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)
“You have failed your assignment, Annabelle. You are to report to the cathedral tonight at midnight. Alone,” he says tightly.
My legs give out, and I kneel on the side of the road in the grass, knowing this is it. I failed because I couldn’t give up a man who saved me. Why does it have to be one life or the other? Why can’t we both live and just move on without each other? But even I know the answer to that. I can’t walk away from Haidyn. If I wasn’t willing to give him to the Lords, I’m not willing to give him up to anyone.
HAIDYN
“Charlotte?” I pocket her phone and kneel in front of her. She’s bent over, gasping for breath. I pull her to her shaking legs and hold her face, afraid she may get sick again. “Breathe for me, doll face. You’re okay.”
She shakes her head. “I’m so-sorry.”
“Hey, you’re okay,” I reassure her.
“Please.” She tries to pull away, but I tighten my hold.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Charlotte. I promise. You’re okay. It’s okay.” I’m so fucking proud of her right now. She was given an order and couldn’t follow through. Fuck, that’s my girl.
I pull her to me, and she wraps her arms around me, burying her face into my chest. “You’re okay.” I rub her back. “I’ll fix it,” I assure her.
She pulls back, and I allow it. “How?” Her wide, tear-filled eyes look up into mine. The poor thing is terrified. Her body trembling. She got herself so worked up that she made herself sick.
My hand drops to her left hand, and I raise it between us to see the cheap little diamond. “Marry me.”
She takes another step back, and her hand falls to her side. Her lips part on a small gasp, but she says nothing.
“Think about it, Charlotte. If you’re my wife, the Lords can’t touch you.” The Spade brothers don’t have the same rules as the other Lords.
If I make her my Lady, only I can hand her over to them. It changes everything. I will have full control of my wife. It won’t matter what assignment she has; it’ll void it. So her assignment won’t be a fail on her end. It’ll be the biggest fuck you to the one pulling the strings. I’m in charge here, not her. They’ll never see it coming. I’m definitely doing it for my own sick reasons, but it’s fucking perfect. I should have done it sooner.
“But…how’s that save you?” Her shoulders shake. “I don’t know what they want from you…if I marry you, they’ll just send someone else.”
I snort. “I’m not worried about me, doll face.” If they want her, they’ll have to get through me. And I’m not a Spade brother for nothing. “What do you say, Charlotte?” I step in, cupping her tear-streaked face. “Will you marry me?”
She slowly nods and whispers, “Yes.”
SIXTY-THREE
CHARLOTTE
We pull back up to his house, and he helps me off the bike and leads me inside. I haven’t spoken since I said I’d marry him.
I honestly don’t know how we got to this point. Where I became so weak for a man I was supposed to use to get me where I wanted to be in life.
Was it the sex? Most likely. Men can fuck without getting attached. Women have too many feelings. We associate sex and love. Maybe I’d have been better off if he had shared me with others. Then I’d know my place.
“I’m going to make a phone call,” he states as we enter his room. Pulling me to a stop, he spins me around and cups my face. I stare up at him, and he lowers his lips to my forehead, gently kissing it. “I’ll be right back.” With that, he exits, and I plop down onto the couch.
My face falls into my hands, and I try to calm my racing heart. I’m giving up on Annabelle—the one who had big dreams. Now I’ll be Charlotte—Haidyn’s whore—until the day I die. I mean, it’s not a bad life to live. It’s just the fact that I’ve let everyone down. The ones that doubted me. I proved them right.
The door opens, and I look up to see him enter once again. This time, he has bags and suitcases in his hands. “Here’s your things.” He sets them down and turns, exiting once more.
I fall to the floor and open one of the suitcases. I should have known I wasn’t going to give him to the Lords because after Wesley left, I went into my closet and packed more of my things knowing I was coming back here.
Opening the second one, I see the white dress folded on top. It just feels right to wear it one last time.
Getting to my shaking legs, I slowly undress out of my jeans and T-shirt and slide the dress on. Then I numbly make my way to the bathroom and freshen up my nude lipstick and blush. A fresh coat of mascara. I never dreamed of a big wedding, so it’s not like I had expectations on what this day would be like.