Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
348. Olivia - New beginning I

Move?

The thought never crossed my mind. Why would we leave our home when there's no reason?

Rueben and Ansel don't seem shocked by Tyson's words, probably because they talked about it on their way home but Jasper thinks the same as me, as he says, "After how hard we worked in building this house and creating the perfect Lair for Olivia, you want to leave all this behind and start from zero in another place?"

Tyson takes a moment to think before replying, "We are no longer safe here. Our location has been made known not only to Jason and his father but to Azael as well." He takes my hand in his. "You are not safe here."

I don't have to be a genius to understand why Tyson and the others decided to kill Maddox-he must be the one who let Jason know where I am. This is how he found the farm. I spent a long time thinking about it. Since I don't have a tracker because he never thought it was necessary, it would have been impossible to find me.

Maddox betrayed Tyson's trust.

I have a sudden realization.

It's more than that.

Maddox is responsible for Levi's death.

Tears blur my vision.

A trembling breath leaves me. Levi didn't die because of me. Neither did the others.

I've been carrying this guilt for so long, and now I'm free of it. I didn't even realize how much it weighed on me and how it prevented me from being truly happy.

All my men give me worried looks and stand up, but Tyson is the fastest, and he quickly pulls me into his arms. The others rub my back while I bury my face in Tyson's chest and inhale deeply.

"Who do I need to kill for making you cry?" Tyson snarls.

His question makes me laugh. "I'm not sad, just relieved." I look up at him. "I just realized why you hate Maddox and want him dead." There are many things we need to talk about, especially about finding a new place for our little farm. I pull away from Tyson. Angel gives me a worried look, and I smile, letting her know that I'm alright. "How about we have dinner and after our guests leave, you can show me the Lair?" I suggest to my men.

It takes a few moments for everyone to agree with me.

****

An hour later, after Angel and I exchanged phone numbers, hugged, and promised each other to keep in touch, she and her husbands left. She also made her men eat the rice, and it was funny to watch how they struggled to keep the food down, especially Alekos.

Ansel's palms cover my eyes as we walk up the stairs. My heart is beating strongly against my rib cage. For years, I tried to imagine what a Lair would look like. How the Lair Tyson would have made for me would have been like. Then, I stopped myself from thinking of Tyson and anything related to him.

Even when I came to live on the farm, I never once thought of the possibility of me setting foot in the Lair, especially after Rueben threatened to kill me if I ever did so. And now?

We reach the top of the stairs.

All five of my men are more than eager to have me settled in the Lair they prepared with great care for me. I know they didn't have me in mind when they started the house, and I most certainly never dreamed of being with so many men at once, especially with Rueben, but here we are. Rueben went from hating me to loving me, and if not for our bond, I would still not believe it.

Someone scoops me up in his arms, bride style. Ansel's hand disappears, and I find myself staring into Rueben's eyes. He looks so excited.

"It took me a long time to decorate every room. You might not believe this, but I had you in my mind all the time I was in here."

I arch an eyebrow. "Oh, I do believe. Were you plotting how to kill me while you punched the walls?"

Rueben brings his mouth close to mine. "I was imaging all the ways I would fuck you all over the Lair."

My breath catches in my throat. His words shouldn't affect me, but fuck, the bond heats up and I start to ache. "Liar," I whisper.

Rueben starts walking and he takes me to a spacious living room. All the furniture is vintage and there's even a record player. Rueben helps me stand. "What do you think?"

I go to inspect every item because, oh of my God, this must be the most beautiful living room I have ever seen. The deep green velvet couch is so soft and the mustard pillows make a fabulous contrast. Even the soft brown rug matches the interior. There's a reading spot by the window and house plants in the corners. The vase on the round table holds tulips, candles around it. Native American blankets are draped over the armchairs.

If the rest of the Lair is like this, I don't think I want to leave. Rueben did put a lot of thought into the decorations, and it would be such a pity to have to move to a place that might not have the space for all the furniture. "How about we show you the rest of the Lair?" Jasper suggests.

I smile at him as we interlace our fingers. "I would love that."

They show me the bedroom, which has an enormous poster bed, the bathroom with a shower that will definitely allow all six of us to shower together, and even an arcade room.

There's one more room which they keep avoiding to show me so I ask, "What are you keeping inside there? Dead bodies?" The guys give each other a guilty look making me even more suspicious. "Really, what's in there?" Jasper's expression turns grim. "You don't want to see this room. Trust me."

"Why?" I keep pressing because now I'm more than curious.

The guys take their time in giving me an answer, and I try to enter the room but Tyson inserts himself between me and the door. Taking my hands into his, he finally tells me the truth. "It's a nursery. We know how you feel about having more children, and we will never pressure you to do so, and this is why we don't want you to see it."

Getting pregnant is something that I'll probably never feel safe happening, but there are other ways to have a child. "When I'm ready, we could look into adoption. If that is something you all want as well."

Jasper is the first one to kiss me. "We'll wait as long as it takes."

Tyson opens the door for me revealing a vintage nursery. The white crib with a teddy bear resting on the pink blanket inside it makes me want to adopt a baby right now. However, rushing things will only lead to a disaster, so I'd rather take things one step at a time.

Rueben stands behind me and puts his palms on top of my shoulders. His touch still scares me, but maybe in time, I'll trust him enough not to flinch whenever he gets close to me. "What do you think?" he asks.

I think that Rueben was right when he said that he had me on his mind when he furnished the Lair. I love each and every piece, even the ugly fish painting from the bathroom. This farm, in time, has become my safe haven.

I look at men, ready to tell me that we shouldn't leave this beautiful place without a fight, when Tyson says something that takes me completely by surprise.

"How about we move to the lake cabin?"