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)
A chosen must be placed on the list by her parents. A male descendant serves the Lords. A Lord who has a daughter may make her serve as well. It’s his chance to show the Lords their gratitude. We all play our part in this secret society. “I don’t give a fuck if she was on a list or not.” I stand.
“Sin,” he snaps, pointing at the chair, and I fall into it, rolling my eyes. “I don’t care what you do with Ellington, but you must take your chosen.”
“And if I don’t?” I arch a brow, challenging him.
He picks up the picture of Elli and looks at it for a few seconds before his eyes glare at me over the top. “You either take your chosen, or I take Ellington.” He tosses the pic back onto the desk. “And, Sin, you won’t like what I do to her.”
My hands fist, my jaw clenching. He just fucking threatened her. You don’t go against Linc. Not in here. He runs the house of Lords. The door opens behind me, and a sadistic smile spreads across his face, making his eyes light up like Christmas. “Darling.” He stands, pocketing the picture and stepping out from behind his desk to greet his weekly fuck.
The woman walks right up to him, and he pulls her in for a big hug. His eyes are on mine as he lowers his hands to grab her ass in her tight pencil skirt.
I narrow mine on him. Does he really think I give a fuck where he’s sticking his dick after what he just said to me about Elli? “Are we done?” I ask, standing. I’ve got other places to be.
He pulls away from her and gestures to me. “Darling, you know Easton.”
The woman turns to face me, and her cheeks redden. My teeth clench when I realize why he was so fucking smug. It’s Elli’s mother. What the fuck is she doing here at the house of Lords, of all places, hugging Lincoln?
“Easton, I didn’t see you there.” She smiles at me. “I’m sorry.” Her wide eyes go to Linc. “I should have called first…”
“You’re fine, honey.”
Honey? Darling?
“Sin will keep our secret, won’t you, Sin?” He arches a brow.
They’re fucking dating. This can’t be happening. I run a hand through my hair. “Of course, Mrs. Asher.” I call her by her first husband’s last name to piss him off. She’ll always be an Asher to me. No matter how many husbands she has.
“It’s just that I know you’re friends with Elli. I’d never asked you to lie…” She rambles on. “But we haven’t told her yet—”
“Darling, you don’t have to explain yourself to Sin,” he interrupts her.
“Well, they’re going to find out soon anyway. The big day will be here before we know it.”
“Big—big day?” I stumble over my words, trying to figure what the fuck is going on.
“Yes.” She gives me a warm smile. “We’re married. We’ll be announcing it soon.”
My legs give out, and I fall back into my chair. She married him? A Lady is a Lord’s wife. And she has rules just like her husband. When a Lord dies, his Lady is gifted to a new Lord. It’s so she can’t go out and date in the real world and tell all our secrets. I killed her husband two years ago. So why get married now? Some Ladies are remarried within months, others take longer. There are no rules on when they must take another Lord. It all depends on who the Lords want the widow to be with.
“Easton?” She gets my attention, and I look up at her to see her hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”
I jump up, taking a step back from them. “Fine,” I lie. What the fuck is going on?
“I’m begging you, Easton, please don’t tell Elli. We’ll be telling her next week at dinner. We want her to have enough time to adjust to Linc moving in with us.”
My heart hammers in my chest. Now his threat holds more weight. He’s going to be living in the same house as my girl. It makes sense. Mrs. Asher has a mansion from her first husband—Elli’s father. He was a very powerful Lord. Lincoln isn’t nearly that high up on the food chain in our world. I mean, come on, he lives here with us at the house of Lords, which is just basically a frat house.
“We’ll be there,” I tell her, gathering myself and squaring my shoulders.
“Oh, yeah… sure—”
“We’d like to keep it to just the three of us,” Linc interrupts her, still giving me that smug smile I want to cut off his fucking face and wear it on mine so he has to stare at it. “You know, since we’re family now.”
I give a smug smile of my own. “I understand, but as Elli’s boyfriend, I’m sure she’ll want me there too. You know, for moral support.” I place my hands in the front pockets of my jeans.