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)
HAIDYN
I can hear her voice. It’s as if she’s right here with me, but I know that’s not possible. She’s at Carnage with my brothers where she belongs. Isabella was lying. She wants me to think she won.
“Haidyn, please?” my wife begs, and it feels like the room shakes.
I don’t know what she’s begging for, but whatever it is, I’d give it to her.
“HAIDYN!”
Her voice is louder, and then there’s a bright light in my eyes.
“Please wake up. I need you to wake up.”
“Char…?” I cough, unable to finish saying her name. It’s not real. It’s a trick my mind is playing on me. My own personal hell. Any second I’m going to have to choose…watch her mother’s minions torture and rape her or kill my wife. Even though I know it’s not real, I can’t kill her. I can’t live if she doesn’t. I’m a coward.
“Yes, Haidyn. It’s me. Wake up. Please…”
My heavy eyes crack open, and I expect to see nothing but the black room, but there’s a light by my head. It shines on the opposite wall next to the bed.
“Oh my God.” I hear a voice sob. “Haidyn.”
I turn my head to the left, and the light moves, shining on my face, and I blink rapidly.
She crawls onto the bed and lies down next to me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me. My one hand tangles in her soft hair while the other holds her waist. She’s crying. Her small body shakes against mine. “You’re okay, doll face. You’ll be okay.” Fuck, I can smell her. Strawberries and cream. It’s as if we’re lying in our bed back at home. “Take the brands.” I tell her. “Can you do that for me, doll face?”
“Haidyn—what…?” She sniffs.
“Do whatever they want you to do. I’m so sorry I let them hurt you. I promise that I love you. Just do whatever they want you to do. Can you promise me that, Charlotte?”
“Haidyn,” she cries softly. “No…I love you…”
“Shh, it’ll be okay.” I want her to know that no matter what, she’ll be okay without me. “I love you,” I whisper.
Somehow, I feel a little more at peace. I had already made up my mind that I was going to leave her, but I didn’t know until now that I needed to hear her one more time. I was already willing to give up my life for hers. Now I can without them hurting her in the process. She shouldn’t have to prove who she is. Not when I can show her who she can be.
Maybe this is what hell is. I’ve had it wrong all these years. It’s not Carnage or physical torture. It’s the mind games. The what-ifs…what could have been…
I wish I could say that I’m stronger than this, but I’m not. If I’m dead, then they won’t have anything to show off for. They won’t force her to do shit against her will if I’m not here to witness it.
I don’t need a gun and a bullet to end it all. I just have to let go of her.
EIGHTY-ONE
CHARLOTTE
His body goes limp against mine just as the door opens. I jump off the bed and spin around to see two tall figures enter the room. I can’t make out who they are because I’ve been in a blacked-out room, and the light from the hallway behind them is blinding.
I reach into the back of my jeans, pulling the gun out that Bill put there after he dragged me out of his car. I point it at them, stepping in front of the end of the bed that my husband lies on, blocking him.
“Wait!” One throws up their hands. “Charlotte, it’s Kash and Saint.”
I lower the gun and sniff. “Something’s wrong with him,” I rush out, stepping to the side. “He was talking to me, but I couldn’t get him to wake up.” I can’t explain it, but he wasn’t really here. “Then he went limp.”
They both run past me and over to Haidyn. “Is there a goddamn light in here?” Saint snaps.
I turn the flashlight back on my phone and shine it on the wall, searching for some kind of switch, but see nothing. I go out into the hall and search the wall. I see a few switches and flip them on and then rush back to see if they’ve worked.
It did. The room has a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, and both of his brothers are leaning over the bed, speaking into his face and shaking his shoulders. Nothing.
“Let’s get him the fuck out of here,” Kashton barks to Saint.
I wrap my arms around myself. “Where is everyone?”
“Tyson and his boys are searching for your mother. There’s another guy…”
“I’m right here.” My hair is grabbed, and my neck yanked back to stare up at the ceiling.