Chapter 15

West

“You look in a better mood than before I left.”

I took the drink Bram handed me, confused by the slight grin that was permanently etched into his face.

“Do I? Must be the Scotch.” He lifted his glass, downing another shot. In the five minutes I’d been in his living room, he’d tossed back at least two a minute. It was nonstop. It wasn’t right. He wasn’t right.

“What happened, because something did? It was either really good or really, really bad.”

Still, the grin was there.

“Both? It’s nothing. Tell me what happened at the office?”

I shrugged, sipping the liquor. “Nothing of importance. Things are fine without us. Our lawyers are the best. I guess that’s the perks of owning and not working the actual cases.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Bram refilled his glass, downing it in one drink.

“How’s Everleigh? Have you checked on her today?”

The grin melted into a glare. “She’s twenty-four-six-ninety. She is not Everleigh. I don’t understand why you keep calling her that.”

“Because it’s easier than saying some long fucking number. When I’m with you, I want to say her name. When she’s with me, I will call her slave and do away with the stupid number altogether.”

“I don’t want to hear her name.”

I stepped to the side, following Bram as he tried to turn away.

“Why is that? Does it make her too real for you?”

“Of course not,” he snapped. “She’s a slave. She’s always been and will always be owned. She’s nothing.”

My lids lowered, studying him as he turned and grabbed the decanter. As if Bram had second thoughts, he placed it down with the glass and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a bottled water.

“What’s on your agenda now. It’s getting late.”

“Late?” I looked at my watch. “It’s barely after nine.”

He shrugged, collapsing on the couch. “It’s late and I’m tired.”

“If that’s the case, I guess I’ll revisit Everleigh, then. I’m sure she’s awake. She was when I left. And she seemed to enjoy our conversation.”

Seriousness came to Bram’s face as his legs dropped to the floor and he sat up. I missed nothing as his anger resurfaced.

“She’s not just some guest you can go and hang out with. She’s a slave and she is for sale. Just because I said I would help you get her does not give you free reign to go and see her whenever you like.”

“But you can? Her roommate mentioned you coming to their room today.”

“This is my place!” The bottle crackled in Bram’s fist as he stood to stand over me. At my six feet, his stood a good three inches taller. “I’ve let you continue to stay in this life. I have partnered my business with you, and I’ve given you everything you have ever asked for. You’re like my brother.

Do not push me further than is safe, my friend. It would be unwise of you.

Stay away from her. You are not to see her again until after she’s yours.

You’ve been warned.”

I laughed under my breath, shaking my head. “Warned? Are you threatening me?”

“You should know by now that I don’t make threats. I’m giving you something I don’t have to. Follow my orders or I put an end to it all.”

I stepped back, holding in my hate. Holding in the millions of things I wanted to say. “I apologize for upsetting you and stepping out of line. I won’t bother you anymore tonight.”

Bram’s breathing was heavy as his stare followed me to the door. When I shut the barrier between us, I let my bitterness take over my expression. Who was he to tell me I couldn’t see her? I did everything for him.

I walked two doors down, throwing open my door. A smirk had me nearly exploding.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Have you lost your damn mind?”

I shut the door, watching Eli stand from my couch. The guard shrugged, lifting his beer. “My shift was over and I thought we could have some drinks before I go to the barracks and crash.”

“Drinks? I had you do me a favor and you come here for drinks?” I glanced to where I knew the camera was located. “Pretty stupid, don’t you think?”

“Nah. You have to have friends here or you’ll go crazy. Grab a beer.

I put them in the fridge. Sit with me.”

I waved the offer away, grabbing the chair to bring closer. “This is dangerous. I know you’re smarter than that. What is it?”

Eli sat back down, gulping a few drinks before he rested back. “No bad intentions. Friends. That’s it. You’re about to become one of the masters. It’s good to have friends in high places. Besides, a lot of them hang out with the guards. We’re all one here. Money on the outside doesn’t matter. There’s nothing dividing us inside these walls.”

He was wrong, but I wasn’t focused on that. My guilt was making me uneasy. Not that I regretted having Everleigh’s master killed. Even if Bram did find out, I didn’t think he’d kill me over it. Maybe never let me leave here again, but I didn’t care about that. This place had always been home.

“Okay.” I stood, walking over to grab a beer. “Friends. Turn on the

TV. Find us something to watch.”

A smile stretched across his face and he reached to the end table, grabbing the remote. When I returned to take my seat, a football game was on. I didn’t watch sports, but I didn’t mind them, either.

“I use to play pro. Bet you didn’t know that?”

“I didn’t. What happened?”

He took another drink. “Shoulder injury. Just didn’t have it anymore.”

“So how did you end up here?”

A smile exposed white teeth and he glanced over to me. He was good-looking for a man. Tanned skin, wide shoulders. Thinner lips, but wide eyes. I couldn’t deny he was handsome, but the darkness in him was all too evident in his look.

“I worked some security jobs after I stopped playing ball. My size made it easy. My past made me likable. I made a lot of friends. Guess you could say I made the right ones.”

“Sounds like it to me.”

“I like it here. Sure as hell beats out there. Free food, no rent, girls whenever I want them.”

“Consensually?” I threw him a look and he laughed.

“Always. Mr. Whitlock doesn’t mind either way, but I’ve never had to take a girl against her will. As long as I stay away from the virgins, it’s all good. It’s really all about Slave Row. God, I love Slave Row.”

“My slave’s there,” I said tipping the top of my can toward him.

“Keep your hands off of twenty-four-six-ninety.”

“No worries, West. I can call you that, right?” At my shrug, he continued. “No one is going to touch your slave. Mr. Whitlock has made sure of it.”

“Billy’s hand,” I said, lowly.

“Well, yeah. That, but also by his threat. Hell, today he threatened to have a guard’s eyes gouged from his head if he didn’t stop looking through the window at your slave. The man scares the shit out of ninety percent of us.”

“But not you,” I said, smiling.

“Not me.”

The mirrored expression had me downing my beer. A real friend— more than won over guards; more than paying them off or manipulating them. That was even better. It was free. More loyal, where they were concerned.

“No!” Eli’s hands shot up at the TV and I turned to take in the game. Bram’s threats sunk into the background and I tried not to think about how I wouldn’t be able to see Everleigh for another few weeks. With Bram always watching, I couldn’t even consider it. How was I going to stay here and not give into temptation?

“When was the last time you went to a real game?”

Eli’s eyes shot over to mine. “Hell, I haven’t been in a stadium since

I played in one.”

“We should go. Pick a game, no matter where it is, and you and I will make a week of it.”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not. I need a break from here. Can you find someone to cover your shifts?”

His head shook. “I’m not supposed to leave.”

“Bram won’t mind. Let me take care of it.”

And I would. I had a feeling my friend was dying to get rid of me.

Just as he was tonight. Let him grovel in his heartbrokenness. I wasn’t

going to be at the brunt of his anger. I’d stay away as much as I could until the auction. And when I returned, Everleigh would be mine.