do with us?”
“Did they attend Barrington?” Kashton questions before he can answer Adam.
“No.” He looks at Kash. “All were still in high school—seniors—but none of the five were connected to one another. As far as we can tell, they didn’t know the Lords existed.”
“The ones who are still missing?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Not that we have found.”
“I’m with Adam,” Lincoln adds, scanning the folder Adam put on the table. “What does this have to do with them?” He means the Spade brothers.
They have to think a Lord is involved and want us to step in and take care of it. The question is, why? What the fuck can we do?