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Master Z held her gaze "Tell us"

"He was here Someone…someone from…" She forced the word past her lips "A slaver I know his laugh His voice"

Sarowled under his breath

Master Z’s eyes turned almost black "What does he look like?"

Over and over, she tried to put a face with the voice Nothing She was disappointing Sa her eyes "I’ it, as he tilted her face up to look at her "Sorry for what, baby?"

"I don’t know his face," she whispered "I never…"

They stayed silent

"In the cages We were in cages for a while And when people cao away" Make everything all go away

"Closed your eyes, huh?" Sah "Bet you hid under the covers as a little girl like Nicole did" He wasn’ther In fact, his hand slid froainst his chest

She let out a sigh, feeling her body melt into him Warm Safe

"Linda," Z asked, "are you sure you heard someone from when you were imprisoned? Could the voice just be similar?"

"I’m sure"

Silence She felt the owner of the Shadowlands study her and realized her eyes were shut again

"Talk later, Z," Sa to drop hard"

The rustle of clothes She didn’t want to open her eyes Maybe the bad ones would all go away Only they never had before Closing her eyes hadn’t worked Hadn’t saved her Nothing had She felt tears spill from her eyes to roll down her cheeks

"Linda Look atdown at her with a gentle expression "Samuel and I are proud of you, little one You did well" He squeezed her shoulder and left, his gait smooth and silent

A knot loosened inside her but didn’t halt the sadness, a thick ocean fog through the streets of her ray Is that where Holly is? Buried in gray?

A sobstu, and after a second she realized what he’d said "Cry, girl I won’t let go Cry"

Burying her head in his shoulder, she did

To see the redheaded ex-slave have a panic attack had been quite diverting As the spotter strolled toward the unattached sub the Dom’s scene crash and burn Such a pity, Master Sah Davies could wield a ell, he always stopped too soon Didn’t break the subrovel And afterward, he treated the sluts like pa Aaron’s jaw clenched Stupid slaves would kneel and beg Davies for a flogging Some of them were ones who’d turned Aaron dohen he’d invited them to play I’m far more of a Master than he’ll ever be I’ve fucked more women, hurt more women

Killed more women

He smoothed his hair down as satisfaction filled him Yes, he’d had a fine ti prostitutes They were sleazy, but…nicely simple Flash some money, pick one up, deal with her how he pleased Leave the body in a ditch and take hisevidence, but at least he had no Harvest Association Overseer to placate over daed--or dead--merchandise

And for a pleasant treat between kills, he used the Shadowlands

As he neared the bar, he noticed the side door was ajar Z must have opened the Capture Gardens Now that promised to be fun Perhaps a bit risky, since Z and the Masters kept a close eye on the proceedings But there ays around that

As he approached the unattached subs Two of them he’d played with before No Not in a mood to exert hi wo up his prey And fucking her Up the ass would suit his ht his eye Nice But then he saw the trainee cuffs on her wrists Not a good choice Z kept a close eye on the trainees All the Masters did