Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 167819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 839(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 839(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“Why? Because of the Spade brothers?” I go on and he sighs. They refused to give me any information the other day. But I’m not going to give up so easily. My future with Elli is on the line. And I’ll do anything to save it.
“They’re not blood related,” he states. “They’re called brothers because like you and me, they took an oath to one another. They share everything.”
“What’s their secret?” I wonder.
He arches a brow. “Secret?”
“Why them? They’re Lords, right?” I can’t figure out how they ended up there. Of course, Lords are like anything else in the world. Some are richer than others. Some are smarter, more ruthless. How did they get control of a fucking city? Carnage covers hundreds of thousands of acres in the middle of nowhere tucked back in the mountains. All surrounded by barbed wire fence taller than any man could get over. Only has one entrance and exit that I’ve seen so far.
My father’s jaw sharpens as he turns his head to look away for a second. I know more than he wants me to. Is it supposed to be a secret that they are one of us?
“How did they end up there?” I continue to dig at his silence.
“End up there?” He gives a rough laugh, eyes now back on mine. “Son, they are Carnage. They run that place like it’s hell itself. They may be Lords, but they don’t think like us. They don’t handle things like us. They can’t function out in the world like you and me. They’re trained differently. Their initiations were different. Everything about them is different.”
“You make them sound like machines.” I snort. “Everyone has a weakness.” Elli is mine. The fact that I’m digging around proves it, but I can’t let anyone know. The Lords will use it against me. They will take what you love and ruin it just because they can.
He tilts his head to the side, confused by my question.
“You saying they’ve never been in love?” Impossible.
He cracks a smile. “There’s always a woman. I can’t say love was involved, though.”
“One woman?” I verify, sitting up straighter. He had said they share everything.
He nods. “There are several stories that involve Carnage. One is she was killed. The other is she escaped.”
I frown. “So she was a prisoner there, or a patient?”
He shakes his head, getting irritated with all my questions. “Why do you care?” His eyes narrow on me.
I sit back, crossing my arms over my chest and shutting my mouth. I sound too desperate. “Just curious. Heard some rumors and wanted to know if they were true. I find it odd that they’re kept a secret.”
He goes to open his mouth, but his cell rings and he digs it out of his pocket. “It’s Malcom,” he announces, and I roll my eyes. My future father-in-law. “Give me a second.” Placing the phone to his ear, he smiles. “Hello, Malcom…” Opening up the door to the right, he steps out of his office, knowing I’m not fucking leaving, and he wants privacy.
I pull up my phone and click on the app to see Elli. She lies in bed sleeping. She’s been doing it a lot lately. She’s not eating enough. Between how much she’s been drinking and what I’ve done to her body, she’s exhausted.
Locking my cell, I pocket it and catch sight of the box that my father had shown me the other day. Full of pictures of Elli. I get up, walking over to it. Pulling the lid off, I pick one up.
She’s young. Underage for sure. She’s blindfolded, tied to a dingy mattress in a basement. It’s dark but the flash lights her up. She’s clothed in a yellow sundress. The thought of her in this kind of situation so young makes my pulse race. That I should have seen signs. That I should have paid more attention to her.
Scanning the photo, I see a mirror on the wall above her head. I squint, trying to focus on what I see. It’s a man, standing there staring down at her. It’s James. You can’t miss him. He’s dressed in a button-up and slacks. His arms crossed over his chest, eyes on her.
Who the fuck is taking the picture?
I hear the knob on the door open and I shove the picture into my pocket and put the lid back on. I’m falling into the seat when he steps back in, cell now in his hand. “We’re having drinks tomorrow night with Malcom.”
“We are not,” I state.
He sighs. “Son…”
“I’ve got somewhere to be.” I stand, needing to get the fuck out of here.
“Easton?” he calls out, and I stop and turn to face him. “Whatever you want with Carnage, let it go. There’s a reason you didn’t know they existed. They are unbeatable. One of them is lethal, but all three of them … you don’t know suffering until they decide to drag you into their world. Nothing survives there.”