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)
My head is spinning. Surely, I’m missing something. That’s something my mother would have told me over the years. When we visited her and her husband, they had family pictures up of the two of them but none of any children.
I did find it odd that they didn’t have any since the Lords expect you to give them heirs. LeAnne was high up in the rankings. She is why I wanted to be initiated—after my father took me to the cathedral that night, and I saw her in charge—I just figured they couldn’t have them. The Lords don’t believe in adoption. Outsiders are not welcome into our society.
My eyes wander to the window again, and I look around the gas station. It looks like a hole-in-the-wall. A mom-and-pop store sort of vibe. Not a well-known chain for sure. It only has four pumps and a small building where you don’t even have to go inside to pay. You can choose to go to a small window.
Looking at the side of the building, I see two doors. One says men, the other women. I decide I could use the restroom.
Opening my door, I look over to see Haidyn look up from his phone. He was typing away but stops and a smirk graces his lips, but he has his sunglasses on, shielding his eyes from me. “Change your mind?”
I roll my eyes, not in the mood to decipher his mood swings. “I’m going to use the restroom.”
“Give me a second.” He looks over at the gas pump. It’s crawling. No wonder it’s taking him so long. I also didn’t offer him my card to put fuel in my SUV. How gentlemanly of him.
I give him my back, not sure why I have to wait for him.
“Charlotte?” he barks.
I raise my right hand and give him the peace sign, not bothering to turn around and look at him. I know the bastard is into some weird shit, but I don’t need an audience to go pee. He’s already seen me do that.
Reaching the women’s bathroom, I open the heavy door, making it squeak at my entrance. The place smells musty and the lighting sucks. It’s the middle of the day, and there are no windows in here. The floor is dirty and the mirror by the single sink is broken in multiple places—shattered like a spiderweb.
Three stalls are lined up on the right, with the last on the end larger due to it being handicapped. All of the doors are closed, so I bend down to look under them to see if they’re occupied. I try to open the first one, but it’s locked even though no one is in it. Same with the second. I push open the third stall to find it unlocked when I’m hit from behind, shoved through the door, and knocked onto the dirty floor. Before I can process what’s happening, my hair is grabbed, and my face shoved down into the cool tile. I manage to get a scream out before a hand slaps over my mouth from behind.
The taste of salt and dirt makes me gag as I claw at the floor trying to crawl out from underneath whoever is on top of me.
I manage to open my mouth and am able to bite the hand, making them release me. I’m pushed onto my back and look up to a man who has a black ski mask over his face. I start swinging my fists at his mask, trying to yank it off at the same time.
Managing to knee him in the balls, he grunts and rolls off me. I jump to my feet and run toward the door. I don’t bother looking back. Instead, I start to scream as loud as I can for Haidyn, hoping he hears me.
Before I can reach the door, an arm wraps around my throat from behind and I’m picked up off my feet. I kick and fight as much as I can as he pulls me back from the door and panic grips my chest as he takes my air away.
“Fucking bitch.” He growls in my ear before he spins me around and throws me to the floor once again.
I gasp and cough, trying to breathe as he kicks my side, forcing me to roll over onto my back. Then he’s on top of me again. This time, my legs are under his, pinning me down so I can’t knee him. I arch my neck, trying to catch my breath and yell, but he cuts me off as his hands wrap around my throat and squeeze as hard as he can.
HAIDYN
I’m on edge. LeAnne showing up at Ryat’s threw me off. It makes me rethink why the Lords sent Charlotte to me. She’s known her all her life? Her mother’s best friend? Why didn’t I find that out when I did my research? Bill never mentioned her at our meeting. Is there a reason he left her out of our conversation?