He frowns, removes the phone from his ear and looks down at my vomit. I step in front of it to hide the cobb salad that I had for lunch while out with my friends. It tasted awful coming up. I should have eaten the soup of the day instead.
Pocketing his cell, he steps into me. “What’s going on? Talk to me,” he urges.
I blink, and the first tear falls down my cheek. His eyes follow it. “I…” Sucking in a deep breath, I swallow. “I got a message from the Lords,” I whisper, and his body stiffens. “They want me to take you to a location.”
His face hardens, and I take a step back. Lifting my hands, I placate as another tear runs down my cheek. “I promise I didn’t know…”
“When did you receive it?” he demands.
The urge to vomit returns when I answer. “Earlier today.”
He runs a hand over his hair and lets out a growl of frustration.
My chest tightens. “I’m sorry, Haidyn.”
“When were we supposed to be there?” he snaps.
My shaking hand unzips the pocket of the jacket, and I remove the phone to see it’s 9:59. “Now.”
He looks around the dark road. “How far are we from the given location?”
“I don’t know…” I have no clue where he took us to ride. And a part of me knew I wasn’t going to turn him in because of that.
The clock hits 10:00, and I hold my breath, looking up at him. Not sure what to do now. Time slows as we stand on the side of the road, both staring at my cell. The moment it changes to 10:01, it begins to ring in my hand.
I drop it and take a step back, my throat burning at the need to vomit once again. He goes to pick it up, but it immediately stops after one ring. Then it alerts us of an incoming text. “What’s…what does it say?” I ask, swallowing the knot in my throat while he reads over it.
“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? Whycan’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 biggestfuck youto the one pulling the strings. I’m in charge here, nother. 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?”
