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)
I’ve kept it in my safe in my bedroom since we’ve returned from Vegas but I pulled it out when she was taken from me four days ago. I slide it onto her finger.
Four years ago
I enter my bedroom to find her lying in bed. The covers up to her neck and she stares at the ceiling. I branded her last week. She doesn’t seem mad anymore, just broken. And it makes me wonder if that’s what our fathers wanted. I’d rather her hate me.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I sit down next to her, and her watery eyes meet mine. I cup her cheek. “I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?” She licks her plump lips.
I smile, trying to cheer her up. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“We’re leaving Carnage?” Her eyes light up, and I hate to say no and see them go blank again.
“Not technically,” I say instead, and she frowns, but that light is still there. “Come on.” I pull her to sit up, remove the covers and then help her to stand. “Go pick out something to wear for me.” I gently kiss her lips. “You’ve got ten minutes.”
She goes to the closet and returns wearing a soft pink off-the-shoulder sweater dress that rests high on her thighs with black tights and matching heels. She always loved to dress up for me to show her off. But when you have nowhere to go, it’s pointless. “Do I need makeup?” she asks, dropping her eyes to the floor nervously.
“No,” I say and walk over and take her hand. “You look perfect.”
She blushes, and I slide my hands into her hair, tilting her head back and lowering my lips to hers. I kiss her tenderly, slowly tasting the only thing in this world that I can’t live without. I’m a starving man, and she allows me to feast on her.
I deepen the kiss, and she moans into my mouth, her arms wrapping around my waist, and I groan into hers when her nails dig into my back. I want to grab her ass, lift her and push her down into the bed, but that’ll have to wait.
Instead, I pull away and watch her heavy eyes open. Then I escort her out of the bedroom. She stays quiet as I walk her down the hall and to the elevator. When it stops, the doors slide open and she comes to a stop when she sees the stained glass double doors.
Her wide eyes meet mine. “Saint.” My name trembles on her lips. “What are we doing here?”
“Do you trust me?” I ask, running my knuckles down her fragile neck, feeling her pulse race.
“Yes.” She straightens her shoulders. Not a single second of hesitation. Even after everything I had to put her through, she trusts me.
I push the doors open into the cathedral, and she steps inside to see Haidyn and Kashton standing at the Lords altar.
She turns back to face me and I cup her face in both of my hands, her pretty blue eyes search mine as they fill with unshed tears. “Ashtyn Lane Price…” I start, and her lips part. “I’m in love with you.” She blinks, and the first tear falls. “I’ve been in love with you all my life. This is me, a Lord, asking you to be my Lady. Will you marry me, sweetheart?”
Another tear falls, and she licks her wet lips before whispering, “Yes.”
I’m brought out of that memory when the door opens. Sin enters the room; an angry-looking Jasmine comes in behind him. “Kashton needs you,” he says and nods to Jasmine in some sort of vague warning. I’m too tired to figure it out.
“Where is he?” I ask, running my hand down my face.
“Downstairs,” he answers and again, it confuses me because we are downstairs.
“May I stay here with her?” Jasmine asks, her eyes on my wife.
“Yeah.” I kiss Ashtyn’s forehead and exit the room, closing the door behind us. “What the fuck was that about?” I question.
“Kashton is in the basement, killing people. Jasmine was trying to calm him down. He tossed her to me and told me to get her the fuck out of there.” He looks over at me. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt just in case another bomb goes off while we’re down there.”
Sighing, I pick up my pace, and he does the same.
ASHTYN
I’m sitting up in my bed eating more ice chips while I wait for some clothes. I was actually happy that Saint wasn’t in my room when I woke thirty minutes ago because that means he wasn’t going to stop me from seeing Haidyn.
I never really knew how Haidyn felt about me while growing up. We weren’t as close as me, Sin, and Kashton were. Haidyn was closer with Adam than me. Kashton was friends with everyone. Then our senior year, when I became Saint’s chosen, Haidyn’s chosen hated me. I mean, I understand why, but it wasn’t like I went after him knowing he was taken. It wasn’t about me and her. Until she made it that way.