Page 17

He looks nervous, and rightly so. Bree is in her most terrifying state, and he should be fucking scared.

“Right. Erm… So, after discussing the situation at length, The Aristocracy is not willing to negotiate. Whitlock has nothing of value to us, and we care not if you dispose of him.”

“And what of the girl?” Bree asks through gritted teeth.

“In all honesty, we would have been quite happy to arrange a private sale…until recently,” he states, and my heart skips a beat.

Is she dead?I can’t help the morbid thoughts that crawl into my head. We had proof she was alive, but that was close to ten days ago now, and that’s a long fucking time in our world. Particularly with Teigan’s mouth.

“What does that mean?” Bree asks, and it’s not difficult to hear that she’s struggling to restrain herself. She has a particular hatred for the flesh trade, so hearing anyone talk about selling people like they’re nothing more than property pisses her off.

“I don’t want to go into details regarding our business, but suffice to say, her debt has recently increased,” he states, jutting his chin out as he takes on the posh tone he had before Bree scared the shit out of him.

“What the hell? Why would she borrow more money?” I say, more to myself than to the others in the room.

Liam turns to look at me, his face pinched, like he’s uncomfortable. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”

Fuck, I hate when my brother acts like the responsible one of the group.

Thankfully, his wife is just as hot tempered as me. “Why has her debt increased?” The tone in her voice has The Sheriff leaning back, and it’s clear she’s not going to allow him to fob her off.

“She recently cost me some money. She helped two girls to escape. As such, the money I would have made from them, and their obligations, have now fallen to her,” he explains.

“Motherfucker,” I snap. “She’s always got to be a fucking hero.”

“Sounds like one hell of a girl,” Kian says from beside me.

I can’t help the chuckle that escapes. “You have no idea.”

Bree pulls our attention back into the room. “So, what do I need to do to clear her debt? Tell me how much it is, and I will pay it right now.”

“It’s not that simple,” he says, his eyes narrowing like he doesn’t believe Bree will just pay him.

“Make it that simple,” she snaps.

“One of the girls was a performer—due to be the headliner in our show. She was also to be featured in the auction we’re holding soon. The other is available to rent each night, and would have been sold at the auction, too. So not only am I losing out on the money from the auction, and the money made each night when people rent time with her, I’m also losing money from the headline show.”

“And what exactly is a headliner in the show?” Bree asks, her voice dripping with disdain.

“The person who buys the headliner in the auction agrees to bring her back for one show. The headliner is the main featured performer in the show for one evening only. The person who buys the Lot can be the one to take part with her, or they can have others do it. As long as a good show is had by all, and I sell tickets, I don’t care what takes place.”

I’m so close to the window now, my breath is fogging up the glass. My breathing speeds up as I try not to think about what all this means for Teigan. Unfortunately, Bree asks him anyway. “What does this mean for her?”

“For each girl she freed, she owes me their debt, in addition to her own. So before I can auction her off, she must first make back what the two other girls would have made. She must also take part in the performance that I’ve lost a headliner for,” he explains somewhat reluctantly.

My heart is beating so fast, there’s a loud ringing in my ears. I can’t even think straight. The urge to barrel into the room and slice the guy’s throat open is flashing through my mind, but then we will never free Tee.

“Okay, so name your price and I will pay it,” Bree states calmly.

At this news, The Sheriff leans forward, his gaze narrowing on Bree. “She must mean a lot to you if you would agree to this without knowing the price.”

Fuck, he can’t find out how important she is to me. Not unless we’re sure he’s going to free her.

“My reasons for wanting her back are my own. Either you are willing to do the deal or not.”

There’s a silence while both Bree and The Sheriff eye each other up, neither one wanting to back down. Bree just sits there patiently, and I can feel my heart racing in my chest. The urge to yell and fight grows with each agonisingly silent second.

“No deal. If you want her, you will have to bid on her like everyone else,” The Sheriff states, as he moves to stand from the table.