“Let’s go,” I whisper.
He nods and offers me his arm, and I take it hesitantly. I can’t help but wonder what Silas truly thinks of me. He hired me when he could’ve easily rejected my application, and he offered me a place to stay when he should’ve fired me for being unprofessional when I showed up at the office with my belongings. He isn’t the tyrant everyone thinks he is. Everything he’s done so far showed me that he’s a good person, so it makes no sense that he doesn’t think I’m good enough for his brother. I’d think that it’s just because I slept with him that night, but he wanted me to break up with Ryan long before that.
“We’re attending a charity auction,” he tells me as we get in the car.
I frown and turn to face him. “I thought you said this was a business event?”
He nods. “It is. It’s hosted by one of our biggest clients, and I’ll have to go. Usually, Amy attends with me.”
“So why did you ask me?”
He glances at me, his gaze lingering for a moment before he turns back toward the road. “Her time is more valuable than yours. She has two kids who need her at home. You, on the other hand, have no plans other than sulking all night.”
Asshole. I cross my arms and look out the window, annoyed. He isn’t wrong, but it’s still a shitty thing to say.
“I’m expected to buy something tonight,” he murmurs, his tone relaxed. “I’ll leave that to you. You can buy one thing that you’d like to have. No budget.”
I smirk at him. “So if they auction a diamond necklace worth millions, I can buy it?”
“You can buy whatever you want. There really isn’t a budget, but you can only bid on one thing.”
I nod. “Must be nice, having so much money.”
He looks at me then, his expression complicated. “Yeah,” he whispers. “It is.”
I can’t help but chuckle as I shake my head. “At least you’re honest about it.”
Silas steps out of the car and walks around it to open the door for me before handing the keys to the valet.
My heart starts to race as we walk into a large ballroom filled with the city’s rich and famous. I unknowingly tighten my grip on Silas’s arm, and he places his hand over mine reassuringly.
“Silas!”
I tense when I see Raven walking toward us, looking beautiful in a tight red dress that matches the shade of her lipstick. I should let go of Silas and let him greet her, but I can’t.
“Raven,” he says, nodding politely.
Her eyes drop to my hand on his arm, and instead of pulling away the hand Silas covered mine with, he starts to draw circles on the back of my hand.
“We meet again,” she says, a sweet smile on her face. “You’re Silas’s assistant, right?”
I shake my head. “His mentee. I’m part of the Ψ division.”
She nods knowingly. “So you’re one of his most elite team members, huh? I’m surprised you made it to that division at your age. Well done.”
I force a smile to my face as I resist the urge to drag Silas away from her. Seeing her just reminds me of the history he has with her, the years they’ve spent together. I shouldn’t, but when I see her, I can’t help but compare myself to her, and it becomes painfully clear why Silas doesn’t think I’m good enough.
“Silas,” she says, drawing out his name. “I heard you’re taking part in the eligible bachelor auction? I’m definitely winning a date with you. I can’t wait.” She winks at him before walking away, her expression provocative. It’s clear she isn’t in the least intimidated by my presence, as though she knows other women come and go in his life, but she’s his constant. I looked her up after Josh mentioned her, and Silas always seems to end up back with her, no matter how long they break up for. His name is never mentioned in the articles, but I’ve seen photos of them together.
“What is she talking about?”
He lets go of me and turns to face me, a mere inch between our bodies. “I’m up for auction tonight,” he says, grinning. “Several other bachelors and I will be auctioning off dates. I was a little worried that I’d stand there without anyone wanting to bid on me, but I worried needlessly. Raven is here, after all.”
Thoughts of the two of them going on a date together plague me, and my mood plummets even further than it already had.
“I’d better get ready for the auction,” he tells me. “Don’t forget. You need to buy one thing tonight on behalf of Sinclair Security. I won’t be able to do it.”
I nod and watch him walk away, interrupted every few steps by women who seem far too eager to speak to him. The second he goes up on that stage, all hell is going to break loose. It’s obvious that most of the women that surround him have every intention of winning a date with him, and it doesn’t sit well with me.