Chapter 10 Everett
TEN
EVERETT
Iguess you could say that I live two lives. The one the Lords want me to have and one that they would kill me for.
It’s no secret that the Lords will fuck over whoever they can. They purposely seek out those who betray their oath. They love to make examples of them.
Punishment is key.
It’s another night, and I find myself walking up to the cemetery behind the cathedral. I’m here every night. I came to terms with my life years ago.
You’re probably wondering why I’d choose this life over death. I asked myself that same question for a very long time.
I used to pray to any god that would listen to kill me. I begged my body to give up and just let go. Certain it’d be better than this hell. Then one day, I had the opportunity to end it myself.
Eighteen years old
I’m officially eighteen. An adult. So they say. It doesn’t change who I am or where I’ve been.
Hell.
Burning in fucking hell.
My father woke me up in the middle of the night, dragged me out of my bed, and threw me into the passenger seat of a car. After he slammed the door shut, he stood outside of it, talking to a man I’d never seen before.
Now, he turns and goes inside while the guy gets in the driver’s seat.
“Seat belt,” he demands, pulling out of the gates.
“Where…where are we going?” I ask, rubbing my sweaty hands down my thighs.
The guy remains silent, which only raises my concern. My father never lets me leave home. He keeps me secluded and isolated.
My chest hurts from how violently my heart is beating. I’m shaking, my nose running, and my heart is broken. I never thought it would get this bad. A part of me knew, but I never wanted to believe it.
Why me? Why now?
No one can help me. I’m on my own.
My father expects me to just take it. Lie down and accept whatever he wants from me.
Well, lie down isn’t the right word. A woman tied down can’t run. A woman gagged can’t scream for help.
The Lords want us helpless, not compliant. No. The fucking bastards get off on the fight. They feel the most powerful when they hold you down.
“Where are we going?” I manage to control my voice better this time.
The man who’s driving begins to whistle.
Fresh tears run down my face, and my stomach knots, thinking about what they did to me. What they’re going to do to me. What else is there? They’ve taken everything I have. My mind, my body, my will. There’s nothing left for me to give.
I feel sick and need to vomit again. It’s on my shirt and my jeans. I couldn’t swallow it anymore.
I can’t do this. I won’t do this.
The man’s phone begins to ring, and he picks it up, placing it to his ear. “Yes, sir,” he says. “I understand.” He goes back to his fucking whistling.
I know what I have to do. I have no other option. My father has a tracker on me just in case something like this happens. He was afraid I’d run away, but I had nowhere to go.
So why let me leave now? I don’t even know how to drive a car to run away. I’m not allowed to have a life. No friends or family other than him. I never got to go to school. Forget college. He controls when and what I eat. When I sleep. He rules everything.
My life is a prison sentence, and he’s the warden.
I see the curve coming up ahead as the headlights shine on the road sign signaling to slow down. I take a quick look at the guy who stares straight ahead.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper to the one I can’t save. We’re both doomed. A fate that will only destroy us in the end. “I can’t…” My voice trails off as my throat tightens.
“Who the fuck are you talking to? Your father said you were crazy.” He’s finally speaking to me, but I ignore him.
I won’t give my father what he wants. I refuse to allow him to win. Not this time. Not like this.
The turn approaches, and I fist my hands on my lap. This is it. It’s my only chance. “Now or never,” I whisper.
“What are you—”
I reach over, grab the wheel, and jerk on it, making sure we don’t make the curve.
Life is shit, and nothing ever turns out how you plan. My life was already worthless, but my father proved to me that it could only get worse from there. I expected to die that night. Instead, it became my first attempt at suicide.
I’ve seen a lot of dead bodies. I’ve heard grown men plead for their lives, knowing it wouldn’t do them any good.
I’ve always thought about death.
How will I die? It’s going to happen eventually.
No one lives forever. It’s the one thing that money can’t buy you.
Maybe a little more time, but death is inevitable.
It comes to collect for all the sins you’ve committed.
And I’m not innocent. So why didn’t it take me then?
What did I ever do to deserve to survive that night?
At least the bastard driving died. And it felt good to know that I rid the world of one more Lord.
Of course, my father found me. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, and I remember feeling numb.
The one face I never wanted to see again was in mine, yelling at me.
He knew I’d done it on purpose, and he used that against me.
Told me how pathetic I was. How he’d make sure that I’d live forever.
I wanted to laugh because that’s not possible.
No one is invincible. Even the ones with the founders’ enhancement still die.
“You’re useless, Eve.” He gripped my face, digging his fingers into my bruised cheeks.
“You’re a danger to yourself, Eve.” I wanted to fight him, but my arms were tied to the hospital bed.
“I have to protect you from yourself.” I wanted to laugh.
He had never protected me before, but all of a sudden, I meant something to him.
Things got worse before they got better. It’s taken me a long time to heal and accept who I was. Thankfully, the past few years have actually been quiet. Until now. The Lords have put Kashton back in my life. They did it on purpose. Now I just need to know why.
What have I done? What did I do wrong? Are they mad at me? I’ve kept up my end of the deal.
I stay low and keep to myself. I still have no friends. Literally.
It doesn’t bother me. I’ve always been a loner. Not like I had a choice in how I lived my life.
But just because I’ve seen death all of my life doesn’t mean that when someone innocent dies, it doesn’t affect me. As coldhearted as I tell myself I am, I know that I’m not.
“When did you notice the body?” the man asks me as he writes in his notebook.
I cross my arms over my chest to protect myself from the night breeze. “However long it took you to get here.”
The homicide detective nods. “We’ll have to have you come to the station. So we can get a statement.”
“You mean interrogate me,” I correct him, and he finally glances up from his notebook. “You’re getting my statement now.”
“It’s standard procedure, miss.”
I shrug it off. They can run my fingerprints and swab the inside of my cheek. They can take a fucking blood sample. It won’t matter. I don’t exist. They won’t find anything.
He continues to ask me questions and writes things down as I watch the crime scene investigators look over the woman’s body that was dumped in the middle of the cemetery behind the cathedral. They’re gagging at the smell and how mutilated she is.
From what I can tell, she looks young. I could be wrong. I’ve seen enough bodies to know that she’s been dead for a while now. Her body decomposed. Probably left out for days in the sun at another location before she was dumped here.
It’s a threat. Even I can see that. No one is ever here. Someone wanted me to find her, but the question is, what did they want me to do with her? I know it wasn’t to call the cops. If this is a test, I’ve already failed.
Did they want me to bury her? Set her on fire? She deserved more than that. Her story isn’t going to end like that. She went through hell while she was alive and deserves some peace.
“Okay. Officer Anders will escort you to his car and take you to the station.”
The young officer walks over to join us, and I’m guessing he’s Anders. His dark eyes run over my skinny jeans, high heels, and T-shirt in a way that makes me want to roll mine. Lord or not, they’re all the fucking same.
“Am I under arrest?” I arch a brow.
The young officer places his hands on his duty belt and smirks. My eyes drop to his handcuffs, and I bet the bastard will try to place me in them. They think I’m just some dumb bleached blonde who has to obey their every word.
“Not at the moment, miss,” the homicide detective answers before turning to speak to the young officer in a hushed voice.
I remove my cell from my back pocket. I pull up the number of the only person I know can help me. “Hello?” he answers, yawning. “Eve?”
I woke him. “I’m headed to the station.”
“Huh?” He clears his throat, and I imagine him sitting up and turning on his bedside lamp. “Train station? Don’t be silly. Take the jet. I’ll call and have it ready for you. Where would you like to go?”
“Police station,” I correct him. “I’m going to be questioned regarding a dead body I found.”
“Don’t say a word. I’m on my way.” He hangs up, and I pocket my cell to see both men staring at me.
I’m not a suspect here, so I’m free to call whoever the fuck I want. “My attorney will meet us there.”
The younger one huffs, irritated because he can’t take advantage of the situation, and the older one nods. “Good. Good.”
Not really. My attorney will eat him alive. He’s a Lord, and they’re nobodies.
KASHTON
I haven’t spoken much to the guys other than when I returned and was in the office. I’m still keeping my distance from them. Nothing got solved, and they obviously don’t see an issue with what went down. Everything is fine with them now, Saint had told me.
Another bag of IV fluids later, and I’m back to myself. More determined than ever to get the girl.
I decided to go out again tonight. I’m avoiding Carnage, and I don’t think the guys even notice. Not like they should. They’ve got lives beyond that place now. Even if they are still living there.