Chapter 37

24690

“I said it doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of it.”

West’s raised voice had me focusing to hear more, but nothing was said. The door opened and he walked in, bringing forward a glass with amber liquid.

“Drink this. It’s going to make you feel better.”

“I don’t want it. I’ll be—”

“Drink.”

The anger in his voice had me reaching for the glass despite that I didn’t want to. I took a sip, cringing at the fiery bitterness.

“Nope. Not good enough. Drink it all.”

“All?”

He nodded and I looked at the amount. It was a third of the way full and I knew I wasn’t going to like the effects or taste. Regardless, I braced myself and took a huge swallow. The immediate need to spit it out was overwhelming, yet somehow I swallowed it down. My body jerked through the vile flavor and I swallowed the rest, nearly gagging.

“Good girl.”

A smile stretched across West’s face and it was anything but nice. It didn’t look normal. It looked evil. The sight triggered the former slave within me making her want to cringe back in fear.

“I’m proud of you. I tell you to do something and you do it. You’re going to be such a good slave.”

“I’m not a slave anymore.”

“Yes, you are.” He took the glass and placed it on the table. “You have no inheritance, Everleigh. The note is on Bram’s desk. You’re still a slave. And with him injured, possibly dead, I guess that makes you my slave.”

The coldness left my lips parting. Another sob came and I couldn’t believe how unfeeling he was suddenly being. It was like I was looking at a stranger.

“Bram’s not going to die.”

“Oh, but I think he is. He was stabbed three times in the chest. Not many people would live after that. I’m sorry, slave. I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

“He will make it,” I argued. “He can’t die. He won’t die!”

“I hope you’re right. Here, lay back and get some sleep. Maybe by the time you wake up, we’ll hear some news.”

My hand lifted to knock him away from me, but something was different. My arm was heavier than normal. I rotated my shoulders, feeling my body began to sway.

“What did you do?”

“It’s just a relaxer. You’re very upset. This will calm you.”

Fingers pulled at the buttons of my blouse and I somehow managed to push his arm away. The slap to my cheek wasn’t hard, but I gasped trying to keep myself upright.

“That was a warning. Raise your hand to me again and I promise it will be the last time. I have a feeling you and I are going to have a very intense first few days.”

“Bram won’t … allow … for this.”

My head fell back and rolled to the side. West barely caught me before I hit the mattress. My shirt was jerked free and the bra followed. When I was stripped completely, I could barely stay awake to feel the covers pulled over my body.

“Bram permitted meve you long ago. Face it. You’re mine.”

****

“Everleigh. Everleigh.”

“Hmmm?” Colors blurred, blinding me as I tried to force my eyes open. I was so tired. Too tired to wake up for a voice I didn’t care to place.

“Slave!”

Like an alarm clock, the title ingrained in me had my lids flying open. A face distorted before me and my eyes rolled as my lids began to close. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fight the pull of sleep. At least not physically. Mentally, I knew there was a reason to be awake. There was something important. Someone ...

“Slave, I have bad news. You have to wake up. It’s about Bram.” “B-Bram?”

The name came out stuttering as my thick tongue seemed to almost choke me. My entire mouth was bone dry and I felt sick.

“That’s right. Open your eyes. Here, let me help you sit.”

My body swayed, feeling as though I were falling to the side, but it stopped as soon as I was sitting. Light broke through again and I blinked a few times. West’s features took a few moments to come in clear. When they did, I somehow found my voice.

“What about Bram?”

He handed me a glass of water and I took a drink as he stared at me solemnly.

“He just got out of surgery. He’s alive, but they don’t think he’ll make it another couple of hours.

My chest tightened and my lip trembled as a small sound left my mouth.

“Oh, slave. I’m sorry. I know how upset you must be.”

Slave. Yes, to him I was still a slave. I didn’t have an inheritance. And soon, I might not have Bram. If that was the case, I didn’t have time to be stubborn.

“May I please ask you something?” The title got caught in my throat and I cried, hating to even think about saying it. “C-can I please ask …

Master?”

A slight grin appeared and he nodded, reaching up to move back the hair that was falling in front of my eye. “Ask anything of me, slave.”

“Will you take me to see him? I want to say … goodbye.” I sobbed then. It tore from me with a power that left me hunching over and curling into myself. I had no power over the agony serrating my heart. We’d been so close to being together. For the first time in my life, I almost felt happiness. Like something good was finally going to happen to me. He tried to scare me with how he was, but I’d already seen, and I wasn’t afraid.

I loved him, and I knew he loved me, too.

“I wish I could take you to him. I do. I’d give anything to see him, myself, but it’s impossible. For one, they won’t tell me what hospital he’s at; and two, I have no one to contact. The high leader is relaying the messages, but it’s one way. All the information is coming from him and I have no return number.”

“But … why would he not give you the number? You were Bram’s best friend. Why can’t we see him? His attacker is dead. W-we deserve to say goodbye.”

Louder my voice grew and there was nothing I could do to stop the hysterics from beginning to creep in. Bram, on the verge of death? It didn’t seem possible. Yet, I’d seen him. He was covered in blood. And his eyes, they’d been closed. It wasn’t some nightmare. It had been real. I’d seen it, just as I had seen my first master. Both were stabbed and lying on the floor.

I wiped the tears as West patted my back. Red lights caught my attention and I took in the numbers on the clock, confused.

“Is it day or night?”

“What?”

I sniffled as pieces of the night before filtered in. I remembered Bram, but then … the drink.

“It’s the day. Why do you ask?”

“It’s three? Three in the afternoon?”

The concern melted from his face as he pulled back and sat up straighter.

“You were very upset last night. I just helped you sleep.”

“You drugged me.”

His head gave a quick shake. “It wasn’t like that. I did it for your benefit. And see, I told you when you woke up, we’d probably know something. Now we do. Although, I learned about this an hour ago, and I’m guessing Bram got out of surgery way before that. He may be already dead.”

My breath hitched in my throat and he rolled his eyes at me as he pushed to stand.

“I told you this was going to happen. Last night, I told you he might not make it. I saw his wounds, slave. There is no way he’d survive that. Besides, that’s the reality of life in this place. No one can be trusted. You know that better than anyone.”

To argue with a man who I was quickly becoming disgusted with was not going to help me. I had to think of a way to learn more about Bram.

“May I take a shower, please?”

“Make it quick. The masters are stirring. They’re requesting a meeting and you’ll be attending.”

“Me?”

I pushed back the covers, standing.

“As my slave, of course. They’re all going to have to see at some point. What better time than when they face the new master of this place.” My head shook through the sickening in my stomach.

“If Bram dies,” he bit out, “who do you think is left to rule this place? Me. I am the closest to kin he has concerning Whitlock. Everything goes to me.”

“Did you kill him?”

The words left me before I could take them back. Something didn’t seem right. He was too cold. Too uncaring over a man he claimed to be his best friend.

Fingers bit into my bicep as he jerked me close. “If I ever hear that question from your mouth again, I’ll cut out your tongue. Get in the fucking shower.”

The slight shove almost had me falling. My legs were heavy and shaking as I fought to catch myself. I could still feel the drug in me, leaving me groggy and delayed. It did nothing to the horror I suddenly felt concerning the situation.

Jittery, I reached to turn on the water. Before I could so much as a drawback, West was barging through the door.

“You’ll wear this, makeup, and I want your bangs pulled back from your face. Today things begin to change. When I become Master of Whitlock, we bring back the old ways. But better. This place will be thriving more than it ever has.”

He glanced over, but I had nothing to say. Nothing to think about. I was shocked to the core, staring at a man I didn’t even know. Bram wasn’t even dead, yet West seemed oblivious to the fact.

Cautiously, I got in, watching him through the glass. Panic was running rampant inside of me. Trust was gone concerning Mr. Harper. He scared the slave still inside. She knew these men. Knew what they were capable of. Hadn’t I told Bram I didn’t like West? There was always something bothering me about him. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Now, I knew. She had known, all along.

Again my new master returned, placing jewelry down next to the white form-fitting dress he’d hung up next to the counter. He turned to leave, pausing as he reached forward and picked up Bram’s razor. When he turned to me, I fought not to cower.

“Until I can get you into Medical to have them laser the rest, shave everything. Everyday. You’ll keep it that way from now on. If you don’t,

I’ll make sure you don’t forget.”

He walked over, pulling the glass door open. My fingers fumbled over the handle and I almost dropped it. Back and forth his head shook as he took in the dark strip just above the junction of my legs.

“I don’t mind it so much, truthfully, but Bram would have seen you like this. I want a new version of you. One he didn’t fuck. Shave it all off.”

The door slammed shut and I jumped at the impact. How in a matter of hours did it go from one of the best days of my life to the worst?

Tears stung my eyes, but I pushed away the need to break down. Bigger things were going on than myself. West wanted to bring back the old ways. I knew enough to fear the possibility of that happening. I had to reach the high leader. He had to know what was going on. Until Bram was gone, the guards needed to step up and take control. If not for my sake, then for the children and every slave here. If West had his way in the ruling, the moment Bram took his last breath, he’d open up The Cradle. He’d bring back the trials, public executions, stoning, and public rape. This wouldn’t just be a nightmare. All the sins of hell would come to Whitlock and we’d all burn with them.