“Ever heard of Dollhouse?”
I grind my teeth but answer. “No. What the fuck is it?”
“Annabelle thinks she’ll take over her family’s business. But it’s not what she thinks it is.”
“Look, I’m tired of your fucking riddles. You had me meet you at three in the morning to see this shit…” I point at the woman while she fights her restraints that hold her in place. “For fucking nothing.” Turning, I give him my back. “Thanks for nothing.”
“Annabelle isn’t going to like the life she gets if she completes her assignment.”
“None of us do,” I throw over my shoulder as I approach the stairs. I start to descend when he speaks again.
“Very few people in our world are truly innocent, Haidyn.”
I stop and turn to face him. He remains standing by the naked woman with his hands shoved into his dress slacks.
“I can say without a doubt that Annabelle is one of them.”
“It’s too late,” I say, shaking my head. I’ve already made her mine. I’ve branded my name on her ass. I’m too far in with her to toss her to the side. And if he’s right…she’s innocent—just another woman caught up in a life that will destroy her.
“Is she in your bed right now?” He goes on as my mind runs wild with the new information.
I don’t answer, and he walks toward me. My silence is answer enough. Coming to a stop at the top of the stairs, he speaks, “Go home…grab your gun and put a bullet in her head while she sleeps.” He takes the first step off the stairs, getting closer.“I love Annabelle like she is my own, but I promise you, that’s the best outcome she’ll get.” With that, he walks down the stairs, passing me.
FORTY-NINE
HAIDYN
Ipull up to my house and push the garage door opener. I start to enter, but I pause when I see her SUV. I knew it was going to be here, but it’s weird seeing it.
Pulling in, I park next to her Cullinan, turn off my car, and get out, closing the garage door before I enter the house. It’s dead silent and pitch black since the sun hasn’t come up yet. Making my way to the primary suite, I open the door and enter, closing it behind me.
The curtains are open so there’s a little light in here from the sconces that hang on the outside of the house. She’s lying in my bed. Her back to the window, her arm stretched out on my side of the bed. Her cat lies on my pillow like always.
Walking over to the nightstand, I remove my gun from the waistband of my jeans and go to put it on the surface but pause, looking back at her. She looks so pretty and peaceful.
Her dark lashes laying on her cheeks, her pouty lips are parted, and she softly snores. I release the gun and get undressed. Picking up the covers, I lie down next to her and pull them back up to cover us both as Muffin meows and jumps off the bed.
I run the back of my knuckles along her cheek, over her jaw, and down her neck. Her pulse is strong and steady.
“Haidyn?” she whispers, her eyes remaining closed.
“Yeah, doll face. It’s me,” I tell her, my thumb running over her bottom lip.
She gives me a faint smile, then she does something I don’t expect. She moves closer, pressing her soft body into mine and draping her left arm over my side and her left leg over my hip.
It makes me tense for just a second before I melt into her warm embrace. Lying down on the bed on my side, I run my right hand up her back, feeling the curve of her spine and over the nape of her neck. I can feel her Lords crest that they branded her with before I allow my fingers to slide into her soft hair and cup the back of her head. I hold her as if she’s a dream I don’t want to wake up from as I remember part of our “training.”
Four years ago
“I have something to show you,”the woman says with a smile.
I grind my teeth. “I’m not in the mood for games,” I inform her, stepping into her. The four guys rush forward, and she raises her hands to stop them.
“No worries, boys. We’re just talking.”
I need to check on Saint. This is the first time she’s let me out of my basement cell in days. “What the fuck do you want?” I still don’t know where the fuck Kashton is.
“I want to show you something.” She steps forward.
