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)
Pulling into Carnage, Saint and I park the bikes in the garage and make our way to the birdcage. As we step off the elevator, he speaks. “Are you leaving in the morning?”
I turn to look at him, my hand on the door. “I’ll see you in the office. Seven o’clock.”
“Seven o’clock.” He agrees and goes to enter his room but pauses. Taking in a deep breath, his eyes meet mine. “They were going to force you to marry Ashtyn.” It wasn’t a question, so I don’t say anything. “Were they going to use her or me?”
It doesn’t matter. “Saint—”
“Me.” He nods to himself, answering his own question. “Of course. If they knew how much she loved me, they would have used that against her to make her comply. Just like Isabella was going to use Charlotte’s love for you against her at Dollhouse.”
It makes sense. Isabella knew our fathers’ plan—whatever it was—so she decided to use some form of it. She had four years to come up with hers, though. “I would have never let it get that far,” I assure him. “I would have done something…anything…before I would have let them force Ashtyn to be my wife.”
“Good night, brother,” he says, and before I can say the same, he’s entered his room.
I enter mine just as quietly as when I left. I’m removing my shirt when the bedside light turns on. I spin around to see my wife sitting up, arms crossed over her naked chest and narrowed eyes on mine.
“Where have you been?” she demands as if she just caught me cheating on her.
I take a minute to try to come up with an answer. I hadn’t thought this was what I would come home to.
“I saw the text earlier while you were in the shower, Haidyn.” Her eyes lower to the comforter, and she uncrosses her arms. “Are you in trouble?”
“No,” I say, dropping my T-shirt to the floor and crawling onto the bed still dressed in my jeans. I prop myself up next to her on my side.
She lies down and turns her head so her pretty blue eyes meet mine. “Would you tell me the truth?”
“Of course, doll face.”
“Are we in trouble?” Her hand goes to her flat stomach, and I hate how worried she is. How everything that we love could so easily be taken from us.
“No.” I place my hand on her stomach over hers. She sighs, placing her other hand under her neck, and she stares at the ceiling. “Everything is okay,” I assure her. “You’re okay. Our babies are okay, and we’re okay.”
Her watery eyes come back to mine, and I give her a reassuring smile. For once, I’m not lying to her. My brothers and I are going to keep Adam and Sin’s secret. None of us will jeopardize what we have, what we’ve built here. Adam is doing good, and we’ll take any chance we can to help him finish what he started. No matter how long that takes.
“Promise me no more secrets. No more lies.”
“I promise.” Immediately breaking it. I can never tell her about the woman she killed. I’ll take that to my grave. It was for nothing. None other than her mom putting her through some sick joke or trying to send Adam a message.
“I love you,” she whispers.
I get up, and she spreads her legs, allowing me to kneel between them. I’m still half dressed, but my wife is naked. Just how I left her. Placing both of my forearms on either side of her head, I slide my fingers into her dark hair, and I pull her head back so I can lower my lips to her delicate neck. “I love you, Charlotte.”
She groans, her nails running up and down my sides. My lips trail up to her jawline and to hers. She opens up for me, letting me dominate her mouth as her hips rise, begging me for more.
Pulling away she smiles up at me. “You still owe me that honeymoon.”
I return it and say. “Next…”
She slaps her hand over my mouth and shakes her head. “I don’t want to know next week, next month, or next year. I want it to be a surprise.” Removing her hand from my mouth, she wraps her arms around my neck.
“Whatever my Lady wants,” I tell her, already having a plan.
Things are going to change around here. Babies are on the way—not only my wife but Ashtyn as well—and soon this place we call hell will be filled with laughter and little feet running up and down the hallways. We’ve always said Carnage is no place for kids, but it will prove us wrong.
It’s not what I thought my life would be. It’s way more than I could have ever dreamed.
EPILOGUE TWO
HAIDYN
EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER
Her bitch of a mother injected me with shit to make me live a long and healthy life. I’m not sure how much I took or how long it added to my life, but every time I look at my wife, my chest tightens, thinking of having to live a day without her. She has it too… but that doesn’t mean either of us is bulletproof.