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through the conflicting emotions colliding inside of me. Anger, jealousy … love . God, the love. She’d kissed me. And then to tell me she wasn’t sorry? What the hell had I been thinking, bringing her back to my room and delivering her myself? I should have left her with the guards. I should have steered clear. But I hadn’t. If I had any weakness, it was her. The small span of time we’d spent together only proved that. I knew this morning when she kept staring up at me that there was a small part of her that was at least interested. But the kiss. God, that fucking kiss.
    The halls blurred as I made my way back to my quarters. The moment I burst through the door, I only wanted to curse more. West was standing next to the bar, watching me as he sipped on his drink. He wanted her. He wanted what was mine. If I was any friend at all, I’d hand her over to him and be done with it. I just wasn’t sure I could. He’d fall in love with her even more than he probably already was. And her, she’d love him, too. Then, what? Would I kill him out of jealousy? Possibly.
    “Get cameras on that underground entrance. I want them down the road, too. It should have been done a long time ago.”
    West refilled his glass, eyeing me as he made me one.
    “Already done. I’ve been told it will take a couple of days, but I put a rush on it. They’ll do it as fast as they can.”
    I nodded, taking the drink and tossing it back.
    “Are you in love with her, Bram?”
    The liquor burned my throat, but the lie on my tongue scorched me even more. “I’m assuming you’re referring to slave twenty-four-six-ninety. The answer is no.”
    “Then tell me what I have to do to convince you to let me have her.”
    I threw my best friend a look, walking over to pour myself another drink. “We have rules. If I’m lenient with you, others will expect the same. I can’t do that, West. She goes up for auction and if you have the money, you have the opportunity to buy her.”
    “What’s the starting bid?”
    I downed the shot, refilling another. “Seven hundred thousand.”
    Silence. I turned to see West’s face harden as he stared at me.
    “That’s a lot more than blue slaves go for.”
    “She’s more than blue, she’s beautiful. She has a fantastic body. Men will pay a lot for someone like her. Besides, I already told you. You can’t afford her.”
    “I’ll give you three million this very minute if you let me have her now.”
    My eyebrows rose in surprise. “You have a mortgage—a fancy little place on Mansion Hill. You have three expensive sports cars you dumbly got a loan for.”
    “The house is on the market. I’ve already got an offer. The cars are gone. I sold them.”
    “That’s convenient. And suspiciously alarming.”
    West smiled. “I live here more than anywhere. Why would I keep a house and cars if I’m not even using them? Truth is, I’ve been thinking of buying a slave for some time now. Twenty-four-six-ninety just happened to come at the perfect moment. Nothing more. One could even call it fate.”
    “Fate is for fools.”
    He shrugged. “Maybe, but I like the sound of it. Bram, take my offer. Let me buy her. We both know she deserves better. She’s not like the other slaves. Everleigh is different.”
    “Everleigh? Is that what you’ll call her?”
    “No. She will be my slave in every sense of the word. She’s already trained, she’s beyond gorgeous. I don’t want a virgin, or have to go through the process of training one. She’s a good match for me.”
    “I said no.”
    A deep sound left West and he joined me at the bar, grabbing the decanter.
    “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch. You always have been. I would do this for you if you asked. Rules, be damned. You’re like my brother. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. You know that.”
    “And the moment you gave into my stupid request, the walls of this place would come tumbling down. Mark my words, West, it can’t be done. Ask me for