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“I thought your place as Auction Manager meant you wouldn’t give anything up about clients?” Char asked.
“I can’t give you anything obtained in the course of my business, which means no financials or contact information that a client has given me. However, as you know, running the auctions is far from my only source of information. I have gathered facts outside of that which I would be willing to share. I believe things such as a timeline of Lorien’sprofessionaljobs over the past five years might appeal to you?”
“We know what he’s done,” Hayden said.
“You know the main jobs, but I assure you, he has been busier than you realize. In addition, I have the times and dates of his travels over that time. If a studious person were to have all that, they may have a better chance of tracking down information about him. They might even manage to locate current images of him. I imagine that would be exceedingly useful.”
A glance at Hayden showed his lips thinned into a tight line. Obviously, he was tempted. Bradley offered something that Hayden wanted, something that could go a long way toward identifying and potentially trapping Bradley. By knowing more about him, including a true timeline of events, they might even manage to locate him.
Hayden shook his head. “I’m not about to risk her, not even for that.”
Bradley looked around the table. “And you all agree with that?”
Tor nodded, no hesitation at all.
“I agree with Hayden,” Vance said.
“Same,” Char added.
And just like that, the fear inside me went away. Even this, something so simple, something without much risk, they still put me first.
However, I couldn’t let that happen. I’d done a lot to affect their lives—I wanted to give back, to protect them as well.
“I’ll do it,” I said softly.
The instant weight of the glares from Tor, Hayden, Char and Vance made me want to crawl under the table. Instead, I pulled my shoulders back and spoke, my gaze on the table so I didn’t lose my nerve. “I’ll speak to him. It’s just a quick talk, and that information would help you, right?”
“You don’t have to do this,” Hayden said. “Even a small risk is too much. We can get that information some other way.”
I shook my head, then forced myself to meet his dark eyes. “It’s fine. If he wanted to do something, he could have already. Please? Let me do this.”
He sighed heavily, but I knew I’d won. Once I asked, he had little chance to deny me. He turned his hard gaze back on Bradley. “We will step out for you to speak, but if you doanything,you will not like our reaction.”
Bradley didn’t appear the least bit bothered by his threat, only nodding. “Of course. I’d expect nothing less.”
Hayden stood, the chair scraping hard against the floor. Tor, Char and Vance did the same, all of them giving Bradley glares that I was thankful weren’t locked on me.
When they left, I still refused to lift my gaze to look directly at Bradley. That felt too dangerous, too close, so I took another drink of my soda and focused on the table in front of me.
“You look better than the last time I saw you,” he said, his voice the same flat one I’d heard from him before. It was strange that he could say something like in the same tone he used when threatening people, as if the two things were no different to him.
I nodded, unsure how to respond to that. It reminded me of how Lorien asked me the same thing, reminded me how this all looked from the outside.
The men had cheated to buy me from an auction like property. They’d moved me into their home and refused to allow me to leave, escorted me everything I went. Those things didn’t paint them in a favorable light.
Yet, that wasn’t howIsaw the men. These people had no idea the truth. They didn’t know that Tor bought sugar-free treats for me just so I had them in the house. They had no idea that Vance ensured I had access to whatever art supplies I needed and always gave advice when I felt stuck. They didn’t know that Hayden watched over me no matter what I did, had taken wounds meant for me without any hesitation. Even Char, who wasn’t even close to what I’d call sweet, always listened to me, never made me feel alone.
We were all in a horrible situation, trying our best, and out of any of them, I trustedmymen the most.
“You realize that things can’t go on like this, don’t you? Lorien and the men you are with are like two dog packs fighting over the same den. They may keep their distance at first, but eventually, they will clash if neither finds a way to back down.”
“Yes, I know,” I whispered.
“I am glad to know you understand that. Too often, normal people fail to recognize how bad things like this can get—for all involved. You may think me heartless for suggesting they turn you over, or that we re-auction you, but my goal is truly to make it through this with as little harm as possible.”
“As little harm to you, you mean?” I spoke the words, but they came out soft.
“Not just me, no. If that was all I cared about, I could have sent my people to both parties and eliminated the entire bunch. My problems would be over then, but I dislike unnecessary bloodshed. I am trying hard to avoid such a thing. However, if we cannot bring this to a close in some way, if the two packs end up facing off directly…”
