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)
“He’s never going to let her stay here.”
My teeth grind, but he’s right. I’m trying to find an excuse for what to do about her. She’s hidden from the Lords here, but then again, Lords run it. We don’t have any say over Carnage. Not yet. Not until our fathers hand it over to us.
“There is something you can do,” Kashton says, getting my attention.
I look at him, and he smiles. “It was going to happen anyway.” He shrugs carelessly.
It’s my only option at this point. And he’s right, it was going to happen anyway.
Entering my father’s office, I find not only him but Haidyn’s and Kashton’s father as well. They’re having a fucking meeting, and I bet I can guess the topic of the conversation—my girl.
“Have a seat, son.”
“I’ll stand.” I cross my arms over my chest, widening my stance.
“Saint—”
“I’ll handle this, Garrett,” my father tells Haidyn’s dad.
Kashton’s father just stares at me. He’s a man of few words. I think that’s why Kashton is the jokester in our group. He had to always entertain himself.
“If this is about Ashtyn, she’s not going anywhere.”
“Her family is dead,” Garrett snaps, confirming what I already assumed.
“I’m her family,” I state. “If they want to take her, they’ll have to kill me.”
Kashton’s father’s smirk gives me an eerie feeling. “We’ll see about that.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I snap, stepping forward.
My father speaks. “She can stay, but she must be initiated.” His words make my stomach knot. “Adam is no longer here, and she doesn’t belong to a Lord.” Meaning, she’s not a wife—Lady. My father goes on. “Therefore, we have authority over her.”
I fist my hands, hating how true they are. If we had control of Carnage, it’d be different. “We are willing to give her to you, but in order to do so, you must do what needs to be done,” he says vaguely.
She must become a prisoner…my slave. But in doing so, I have to hurt her. They have no clue what I’ve done to keep her safe. To make her mine. She’ll hate me, and that thought makes my chest tighten. Does it matter what she thinks of me? Not really. She’ll be alive and all mine. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.
“Told you he couldn’t do it.” Haidyn’s father gives a dark chuckle at my silence. “I say we go with my plan. Throw her in a cell in the basement. No one’s going to be looking for her…”
“No!” I shout. “You’re not—”
“Those are your two options, Saint.” My father interrupts me. “You take her, or we do. What’s it going to be?”
“Me,” I growl through gritted teeth. It’s not even a fucking question. Like hell I’ll hand her over to them. I’m too selfish to let her go. I’d rather have her. “When?”
“No time like the present.” Haidyn’s father gives me a cold smile, and I grind my teeth. I’ve always hated him.
I turn to leave when my father speaks. “I’ll have Jessie bring you everything you need to get her ready.”
That tightening returns to my chest. It means I’m not even going to get to choose how I do it. They’ll place an order for what they want me to use and send it to me.
I exit the office and rush back to my room. Haidyn and Kashton stand by my bed. No Ashtyn. “Where is she?” I snap.
“Still in the bathroom,” Kash answers.
I run a hand through my hair. “Change of plans.” They both frown. “Well, I’m still going to do what I had planned, but I just have to do something else before.”
“What now?”
“I have to initiate her into Carnage.”
“Fuck,” Haidyn growls.
“You can’t be serious?” Kash snaps. “Saint, you can’t...”
“I don’t have a fucking choice!” I shout. “You either help me or get the fuck out.” I point at the door. I’ve made up my mind. There’s no going back.
Our fathers wanted me to hand her over to them. They knew I’d never do that, so they gave me an option that would leave her hating me. What they don’t understand is that I can live with that.
Kashton lets out a huff and walks to the door. Yanking it open, Jessie was about to enter with what I’m going to need. Kashton looks it over and then to me. Turning his back, he storms down the hall.
My stomach sinks as Jessie delivers what our fathers ordered. He leaves us without a word. “Do you believe in coincidences?” Haidyn asks, his eyes scanning over everything.
“No,” I answer softly. It’s a warning.
“Me either.” Haidyn turns to look at me, straightening his shoulders. “What do you need me to do?”
TWENTY-THREE
ASHTYN
I sit in the bathtub, the water cold. My mind on my mom…her body. The way Tyson stabbed her. No emotion. The Lords are trained to do as they’re told. They’re puppets to a master. Every day of their life before they’re even born is mapped out. Who they’ll fuck, who they get to marry. Where they’ll work.