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His comments might have hurt me before, but Nem’s words rang in my head, working like a shield for me. I didn’t have the same kind of strength as Nem, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have myowntype.
So I stared right at him, unwilling to back down. “I might not be able to stand up against the likes of people like Lorien, but that doesn’t make me helpless. I’m strong enough to do this, to stand tall and do what needs to be done to protect the people I care about.”
Bradley tipped his head, his smile fading. “So you hope that your men will win the auction? There won’t be any cheating this time. We will hold a new auction, and youwillbe awarded to the highest bidder. Because this has already caused me a headache and threatened my reputation, I can assure you, the person who winswillget you and I will put all my power and authority into assuring that whoever wins keeps you this time. You are signing yourself up to giving your entire future to the winner of this auction, and there is no guarantee that it will be the person you want.” He spoke slowly, as though truly wanting me to understand the risks, the potential effects of this choice.
However, I’d gone over it. “Trust me—I’ve thought about this more than you have. I am well aware of what could happen. However, doing this will keep the peace. It will protect everyone involved.”
“Everyone except you,” Bradley pressed.
“There are things that are worth risking everything for,” I said. “If giving up my life or freedom is the only way I can protect the people I love, I’ll do it.”
He said nothing at first, as though he had to come to terms with my words, like they weren’t what he’d expected. “You know, when I first saw you in that cage, you seemed a very different person. You trembled, refused to meet my gaze, you were like this frightened little rabbit. I’m surprised that that woman facing off against me now is the same one. When I saw you there, I didn’t expect you to survive a week after the auction, thought this world would have crushed you.”
“That’s because you didn’t know everything,” I said softly. “You thought that was my introduction to this world, to violence and crime and people like you.”
“I saw your history—you were raised rich and spoiled.”
“Rich? Yeah, spoiled?” I laughed softly and shook my head. “No. Not so much. Do you take my offer?”
He pressed his lips together, and I got the sense he wanted to say no. Why though? This would solve all his problems, would give him everything he wanted, but he hesitated.
Could he actually not be as bad a person as I think?
That seemed impossible, given he was willing to sell people without batting an eye.
The direction or fluidity of his moral compass wasn’t my problem, however, so I pushed that aside.
He let out a sigh, making me suspect he’d seen that I didn’t plan on giving up. “Very well. I’ll hold a special auction, open to any qualified bidder, in two weeks.”
“Make it tonight. You have an auction already, right?”
“We won’t have many people willing to bid,” he complained. “Selling a woman brings in a certain type of buyer, and there aren’t always a lot of people willing to buy such a product. We need to give buyers time to make the appropriate plans to attend.”
“No need. Trust me, you’ll have more bidders than you can deal with, and I’ll sell for more than you can imagine.”
Bradley let out a soft laugh. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. As a businessman, I want to tell you no, but you’ve caught my interest. Even I enjoy a good bet, after all. Very well—since time is of the essence for you, I’ll adhere to your requirements. I will refund the money spent to purchase you last time, and at ten o’clock tonight, Mackenzie Fox will be sold to the highest bidder again.”
“Almost right,” I corrected him.
“Almost? What is it that you feel isn’t right about that?”
“Mackenzie Fox doesn’t exist. Make sure when you announce me, you use the right name—Mackenzie Williams. By the end of tonight, someone will get to own the only living heir to both the Hester and Williams bloodlines.”
The widening of his eyes said he’d finally recognized my true worth, that he knew that name, that he figured out who and what I really was, and I knew instantly he’d do as I wanted.
Wasn’t it funny? After all the years when I’d wanted nothing but my own freedom, where living my own life had mattered so much to me, here I was, willing to sell it all.
Of all the things I thought might destroy me, I sure hadn’t expected love to be the one that got me in the end.
* * * *
Vance
The tension in the room felt strange. I’d lived in the spotlight, always under the pressure of the opinions of strangers, but that felt different. That had been normal, just a fact of life for me.
Thiswas different.
I wasn’t a man who knew much about danger or violence. I’d spent my life creating art, enjoying my fortune, living as I pleased. I’d had bodyguards, at times, to ensure my safety, but danger had been a far thought in my mind.
