He sighs, taking a puff from his cigar. “I keep in touch with his father…We play golf together.”
I stay silent because I’m not sure why that’s important.
“But he recently got into some trouble and well…” His eyes meet mine. “He’s currently away.”
“Byaway, you mean backpacking through Europe, right?” I joke, but he doesn’t laugh. He just stares up at me, and I run a hand through my hair. I’m fucking tired, my body sore as fuck, and I don’t know if I should scream or drink myself into a coma. “You said we were supposed to get married a year ago, but you just said he’s currently away. Is he on an assignment?” Lords start doing assignments after they graduate from Barrington, so an assignment makes sense. Some take a long time to complete, depending on what they have to do. Case in point—my current situation in life. Who knows when mine will be completed.
“Think something more permanent,” he answers.
The way he says it makes my stomach drop. I stand, walking to his desk. “You mean he’s at Carnage.”
He says nothing.
“But Carnage is like death row. You don’t get taken to Carnage and then released, so…I just never get married?”
“You don’t need a Lord to be powerful, Anna.” His eyes drop to glance between my legs, and I take a step back from his desk nervously.
“You overheard our fight.” It’s not a question. He knows I’m no longer a virgin.Great!
“Your conversation, yes.”
I snort. That was not a conversation. “She’s stubborn.”
“She wants what’s best for you,” he counters and stands from his desk. “Your mother knows where you belong in our world, and she wants to make sure you’re given every opportunity to get there.”
My eyes widen. “Wait. Are you saying the reason my assignment is Haidyn is because my future Lord is a prisoner there? My mother has something to do with it?” It would make sense. That’s why they want me on the inside, and they haven’t given me much to do when it comes to Haidyn. Maybe he’s just my in to their hell.
He shakes his head. “Your mother doesn’t have power over what you do and don’t do when it comes to initiations or assignments.”
“Then why Haidyn? Why Carnage? It has to be connected, right?” Finally, I feel like I’m getting a little bit of information, but it’s only leaving me with more questions.
Bill shrugs. “I can’t tell you that because no one knows why the Lords pick what they do for initiations or assignments. But I will say they always have a purpose.”
HAIDYN
I sitat my desk back at my house. I’ve been fidgety all day, so I went for a ride and worked out. When neither helped my sour mood, I found myself here, where I’ve been for the last three hours.
The papers that Adam gave me about the true identity of Charlotte and all the pictures with Ashtyn that I was given when in Vegas are burning in the fireplace to my left. Saint knows where I live, which means it won’t be long before Kashton shows up at my door as well. I had to destroy them. I don’t want anyone able to find a paper trail that will lead to who she really is.
The hourglass sits in front of me on the wooden surface, the sand running through the center to fill up the bottom. It’s a reminder that time never stops. No matter what you can control, time isn’t one of them.
I have Charlotte pulled up on my monitor. She lies in her bed like every other night, naked. The clock on my screen shows it’s a quarter to five in the morning. She’s been tossing and turning all night. I’m keeping my girl awake.
She’s frustrated and confused.Good.I want her second-guessing everything—even her existence.
I took the one thing she was supposed to be holding on to. Now what? Does she no longer matter? Will her Lord reject her? I want her to think that her future is no longer what she thought it would be.
I’m taking over everything in her life, including her body and mind. I own her. I’ve made her mine, and she will remain that way until I toss her to the side like a used-up whore that no respectable Lord will want. Which, if I have my way, will be years down the road. Why would I hand over something I’ve wanted for so long?
She’s had my name branded on her ass for all but a week, and I’ve already taken over her life. I can tell I’m always on her mind. She even watches over her shoulder as if waiting for me to come out of the shadows, tie her down, and fuck her. Make her my dirty little whore who begs in the sweetest way for me to use her.
I love it.Precious and innocent Annabelle to needy slut Charlotte.
She lets out a moan, rolls over, and gives me her back on the monitor.
My eyes drop to the hourglass to see it’s run out of time, and I flip it over. Then I pick up my cell, open my messages, and send a picture to her phone. Setting it down, I hear hers go off, and she huffs. Rolling over, she picks it up off her nightstand, and the light from the screen shines on her pretty face.
Her breathing picks up, and her nipples go hard when she sees what I sent her.
