CHAPTER EIGHT
All heads turned towards table number twenty.
Madam Jen's eyes widened slightly but other than that, there was no visible sign of her surprise. Her perfect, professional smile never wavered.
“Table number twenty bids one hundred thousand dollars for Amber.” Madam Jen swiveled her eyes towards the cowboy. “Would anyone like to put in a higher bid?”
The cowboy was staring at the man at table number twenty with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. Then he threw up his hands and gave a derisive laugh. He clearly thought that the man was either stupid or insane.
“Right.” Madam Jen laid a hand on Kerry's elbow and steered her to face table number twenty. “For one hundred thousand dollars, Amber goes to table number twenty!”
As Kerry took a step forward, Madam Jen told her quietly, “Nathan. His name is Nathan Chase.”
Kerry glanced back in surprise but Madam Jen was already moving to the next Gem.
Nathan.
Kerry whispered his name as she made her way down the stage to his table. Knowing his name somehow emboldened and fortified her. It made him less forbidding and intimidating.
Nathan Chase surged to his feet when she approached his table. He towered over her and she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you...”
She didn't know what else to say even though she was inordinately grateful to him.
Nathan shrugged off his jacket and threw it over her. “Cover yourself,” he growled.
Kerry clung to his huge jacket in confusion. Why did Nathan sound so angry? And why did he order her to cover up?
The bidders were here to see as much bare flesh as they could. And they would only pay for what they liked. If Nathan didn't like what he saw, then why did he bid for her?
“Sir...” Kerry began uncertainly.
He snarled angrily when the jacket slipped off her shoulder. His jacket was way too big for her and she felt a little lost in it. But his warmth and scent was pleasant and comforting. She just didn't understand his anger.
Nathan gripped her around her waist and yanked her to his side. His arm was like a vice around her body, and she felt both trapped and secure by his side.
“Let's get out of here,” Nathan breathed into her hair as he maneuvered them swiftly past the tables and towards the exit.
Kerry didn't know what was going on with Nathan. She could feel his seething, roiling anger but he wasn't rough with her. He seemed intent on getting her away from The Ring as quickly as possible and he didn't seem to enjoy the sight of her barely clothed body.
“Sir...” she tried again. She knew she was his for tonight, but they seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot. “Please, if I have offended you...”
Nathan only gripped her tighter as he rushed her out of the door. She made a cry when her bare feet dragged on the cold, hard ground.
With a growl, Nathan swung her into his arms and carried her as though she weighed nothing. Kerry looked around desperately and saw that they were in a parking lot. Nathan unlocked the door of a silver Porsche and bundled her into the passenger seat.
Kerry shrank back when he got into the car and slammed the door. His jaw was tightly clenched and she could see the tips of his claws glinting in the dark.
He revved the engine and peeled out of the parking lot. Finally, Nathan's glowing blue eyes cut to her and he saw her pale, frightened face. His foot eased off the accelerator and he cursed under his breath. The maniacal, deadly glow leached from his eyes and his muscles relaxed.
“Sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I'm sorry.”
Kerry nodded but didn't dare speak. She couldn't understand his actions at all. Was Nathan a...psychopath?
Dragging a long breath into his lungs, he said, “I...I'm sorry if I scared you.”
“Y-you did,” she said.
“I'm really sorry.” Nathan scrubbed a hand down his handsome face. “I just...I didn't want you walking around naked in front of all the other males. I had to get you out of there before I did something I would regret.”
Kerry opened her mouth to say that she wasn't exactly naked and that Gems were expected to display their best assets to the bidders. But she guessed that wasn't what he wanted to hear. And it would very likely make him even madder.
“Patricia would never forgive me if I unleashed my wolf in her club.” Nathan huffed out a laugh.
Kerry nodded and filed the fact away in her mind. His wolf. Nathan was a wolf shifter.
“You won the bid,” she said calmly. “So you have the right to do what you want with me.”
Nathan gave her a long look and asked, “What's your name? Your real name.”
She didn't have to tell him her name if she didn't want to. Gems were under no obligation to reveal their real names. She was Amber. But she didn't want to be Amber to him.
“Kerry,” she said softly. “Kerry Scott.”
Nathan smiled. “I'm Nathan Chase.”
“I'm pleased to meet you, Mr Chase. And I'm really very happy and grateful that you put in a bid for me,” Kerry answered politely.
“I wasn't going to. I mean, I didn't intend to bid at all, for any of the Gems.”
Kerry slanted a curious glance at him. If he didn't intend to bid, then why was he even at the auction? Was he checking out the competition, doing some market survey…?
“Um, what do you do, Mr Chase?” Kerry blurted out.
“I own a security firm.”
“Oh.” Now she understood why he said he didn't intend to bid. “You're at The Ring tonight for work.” Maybe some undercover or surveillance work...
Nathan nodded once.
“Me too,” she said before she could stop herself.