Chaotic (L.O.R.D.S. #7) — Chapter no 18

EIGH TEEN

EV ERETT

wake up the following morn ing hungover and feeling like abso‐I lute shit. Everything hurts and I’m no longer ashamed. Just pissed off at myself for sleeping with Kashton. One second, and I folded like a chair for him.

Pathetic. It can’t happen again. I won’t allow it. Next time I fire a gun at him, I’ll make sure to hit him where it hurts.

Crawling out of bed, I pull on a T-shirt before making my way to the kitchen for some Advil.

Turning on the light to the living room, I jump, slapping my chest when I see the man sitting on my couch. “Fuck.” I let out a breath.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snap, getting pissy. I’m irri‐ tated for several reasons. I knew this day would be shit too.

He lazily looks over my shirt. I’m glad I at least put something on, because I crawled into bed naked last night. I wish I had put under‐ wear on, though. “We need to talk,” he says, not even bother ing to meet my eyes.

“Call me. It’s easier for me to ignore,” I say and walk to my kitchen.

I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge, but it’s snatched from my hands the next second. “Hey,” I snap, turning around.

He pushes my back into the counter, and I glare up at him. “I got a call.”

I huff. I don’t know who the fuck called him, and I know he won’t tell me if I ask. “I have it under con trol.”

He lifts his hand and runs his knuckles down my exposed neck. “I don’t think you do.”

I stiffen. Did Kashton leave marks? I mean, I’m covered in bruises, but that’s nothing new. Fighting off grown men will leave evidence.

“Your concern isn’t needed. Leave.”

“You know he’s going to be a problem, right?”

I want to ask who thehe is he’s talking about exactly, but I don’t.

If I ask that, then he’ll def initely know I don’t have anything under control.

“You can’t fuck your way out of this, Eve.”

He’s got to be talking about Kashton; no way is he refer ring to Adam. “Maybe I should try it. Always seems to work for the Lords.”

Sex is their answer to everything.

He grabs my upper arm and spins me around, forc ing me to face the counter. He slides my hair off my shoulder and gently twists his fist around it, pulling my head to the side. I suck in a deep breath, and he pushes his body into my back and lowers his lips to my ear.

“I need to re lease some tension. Bend over and spread your legs,” he whispers.

A sour taste fills my mouth. I want to blame it on the al cohol, but I know it’s from him touching me in such an intimate way. “I’m not into in cest,” I tell him.

He chuckles, and when his free hand slides between my legs, I close my eyes and clench my thighs shut to keep him out. “You can act as tough as you want, Eve. But we both know you have no con‐ trol over who fucks this cunt. I was the one who trained you, after all.”

Opening my eyes, I see a knife stabbed into the wooden block to my right. Close enough to… I reach to grab it from the block to stab him, but he’s faster. He yanks me back from the counter with his fist still in my hair and shoves me away. I trip over my wobbly legs and fall so hard that I drop the knife, and he kicks it across the room.

I scramble to stand, my heart pounding, breathing er ratic. He stands there staring at me with a vacant look in his eyes, though there’s a smile on his face. “You’re too pre dictable, Eve. That’s why he’d never fall for your shit.”

“Get the fuck out of my house,” I shout.

“Do I need to re mind you of where you came from? What you were made for?”

I swallow, try ing to not lose my shit. That’s what he wants. A rea‐ son to drag me back to hell. No one es capes Dollhouse. Not to have the life that I do.

“No, sir,” I say, try ing to sound appre cia tive. All Lords are the same.

They want to be power ful.

That smile appears back on his face, and I feel nauseated. What he’s done to me. What I know he’s capable of. He is why I drink so much. It helps me forget what I wasn’t lucky enough to block out.

Thankfully, he also talks a lot of shit. He may have trained me, but he’s never fucked me.

He steps into me, his hand cup ping my chin, and I hold my breath as he leans down and gently kisses my fore head. “I’ll see you soon, sis.”

When I hear the door close, I close my eyes and fist my hands. The Lords are setting me up. It has to be them. They want to see me gone. I know too much. I knew this day would come.

I know Isabella and LeAnne.

I know about Dollhouse.

I know Adam is still alive.

I know a lot of se crets about oth ers that they want to make sure don’t get out.

You’re next was carved into the woman’s body that was dropped where I spend most of my nights. It might as well have been a neon sign with my name on it.

The only question is, do I lie down and take it, or fight back? Either way re quires me to spread my legs, because that’s all I have to give.

My doorbell rings, and I frown. I never have visitors, and if I do, they show up unannounced like the one I just had to fight off. I pick the knife up off the floor so I don’t step on or trip over it, making my way to the front door.

Yanking it open, I stare at a set of brown eyes. They widen when they get a look at my messy hair and half-dressed, bruised body.

They drop to the knife in my hand, and he holds out a massive bou‐

quet of flowers. It probably looks like I have a cheating boyfriend try ing to apolo gize with out having to say the actual wordsI’m sorry.

“Delivery.” He swallows nervously.

“From whom?” I ask but have an idea.

“Umm…there’s a card.” He shakes the black velvet hat box that’s full of red roses at me. I take it from his hands, trying not to stab him with my knife.

“Thanks.” I slam the front door shut, make my way back to the kitchen, re turn the knife to where it belongs, and rip the card from the flow ers as I read the logo on the box. Venus et Fleur.

Opening up the card, it reads:

“Bas tard.”

KASHTON I pull up to Sin and Elli’s house at ten o’clock on the dot. I take a gulp of my Red Bull before getting out. After meeting with Adam this morn ing, I managed to get about three hours of sleep.

Eve is heavy on my mind. What she’s been through. What she’s seen. Why does she hate Haidyn, Saint, and me so much? Is it be‐ cause she hates all men? She mentioned the Spade broth ers specifi‐ cally, but she likes Adam.

Why him? Is it because he helped her escape to Ve gas?

The front door opens, and I jump out of the Cadillac Escalade V and rush to the passenger door for Elli. She mumbles athank you and slides into the seat.

I’m not sure if Sin is here, but he sent me the information I needed earlier this morn ing. I’m driv ing her an hour out of town for an ap‐

pointment.

She re mains silent, and I don’t try to talk to her. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking the wrong questions.

An hour later, I’m pulling into a parking lot and then helping her out of the SUV. I hold her elbow as we make our way up a set of steps and into a brick building. I am not taking my chances with Sin’s wife.

The fact that he trusts me with her means a lot to me.

There’s an empty waiting room. She signs her name on a clipboard and then sits in a chair.

I plop down next to her, looking around. I still have no clue where we’re at or who she’s here to see. It’s obviously not for the baby.

She sees Gavin and Devin for that, and she just had an appointment at Carnage yes terday.

“Mrs. Sinnett?” a woman calls out from a door.

I stand, helping Elli to her feet, and then rub my hands on my

jeans. “Do you want me…?”

“I’ll be an hour,” she informs me.

“Okay.” I nod. She’s telling me to sit the fuck down and wait.

Falling back into my seat, I rest my head on the back of the chair and close my eyes, think ing about Eve and Dollhouse. I’m not sure what to do.

The Lords are after her. That was evident when the body showed up at the cemetery. But why? What does she know that they want to bury her for? She needs to tell me everything. That’s the only way I can pro tect her. I won’t fail like I did in the past.

Twelve years old I find myself down in the basement at Carnage. I’ve been hid ing down here for the past week. We’re on sum mer break, so I’m able to spend more time with her.

Coming up to the cell, I sit down and look through the bars. It’s darker than usual. The single light bulb she has is bro ken, and pieces of glass litter the concrete floor. “What happened?” I ask, pushing my face to the bars. “Are you okay?”

“You shouldn’t be down here,” she whispers bro kenly, but I don’t see her.

“But…I always come visit you.” I blink, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness and huff when it doesn’t work.

“You need to stop, Kashton.”

“No.” I move to my knees and try to squeeze through the bars, even though I know it’s impossible. “I brought you a brownie.” I dig into my pocket and pull it out. “Sorry, it’s a little smashed, but I bet it will still taste good.”

She doesn’t say anything, and I place it between the bars right by the door. I don’t want it covered in glass.

“Please?” I beg her, and she sighs before I hear move ment.

The light from the hallway shines into the front of the cell, and I watch as she crawls closer to the door on all fours with her head down. “You’re bleeding,” I say when I catch sight of the blood on her

hands and knees.

“I’m fine,” she lies.

Why? She’s never lied to me before. “I’ll go get you some Band-

Aids.” I jump to my feet.

“No. Don’t. Just stay here…with me?”

I fall down onto my butt, thankful she wants to see me. That’s un‐ like her. She’s al ways telling me to go. To be care ful and that I shouldn’t be down here. “Okay.”

“I…I want to tell you how proud of you I am, Kashton.”

I frown. “But I haven’t done anything.”

“You’ve done everything. You’ve fed me and offered to keep me warm,” she whispers, making no attempt to pick up the brownie.

“But some times you have to hurt the one you love.”

I don’t like that. “You’ve never hurt me.” She loves me, right? She’s never told me before, but I know she does.

“I will. It’s life…inevitable.”

The sound of a door slamming has me jump ing up. I blink rapidly, wiping drool off my chin. I had fallen asleep.

Has an hour already passed by?

A crying Elling ton rushes past me and out the front door. I look around aimlessly, try ing to get my bearings, then grab a box of Kleenex off a round table to my right before I rush after her.

“Elli?” I call out, running up next to her. She can’t move very fast with her pregnancy. I take her elbow like earlier and help her down the steps before putting her in the passenger seat of the SUV.

Once I fall into the driver’s seat, I hand her the box, and she starts blowing her nose, sobbing uncontrollably.

“What can I do?” I ask nervously. Shit. Easton is going to kill me.

“Need me to call Sin?”

She shakes her head, wiping her eyes. “He…won’t answer.”

Right. Fuck. He’s on an assignment. “Need me—”

“Just…let’s just go.” She hiccups. “Please.”

“Are you hungry?” I ask. I know women get emotional when they’re hungry. Especially pregnant women. Don’t they have insane cravings?

She nods and speaks softly. “I could eat.”

Okay, we’re getting some where. “What would you like?” I never venture this far out, so I don’t know what’s around here, but I’ll drive another hour out of my way if I need to in order to get her what she wants.

Blowing her nose again, she takes a deep breath, try ing to calm

down. “Ice cream,” she answers.

Ice cream it is.