Shackled (The Lord Series)

Chapter 146

146. Olivin

Jasper is the strangest man I have ever met, and I have met many. I have yet to understand his

motives for treating me well. Or why he keeps talking to me so much. I feel like I have said more words

in the past few hours than in the last

year

cat

“I will go start dinner for the others, Mose says as he finishes his food. Looking at Jasper, he adds,

“Rueben and Tyson are stubborn, and they won’t admit it, but we miss you. Ansel and I were

wondering if we will still do the same shi t for

New Year’s as last year.”

Jasper stands. “You mean eating pizza, jerking off to porn, and drinking until we pass out? Nah, I will

stay here with

Olivia. Would you like that?” he asks me.

Knowing what answer he wants to hear, I reply, “Yes, Master,” when in reality, I could care less.

“Master?” Mose scoffs. “See you later then.”

Mose leaves, and when I finish the juice, Jasper takes the tray to the kitchen, helps me take a shower

and brush my teeth and hair before tucking me back in bed.

“I will go check on the horses really quick. I expect to find you here. Understood?” he asks. I don’t reply

because I know what I will do the moment he leaves. “Let me make something clear to you: if I am your

Master, you must obey everything I tell you. Right?”

The training sessions with Carlos come to my mind. I used to be so strong-willed before everything

turned into a nightmare, but Carlos took his time and broke me more than I already was broken until it

was cemented into my brain that I must do everything my Master tells me.

“Yes, Master.”

“You are to stay in bed until I return. Also, you can’t harm yourself. Ever. Fail to do so, and I will have to

punish you.” While I don’t like the order, I nod, letting him know I will obey, not wanting to be punished.

“Good girl,” he murmurs before giving me another peck.

“Happy New Year,” Jasper wishes me before kissing me. He has been doing it a lot since yesterday

when he kissed me for the first time. “Don’t forget to make a wish.”

I already know what I want. It is the same thing I’ve wanted since I lost that boy with turquoise eyes.

We are sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching a series on the TV. Miss Teapot sits on Jasper’s

lap, purring softly.

“Happy New Year,” I wish him back, Loud music and cheering come from the main house. “You should

be with your blood-brothers.”

Jasper looks over at the window, the main house is visible from here. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

146 Olivia

He doesn’t want to leave me alone because he knows that I haven’t changed my mind about ending

myself. I wonder if he will stop caring once the sex videos they want to use to end my father’s political

career are finally done. There are other ways to do that, but my words won’t matter to them, so I will

keep quiet and take my family secrets to the grave with me.

“I have been alone since… Camila,” I say.

Jasper pulls my feet onto his lap, next to Miss Teapot, and removes my socks. “Why did you kill

Camila?” he asks as he inspects my toes.

My blood chills in my veins, and I start to feel nauseated. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

I can still feel the weight of the handgun in my hand, my palm sweating, my finger trembling on the

trigger, Camila’s face as the bullet hit her in the chest.

“From my understanding, you and she were like sisters. What went wrong?” Jasper keeps prodding.

“Accepting her as a friend when I knew Lords and Dukes can never be friends,” I say.

Like my ribs, my toes hurt all the time, but I don’t complain about it. Jasper checks the bandages.

“That’s what you think, that Lords and Dukes can’t be friends?”

“Angels and demons will never get along.”

He

puts back the socks, grabs the pack of ice from the table, and puts it on my feet. Mose said ice should

help with the healing. “Angels and demons might be forced to work together soon.”

“I don’t think that will end up good.”

“Why is that?” Jasper asks.

I shrug, but I say nothing else. Talking has always gotten me into trouble, that’s why now I prefer to be

quiet and speak only when necessary.

Jasper doesn’t insist on me answering him, and we go back to watching TV while he feeds me some;

grapes.

Hours later, when he can barely keep his eyes open, Jasper turns off the TV, picks me up in his arms,

and takes me to the bedroom. Miss Teapot follows us.

Once I am under the duvet, he takes off his clothes, only keeping his boxers on, and crawls in bed next

to me. The cat

curls at our feet..

Jasper is fast asleep, but I am wide awake, memories of Camila and me haunting me.

When I feel like I can’t breathe anymore, my heart throbbing painfully, I slowly get out of bed. Jasper

hasn’t told me I can’t leave the room or the house, only that I can’t hurt myself.

My toes touch the floor, excruciating pain shooting through my feet and legs. I concentrate on putting

one foot in front of the other until I reach the front door. I cra c k it open and listen for any noise coming

from the main house or any part of the farm. When I am sure the only thing I hear out there is the wind

blowing, I step out on the snow, the Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

146 Olivia:

cold whipping my bare thighs, and I keep walking until I reach the barn.

I’ve wanted to see the horses since I learned about them, but Jasper told me I was too sick to get out of

the house. I also want to check on the woman Jasper keeps in the barn, as I feat Tyson and Rueben

might have tortured her for trying to escape. Besides, I haven’t had a fever in more than a day, and I

can breathe more easily.

I slip inside the barn.

It is dark inside, and I search for a switch, hoping there are some inside lights, as I’ve gotten used to

Jasper always leaving a lamp or two on. It doesn’t take long to find what I am looking for, and a buttery

light comes on.

The barn isn’t very big, with only six stalls, two of which are occupied, one is a Chesnut horse, while

the other one an appaloosa horse with black fur and white spots all over its back. It looks familiar to me

like I have seen it before.

While I know better than to go into the stall of a horse that doesn’t know me, there is something about

this horse that calls to me. I walk up to it and observe it for a few minutes. Initially, I thought the white

spots were part of the color pattern, but they are marks of the abuse it endured.

Poor baby.

I enter the stall, and the horse gets nervous, its cars pri c k e d forward, muscles tensed up, and

breathing heavily. I reach out my hand, hoping the horse will see I mean no harm.

“Easy,” I say.

It stamps the front leg against the wooden floor, the white of the eyes showing.

Jasper said the horses on the farm have been abused, and while I know nothing about animals with

trauma, I do know how it is to be abused.

“Easy,” I repeat, keeping my voice low, not wanting to frighten the poor animal even more.

I take a step closer, the horse getting more agitated.

“I know,” I whisper, “I know.”.

The horse keeps watching as I get closer and closer until the tips of my fingers touch its nose. The

horse pulls back its head, and I don’t move, waiting for it to decide if I am allowed to touch it again or

not.

It feels like forever until the horse sniffs my hand, and sensing I have its permission, I pat its head a few

times before. leaning my forehead against it.

“I understand,” I whisper as I stroke the left side of its head.

The door lets out a squeaking sound as it opens, and I know I am in more shi t than ever.

I get out of the stall and hobble my way to the entrance. It’s not one of the guys that greet me but an

angry-looking rottweiler. The dog bares its teeth at me, growling low and menacing before running

toward me.

All I can do is wait as I can’t run.

146. Olivia

My heart pounds fast.

Dogs can kill humans.

I have seen it before.

With a bit of luck, the dog will end me. I won’t even put up a fight.