I’d had rescued slaves stay at the house with me before, but none of them ever caught my attention. Not just because they were rescued slaves, but because there was no attraction there. Anytime I went to a bar or other event, I always went home with someone. Maybe women thought I was charming, or maybe they were just impressed by my money and cars. But whatever the reason, I didn’t care.

Getting laid wasn’t difficult.

So my attraction to Mia wasn’t based on convenience. I could get another woman if I just wanted to get my dick wet. On top of that, this woman was a victim of rape and abuse. Why would I want to be with a woman with that baggage when I could have someone else?

No clue.

But I wanted her all the same.

Some men might have thought of her as damaged goods, but that wasn’t how I viewed her. Instead, I saw a woman who didn’t bow to any man, regardless of the cruelty he put her through. She kept her dignity and never stopped fighting. Victims usually lost their minds before their bodies gave out on them, but she managed to protect her cognition with flying colors.

Most people couldn’t endure the kind of things she’d seen.

Couldn’t stand being imprisoned by someone like Egor.

But she did it, her head still held high.

I admired her.

In addition to that, she was stunning. The scars on her back made me more attracted to her, attracted to her endurance. I wanted to be the one to hurt her, to give her my own set of bruises. But I also wanted to be the one to make her feel good, to enjoy sex before Egor claimed the prize he’d bought.

I knew she wanted me too.

I could tell by the way she looked at me, the way she brushed off my comments even though they got to her. When I pressed myself against her, she wouldn’t hesitate to push me off if she didn’t want me there. She wasn’t afraid to fight for herself. So when she did nothing, I knew she liked it.

I knew she liked my hard dick against her ass.

She said she didn’t want me, but she was lying to me as well as her to herself. I wasn’t going to force her, not until she violated my rules. The second she crossed me, I wouldn’t hesitate. She would be on her back and in my bed, her legs spread and her pussy full of my come. But until that moment, she was still free to call the shots.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew a woman like her wouldn’t settle for being a prisoner forever. Eventually, she would make her move. She would either try to kill me or try to run. Based on our chemistry, she probably wouldn’t try to murder me. I’d been kind to her in comparison to Egor, so she would probably feel too guilty to pull that stunt.

That gave her only one other option—to run.

And when she did, I would be ready for her.

I was in my office with the door shut when I called Conway.

He answered after a few rings. “Are you ever going to come and visit me?”

“I told you I had my hands tied.”

“You mean, your hands full.”

Full with tits, he meant. “I’m guessing you’re alone right now?”

“My father is working in the office while my mom took Sapphire to look at houses in the area.”

“You’re letting the women make that kind of decision? Are you really that bedridden?”

“My ribs are still in bad shape,” Conway answered in a deep voice. “The doctor said these kinds of breaks take a while. I think it’ll be another few weeks before I’m back to my full health. I’ve been purposely taking it easy because I want to be in the best shape possible when Sapphire goes into labor.”

Now it all made sense. Conway wasn’t the kind of guy who slowed down just because his body gave out on him. “Gotcha.”

“Still have your little pet staying with you?”

“Yep. A few more weeks.”

“Still a handful?”

“She’s not so bad. I made a deal with her.”

“What kind of deal?” he asked, full of intrigue.

“I told her if she behaved herself, I wouldn’t beat her and rape her.” I’d never struck a woman or took one against her will in my life, but I felt differently about Mia. Now I was looking for an excuse to have her, especially when I knew she wanted me to.

“Sounds like a pretty good deal.”

“But I’m hoping she doesn’t follow the rules…”

He chuckled into the phone. “I bet you are. What constitutes good behavior?”’

“Not trying to escape or kill me.”

“That should be easy to follow.”

“She’s not that kind of woman. She jumped out of my car when I first bought her from the Underground, and she’s told me off more times than I can count. She’s not the kind of woman to settle for anything less than what she deserves.”

“So which one do you think she’ll do? Run or kill you?” he asked. “Personally, I hope it’s the latter.”

“Ha,” I said sarcastically. “Without me around, you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.”

“I’ve got a wife and a kid. I’m plenty entertained.”

“Are you entertained right now?” I asked. “Your wife and baby took off to buy a house.”

“To look at a house,” he corrected. “And I don’t give a shit where we live. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy. So, which one do you think she’ll do?”

“I don’t think she’ll try to kill me. She’s no match for me, and she’s got a soft spot for me.”

“You said the same thing about me, but you’re dead wrong.”

I grinned at my cousin’s comment. “I’m definitely right about her. She wants me. She just won’t admit it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Trust me, I know when a woman wants me.” They were usually more forward and open about it than Mia was, but my instinct was right on point.

“If that’s the case, why haven’t you nailed her?”

After everything she’d been through, it was probably hard to imagine enjoying sex. It probably felt wrong to want me in the first place, considering that I bought her from an underground slave auction. “I’m sure it doesn’t feel right to her.”

“Why do you want her anyway? You can pick up pussy anywhere.”

There was something special about Mia. “Yeah, I know. But there’s something about Mia that I can’t stop thinking about. She’s one hell of a woman. I understand why Egor paid so much to get her back.”

“She’s that sexy?” he asked incredulously.

“And she’s full of fire, fury, and passion. When I first got her, I had to scare her into submission. I ripped off her clothes and pinned her to the ground. I’ve seen the scars on her back. It looks like someone whipped her until all her skin was removed. I felt bad for her, obviously. But I also wanted to give her those scars myself…” I wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone but Conway. It was a twisted thing to say, but Conway knew I had special kinks. I’d always been into submissive women, but he never had been.

“Carter, you do realize she’s your slave, right? Walk into her room and do whatever you want.”

She was my property at the moment, so I had every right to treat her that way. Egor didn’t care if I used her, and I could enjoy her until I had to give her back. But since that was innately wrong, I couldn’t go through with it. “I want to…but I want to be better than that. We saved hundreds of women before her. If I resort to that…I’m just as bad as the other assholes that buy women like livestock.”

“We were never in it to save women. We were in it for the money. I know it—you know it.”

“But I’m not evil.” There was nothing I wanted more than to fulfill my secret fantasies, to take a woman, hurt her, and do whatever I wished. The women I bedded were into kinky stuff, but never something as taboo as slavery. This woman was literally a prisoner. It couldn’t get more taboo than that.

“Since you’re giving her to Egor in a few weeks, I don’t think it makes a difference what you do with her. It’s not like you bought her for yourself with the intention of keeping her until you made her dig her own grave. It really doesn’t matter. If that’s where she’s going, none of this matters. And if she really does want you, it might be a nice vacation for her…before she has to go back.”

That was another reason why I didn’t want to start fucking her, especially if it was consensual. It would make it more difficult for me to hand her over in a few weeks. If she broke my rules and ignited my temper, then I would have to keep my word and fulfill the promise I made. It would be just about sex, about chaining her to my headboard and doing whatever I wanted. I wouldn’t feel bad about taking her how I wanted, not when I gave her a way to avoid it. “I don’t want to feel anything for her. I have to give her back to Egor. After what happened with the Skull Kings, I can’t make an enemy out of this guy. He’s too unpredictable. So I can’t change my mind about the commitment I made. It would be easier if she defied me and I had to punish her. I wouldn’t feel bad about what I was doing since I gave her an out in the beginning.”

“So if she tries to escape, you’ll get what you want?”

“Exactly.”

Conway fell quiet, his mind obviously working in the silence.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“I was thinking that you want her to break the rules…so why don’t you make that happen?”

“I can’t make her do anything. That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Think about it,” he said. “Let her think you’ve dropped your guard. Let her think you’re distracted. Let her think she has a real chance. Pretend to forget to turn on the alarm at night. Pretend it’s possible for her to get out.”

My interest increased as the arousal coursed through my veins. If I let her believe she could really make it out of here, and even gave her another warning that she shouldn’t make the attempt, I wouldn’t have to feel any guilt as I enjoyed her. She could do everything right, but I would be waiting for her—in the darkness. I would grab her, watch the hope disappear from her eyes, and then I would take her to bed—where she belonged.

Then I could finally have her—guilt-free.

I could fuck her hard.

I could spank her hard.

Slap her hard.

And do whatever I damn well pleased.

“What do you think?” Conway asked, bringing my attention back to the conversation.

My hand tightened into a fist because my desire outweighed my conscience. I didn’t consider myself to be a bad man, but I never claimed I was good either. I was a descendant of a line of criminals. My dad never professed to be a good man. Even to this day, he didn’t claim that he was. All he ever said was that he loved his family…and that was the only good quality he possessed.

I was no different. “I think it’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”