24690 (7 page)

Chapter 12

West

“What do you mean I can’t have her?”

I looked at Bram incredulously despite that I was trying to hide the shock. I’d been back for three days and twice we had talked. But it hadn’t been for long, and it hadn’t been over anything but work. He kept himself locked in his apartment, barely speaking to anyone at all.

“She’s not stable. She won’t be a good match for you.”

“I beg your pardon? She’s a
great
match for me. We got along perfectly when I last spoke to her. You don’t think I can control her?”

He gave a quick shake of his head, throwing back another scotch. “She’s changed since then. She grows rebellious. She refuses to obey another master. I believe her.”

My lids narrowed as I came closer. “She’s mistaken. Anyone can be put in their place. I can do that to her. I can make her my slave.”

The skepticism on his face left me reeling, but I didn’t fall into the temptation to argue. Instead, I took the other route. “Let me see her. Let me assess her, myself. If you’re right, I won’t argue. I’ll take another slave.”

Bram’s brow creased. “Alright. You can see her, but don’t get your hopes up. She’s not going to bend to you. She challenges the guards. She looks down her nose at them. It’s taking everything I have to convince them not to beat her. I don’t want her black and blue before the auction. Dammit.” He cursed under his breath, pouring more alcohol into the glass. “Damn, slave. If I didn’t … if I didn’t feel something for what she’s been through, I’d be done with her. But she has been through a lot. She’s just going through something. She’ll come around when her new master gets ahold of her.”

I knew he was more talking to himself than me.

“You’re right. Give me some time. I’m going to see what I can do. I’ll return shortly.”

I didn’t look back as I left. My feet carried me through the halls like a man on a mission. And I was. I wasn’t going to let Everleigh screw this up for me. I was too close to having her. Too close to having the one woman Bram loved.

My nod to the guard was returned and more of the white walls blurred by. By the time I was coming into Slave Row, I heard her voice all the way down the hall. My fists clenched and I picked up the pace. Her door was open and a guard stood a foot inside, his face deep red as he glared at her. Food was splattered across his chest and I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Everleigh’s short hair was a mess and her white dress was wrinkled and stained with what I assumed was old food. But it was the look in her eyes—the hate—that had me coming to a stop.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“Twenty-four-sex-ninety refuses to eat.
Again.
Mr. Whitlock told us to make sure she doesn’t miss another meal. She has barely eaten in two days. This,” he said, gesturing to his chest, “was her response when I told her to eat.”

I turned to her, letting my eyebrow raise at my disapproval.

“Did you do that?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

She grew quiet, losing some of her stiffness as she looked down.

“Why did you do that, slave?”

The anger returned as her stare shot up to mine.

“I am no slave. I am Everleigh Davenport. My father had more money than you did. My status in the outside would have made me famous. More famous than any of the so-called masters who have to buy women down here. Sick fucks. All of you. I hate you. I hate all of you!”

I was on her so fast, I could hardly remember moving. I spun her, locking my arm around her neck and flexing my bicep to cut off the majority of her breathing. Everleigh went wild, thrashing and clawing into my suit jacket. The more she fought, the tighter I held. A good few minutes went by before she began to calm. I leaned in closer, inhaling the rich, exotic scent of her skin. It drew me in, intoxicating me.

“I don’t doubt what you say, but that isn’t who you are. You are owned. You are a slave. That life doesn’t exist anymore. Only this,” I said, spinning us to show her the small cell. “Your days here can be a nightmare, or you can swallow your pride and get happiness out of your upcoming match. I want to be your master,” I hissed in her ear. “Don’t be a fool and damn yourself to possible years of torture. I will take care of you. I will treat you better than any slave in this fortress. I will love you,” I whispered, keeping my voice down. “Let me love you, Everleigh. I know who you are. Only I can give you the kind of love you deserve.”

A whimper echoed in the room and a sob quickly followed. Weight pulled at my arms as her legs gave out and cries left her. My grip ease and I spun her to face me. Before I could prepare, her arms latched around my neck and she pulled me close, crushing her lips into mine. And me … I kissed her with every ounce of lust I had harbored inside.

Blindly, my hand waved out the guard as I continued. My fingers dug into her lower back and the moment the door shut, she broke away, peering up at me with bloodshot eyes.

“Do you promise?”

She didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t have too. I knew she wanted my word that I would love her. That I would treat her well.

“I promise. When I’m your master, I’ll give you the outside world, right here. I’ll show you things you could have never imagined.
I’ll make you happy.
All you have to do is what I ask. If you can obey my wishes, there will never be a better match than me and you.”

Seconds stretched out while she stared at me.

“I know I’m not supposed to have demands, but I have one request.”

My head tilted, but I nodded.

“You are to never leave me alone with, or give my body to Mr. Whitlock. If I never have to see him again, I would be even happier.”

I paused. I had no doubts Bram was listening to every word we spoke. I restrained from smiling, ignoring why’d she’d request that to begin with.

“Bram is my best friend. You will see him, and probably a lot. But if makes you feel safer as my slave, I promise not to leave you alone with him. You damn well have my word that I will not share you with him or anyone else. That’s not my style. When something belongs to me, it’s mine.
Only mine
.”

“Thank you. Then I accept you as my master if you should win the auction.”

A grin tugged at my lips and I made a path with my fingers down her cheek.

“I hate to see you this way. You’re better than this. I want you showered and fed. You will not refuse this time. Do you understand me?”

I kept my tone gentle. It was enough to have her nodding in agreement.

“Good girl. Give me a minute. I’ll have everything set up and I’ll return when you’re finished. There’s something I have to take care of, but I will return. We need to talk.” I looked at the door. “Guard!” The door swung open and I led Everleigh forward. “Have her showered and bring her the meal I ordered for myself.”

“Yes, Mr. Harper.”

Everleigh stayed quiet and walked out of the door. The man followed and I glanced toward where I knew the camera was located. Let Bram see I had won. Let him see my happiness over it. He wouldn’t deny me Everleigh. I knew him too well for that. He loved her. It was me or something worse. He wouldn’t damn her when she clearly wanted me, too.

Whistling left me and continued on my walk back to Bram’s. The minute I opened his door, I wasn’t faced with the brokenhearted man I thought I would be. He was nowhere to be seen. Did he even witness what happened?

Anger sparked while I headed toward his bedroom. Bram stood with his back to me. His shoulders were hunched and he was looking down at something on his dresser.

“Any luck?”

A curse threatened to come and maybe would have if I hadn’t suddenly noticed how deep his breathing was. And his fingers, they were pushed into the wood as if he were trying to control himself.
The kiss.
That had to have been what set him off the most. “Yes. She’s agreed to be my slave. She seemed to take to the idea once I calmed her down. I have them showering and feeding her now.”

Bram nodded, still not turning around. “It’s settled, then. Twenty-four-six-ninety will be yours if things work out. I’m moving up the auction for tomorrow night. Let everyone know.”

I smiled, already stepping back. “I’ll make the announcement right away.”

Before I could turn to leave, Bram’s voice continued.

“The tour starts tonight. There’s …” He turned sweeping passed me as he went to the computer. I followed, knowing he was in work mode, now. There was a ritual and with Bram, everything had to be perfect.

He began pushing buttons. Before the address could load, a red blinking light flashed in the corner of the screen and alarms sounded in the room. He growled while his fingers worked faster. Screens began to flash and one moved to the front. It was a camera and the screen was black.

“Which is it?” I asked, lowly. My stomach was suddenly in knots as he pushed from his chair and flung open his drawer. The large knife he pulled out was one I’d seen him use more times than I could count.

“Shower room.”

Chapter 13

24690

“I think someone needs to be put back in her place. You get a little dick from the main master and you think you run this place? You think you run us?”

I stayed against the stone shower wall, putting distance between me and the two guards as I countered their steps.

“Oh, it wasn’t little,” I said, bracing myself to run. “Far from it. Don’t get jealous and get yourselves killed.”

“No one is going to kill us. No cameras, slut. We’ll be out of here before they even know what happened.”

“You’re a fool,” I spat. “He’s going to know. I bet Bram is on his way right this very minute.”

My pulse was exploding inside of me, but I wouldn’t cower to them. I didn’t feel like a slave anymore. And I wouldn’t be one to West Harper. Not in the way slaves here were treated. But was it enough? I may have told Bram I didn’t want him, but I missed my master. I just couldn’t have him. West was the closest I’d get.

“Get over here.” One of the guards lunged and I barely escaped. A scream tore from my mouth and I tried sprinting to the exit. The other guard was on me before I made it halfway through the room. We hit the tile floor hard and I cried out as the surface burned into my arm and side. Instinct left my arms and legs kicking and clawing as he tried to pin me down with his weight.

The first hit sent lights flashing before me. Sight wavered, but somehow I was swinging.

“Grab her arms! I want this bitch standing when I teach her a lesson.”

“No!”

I was jerked back, but not enough. My foot drew up and I slammed my heel into the guard’s cock as he tried to stand. He rolled to the side, yelling and groaning and I didn’t hesitate to use the guard’s grip and my wet body to slide around toward the other one and begin kicking at him. His connection broke and he went to throw himself toward me when he went rigid. Brown eyes flew open wide and he edged back, bringing up his hands.

Looming just behind me, I turned and caught sight of a Bram I’d only seen once. It was the day he killed those guards in my master’s old apartment. He was beyond furious. He was murderous.

“West, take her out of here. She doesn’t need to see this.”

More guards pounded into the restroom. West yanked a towel down from the hook and pulled me up, wrapping it around me. The men crowded behind Bram and I was pulled from the room so fast that I nearly fell. The moment West had me in the hall, yells echoed all around me. West didn’t seem to care as he ran his hands over my arms.

“Are you hurt? Son of bitch,” he said, deeply.

His fingers grasped my jaw, angling my face, and I could see his predicament as he went to head to the shower room, but came back to me.

“Bram’s going to make them pay for what they did. They’ll be dead for this. No one hurts what’s mine and gets away with it.” His hands cupped both sides of my face as he made me meet his stare. “Do you hear me? No one is going to hurt you again. No one. I don’t care who they are. I’ll kill them. I’ll kill
whoever
you want.”

My eyes left his, going to Bram’s bloody face and body as he emerged from the opened doorway. Our gaze met and I couldn’t stop the ache in my chest as he looked at my cheek and then moved back to my stare. I wanted to do nothing more than run and throw myself into his arms. Why did he have to pull away and discard me like I was no one to him? I knew he felt something. He’d been a different person in our moments alone.

His jaw tightened and the bloody knife swung at his side. Our contact broke was he looked to West.

“Get her ready for the tour. I’ll make the announcement.”

“Tour?” I knew what he meant, but the tour wasn’t due to come until the night before the auction.

Bram ignored me as he headed in the opposite direction. West turned me and I followed him down the hall into my room. The moment the door closed, he led me to the bed, sitting down next to me.

“What’s happening? Tour, I thought …?”

At my confusion, he moved closer, grasping my hands.

“Bram’s moved up the auction. It’ll be tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. Soon you’ll be moving into my quarters and you never have to worry about anyone attacking or trying to rape you again. You’ll be safe with me.”

At the caress he made down my finger, I tried to force a smile, but it wouldn’t come.
Tomorrow?
My mind was spinning as I tried to figure out what was happening. Was Bram so quick to push me on West? Obviously. He’d never cared. It had to all be a lie. The tenderness, the looks, the smiles. I’d somehow convinced myself that he cared, but what did I know? He couldn’t if he had intentions of going through with this. I’d hoped he would come to his senses. That he’d come back and tell me I was going to be his whether I liked it or not. And wasn’t that truly what I wanted—him to force this on us? It was the reason I had kissed West. Why I had told him yes. I was so wrong. 

“Let me get your clothes.”

“I’ll be in the blue this time.”

My words had him turning back to face me. I hadn’t meant to say them out loud, but the realization suddenly scared me. I hadn’t had time to prepare and I needed to.

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll be okay. You’re strong. Just stay quiet tonight and tomorrow. Pretend you know nothing about this deal and rest assured that when the auction is over, you’ll be leaving with me.”

“Do you know the count?”

A few seconds passed. “Total? The whites rest at eighty-three. The blue … two. You and red-head. There was three, but the doctor didn’t make it. I was told she passed away in her cell last night. Your old roommate will be the only other.”

“The doctor?”

West seemed to stiffen a little. “Giving slaves weapons is not allowed. She was demoted to slave. The transition and punishment weren’t easy for her.

My head lowered.
Bram.

Footsteps disappeared in the distance and minutes went by while I stayed in my thoughts. When the door finally reopened, it was a guard who placed my outfit inside.

“Where’s Mr. Harper?”

“Business.”

The door shut behind him and I stood, walking over to grab the dress. It was paired with a long, bright blue, silk chiffon scarf. My fingers ran over the soft see-through material and I cringed at the symbolism of it. From the tour to the auction, anytime I left this room, I was going to have to wear it. Everyone would know. The target already on my back was about to grow a million times larger. For those who didn’t know who or what I was, they would soon enough.

I grabbed the matching dress, sliding it over my head. It did nothing to cover my body. Aside from giving my curves a blue sheen, it was as if I were walking around nude. And walking we would do. The tour covered the city center. It was located directly in the middle of the fortress. We were allowed there without our masters, as long as we had permission from them. The small shops, the food store ... For as nice as it sounded, it was anything but. I never went alone. I wasn’t allowed to without my old master, but the others wouldn’t know the horrors a simple stroll could hold. The worst masters lurked there. They didn’t care if a slave was owned. If we were alone, we were fair game.

My breath was ragged as I placed the scarf over my shoulders to await my departure. I knew there was still time before I had to lift it and the last thing I wanted was to be any more a part of this tradition.

I moved over, grabbing the lotion Bram had bought me. In slow strokes, I rubbed it over my legs, arms, and chest. Memories of us together returned and I let them. His arms and kiss were so real. My lips tingled at the phantom pressure, and tears clouded in my eyes. I grabbed the matching perfume and pumped the bulb, letting the fragrance take me further away.

“Twenty-four-six-ninety?”

I turned at the female voice. A dark skinned woman with long curly hair came forward. Her head was down, but she moved in a quick pace. I knew immediately that she was owned. Everyone here was either slave, master, medical, or guard. Even the attendants were slaves. From her draping gown, it was obvious of her station.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m slave Jenkins. I wanted to introduce myself before our appointment tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry? Our appointment?”

Her eyes rose and I nearly gasped at the green color. They practically were glowing they were so bright. She was older than me, maybe close to fifty. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. It took me a minute to process what she was saying.

“Your make-up, hair, and application. You’re in the blue. I’ll be doing all three.”

I shuddered at the mention of the application. The oil was meant to calm us. It did more than that. My old master said it was a drug. It left us turned on and ready for sex for when the auction was over. And we would be. All of us. Even the virgins were oiled up. I could hardly remember my auction night, but I knew now that I hadn’t been in my right mind.

“Of course. I didn’t wear make-up the last time. I forgot that only the blue does.”

“Yes. I’ll be here to accompany you early. You and the other girl will be paired together, closer to the auction room. It shouldn’t take me too long to get you both ready.” She lowered her head again, stepping back, but paused before she turned. “The best of luck of your tour.”

My lips separated, but she was leaving before I could so much as speak. It wasn’t minutes later that my door reopened. Bram’s eyes met mine and I lifted the scarf to fit over my head, keeping my stare directed at the floor. I didn’t wait for him to tell me to come forward. He did the tours. He laid down the laws and struck the fear of God into us.

“The blue is at the end of the line. The girls are already lined up. I will leave you there and take my place at the front.”

“Yes, Main Master.”

He stopped and pushed a finger under my chin. Although my head rose, my eyes didn’t.

“Look at me, slave.”

Still, I refused.

“You can be mad at me all you want, but it changes nothing. West is a good match for you. Better than me.”

I jerked my head to the side, turning to glare at him. “How do you know what is best for me?”

His face was angry as he met my stare. “I know what is best for everyone. That is my job. Trust me when I say that if you were mine, you’d despise it. I’d break you worse than anyone ever could. I’d hurt you and you would come to hate me.”

The last was said softer, but it did nothing to douse my pain.

“Hurt me …? Too late. Nothing you could do would hurt me more than you already have. Are we ready?”

Bram’s hand began to come toward me but balled into a fist at the last second. He turned, eating up the hallway in his furious departure. Two halls later we approached a long line of girls. He waited at the end, not even looking at me as I took my place. The redheaded roommate I used to have, turned and glanced back. Yellow and black were fading, but webbing under her left eye. It was evident she’d been introduced to the hell of Slave Row. The tears that welled at my apologetic expression didn’t fall down her cheeks. Maybe she was already slightly broken. I wouldn’t know since we weren’t allowed to speak.

“Listen up, slaves! This is your tour and you will pay attention or you will wish you had.”

Bram walked toward the front and she quickly reached back. I took her hand, holding tight and stepping in as our main master continued with his speech.

“Tomorrow you will be auctioned off and I am here to tell you where you are allowed to go. City Center is yours. If your master permits, you can shop, you can attend the shows, but you will do so at your own risk. You, alone, are responsible for your well-being here. If you don’t want to get beat or raped, go with your master. If your master refuses to accompany you, weight the risk very carefully.”

We began to walk and I stayed close.  A guard was further back, but he wasn’t in a position to help me if I needed it. He wouldn’t get to us fast enough. And he wasn’t meant to. The men would taunt us. They would try to scare us. What happened would only be a small dose of our reality here.

Light flooded the space as the walls opened up to reveal a large open area that seemed to stretch out forever. I couldn’t stop my gasp as my eyes squinted and raked over the wonder before me. There was grass around the center, stretching around the circle. And mall of multiple shops in the middle. People buzzed around in the distance, some even lying out on blankets in the grass. But I didn’t care for any of that. My stare lifted, taking in the massive fortress built along the rock that stretched up high above. Some of the stone rooms protruded further than others and there looked to be six floors. Four floors, that weren’t even in use anymore as far as I knew. Above the white stone walls of Whitlock, brown rock led to the circular opening above. The blue sky had me stopping in amazement. We were in a mountain, plain and simple. I knew it to be fact. I also knew there was nothingness for hundreds of miles around us. At least that’s what my old master had told me.

“Move.”

The guard’s voice had me walking, again, but I wasn’t the only one gaping at what was before us. I could feel Julie’s hand shaking in mine. Her eyes were darting all over as no doubt reality was beginning to sink in. If she thought there was hope before, surely that was disappearing now.