Kevin’s POV
“Who is the slave you want, Alpha Kevin?”
I heard him the first time but decided not to reply then. I tore my eyes away from Liam and turned to him. I was in a rush to get Ella and get out of here but I wasn’t going to show how desperate I was.
The man seated before me showed enough desperation for the two of us. I knew he wanted the investment deal. I smiled, knowing what I had done. Of course, he would want it. It was a fat deal and I didn’t think he would want to lose it. He would have to be a solid man of integrity to pass up on the deal.
Shaking my head at the man before me, I doubted he had enough integrity to save himself from greed.
“Ella.” I said, crossing my legs over each other as I leaned back into the chair. “Ella Moore. It shouldn’t be hard to find her. She is beautiful.”
He snorted. “All the slaves here are beautiful. That is what helps the market.”
I reigned in my temper, almost losing it at the way he talked, like my mate was some sort of cheap fish at the market. Liam moved closer to me, standing directly behind me that he was touching me.
I breathed and raised my hand up, signaling to him that I was fine. Without a word, he shifted back, giving me space. I didn’t have to turn to know he was still standing guard behind me, his eyes alert and roving around as his body stood still.
The bureau leader glanced at Liam, swallowed and I hid a smile. I knew he had gotten the message and learned not to snort at me.
He picked a file folder and began searching through it. He frowned as he got to the end of it and didn’t see what he was looking for.
“Do you mind describing her? I can’t find any slave by the name Ella Moore here. Maybe she got registered under a different name.”
I frowned. Was it possible? I didn’t get to ask the name she was being called her. I didn’t think they cared about her name here. The guy had called him slave, I doubted he would have cared to know what her name was.
Still, they would have asked for her name or he wouldn’t have asked me and be searching for her name.
“Check for Anna Edwards.” I said.
He raised his eyebrows. “I thought you wanted just one slave.”
“Don’t ask questions. Just check.”
He nodded and searched the file. “Nothing. There is no Ella Moore or Anna Edwards here.” He shook his head as he raised his head back up to stare at me. “Are you sure you know who you are looking for?”
Liam moved forward, grunting at him.
The bureau leader swallowed. “I’m sorry. I needed to ask though.”
“I know who I’m looking for and I want just one slave like I said earlier. It’s possible that she gave you a wrong name. She is a proud one and might not want her name to be recorded as a slave.”
“Tell me how she looks. I will look at the pictures of the ladies and show you to confirm her identity if I find her.”
I hated that her picture was included in a file folder for slaves but I had to cooperate if I wanted to find her.
“She is beautiful like I said earlier.” I watched him as I spoke and he didn’t snort this time. Good. He learnt fast.
I continued. “She has golden hair and her eyes are hazel.”
He shook his head even before I was done speaking. “There is no slave with that kind of hair in the slaves I’ve checked.”
“There should be.” I frowned. “Are you sure you have all the records of the slaves here?”
“Yes. These are all the slaves that were brought in last week. No transaction goes on in here without my knowledge.”
I sighed. No wonder there had been problem all along. “She wasn’t brought in last week. I think it was weeks ago.”
He frowned. “That makes it complicated. How do I get back a slave who has already gotten used to her home?”
I snorted. Who gets used to where they are being treated as slaves and calls it home? That place can never be home to Ella. I’m home to her and I’m going to get her back.
“I believe that is a complication you shouldn’t find hard to solve.” I said, tapping at the contract I wanted to offer him.
He glanced at the contract, his eyes filled with desire and looked away. “Do you know who she belongs to? Tell me that if you know. That would make it easier for me to search for her, get her address and do the necessary arrangements.”
“She lives with the count.” I stated. I would rather die than say she belonged to the count or he owned her.
She belonged to me. I owned her. That was the fact and nothing else mattered.
“The count?” The bureau leader asked, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
“Yes, the count.” I nodded, unfazed by the drama he was acting.
He sighed and shook his head. “It’s not going to be easy to get back a slave from Ronald.”
“I think you can make it happen.”
“Who is she to you?”
I wanted to blurt out that she was my mate but I didn’t trust him. He would want to rip me off if he knew that. I needed to stay in control of this deal to the end.
“She is a member of my pack. What kind of alpha would want his member to be enslaved far from home?”
“Me.”
“The count is the biggest buyer of the slave auction. I would advise you to forget about her if she is not important.”
“Make it happen regardless. She is important and I can’t leave here without her.”
He sighed. “I will get back to you.”
“Make sure you do.” I said as I stood up from the chair and walked out of the office with Liam moving behind me.