Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

Olivia

I try to do as he asks and get onto my knees before forcing myself to stand, but I fall again, hitting my head against

the wall.

Jasper rushes inside the bathroom. “I said help her wash, not kill her,” he says as he steps inside the shower. “What the f**k!? This is freezing.”

Tyson shrugs. “I thought cold water was good for people with a fever.”

Jasper mutters something under his breath as he takes me out of the shower and has me sit on the toilet. My shirt is soaked and cold, and it clings to me like a second skin, and I wrap my arms around myself.

“She is going to die sooner or later; I don’t see the point in dragging out the inevitable,” says Tyson.

Me either.

Jasper goes to check the temperature of the water. “You already know why.”

“If you think that by f**king her and posting videos of her and her nasty p**sy all over social media, we will finally be able to take down Senator Deymar, you are delusional. That man doesn’t give a f**k about her. He will even deny she is his daughter.”

Tyson is not wrong about my father, although he might get a heart attack if his career as a politician is ruined.

“You think that didn’t cross my mind? We will have Cirro look into the evidence once he is done with that job for the

Elders,” says Jasper.

What evidence?

Except for my birth certificate, there is little proof of me living with my parents while growing up. There had been a handful of times when I was allowed to be part of the family photos, and I am sure my mother had thrown them out already as she always hated the color of my hair. ‘Red is for whores,’ she used to say, although my hair is auburn, it was the same thing for her. Guess she was right in the end, I am a wh ore.

“Whatever. Like I said last night, I don’t want any part in this sh it,” Tyson says and leaves.

Jasper lets out a loud sigh before returning to me. “Do you need to use the toilet?”

I shake my head. He removes his clothes, then mine.

“Don’t mind Tyson. He always gets like this when he is editing one of his books,” he says as he takes me to the shower.

The water is warm enough to stop me from shaking.

Jasper is gentle as he cleans my hair.

to me,

Olivia

am forced to think

right hand in his and looks at my wrist. “No matter how hard you try, you will never be free of

wanted to find some

and as I mentioned

“I am not harming

you to be clean and look healthy in the sex video we are going

suggest, letting him know I am willing to take part in their absurd plan of taking down my father. It’s

don’t want the Dukes to think we

think the Dukes care about how I

a Duke were right here, right now, he would see you only as a s*x s lave, and he would not ca re what happens to you, but once you are healthy and radiant, looking absolutely smitten with us, every single Duke in town

I am damaged goods. A look at my scars and

his eyes. “Do you know what kintsugi is?” I shake my head. “It’s an old Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.” Tracing a scar I have below my belly button, he adds, “Your

of gold will fix

film you being railed by us, making you scream our names, those watching the

everyone believe I am your woman? You can always f**k me and show

won’t be the same.” Probably noticing I am still confused, he

me back to the room. Clean sheets and a

am sorry for getting it dirty,”

the bed, then goes to the closet and takes a t-shirt from inside. “I flipped

in my a ss, but I do as I am told. When he tries to restrain me again, I say, “Please, I will go

214

Olivia

until you are free of drugs.” But I don’t want to be free of drugs! Not that it matters what I want.

not

says before

bit of luck, Jasper will forget about me. Besides, even if I want to eat, I don’t think I can stomach anything. Everything…just

cough, and my throat feels so dry. Water would be nice but do

few minutes

chest hurts

room keeps spinning and spinning. It feels more like I am on a boat in the middle of

I close my eyes.

door opens, and

pretend to be

eggs.” Jasper’s voice reaches my ears. Why does he keep telling me random stuff I don’t care about?

eyes. I didn’t even realize it was Christmas. The last time I celebrated it was wi th Camila and her family. I miss her so much, each passing second is an agony without her. “Merry Christmas to you too,” I whisper, while I don’t feel ‘merry’