Madness: Part 2 – Chapter 62

He turns his back to start his bike, and I slide the cell phone the Lords gave me into one of the pockets and zip it up. I’m breathing heavily inside the helmet, and I’m already shaking.

Haidyn slaps the back of my helmet. “Get on, doll face.” He holds out his hand, and I quickly rub mine on my jeans to wipe off the sweat, hoping he doesn’t notice before I put it in his.

I get on the back and try to adjust myself, getting comfortable. But I quickly learn that bikes aren’t meant for comfort. We take a corner, and I hang on to him, leaning with his body and giving him full control just like he said.

Closing my eyes, I push the helmet into his back and tighten my arms around his waist. Maybe we’ll have a wreck, then I won’t have to turn him in. Maybe we’ll get hit by a car and both die.

I wasn’t raised in church. Lords believe they are the only gods, and most Ladies don’t believe in a higher power either.

He places his left hand on my thigh, and his fingers dig into my jeans, giving my leg a squeeze. I break out in a sweat, my heart racing. All of a sudden, I can’t breathe. “Haidyn?” I call into the helmet, but he can’t hear me.

I pull back, push up the visor, and tap his back. “Haidyn? Stop!”

The bike slams to an abrupt stop as he pulls off the main road, my ass coming up off the seat, my body slamming into the back of his. I manage to get off the bike ungracefully and almost fall on my ass. I frantically try to push the helmet off, but it’s stuck, choking me.

“Charlotte,” he snaps, grabbing my arm and pulling me to him. He shoves my head up and undoes the buckle and pulls the helmet off.

I lean over, hands on my thighs, and suck in fresh air as excessive drool fills my mouth. I’m going to get sick…

“What’s wrong?” he asks, rubbing my back. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head and step back, not wanting to be touched. His concern pisses me off. That taste of vomit begins to burn my throat, and I gag.

“Charlotte,” he barks. Grabbing my arms, he forces me to rise to my full height, and my tear-filled eyes meet his blue ones.

“I can’t…I can’t do this,” I whisper, my bottom lip trembling, and I swallow down the bile that rises.

“Do what?” He looks from me to his bike, then back to me. “I promise you, it’s safe,” he adds. “I was joking earlier. Nothing is going to happen to us.” His eyes soften, and he runs his knuckles down my cheek. “I wouldn’t put you in a situation where you could get hurt, doll face.”

The tenderness of his touch and his choice of words do me in. My body jerks involuntarily as I spin around and give him my back just in time so I don’t vomit on him and drop to my knees.

“Hey.” He steps up behind me and gathers my hair with one hand while the other rubs my back. “I’ll take you to Gavin.” His hand leaves my back while the other still holds my hair, and I begin to dry heave.

Standing, I rip my hair from his hand and turn to face him. “I’m not sick,” I rush out.

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? Why can’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 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.

“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?”

She slowly nods and whispers, “Yes.”