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 return to Saint’s room, get undressed, and crawl into bed, whimpering at the sting of my brand. The last pain pill Saint gave me has officially worn off. Or maybe it’s because of what I just saw. I hate knowing the man still hangs in the dark, probably terrified.
How long will they play with him before they kill him?
It makes me think of my brother. What he’s seen or had to do to people here. Is that why he ran? Was he really set up by the Lords? Or did he do what he was accused of?
I’m not saying that Saint, Haidyn, or Kashton are innocent. I’ve seen what they do here, and it’s terrifying. But they have no choice, right?
Their fathers wanted to give me a message today. One that I can’t ignore. I get it. I’m only safe because of Saint, Haidyn and Kashton. They think I have something with all three of them. Don’t I? I love all three of them but in different ways.
The sound of the door opening has me sitting up. I flinch at the sudden movement, the bandage pulling on the edges of my branding.
“Hey, you okay?”
I look up to see it was Saint who entered. I’m on edge. Afraid now that his father will come and get me for another “session.” “Where have you been?” I ask, tears starting to sting my eyes.
“House of Lords. We had a meeting this morning.” He comes to sit down next to me. “I’m sorry, you were sound asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“It’s fine.” I wave him off. A part of me thought he was hanging in the basement. The man looked familiar even though I couldn’t see his face, and the mind likes to play tricks on you.
“Here.” He gets up and walks over to his nightstand. Opening up the top drawer, he pulls out the pills and pops the top. “Take one of these and get some rest.”
I greedily take them when he offers me the bottle of water that sits on my breakfast cart. I hope it makes me pass out.
“Good girl.” He leans in and gently kisses my forehead. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
“Then you’ll lie down with me?” I ask, needing him right now. Even after everything he’s done to me, I feel safe with him.
“Of course,” he assures me.
I lie down and snuggle into his pillow when his cell rings. “Hey, man…yeah, I’ve tried calling him twice. He hasn’t called me back yet…yeah, probably.”
“What was that about?” I ask.
Saint plugs his cell phone on his nightstand and looks at me while pulling his shirt up and over his head, exposing his chiseled abs. “That was Kashton. He wanted to know if I’ve heard from Haidyn.”
I yawn. “Why?”
“He was the only one who missed the meeting this morning.” With that, he turns and walks into the bathroom.
I yawn again and close my eyes. But they spring open the moment what he said registers in my brain. I sit back up, my heart racing, when I hear his shower start. Was that Haidyn hanging in the room? Surely not? Why would they torture Haidyn? Why would his father allow that?
Snorting, I remind myself that it’s common for fathers not to care about their children. “Saint?” I call out. “Saint?” I do it again.
I have to tell him what I saw. If it’s Haidyn, I can’t leave him down there hanging in the dark. All alone. Saint can help him, right?
“What’s wrong?” He comes running into his room, no towel and dripping wet. He had already gotten in the shower. His cell beeps, signaling a text.
“I…”
“One sec.” He interrupts me picking it up. After typing out a message, he sets it back down. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It was Haidyn. What do you need?”
It was Haidyn? I look at his phone and then back up at him. “Nothing.” I breathe a sigh of relief. My mind is playing tricks on me. Of course it wasn’t Haidyn. I’m paranoid.
“You sure?” he asks, water dripping onto his floor.
“Yeah.” I lie back down.
He turns and walks back into the bathroom, leaving the door open in case I need him. When I hear the shower door open and shut, I lean over and pick up his cell. I check current messages and see Haidyn’s text. I open it up.
Sorry slept in. What’d I miss at the meeting?
SAINT
I left Ashtyn in my bed, needing to talk to my father. She’s been here two weeks, and I can see her going stir-crazy. She’s always been one to get out and go places. She’s not a homebody, and there has to be something that can be done.
Just yesterday, she asked me about finishing her classes online for Barrington. I hated to tell her that she will no longer get to graduate. To the world, she’s dead. I can’t change that. No matter how much I want to.