Madness (L.O.R.D.S., #6)

by Shantel Tessier

“He has nothing to say. Maybe you should have Devin wire his mouth shut,” Sin says as he joins us in the room. “Want to be a Spade brother?” Kash asks, looking over at him. “Seriously, I feel like we could adopt you.” Sin laughs, thinking it’s a joke, but Kashton has become quite fond of Easton, and I’m pretty sure Kashton would have him and Elli a room ready to go by the end of the day.

My eyes drop to her stomach. The thought of Bill enters my mind. I imagine her tied up and ready for men to line up to fill her full of their cum to see who can knock her up first. A breeder…is what he said she’d be if she failed her assignment. Fuck that! Annabelle Marie Schults belongs to me. So I will make sure whatever it is the Lords want her to do, she passes. Because once the birth control shot I had Gavin give her wears off, she won’t be getting another one. The only babies she’ll be having are mine.

“This is what they call predicament bondage,” I explain. It’s the same thing I did with the anal hook, but I will admit this one is a little more advanced. “You either choose pain or choking.” She sucks in a deep breath. “You can let your nipples rest, but the rope will tighten around your neck when you drop the weight to the floor. Or you lift your chest to loosen the rope around your neck to breathe. But in doing so, you pick up the dumbbell, which will pull on your nipples. The choice is yours, doll face.”

“You like having something in all your holes? Like feeling full?” This is the only way she’ll know how it feels. No other cock will fuck what’s mine.

But daddy I love him

I’ll wash her and put her in my bed. Where she’ll stay. In my house. With me. Even if I have to do this to her every night, I will. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d either tie her to my bed every night or chain her up in my basement. Either way, she’s not leaving this house. No one is going to take her away from me.

Awww

“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.

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.

“What do you say, Charlotte?” I step in, cupping her tear-streaked face. “Will you marry me?” She slowly nods and whispers, “Yes.”

She wears the dress. The same one from the night that I first laid eyes on her. I was in complete awe when I found her in the bathroom earlier dressed in it. I don’t believe in signs, but it felt like one. That she was meant for me. Little Miss Priss to my pretty little whore. I’ve never had something that was all mine. Men like me don’t get what they want. They get what the Lords want them to have. What have I done to deserve her? Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to take advantage of the beautiful brunette who just took my last name.

“You know it’s poor taste to get drunk at your wedding,” Adam jokes, coming to stand next to her. He holds Muffin in one hand while the other scratches her head.

Annabelle Marie Schults is mine. Forever. Crossing my arms over my chest, Adam turns to see me. He gets a smile on his face and pretends to hold a microphone to his lips. “Ladies and gentlemen…I introduce Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.” He then acts like he drops it and picks up the remote on the coffee table, pointing it at the TV and pulls up his Spotify account. He picks one of his sappy playlists, then “You Are The Reason” by Calum Scott flows from the speakers. The man is as much of a hopeless romantic as he is heartless. Charlotte turns to face me, and I’m already headed toward her. Her eyes drop to her heels as she shuffles from foot to foot. She’s nervous. I come up to her and reach out my right hand. “Dance with me, Mrs. Reeves?”

“I vow to be yours, Haidyn. Forever.” I tell him. Anyone can sign a piece of paper. I want him to know that I’m in a hundred percent. Whatever he wants, I’ll give it to him, including my soul. A Lord demands nothing less. He lifts his hand and cups my cheek. His thumb runs along my parted lips as a smile tugs at his mouth. “You vow to be mine, doll face.” “We vow,” we say in unison, and then his lips are back on mine, devouring me like the monster I thought he was.

“I want you to see what I see every time I look into your eyes.” My hands tremble as I look down at the ring he just slid on my finger. It looks massive on me. A large sapphire diamond in the center with two tapered baguettes on either side of a silver band. Something tells me it’s platinum. The center stone has to be over five carats and it makes me sick to my stomach. What I almost did to him. How differently tonight could have gone.

My eyes follow my hands as they run over his hard and muscular body. He has a skull tattoo on his right pec. It looks like it’s melting, dripping down his chest. The left eye is where his Lords brand is—circle with three horizontal lines through it. He has the 666 brand on the other. A shattered hourglass below it. “What does this mean?” I wonder, running my nails over it. “Why is it shattered?” I clarify, looking over the pieces of sand that cover his skin. It looks so real. As if I could run my hands through it. The details are amazing. He’s used them a lot with me when I’m being punished. Lifting his head off the back of the cushion, his eyes meet mine when he speaks. “It’s a reminder that nothing lasts forever.” He removes his arms from the couch and places his tatted hands on my bare thighs that straddle his lap. “No matter how bad things are, they’ll eventually end.”

“Is that what you want, doll face? Want me to fuck that tight ass of yours?” If I were keeping track, I’d say my dick has been in her cunt and mouth more than her ass, which is new for me.

Kashton watches the now closed door while he speaks. “Do you believe in coincidences?” “No,” I answer. “Me either.”

This bleach blonde will be Kash’s lady. There are too many details about this scene for her to never show up again.

“You’ve been the only one, doll face.” My girl keeps me satisfied. I’ve never been a one-woman kind of guy, but it’s different with Charlotte. I wouldn’t have married her otherwise. “I’ve also never kissed anyone until you,” I tell her. It’s the truth. That day she stood in her kitchen after giving herself over to me, I did what I had wanted to do for so long. Kissing is too personal—intimate. I wanted to make her mine in every way.

WHAT

She’s mine, and I’m going to make her understand that. When we started this game, I was determined to win no matter what it cost. Now I understand that it might take everything I have because I already know how this will end. This is why the Lords sent her to me. I believe her when she says she doesn’t know what they want from me, but I know. There’s only one thing that they want me to give—my life. And I’m going to make sure it’s worth it. Allowing myself to fall in love with her is madness. No matter how I try to justify it, the ending will be the same. I can only hope I have time to leave her with something that will remind her of me.

I’ve taken a lot from her. Some things she’s aware of; others she’s not. But she’ll see the pain I’ve caused her once the truth comes out. I can only hope I will no longer be here when she discovers the truth. Because I don’t know how I’ll face her once she realizes what I’ve done.

He killed her father on that yacht for the Spade Brothers’ initiation

“What the hell are these?” She holds up a clear rectangular container that holds a pair of blackout contact lenses. “Something tells me they’re not a part of a Halloween costume.”

Pulling out a seat at her kitchen table, he sits down in it and removes his Lords mask. My pulse races at the sight of the man who I’ve been carrying around a picture of. “How do you know Charlotte?” I demand. “You mean Annabelle?” He arches a dark brow, and I grind my teeth. His laughter fills the room. “You were so consumed with her that you had no clue what was right in front of you.”

I didn’t want to hurt her. Not like that. Not at all. I’m in love with her. She’s my wife. That’s not supposed to mean something in our world, but it does to me.

Oh my gosh, my heart

After taking out her trash, I pick up my phone off the counter and pull up the contact I want. I stare at it for a few seconds, trying to calm my racing heart. Fuck, I hate this bitch so goddamn much. But this has to be done. Hitting call, I place the cell to my ear and pace Charlotte’s kitchen. “Hello, Haidyn.” The woman answers on the first ring. “I knew you’d come around eventually.” “I want your word,” I demand, ignoring her statement. This is what she wanted. Her laughter makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “Give me your fucking word!” I bark, not in the mood for her bullshit games right now. She clears her throat. “You’re not in any position to…” “You want me? Then you fucking promise me that you don’t touch her!” I know what’s coming. And I’m willing to do what she wants as long as it guarantees my wife is safe. “You have my word,” she states. “Annabelle won’t be touched.”

He just sold his soul to the devil

“Let’s run away together.” There it is, and it makes me smile. “We can’t.” I refuse to give her a life like Adam has. Once you start running, you can never stop. Rolling her eyes, she sighs heavily. “You said that it was up to me how long I’m with you. That I got to choose.” “I did,” I agree, remembering that time in her kitchen. It feels like years ago that I decided she’d be mine. She holds up her left hand, showing me her sapphire wedding ring. Then I meet her stare as she speaks. “I choose to be with you forever.” I want to remind her that she didn’t choose me, but instead, I sit up, cupping her face, and speak. “To some, forever is only a matter of seconds.”

My mind is made up. I’ve failed at protecting everyone who had ever meant anything to me. I won’t make the same mistake with Charlotte. My wife deserves better. The love of my life deserves the world, even if that means I’m no longer part of hers.

I can already tell the ending will kill me…..

My time with her is limited, but I consider myself lucky. Not everyone knows when they’ll leave this world. I do, and I’m going to spend every second buried inside her. Savoring her scent, the feel of her soft touch, the sound of her voice. So when I’m locked in a cage surrounded by nothing but darkness and silence, I’ll have her on my mind. I’ll have memories to remind me that I was once a man who loved a woman who deserved better. They won’t be able to take that away from me, and that’s what I call a win.

Well the tears are coming….

I got out of bed and made it to the bathroom just in time to vomit. I tried to tell myself that it was just the past twenty-four hours that finally caught up with me, but that was a lie.

I bet she is pregnant

It just solidified that something is coming. If he’s worried, then I need to be terrified.

Then I catch sight of my wedding ring. I take it off and turn to the bed. I cup her tear-streaked face and lean over her trembling body. “Just know that it was real for me, and I hope that one day you can forgive me, beautiful.” She blinks, her nostrils flaring as she breathes deeply through them. My thumbs rub the tears away, but they’re falling too fast to keep up with them. “In a world where it’s either you or me…I’ll always choose you, doll face.” Sniffling, she shakes her head, remembering the words she once said to me. I nod. “Yes, it’ll always be you. I love you,” I say, leaning down and giving her forehead a soft kiss, ignoring her sob. “Remember that, Charlotte.”

“I know who has him, but I don’t know where they have him.” “Who the fuck is it?” Kashton snaps. Adam’s eyes meet mine as he says, “Bella Marie Costello.” The room falls silent—Kashton and Saint both go stiff where they stand. I find myself getting to my shaking legs. “No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “That’s not possible.” Saint is the one who whirls around and glares at me. “You know her?” I swallow the knot that forms in my throat. “She’s my mother.” Costello is her maiden name.

“Please know that I loved you more than anything in this world…and when I walk out this door, I’m leaving a piece of myself behind with you because nothing short of forever would have been enough.” He smiles, and I try to catch my breath. “You’ll be safe at Carnage and my brothers will protect you.” He leans forward and picks up the phone before speaking. “I love you, Charlotte.”

This video tore me up!!!!

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist a pretty face.” My heart accelerates at the mention of my wife. “Hudson?” she calls out, and a man walks into the darkly lit room. My eyes narrow on him, knowing exactly who he is. I remember him from Charlotte’s kitchen when I found her lying on the floor thinking she was dead. Walking over to her, he says, “Yes, Mommy?” I pull my lip back at his pet name for her. I’m not one to kink shame because I like some fucked-up shit, but the fact that he’s calling his ex-girlfriend’s mother, Mommy grosses me out. Sliding his hand into the V of her dress, he grabs her breast and leans over, kissing her.

Are you fucking kidding me? Hudson is Wesley???????

“All men are the same. They think because they have a dick, they own the world. But what if I told you that women started the Lords centuries ago?”

This isn’t my senior year at Barrington, and she’s not my chosen. I knew Charlotte was her daughter the moment I found out her true identity. I wanted revenge and saw an opportunity. Even though I knew it was a setup. I couldn’t deny I wanted her since the day I saw her on her father’s yacht.

“There’s a rumor going around that Lords are given enhancements to produce twins.” She throws her head back, her laughter growing louder. “And you actually believe it. They are given…supplements, yes, but it’s the women who determine twins. Not the men. Take your friend Ryat, for example. His wife, Blakely. She comes from a founder. She’s about to give him twin boys, right?” LeAnne. Now it all makes sense. Charlotte said her mother is best friends with LeAnne. I should have known. “Who knows how many more kids they’ll have. Or their kids will have…see, Haidyn, it’s the Ladies who keep your legacies alive.”

A man enters and comes to stand next to me while I lie on the hospital bed. I’ve been restrained to it since my operation.

What kind of operation???