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 turn a corner as a hand fists my hair. I go to scream out but another slaps over my face. I’m pulled into a room and pressed into a wall. It’s pitch black. I blink rapidly, trying to focus on anything as I wait for my vision to adjust to the darkness.
A hard body presses into mine while I hear the two men running down the hall outside of the door looking for me. “Don’t make a sound,” a voice whispers in my ear, making me whimper. “Or you’re dead.”
SAINT
I wake up to my cell blaring in my ear. It sounds like a horn going off on a car. Without even bothering to look at it, I ignore it and roll over, throwing my arm over Ashtyn. My eyes spring open when all I feel is the cool sheets.
“Ashtyn?” I sit up, looking to my left. Yanking the covers back, I see no one is there.
My phone goes off again, and I pick it up to see it says code 26. “Fuck!” I hiss, jumping out of bed just as it rings.
“What the fuck is going on?” I demand when I see it’s Kashton.
“I heard the code is for Ashtyn,” he rushes out.
“No.” My stomach drops. “It can’t be.”
“Is she with you?” he demands.
I stand naked and stare at my messy bed.
“Fuck.” He curses at my silence. “I’ll help you look for her. I’ll be there in two minutes.” He hangs up, and I immediately dial Haidyn’s phone.
“Hello?” he asks, voice rough.
“Where the fuck are you?” I snap out of it and start pulling on a pair of jeans.
“In bed. Where the fuck are you?” He yawns. I swear he can sleep through anything.
“Ashtyn is missing, and we’ve got a code 26.” I yank on a T-shirt.
“Fuck.” He sighs, sounding more awake now. “What do you need me to do?”
“Get up, get dressed, and help find her before the guards do.” They don’t send an alert out for no reason. But if they get to her before me, it could be days before I’m allowed to talk to her. She would never do anything that would warrant a code.
You get one chance to control her. If she fucks up, she’s going to the basement.
“I’m up,” he assures me, and then I tell him we’ll split up and to call me if he finds her first.
THIRTY-ONE
ASHTYN
I run down the dimly lit hallway, looking over my shoulder. My hair sticks to my tear-streaked face. Sucking in air, I hold my side, trying to ignore the sharp pain.
“ASH!”
My breath hitches, and I stumble over my own feet but manage not to fall flat on my face. I sidestep into a dark room and yank the door open to shield me as I push my back into the interior wall, allowing the door to cover me. Maybe if they see it’s open, they won’t think to look in here. My bloody hands come up to cover my face to quiet my sobs.
Don’t let them hear you.
“Ash,” Kashton calls out, making me jump. “Where the fuck did she go, man?” he growls.
“I don’t know. But we better find her. You go that way; I’ll go this way,” Saint suggests and just the sound of his voice makes my chest tighten.
“Where the fuck is Haidyn?” Kashton asks.
“I told him we needed to split up. He’s covering the hospital. If he finds her first, he’ll call me,” Saint answers.
I close my eyes after they go quiet, pressing my back into the cold wall, praying it’ll swallow me up and I won’t be seen.
Footsteps grow heavy as someone approaches, and I bite my tongue to keep from whimpering. Prying my watery lashes open, I turn my head to peek through the slit in the door and see Kashton walk by while typing away on his cell.
I knew I’d never survive here, but now I have no choice. The Spade brothers are free to come and go as they please. They’re not prisoners here like I am. As much as they mean to me, they’ll never understand my need to leave. To escape. Especially Saint. No matter how much it physically hurts me to know I won’t have him in my life. That once I’m gone, he’ll move on and be with another woman. That’s part of being a Lord—marriage, kids. They have to provide the world with more of them. That way, when they die one day, they’ll have an heir to carry on their name.
Once Kashton’s out of sight, I push my back into the wall once again and inhale a deep breath before pushing off it. My shaky hand wraps around the edge of the door, and I slowly push it away from me so I can get out from behind it. It squeaks, and I hold my breath for a second as my heart races. After a moment of silence, I go to step out of the room, but a hand hits my chest, shoving me back inside.