I don’t even bother looking at him.
“One hundred,” I grind the words out.
I’m disgusted that a human being’s life has monetary value to it. To me a life is priceless. I’ve seen men fight and die for it. In this hell hole, it’s nothing but a commodity.
The guard moves between the other men, talking with them.
I glance at River and notice that she’s talking with Cameron. I’m sure she’s making an offer to buy the slaves.
Minutes pass and I start to feel edgy. Just standing here and listening to people being beaten and fucked, is soul crushing.
“Master Ryland,” the same guard from earlier says loudly. I suppose it’s all for show. “Your bid is the highest for the evening. You may take the slave.”
“Get up!” he snaps at her.
She moves quickly, looking like a statue that’s just come to life. Her face pales and she starts to blink rapidly. She got up too fast.
I take a step closer, and take hold of her arm so that she can lean on me.
“Here is the key for your room,” the guard says.
I take it from him and I glance in River’s direction.
Our eyes meet and discreetly she nods. She managed to buy them, which is great. I’d hate to spend a night with a woman only to leave her behind. I had to do that once and it’s still tormenting me.
“Come on,” I whisper to the woman.
I take a deep breath and try to steel myself.
The slaves are brainwashed. They don’t understand when you don’t want to fuck them. I’ve had one faint on me before. She was scared shitless that she would be punished because I didn’t want to fuck her. I still blame myself for what happened to her. She was right to be scared. They beat her so badly, she died at The Sanctuary. There was nothing we could do for her.
Since then, I’m careful how I handle the slaves. There’s no fucking way I’ll ever fuck one, but I have to touch them. I have to make it believable enough so I don’t get them killed.
Fuck my life, it’s going to be a long night.
Chapter Two
Adam~
The second I lock the door behind us, the girl sinks down to the floor and onto her knees.
I take another deep breath. Nothing in the world can prepare me for these nights. They just keep getting harder.
I need a moment to gain some control over my emotions. Quickly, I scan the room for hidden cameras and find one in the painting, opposite the bed.
When I walk into the bathroom, I immediately spot the camera embedded in the mirror. Seems it’s the same thing in all the rooms. I wash my hands so whoever has eyes on the cameras won’t get suspicious.
She’s still kneeling when I come out of the bathroom. Her eyelashes are lowered over her eyes as she stares at the floor. Her hair falls over her shoulders, covering half of her breasts. Her hands are at her sides, her fingers lightly touching the floor.
If I tell her to get up I’m going to see all of her. With her kneeling, at least parts of her are covered. Back at the party I didn’t take in any of the naked girls around me. I was focused on getting the job done. Now, there’s nothing but the long night stretching ahead of me with this naked woman.
As the minutes tick by, I notice her breathing speeding up. She’s growing anxious because of my silence. I can’t let her kneel the entire night.
“You can get up,” I whisper.
I glance at the bed and I take in the dark bedding. God only knows what’s happened on that bed. I close my eyes for a moment.
I joined the Marines so I could protect my country. Every cell in my body is wired to protect. There is no way I can hurt this woman, not even to save our lives. I’d rather die than hurt a hair on her body.
Opening my eyes, I force myself to look at her. For a moment, her beauty knocks the breath right from my lungs. She’s an exquisite creature. Her bone structure is delicate, making her look fragile.
She has to be strong to have survived as a sex slave. She looks like she’s in her early twenties. Slaves are always young. The younger they are, the better for these monsters. It’s sickening.
Her eyes are still lowered to the floor and suddenly I want to see them. I want to look inside her and see the soul that’s been locked up in this hell.
“You can look up.”
Her eyes snap up and they stop in the vicinity of my neck. My breath rushes over my lips. She has breathtaking blue eyes. Even from across the room, they are hypnotizing. I wish she would make eye contact with me.
“What’s your name?”
I take a step closer and she keeps perfectly still. She doesn’t look nervous or scared. It worries me that she’s not showing any emotion. A sliver of fear curls around my spine, at the thought that she might be too far gone.
“Master can call me anything,” she whispers.
I frown at this. I’m not in the mood for these fucking games.
“What’s your name,” I say again, this time with a little more dominance.
Her eyes dart back to the floor as she whispers, “Sophia.”
She’s the perfect woman. Any hot-blooded man would want her.
Slowly, I start to walk towards her. When I stop a few steps away from her, I’m still not sure what to do with her. I can’t use the same excuse as River and claim that I’m into watching. No man with a working dick would be able to say they just like watching a beautiful woman while she’s making herself come.
I take another step closer to her and I catch a faint scent that’s all her, no perfume or body spray.
“I’m Adam.”
At this point in time, it’s a useless piece of information. She won’t call me by my name even if I asked.
Knowing that things have passed the point of awkwardness, I lift my hand to her hair. I take a few strands between my fingers. It’s as soft as it looks.
When she takes a tentative step closer to me, I’m surprised. I don’t move, waiting to see if she’ll move again.
She takes another step and it brings her mere inches from me. I can feel her breath on my chest. I lower my head, taking in the clean smell of her hair. Having her close to me, and feeling her breath on my skin, stirs something deep inside of me.
Immediately, I take a step back putting some distance between us. I lock my hands behind my neck to keep from touching her.
Anger and frustration starts to burn in my chest. We can’t just stand like this and I can’t force myself on her. Fuck, this is an impossible situation.
I’ve only had to deal with a slave on my own four times before tonight. Usually, when we’re only taking one slave, River does all the talking. She tells the slave what to do and then we pretend to look interested. When a slave is masturbating, I’ll hold River’s hand, and even go as far as kissing her. Pretending with River to save a life is fine by me. Pretending to be a fucking monster will never sit right in my gut.
Sophia takes another step, closing the distance between us again.
“I’ll satisfy any fantasy Master has,” she whispers.
I hear a slither of fear curling around her words. She’s scared that she’ll be punished if she can’t satisfy me.
I drop my arms and force myself to focus on the mission at hand. I can’t risk her life, not when we’re so close to saving her from this life.
I raise my hand to her arm and I let my fingers curl around her bicep. Her skin feels like velvet under my touch.
“I just want you, Sophia. Can you do that? Just be yourself for me.”
I pull her a little closer, so we’ll look intimate for the camera.
Her movements are slow and unsure, as she rests her cheek on my chest. Her breaths are quick and hot over my skin.
Did I upset her?
I tilt my head slightly so I can see her face. She looks confused, as if I’ve just asked her to do the impossible.
“I don’t know how.”
The four words rip at my insides. I wrap my arms around her, and pull her tightly
to my chest. I wish I could wipe away her pain.
It’s a small consolation knowing that River bought her freedom. We’ll be out of here soon enough. Sophia will be able to learn who she really is, who she was always meant to be.
I can’t help but wonder how long she’s been here? What has been done to her? Will she fully recover? Does she have any family?
I pull back, and taking her hand, I lead her to the bed. My stomach rolls at the sight of the covers. I’d rather sleep on the floor, but I don’t have much of a choice at this stage.
“Get on.”
I nudge her towards the bed. The second she starts to crawl onto the bed, I let my eyes dart to the ceiling. I might as well say a little prayer for strength, while I’m at it.
I take a deep breath before looking at her. She’s lying on her back, totally exposed to me. It fucking grates at my heart, knowing she will let me do anything to her. She won’t defend herself. To her, this is normal and the thought alone is heartbreaking.
The need to show her what normal really is, starts to burn in my chest. Soon it will be an inferno. I need to help this fragile woman. I want to protect her so badly, the feeling is overwhelming.
Getting on the bed, I lie down next to her. I turn onto my side and prop my head up on my left hand.
I reach for her face with my right hand. Gently, I take hold of her jaw and turn her face to me.
“Hi,” I smile at her, hoping it will put her at ease.
For a split second her eyes meet mine, and I feel that punch to my gut. Her eyes are twin pools of seduction.
Leaning in, I press a kiss to her forehead. I lift my leg over hers, so that half my body is covering hers. It gives me a sense of relief, knowing the pervert watching the camera can’t see her.
Slipping my left arm under her, I pull her body tightly against mine. I just want to keep her safe for tonight.
My face is inches from hers. With my right hand, I caress her cheek, before letting my fingers tangle in her hair.
“You’re precious,” I whisper.
I want her to feel like she has worth. She has rights.
Softly, I press a kiss to her temple.
“Everything’s going to be fine.”
I press another kiss to her temple, hoping that she can feel how much I mean every word. I want her to feel safe.
“Sleep. You’re safe for tonight.”
Moments pass and instead of her breathing evening out, her breaths come faster.
I pull back, just enough to see her eyes shimmering with tears.
Before I can think of something to say that will comfort her, she whispers warily, “Master doesn’t want me?”
It feels as if my heart is going to split in two. I’m trying to keep her safe and to her, it’s rejection.
I have to do something before it escalates into a fucking disaster.
Chapter Three
Sophia~
The last time I felt so uneasy was when the first party was held, and I almost died.
This man is different from all the other Masters I’ve had. Nothing I try works with him. I tried showing him that I’m submissive by scooting closer to him but it didn’t work.
Panic starts to tighten my chest. What if he doesn’t want me? That hasn’t happened before.
I even crawled onto the bed displaying myself to him in the hopes that he would take me. He didn’t even take off his pants. I don’t know if I should remove it or just lie still. He’s not telling me what to do.
I don’t know what to do. The last time I didn’t know what to do, turned into a nightmare for me. If I don’t please him, I’ll be punished.
I’m confused and fear what will happen if he doesn’t want me. My eyes start to burn and I blink fast to chase the tears away.
He takes hold of my jaw and turns my face to his. Suddenly, his mouth crashes against mine. Relief floods my whole body, and it makes me feel lightheaded for a moment.
He hasn’t given me permission to touch him. I open my mouth and lifting my face, I give him better access to my mouth. My only purpose is to please him.
His tongue sweeps through my mouth, and his arms pull me closer. I snuggle in under him, relishing in the fact that he wants me.
I kiss him back, my tongue brushing against his.
He breaks the kiss and whispers against my lips, “Put your arms around me. I want you to hold me and we’ll kiss. That is all I want from you. Do you understand?”
I smile and nod quickly. He wants something from me and that is all that matters.
Chapter Four
Adam~
Fuck, I hate seeing a woman cry. Every tear is a punch to my gut. This is one of the reasons I usually let River deal with the people we rescue.
My eyes flit over her face and I try to get a read on her. My rule of no touching is going to shit tonight. Her bottom lip trembles and I can’t stand it anymore. I press my mouth to hers, figuring I can forgive myself for kissing her. It’s the lesser of two evils.
The moment I kiss her, she relaxes under me. The second she opens her mouth, my body tenses.
When she starts to kiss me back, I’m stunned. I didn’t expect her to kiss me back. Slaves are like robots, they just let you take what you want. I’ve never heard of one giving it freely.
I break the kiss so I can see her face. Immediately, she tenses again, uncertainty washing over her delicate features.
“Put your arms around me. I want you to hold me and we’ll kiss. That is all I want from you. Do you understand?”
A smile brightens her face, knocking me on my ass. This woman is annihilating all my defenses. I’ve never been affected like this by another person.
Her slender arms go around my waist and she presses her breasts against my chest. Feeling her soft skin against my chest is like an instant shot of adrenaline straight to my heart.
I’m playing with fire, I know this. As I lower my head to hers, I pray that I’ll stay in control of the situation.
I press my mouth to hers, reminding myself that it’s not her choice to kiss me. She’s doing it because it’s all she knows.
As I hold her tighter, I want to weep for this beautiful girl. She’s lost the most precious thing in life - her free will. Losing your identity and freedom are the worst things a person can endure. Existing and being nothing but a fucking puppet to sick people’s desires, that’s no life at all. It’s pure hell.
I try to tell her, via the kiss, that I care about what happens to her, that I’ll keep her safe.
She moans and it’s nothing but an empty sound. I can hear it’s fake. She’s only doing what she thinks I’ll like. Her left hand slips over my side and she goes for my pants. I move fast, catching her hand and pulling it away from my pants.
Her eyes grow huge and she starts to sputter, “I’m so sorry, Master.”
I shake my head and bring her hand to my chest. I hold it there so she won’t try something like that again.
“It’s okay. Only kissing, Sophia.”
She nods and starts to lean into me again. “Only kissing,” she whispers and then she kisses me.
She tries to kiss me harder, doing the fake moan thing again. I break the kiss and press her face into the crook of my neck. I bury my face in her hair and take a deep breath.
“Master doesn’t have to be gentle,” she whispers. “I don’t bruise easily.”
I hold her tighter as a lump forms in my throat. Fuck, I can’t do this. I’m not going to survive this night without killing someone.
Chapter Five
Sophia~
I don’t understand. Masters are usually very vocal about what they want. They tell you they want to punish you for being pretty and you let them punish you. They will tell you they want to be fucked and you fuck them.
Master Lowery has only one rule, that I’m not to be bruised. I always dress up for him and we act out whatever fantasy he has.
Maybe Master Adam is scared he’ll bruise me? I don’t know what else would
keep him back. I’ve never had a Master that just wanted to kiss.
He holds me tighter and just as I get hopeful that he’ll fuck me now, he says, “Close your eyes and sleep. Just sleep, Sophia.”
I frown against his chest. “Sleep?” I’m sleeping here? I’ve never spent the night just sleeping next to a Master.
Maybe he has a problem getting hard? I lift the leg that’s positioned between his until my thigh presses against his cock. I can feel how hard he is, which only confuses me more.
Why won’t he fuck me?
His one hand moves down between us and he takes hold of my hip. He pushes me back until I’m lying on my back again. I open my legs, assuming that he’ll finally take off his pants.
“Stop, Sophia!” he snaps. My heart lurches with fright. “Just … sleep. I just want you to sleep.”
I’ve angered him. Disappointment in myself floods through me. I slowly close my legs and lie still, not wanting to anger him more.
Master Sven is going to punish me for this. I’ve failed in the one thing that’s expected of me – to satisfy your Master or Mistress.
I didn’t please my Master. Something like this has never happened before.
Chapter Six
Adam~
It’s been one of the longest nights of my fucking life. I get up and go to the bathroom.
Before I close the door, I say, “That is all, Sophia. You can go.”
I close the door and go to the sink. I rinse my face a couple of times. I wait a few more minutes before I dare to go back into the room.
I’m relieved to see that she’s left. I hurry out of the room and go back to the one I share with River. I sit down on the bed and shove my hands through my hair. Grabbing my hair, I just sit and try to work through my anger. I can’t lose my shit now.
I hear the door open, then River whispers, “Morning.”
I close my eyes feeling even worse. I hope River had a better night than I had.
I look up and watch her closely as she walks towards me. She’s still dressed in the ridiculous outfits required of us. She crawls onto the bed. Taking hold of my arm, she pulls at it until I give up and stretch out beside her.
Filthy: A Dark Romance (A Damaged Romance Duet Book 2) Page 3
