Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
231. Olivia - The Guardian I

**I'm back with a new update for part 2 of Bought. I struggled a lot to come up with the right name for part 2 of this book but I think the most fitting one is Revelations. Well, enjoy the ride. It's going to be a wild one.**

Ansel parks the car close to Silent Lake, on the other side of Veross City and gets out. It used to be a favorite spot for couples until the bodies of at least twenty women were discovered in the lake and the surrounding woods. There is a cabin on the far end of the lake and I can't help wondering if someone lives here. I know I couldn't sleep well knowing such horrible crimes happened here.

Ansel yells *fuck* a few times before dragging his palms down his face and pacing around like a lion trapped in a cage. Why is he mad? I'm the one who should be angry.

Diva huffs a few times, so I ask, "Do you think Ansel lost his mind?" I turn in my seat so I can pet her. "You are such a good girl," I coo and Diva licks my face.

It takes Ansel a few minutes to calm down and he sits on the hood of the car, grabs a cigar from his pack, and starts smoking while watching the sunset behind the tree line. Diva wants to get out and I open the back door for her.

After a few minutes of sitting in the car and watching Diva run and sniffing around, I get out and go to Ansel-who is already on the third one. "Have you ever staked on a frozen lake?" I ask as I sit next to him.

Ansel takes my hand in his. "Soon after Francesca and Reid became my foster parents, Tyson and Rueben brought me here. Together with a pack of beer. It was February and cold like hell. Not to mention that it was my first time drinking." Ansel chuckles at the memory of whatever happened that day. "I got drunk fast. The lake was frozen. So us, being stupid drunk teens, decided it was a good idea to walk on it."

When Ansel stops talking to take a drag from his cigar, I try to guess, "The ice broke."

Ansel nods. "I thought I'd die." He throws the bud of the cigar into the snow before cupping my cheek with his free hand and pressing his forehead to mine. "I'm glad Rueben pulled me out because I got to meet you in real life.” His lips caress mine. "You resent me for bonding with you, but I don't feel sorry. You are mine, Olly. Mine to protect, to love, to fuck, and everything else between. But fuck, Honey, you shouldn't have done what you did. You should have talked to me. Or Rueben. Or Tyson."

My heart races a bit. "I had no other choice."

"Bullshit. We would have endured anything. For you."

His breath is warm on my skin. "No, you wouldn't have. Camila was already dead and you all hated me for it. I was alone, with no one to talk to and I did what I had to do." Ansel wraps his arms around me and I rest my head on his chest. "I won't rest until your father and brother are dead. Until Carlos and Azael are caught and brought to justice."

The time has finally come. But am I ready? Even if I'm not, I have no other choice. "I think I know a way."

Ansel has me look into his eyes. "Tell me."

I haven't told anyone about what I took from my father's office but this secret ruined so many lives. Mine included. If I'm going to start standing up for myself, I need to confide in someone. I wanted it to be *him* but *his* hate for me would cloud *his* judgment and *he* will probably torture me again. The only one I can trust is Ansel. I might not like that he bonded with me, but it is that bond that lets me know that he is not lying to me. This is why I asked him to go shopping with me today. In reality, I wanted to get away from the farm for a few hours and get my thoughts in order.

"I stole something from my family. Something that was passed down from generation to generation. My father would do anything to get it back. Including taking away from me everything and everyone that I love." He already did that, so time for payback.

Ansel clenches his jaw. "He let Jason do all the dirty work while he went on and lived his life."

Compared to my father, Jason is tame.

Revealing stuff is still scary because I was beaten so many times while threatened that if I said anything to anyone, there would be consequences and bile rises to my throat. "Camila and I got curious about hellstars, especially about a rare kind of hellstar who apparently can have powers. My father has a collection of old books, and some are about the first days of the Dukes and the Lords. I made the mistake of telling Camila about them and it led us to hearing a conversation between Azael and my father." Hiding in my father's office was not that hard. When we were children, Jason showed me how to access a secret compartment behind the bookcases. It was big enough to allow Camila and me to get in. "Azael and my father had a deal." My voice trembles, and Ansel rubs my back, comforting me. "In exchange for an amazing political career, my father promised Azael that he would bring Lords' children to the medical facility." I close my eyes. God. My family is so fucked up. Ansel's hand stills on my back. "Azael was trying to alter the angels, to make them stronger, more ruthless, and for that, he needed women to bind them to the Dukes who accepted to participate in his experiments. But he wouldn't say no to men either."