Page 5 of Buying Angel

I heard him chuckle in front of me. I looked up and saw him shaking his head.

“Are we going to have this conversation again? I’ve lost count of the number of times you’ve told me how old you are. I know. I’m the same age as you, remember. Now, come on, enough of this. We are almost in Detroit, and I can’t wait to eat your sister-in-law’s food again.”

I laughed at his comment. He loved Kristen’s cooking, as did I. Spending some time with them would probably be good for both of us. I just wasn’t looking forward to hearing my brother's plan.

WE HAD ALREADY enjoyed a lovely meal cooked by Kristen and were currently sitting out on the deck enjoying a drink. Kristen and Nico were out for a walk with my brother’s dogs, I was guessing to give Trent and I a bit of space, and also because Kristen couldn’t handle two big rottweilers together. To this day, I didn’t really know why Trent had chosen them, but they protected them and the house, so I guessed that was all that mattered.

I took a sip of Jack, waiting for Trent to start the conversation. I didn’t want to seem too eager to find out my brother's plan, but inside I was dying to know. I watched as he took a sip of his drink before looking at me.

“So, I guess you are wondering why I called you all the way here?”

That was the understatement of the year, but I held back my sarcasm as I spoke to him.

“Well, I’m guessing you have a wonderful idea to find me the perfect woman. Although, short of buying one, I’m not sure how you are going to help.”

I saw a look come over his face. It was one that I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer to. I had been joking about buying a woman, but from the look on his face, that was exactly what he was about to suggest.

“You cannot be serious, Trent. A mail-order bride? Really? Have you completely lost your mind?”

I saw the smile return to his face. He was being deadly serious about this. To make matters worse, he was enjoying the idea.

“Hudson, hear me out before you lose it with me. No, I am not suggesting a mail-order bride. Even I’m not that stupid. But buying a woman does come into it. You remember Club Lust?”

I did remember it. Although I had never visited the club – through choice, not because I couldn’t get in – I had heard everything about it from numerous sources, my brother included. It was actually where he had met and purchased Kristen for a weekend. For them, it had been the start of a perfect relationship; they had gotten married and were now expecting their first child together.

“Yes, I remember hearing about it. Why?”

“Well, they have another auction coming up in May. It’s the first one they have had in over a year, and I may have just gotten you a personal invite as a buyer.”

I couldn’t believe that he was even suggesting this. The thought of paying for sex went against every fiber in my body. It seemed seedy, the kind of thing old men did because it was the only way they could get laid. Except for Trent, of course. I didn’t include him in that category. He was one of the lucky ones, though. It didn’t mean I would get my happily ever after.

“I’m not sure. It just doesn’t seem right to me. I know you found the right woman for you there, but I’m not confident that I would.”

I looked over at Trent and knew what was coming next. He knew all about Angel and had been there when I first met her. I hadn’t even told Nico about her, and I told him everything.

I sat there waiting for the lecture I was about to get.

“When the fuck are you going to realize that Angel is gone? No one has seen her for months, not even in the club. You have to get over her. You can’t let her get in the way of finding the right woman.”

I could tell he was getting angry, but he didn’t understand. He had the woman he wanted forever. I had let mine get away. I should never have left her alone. I never should have left her to go find my brother that night. I knew he wasn’t interested in her. She was too curvy for his liking, but she was perfect in my eyes. I had let her walk away from me, and with Vincent Forbes-Stuart of all men. I’d heard how he used women in the past. But from what I had heard recently, he had gotten involved with drugs. I just hoped that Angel was being treated well and not used like I suspected. I could feel the anger building inside me at the thought of it.

“It’s easy for you to say, Trent. You have the woman of your dreams to go to bed with every night. I let mine get away and have no idea what that monster is doing to her. I can’t fucking forget her because she is the only woman I have ever wanted.”

I realized I had taken things too far when I looked at my brother's face. I shouldn’t have lashed out at him like that.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take things out on you. You’re my brother and I love you. I just envy the life you have and am annoyed with myself. I know I caused my own problems, and yes, you’re right. I can’t live in the past. Perhaps it is time for me to try to move on. How do I get on the invite list?”

I saw a sad smile come over his face. He knew exactly how I felt about Angel, even though I didn’t know her real name. But I knew everyone was right; I needed to get on with my life. There was someone out there for me, and as Nico said, the right woman would come along at the right time. Perhaps Angel hadn’t been the right woman for me. After all, I wouldn’t have realized what I had now if Angel had been around, and I would have missed out on years of companionship.

“You don’t have to do anything. I will speak to Edward, who runs the auction. As I have already been, I can recommend you, plus our name goes before us. You will have to stay here in Detroit, though, closer to the auction. You can stay in our guesthouse if you want. At least then you will have some privacy, and I have also kept the playroom in there, so you will have access to everything you need.”

I was at least pleased about that. It had taken both me and Trent years to get that room together. I had so many plans for it, but after losing Angel, I moved back to where I felt comfortable and ran the NYC division of the corporation. However, I had an amazing room set up in my penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park.

“Thanks, Trent. You know I do appreciate this. Plus, I’m sure Nico will appreciate Kristen’s cooking for a few days.”

He let out a hearty laugh. It was the only reason why Nico would come back to Detroit. He hated it as much as me, and it had been one of the reasons why he had moved to New York when he was only eighteen.

“I’m sure he will.”

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