Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

147. Ansel

Ever since Jasper moved out of the main house and into the guest house with Olivia, the others have been feeling down. Rueben

and Tyson might not admit it, but Jasper is the soul of the party, his ldad jokes making everyone laugh. New Year is supposed

to be a fun day for all of us; we have an escort to spend the entire night with, but not this year. Since Olivia entered our lives,

things have changed. Rueben and Tyson are always in foul moods, Jasper never takes his eyes off Olivia, and Mose has no idea

what to make of everything while | am waiting to see what happens

next.

Empty pizza boxes lay on the coffee table next to scans of soda and bottles of alcohol. It is only on special occasions that we

have junk food since Mose cooks almost every day. Not that | amplaining, but eating s p i c y things day after day is getting

old.

Rueben and Mose are playing poker while Tyson has his nose stuck in yet another romance book. Why he keeps wasting his time

like this-reading-when he can find better things to do with his tis a mystery | am trying to resolve. He was more fun during

University when he and Rueben finally started noticing women, and they would bring them back to our room, where we would have

a more private party.

| take a swig of my beer and a bite of my pizza and turn on the music, hoping it will animate the atmosphere a bit. And maybe

convince Jasper to drop by

“He won'te, Tyson says as he flips a page. He always has a way of knowing what | am thinking.

| shrug and try to pet Diva, who sits on the sofa with me, but one growl is warning enough that she doesn’t want to be touched.

Once, she bit off a man’s finger because he pointed it in her face. “It's worth a try.”

“He is smitten with her,” Mose says as Rueben shows his cards-straight flush.

Mose’s blank expression doesn’t betray anything.

Rueben is one of the best poker players | have ever seen, but Mose also has his way of winning as many times as

possible.

“Once he fu c k s her, he will get over his obsession, Tysonments.

“If not, | can always put a bullet between her eyes and be done with her,” Rueben mutters.

Mose puts his cards flat on the table. A grin forms as he reveals his winning hand-a royal flush.

Rueben slams his fist on the table. “You cheated!”

“Prove it,” Mose dares him.

Knowing he can’t, Rueben says, “F u c k you, Mose!”

We all know Mose is cheating at poker, but how the f u c k he does it is something we are still trying to find out.

Mose laughs. “I can’t wait to try out my new gun. Make sure to clean it before you give it to me.”

1/3

147 Ansel

| told Ruchen not to gamble his best handgun, but he never listens to what | say.

Huffing and puffing, Ruchen sits between Diva andand grabs a beer from the pack next to the coffee table.

b

“If we kill her, then we can’t take her father out,” | remind Rueben.

“You reall, think that old f a r t will give a f u c k what his daughter does?” Rueben asks. “She was afuckingwh ore foryears,

and he left her to suck all the c o c k she wanted in the Celestial Heaven.

1 take a long sip of my beer while | think. “I've studied Senator Deymar’s habits for a long time. If there is one thing he hates, it is

being the laughingstock of others. Especially now that he has been nominated as Speaker of the House.”

For years, the Speaker of the House has been a Lord, but in recent years, the Dukes have been pulling strings, and more and more

of them are getting into politics, their goal, no doubt, is to control not only the US but the entire world. As long as the Lords exist,

that will never happen.

One of the reasons Ruchen hadn't killed Olivia on the spot is because of her father’s recent nomination, which makes him an even

harder target since the protection he is getting from the Dukes is top notch. She is the key to getting to

him.

Working with Rueben and spending so many hours together has led to many conversations, and Olivia cup many. many times

in the past few years. He has always been conflicted about killing her out right or hearing her out first; convincing him to let her

live long enough to eliminate Senator Deymar has taken time. Soon, he will see | was right about keeping her alive.

| continue talking, “It won't be only him who is going to be affected by the videos of Olivia being our little whor e-

“Bitc h,” Tyson corrects me.

Slu t, whor e, bit c h, h 0, sthing.

“-but many other Dukes, since she is not the only D uc h e s s to Lords. Luis Hernandez lost everything when bis daughter spread

her legs for Alekos and his blood-brothers.” Remembering the videos of Angelica being tortured, | add, “The Dukes will lose their

shi t to see another Duc h e s s stuffed with Lords’ cu m. They will try toe after Olivia, and when that happens....

| don’t finish my sentence as | want to make my blood-brothers see the bigger picture.

Tyson finally lifts his head from his book. “We will catch them and torture them until they tell us what we need to know.”

| look straight into Tyson's eyes. “If the sex videos we are going to make has an Olivia full of bruises as the main character, this

plan won't work.”

Rueben and Tyson torturing Olivia was never the plan. Hering to the farm and us f u c ki n g her day and night, yes. Not

necessarily... her, any woman. Her falling into our hands is even better because she will be the downfall of her father and, with a

bit of luck, of many other Dukes as well.

Tyson looks at the fireplace. “I thought she knew information we could use against the enemy.”

147. Ansel

Like that is an excuse to torture a wom1211.

1 grab my pack of cigars and take one out. After | light it, | take a drag and then press my thumb to my right temple while taking

care not to burn my hair with the cigar. “I have a hard tthinking she beca pornai of her own accord.” Tyson snorts. “What

woman likes to be di c k e d without having a say about who she has to suck or fu c k?”

Rueben chimes in. “Olivia likes di c k

“Maybe or maybe not,” | contemplate, “but Olivia was never the type of girl to go out with boys. Didn't she always say she wanted

to wait to have sex until she got married?”

At least, that's what she told me.

Rueben laughs, but as he speaks, his tone betrays his anger. “Don’t tellyou believed her lies. She was f u c ki n g guys behind

the gym the sday she killed Camila.”

| shrug. “You can’t bla girl for wanting to try other d i c k s before she settles down.”