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
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
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