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She stared at the wall In the beginning, Z had let Cullen join a scene and touch Jessica Did Z figure she should share hier sliced into her brain so sharply it took her breath away I won’t, damn him Her hands fisted, and if he’d been present, she’d have hit hiet out of here before I make a scene like a child

She trotted down the inside stairs and stopped in the ground-floor hallway No car Z'd picked her up, saying she could join the guys" poker ga She was stuck here until Z left the club Dammit

At the bottom of the stairs in the empty hall, she paced up and down, and if she kicked the wall a few tih

An unknowable amount of tih fro hall light, harsh lines bracketed his mouth; another line carved between his eyebrows How could he make her heart leap, make her worry about him, and make her hate him all at the same time?

He saw her and inclined his head "Jessica Is there a problee--the need--to hold hiive hi

No He could just take hiotten tired of having a short, fat sub "I need a ride back to ive ht?"

"I changeda tey to care He’d left her alone all evening He didn’t want her there His sons hated her and thought her too young for him--and maybe she was "Either find someone to takeht, kitten Perhaps that would prove best for tonight" He held out his hand "I’ll drive you ho inside her hurt She’d expected hi about her fears, to…to show it mattered to him whether she stayed or left "Thank you" She turned and headed toward the door to the garage They’d have a long, long, silent drive hooal was toarea near the Clearwater Don Docks, Cesar Maganti drank his coffee and watched the boat lights bob up and down in the darkness The wharf never stayed totally quiet, even this late, but no one paid any attention to his big appliance truck

Muffled screa toyed with the female they’d taken earlier She’d barely awakened fro had started He was a brutal bastard but reliable, and discreet help was difficult to find The Overseer didn’t care if the girls were roughed up so as they’d heal up in two to three weeks" tiirl started to cry, and Maganti heard the wet sounds of sex

On the seat beside hianti checked the number The Overseer "Yes?" No identification, no trace Both of theet tossed after the last pickup

"I received your anti sat up as anxiety burned off his relaxed hter-colored piece is more trouble than it’s worth" The Overseer's list included a sassy blonde and a brunette froanti was to take whoever proved safer

But his investigation showed the blonde had a relationship with her dohts Often a wo waves Hell, half the time a dom wouldn’t even know a sub’s real name But a husband or lover would search forever and create all sorts of stink

"I see And the other?"

"Unavailable" The fucking brunette had disappeared into thin air

"That’s disappointing Letof a keyboard broke the silence on the phone "Ah yes There’s a very fine piece that fits our specifications I’ll send you the new parts nurinned Score! When the brunette cunt had disappeared last Sunday, he’d worried he’d lose a fucking quarter of his potential fee "Good enough I’ll watch for it" He didn’t knohere the dude got the names of the fe the rest of the order?"

"Nope I’rabbed this bitch easily enough Even better, the only people who ht miss her were at her job On Monday, he’d send her boss an e-ood Will the new part be ready before next Sunday? After that would be too late"

"If the new piece checks out, I’ll package the last order for shipping on Friday or Saturday"

"Good" Silence indicated the Overseer had hung up

Maganti heard retching noises co, "Get that fucking gag off before she chokes" He spotted a boat pulling up to the dock "Her ride’s here Let’s move"

Chapter Fourteen

The Shadowlands had closed Holding his little trainee’s wrist, Marcus led her down the private hallway, then outside After the dry air-conditioned atmosphere of the club, the sultry air wrapped around hi and frightened,and reassure her "I need to go home now," she said

"You live alone and don’t have a job at present Is there a reason you can’t stay a couple of hours longer?"

Her mouth opened, then closed She’d decided not to lie to hiht" He took her around the corner to Z’s private yard at the rear of the Shadowlands The other three doht

Gabi stopped again, obviously seeing everyone present was a Shadowlands Master "But--"