Chapter 4

Bram

Again, my attention went to Billy. He had his head down, but his eyes were cut up to mine. The anger he held couldn’t be hidden no matter how much he tried. It brought a smile tugging at my lips as I stared him down. When he dropped his gaze to the ground, satisfaction soared. I turned, heading down the long hall. I needed to get back to my quarters and review what the fuck happened.

“Don’t leave me with them, Mr. Whitlock. I b-beg you. Please!”

I slowed, clenching my jaw and closing my eyes. My love for her burned into my chest like a hot poker. It stirred things inside of me that were dangerous to acknowledge. Yet, I turned, withholding all emotion as I stared at the woman I’d known since she was a girl.

Everleigh Davenport. That had been her name. She’d been born to a wealthy man. A man Mr. Vicolette hated. But he hadn’t hated her. The sick fuck loved her. Even at the tender age of ten when he’d had her taken and brought here. An act that almost had my father killing him. That wasn’t how we worked. We acquired our own slaves. We were responsible for their disappearances, no one else. Yet, my father pardoned him and allowed the girl to stay. He even had her parents killed at a hefty price to Mr. Vicolette. But it had to be done. There were no loose ends when you ran the world’s largest fun house. Celebrities, politician’s, they all took up residence here when they weren’t pretending to be someone else. We couldn’t afford risk, not that I worried too much about the outside law. Our pockets were deep and my five main masters had influence and connections in all the right places.

“Don’t leave me alone with them. I’ll do anything! Please!”

The drawn out plea had me walking back toward them. Not once did I break the stare from my slave. Mine … because no matter who bought her, she’d never belong to them like she did to me. Her future buyer may hold the title of Master, but I owned her very breath.

“Who is it you think you’re talking to, your savior?” I stopped inches before her, grabbing her face in a grip so tight she cried out. “You are nothing. No one. You are not entitled to requests. I gave them an order and they will follow it.” I paused, easing my hold and sliding my hand over her bruised and swollen cheek. The evil in me retreated as my gaze swept over her. Even beat to hell, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Maybe even more so like this. “Your fear is unwarranted,” I said, softly. “Let me show you.”

My hand dropped and I brought my attention to Lyle, the new high leader. I looked between him and Billy, not able to hold in the sadistic grin. My finger rose and I pointed to the guard who I knew took part in my slave’s rape and beating. “I have no tolerance for anyone who disobeys orders. High leader, cut off his left hand.”

“What? Wait!” Billy stumbled back, shaking his head. “I was following orders. We were to secure the scene of a hostile situation. I did that. The bitch had a knife!”

My gaze lowered to slave twenty-four-six-ninety’s and my hand dropped. “Did you hold a weapon?”

“I … did. They were going to rape me. I tried to tell them I didn’t kill my master. They didn’t care. They were going to hurt me anyway.”

“So you didn’t have a weapon until after they arrived?”

“No,” she rushed out. “I took it from my Master’s body when they sent everyone outside the apartment. I requested to go in front of the Board, but they wouldn’t listen.” She peeked over at Billy. “He tackled me down and started beating me. That’s when they pulled me into the bathroom and

…”

I let one of my eyebrows draw up as I gave Billy a look. “Is this true? Was she denied her request to face the Board? Did you hit her?”

“Torrance was my leader. He denied her. I was following his orders.”

“I am the main master here! You follow my orders. Did he specifically tell you to beat her? Her—a woman not even half your size?”

The disgust in my words had him taking even more steps back, but the other guards were already circling him, even if they were glaring at my slave.

“Well … no. But she was fighting.”

“As would anyone being faced with rape. The difference here is that once her master was killed, she became mine. You know that. So what it comes down to is, you beat my slave with the intention of following in this rape. There’s nothing else left to say. You’re lucky all you’re losing is your hand. Touch her again, your dick will be next.”

I snatched my slave’s arm, jerking her forward as I led her down the hall. The yells in the distance turned to screams and I soaked them in, letting the hate inside take over.

Doors opened ahead and the masters quickly returned to their safe haven after seeing me. This may have been their sanctuary, but they had good reason to hide. I held the key to their filthiest kinks—to their sickest sins. And I had the power to take it all away.