Kade takes a seat in the small sitting room and I obediently kneel next to him. I'm not sure what this meeting is about, but I want it to be over with. I haven't forgotten our conversation, and I'm ready to get over this hurdle so we can leave.

Master A walks into the room, and my breathing is caught short. My cheeks burn as he walks past me. He takes a seat in the chair next to Kade so that I’m kneeling on the floor between the two of them.

“Good morning, angel,” Master A says with a wink. Talia giggles from her position on the other side of the room.

“Good morning, Mast-sir. Good morning, sir!” Master A claps his hands once and bellows out a laugh.

“I will kill you. Don’t think I won’t,” Kade says from my right. I look up at him and he has a sexy smile on his face. He places his hand on the outside of my shoulder and scoots me closer to him. I settle between his legs and lean my head against his knee. I look at Master A from the corner of my eye, and he winks at me.

A small smile graces my lips. That warmth in my chest comes back, but I wish it didn’t.

I wish I didn’t feel so comfortable here.

Gabriel comes back into the room and a young woman follows him. Her simple strapless black dress flows as she walks quickly behind him. Her short hair is nearly as black as her dress.

“Alright then, let’s try this out.”

In the center of the sitting room is a device I’ve never seen before. It’s a simple rope pulley although the ropes themselves are woven with gold chains with cuffs on the end. The pulley is already set up and dangling from the ceiling. Gabriel lowers the cuffs with the rope, and the young woman stands and instantly raises her arms.

“There’s no support?” Kade asks with uncertainty. I look at Master A, and he has his forehead pinched and his jaw is clenched.

“Lydia will let us know how it feels,” Gabriel answers smoothly.

Master A sits back in his seat. “I’m sure it’ll only be for the red rooms.”

Gabriel nods his head. “And that’s why Lydia’s testing it out, and not my Talia.”

Gabriel walks to the rope after fastening the cuffs and slowly pulls. Lydia’s arms are pulled upward until she’s on her tiptoes. Her body sways, but being held up so high, she can’t balance herself with just her big toes. Gabriel lowers it slightly and waits for her to steady herself, then raises it higher again.

“How do you like it?” he asks her.

Master A cocks a brow as the small woman answers, “It would hurt after a while, but for a quick fuck, it’ll do the job.” Gabriel lets out a rough chuckle.

“We’ll have to get a few then.” He looks at his watch as a loud chime rings out. Talia stands and exits gracefully. She doesn’t wait for orders. The rules between her and Gabriel are much different than they are for everyone else.

“Fifteen minutes then?” Gabriel looks up at Lydia, who nods her head and answers simply, “Yes, sir.”

I don’t want to get in that thing. That’s all I can think about as Gabriel pushes against Lydia’s hip and she swings slightly. Her big toes slide across the rug as she lets out a squeak and then a laugh.

“It could be fun,” Gabriel says with a smile. The room feels light with laughter. It does look... interesting, but I have zero arm strength and that looks like it would tire me out quickly.

The laughter dies the second Talia returns to the room. Her head is down and her hands are clasped in front of her as she returns to her seat on the floor in front of Gabriel’s empty chair.

Vic follows her into the room and stands in the doorway.

Ice pricks down my skin as he looks at the woman dangling.

Lydia's smile slips, and she goes silent as Gabriel steadies her.

“Victor. I wasn’t expecting you so soon,” Gabriel says. I keep my eyes trained on the ground as Victor walks across the floor. His black boots thumping across the ground are the only sounds until he slumps in Gabriel’s seat. He spreads his legs wide and his boot hits Talia’s leg. She doesn’t move and simply allows it.

My eyes dart to Gabriel's. He's staring fixedly at his foot.

My breathing picks up and anxiety ignites within me. I can’t see all the men's faces, but the tension in the air is thick.

“What’s this?” Victor asks. His voice is low and rough. He gestures with his hand although he seems bored.

“A new toy we’re considering installing.” I watch as Victor stands and pushes the small woman. Lydia's silent as she swings and struggles to steady herself. Her hands wrap around the rope to support her weight since her toes are no longer touching the ground.

Vic huffs a laugh and then he walks closer to me.

“Kade.”

“Victor.” Kade replies with the same temperament, cold and disinterested.

“Ricky wanted to know how you were handling the gift.” I can see past Victor's legs and Gabriel seems to be having a silent discussion with Talia. Gabriel looks back toward my direction, his eyes on Victor as he walks to a side table and opens a drawer. I watch as he lays a gun on the side table. My heart speeds up faster, but he leaves it there and continues to watch.

“Ricky could've called and asked himself.”

“I wanted to come and see for myself. She should be trained by now, shouldn’t she?”

“She is.” Kade rests his hand on my head and gently pets my hair, but it does nothing to calm me. “As you can see.”

“Fantastic. I’ve been ready to fuck this little bitch since we caught her.”

“You’ll have to get in line then, Victor,” Gabriel says from across the room. “I’ll call first dibs.” Gabriel’s trying to keep the mood light, but it doesn’t work.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Victor asks.

“She’s mine. That’s what the fuck it means. And I’m not willing to share her just yet.”

Victor clenches his fist like a petulant brat, but then seems to calm himself.

“How about you come with me to the meet in a few days?” Victor offers. “You can get rid of this one and get yourself some fresh stock?” It’s difficult to stay still as he talks about me as though I’m disposable. My heart clenches in my chest and I have to remind myself this is fake. I’ll be free soon. Very soon. I breathe in deep. I just need to stay calm.

“You can pass her to me then. Once you’ve had your fill.” Kade makes no move to respond as Victor stands and takes a few steps toward me with confidence. I keep my eyes on the ground, but my body trembles with the need to run.

“For now, I’ll just see how well she obeys.” His voice takes on a hard edge, but then he says easily, “Just to let Ricky know how well you've done. If you've trained her right.”

I don’t want to. I consider turning around and biting the shit out of Kade's knee or doing anything I can to get out of this. I don’t want to obey Victor. I don’t trust him. I don't want anything to do with him. It's more than that though. I'm terrified.

“Within this room, I give you permission to give her simple commands,” Kade says.

“Simple commands?” Victor sneers. “And you expect me not to leave the room?” He snorts and looks to Master A for support, but judging by how his face falls, he obviously didn't get any support from Master A.

“She's mine.” My body tenses at Kade's hard words although his claim on me affects me differently. “She is not to leave my sight.”

I can feel Victor's eyes on me in the silence. I remain still and wait with bated breath.

“Come on then. Crawl to me,” Victor commands me. I don't want to. I hesitate even though I know I shouldn't.

“Go on, angel,” Kade finally says, and I feel betrayed. I don’t want to. “You can do this.” Kade’s voice is soft. I swallow thickly and nod my head.

“Bow and kiss my boots, slave,” Victor says with a smug confidence in his voice as I crawl toward him. I’m afraid to. The thought that he’s going to kick me in my face is a very real fear of mine. But I do it. I crawl to him and bow on the floor and put a kiss on each boot before laying my head down next to his feet and waiting.

“She’s a wonderful pet,” Kade says from behind me “Very easy to train.” I don't like the way he's talking. This is a different side to him; one I've never seen. I want to believe it's fake. But I don't know for sure. My heart tries to climb up my throat, but I swallow it down and continue to wait to be commanded by this man I detest.

I hear Victor unzip his pants and my eyes pop wide open. I can’t do this. I won’t. I won’t let this fucker touch me.

“You will not use for her anything other than simple commands. I'm not in the habit of sharing.” Kade sounds pissed.

I can practically see Victor's sick smile. “I have no plans to touch her.” He sounds casual and cocky.

“If you cum on my property,” Kade’s voice is even but deadly, “I’ll slit your throat.”

I chance a look up. Victor’s dark eyes stare back at Kade who's still seated behind me, and I can see he’s weighing his options.

“What good is she then?” he asks with disdain.

Victor snorts and steps over me, moving to the woman dangling in the center of the room.

“Come here now,” Kade commands me to crawl to him and I try to obey and crawl back to him, but the loud smack of Victor’s hand against Lydia’s body stops me.

Lydia whimpers as I look up and see her body swinging from the ropes.

“Victor!” Gabriel calls out a low warning. “This is in testing, and she's not prepared for you.”

Victor completely ignores Gabriel. I keep my eyes on the ground, but I can see Gabriel stand and walk toward the center of the room. My heart thumps loudly in my ears.

“Don't fucking disrespect me, Master G.” Victor taunts Gabriel by using the name we call him. Victor's pissed and apparently done with listening to anyone. “This bitch is a whore, and I'll fuck her like a whore.”

Everything happens too quickly. Gabriel moves to the ropes and Master A to Talia, standing in front of her.

Gabriel yells something in French I don't understand and Lydia cries out.

Victor's hurting her, grabbing her roughly toward him and yanking her arms against the rope. My heart lurches in my chest and I instinctively reach out to stop him. Fear and disgust cripple me, but I fight them and reach out to grab Victor’s leg. I can’t let him do that. Kade grabs my hips and pulls me away, my fingers barely touching Victor’s pants and doing nothing to stop him. I hear him yelling. The other men yelling. Lydia's crying. The horrific chaos hits me at once.

One moment is clear though. Victor looks down at me with a sick, twisted smile and pulls Lydia even closer to him with a violent yank. My heart refuses to beat, and time moves in slow motion.

Lydia screams as Victor pulls her. She screams a sound of horrid pain as I hear a loud pop and her arm pulls from the socket in her shoulder even though the rope is being lowered. Gabriel was too late. Her upper body drops, but her arm is limp at her side.

Kade picks me up swiftly and moves me behind him and onto the chair. I'm disgusted and want to do something. I have to try to help her.

I watch as Kade reaches into his waistband, but before he can pull out his gun, my body jolts with each loud sound of a gun going off. Bang! Bang!

My head whips to the side and I see Talia holding the gun, pointed right where Victor was standing. Her body is still as Victor falls lifeless to the floor. His cold dark eyes stare at the ceiling. His face is contorted, and blood bubbles from a neat hole in his throat. His dark black shirt sticks to his body as blood spills from the wound in his chest.

My eyes stay on him, until I hear the pounding of footsteps and a squeak from Talia.

Gabriel grabs Talia by her throat, stopping her from kneeling. The gun falls from her hand and hits the ground with a loud thump.

“You will not hide behind your submission, Talia.” Gabriel sounds pissed. Talia lets out a small sob and keeps her eyes on the ground.

“Get her down.” Gabriel’s low voice sends the command throughout the room. He’s not talking to Talia, but I’m not sure who the order was directed toward.

My eyes are still locked on Talia's face. She's scared. It's the first time I've seen her look unsure and upset. It's also the first time he's scolded her. And for what? Killing a man who deserves to die? Blood pools around his neck and seeps into the carpet.

Kade moves to go to Lydia, but I grip onto his leg. I don’t want him to leave me. Kade looks down at me registering my needs, and then to Master A. Master A stands and quickly moves to Lydia, unfastening the cuffs and cradles her in his arms. He shushes her and carries her out of the room.

Kade pulls me off the ground and holds me to his chest. He tries calming me, he tries keeping me from looking at Talia and Gabriel, but I turn away from him.

The only sound in the room is Talia’s soft cry. She doesn't deserve to be crying.

“Esclave, did you think I would let him get away with that? Do you think that little of me now?” His voice is low.

“No Master,” Talia replies quickly.

My heart hurts for her. I move to push away from Kade. I'm not going to watch her be punished for doing the right thing, but he digs his fingers into my hips, stopping me.

Gabriel loosens his grip on Talia's throat and cups her chin. “You will never put yourself in danger again. Do you hear me?” Gabriel’s voice is soft, but absolute.

She finally looks into his eyes and sniffles.

“Answer me, esclave.” Gabriel’s eyes dart across her face, searching for something.

“If you want something done, you will tell me. You will not make yourself a target, ever.” His voice raises with each command. “Is that clear? You will stand behind me always. Don’t you ever do that again.”

My breathing slows as I understand why he's upset. My anger wanes, and the fight in me dies.

“It's alright, angel,” Kade whispers, pulling me closer to him and petting my back.

Talia nods her head and hunches her shoulders. “Yes, Master.”

Gabriel pulls her into his arms. “Don’t you dare do that again, Talia,” he whispers in her hair and then kisses her. He rubs his hand along her back as she sniffles.

I watch as he soothes her pain and both of them relax slightly. He doesn't stop looking at her and wills her to look at him, but she buries her face into his chest.

It's quiet for a long time. I want to leave. I want to get out of here.

Kade finally breaks the silence. “She has very good aim,” he says to Gabriel.

Gabriel turns toward us and huffs a laugh. “Just because she can shoot doesn’t mean she should. I was taking care of it.”

Talia looks at the ground with a frown and wipes her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says. She sounds so weak.

Gabriel pulls away from her and grips her shoulders. “Don't be, esclave.” He comforts her. “Try to stay behind me next time,” he says in a soft, comforting tone.

She nods her head and asks in a small voice, “Are you mad at me still?”

He shakes his head and plants a soft kiss on her lips. Gabriel whispers, “Never. I love you, esclave.”

She buries her head into his chest and whispers, “I love you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel rubs her back and looks over his shoulder at us.

I pull my eyes away from them and lower my cheek to Kade’s chest.

“I'll take her upstairs and come down to clean this up,” Kade says.

Gabriel looks back at us and then down to the dead body on the floor. “Victor was never here. We need to make sure Ricky doesn’t find out.”

Kade’s deep voice rumbles in his chest. “Of course not. He was never here.”