Chapter 31

The girl’s voice cracked and one minute she was sobbing, the next screaming and trying to run. The guard had her before she could get more than a few feet away. She was going wild in her hysterics, clawing at everyone who tried to get their hands on her. I looked at the main master, seeing his excitement. It sickened me. Somehow, he’d gotten to my scouts. I could lay into his ass and even fine him, but my hands were tied unless I wanted to stir more trouble. I couldn’t do that.

“That wraps up tonight’s auction. Feel free to stick around for the after-party.”

I barreled down the steps, heading in the opposite direction that everyone was going. Where I should have felt guilt or shame at everything I’d done tonight, I didn’t. The noise died out and within minutes I was approaching my door, already forgetting about the auction. Lyle still stood there, watching as I walked up.

“I take it everything’s okay.”

“Yes, Master. The … excuse me. Mistress Davenport and Mr.

Harper are inside waiting for you.”

“Thank you. Head to headquarters, I’ll be there shortly. We need to talk.”

He gave a nod and I pushed through the door, easing it closed as I spotted Everleigh asleep on my couch. West stood from the chair, holding the decanter and a glass. When my eyebrow rose, he shrugged. He was drunk. Beyond drunk. That was clear as he swayed to the bar.

“How long has she been out?”

“An hour or so. Took everything she had to stay awake as long as she did. She was pretty drugged up.”

“My doing,” I said, grabbing a glass. “I was trying to spare her what I knew was coming. Although … I never suspected that. I’ve never seen the men act that way. Fucking savages.”

“Men do unthinkable things when they want something badly enough.”

I paused, taking the decanter from him and pouring my drink. My anger sparked as I let what I knew filter through. Him have Everleigh …?

Never. “Do you want to elaborate?”

“Not particularly.”

“But there is something to elaborate on?”

West collapsed back to the chair, sipping on his drink. “I wanted her.

I wanted her to be mine.”

“I know.”

“No, my friend, I don’t think you do. Bram …” He sighed, closing his eyes for a few moments. “I wanted her, and now I can’t have her like I wanted.”

“Nothing about tonight turned out as suspected.”

“No. It did not.”

I tossed back the first shot, refilling another.

“What will happen to her now?”

Back and forth, I looked between the two of them. Everleigh’s beauty had me stopping and staring at her as I answered.

“I’ll put her in the empty apartment between ours. Mistress or not, she won’t be safe. She’ll never be safe here. It’ll be up to us to watch over her. Not that I think she’s going to let us. Damn woman is the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. For a slave, she was beginning to have a hell of a mouth on her. I fear that’s only going to get worse now.”

“You shouldn’t have granted her independence, Bram. You should have made her choose a master.”

“She wouldn’t have chosen you, West.”

“And what makes you think that?”

He sat up in his chair and I shook my head at the truth that echoed in my mind. “She would have chosen me. She said so enough the night before the auction. She may be mad at me now, but had I wanted to force her, it would have been me she picked in front of everyone.”

“But she told me she wanted me to keep her away from you.”

“Like I said, she’s mad at me. Why do you think that is?”

West’s lids closed while he breathed out heavily through his nose.

“I’m not stupid. I already know you’ve been fucking her. But …”

I stayed quiet, watching his expressions. At my silence, his eyes opened.

“You were going to buy her for me, but you were fucking her the entire time. And you won her over, just to spite me.”

An angry laugh left me. “It’s not always about you, West. Besides, you didn’t own her yet. And it wouldn’t have continued if she had become yours. I told her that.”

“Sometimes I don’t understand you, Bram.” He pushed from the chair, stumbling as he slammed his glass on my desk. “You didn’t touch her until you knew I wanted her. I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked. Why take this away from me? Why?”

I stayed quiet, glimpsing the real West as he began to circle around me. “Fine. Don’t answer. Will you have her now? Will you make her your slave, but leave her status as a Mistress intact?”

“We both know she’s not safe living under my roof. Not with how I am.” Not with my keeper plotting against me.

For seconds West studied me. And like the mask I knew he wore so often, it slid into place and he smiled.

“You’re right. She wouldn’t be, and you’re too smart to put her in danger from yourself. She’ll be with me. She’ll choose me.