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Sairl? After a minute, he realized Nicole had bottled up her emotions, but just with her hed, showed how she felt Nicole pushed away only Nancy

Sam had locked all the doors with hiht touch on his arhtened and looked down Linda

"Are you all right?" Concern filled her gentle eyes For him He’d been rude to her, had pulled away, and she still worried about him The woman hadn’t a clue how special she was Or what she meant to hi about, but stop" Her expression showed only sweetness as she put her arms around him "I love you, Sam It’s okay if you don’t feel the sah hirow He put his arms around her and pulled her closer She didn’t knohat she was offering She shouldn’t love a person so ure out if you want that experience to determine the rest of your life" Did he let Nancy win, or did he fight? He sed "I told you that s, and she’d use anything I told her as a"

Linda didn’t look up, just tightened her grip

His mouth flattened "Nancy came to the farm last Sunday That’s why--" Hell, how did people do this? He couldn’t He pulled her closer, not wanting to let her go But he ently set her froeon

LINDA SAGGED AGAINST the back of a couch, staring after Saed her as if it ized and shared His ex sounded purely horrible

He’d held her before pushing her away Her lips curved He’d said one thing--his hug had said another

"Whoa, as all that about?" Sally slipped an arm around her and leaned her hip on the couch "He sure didn’t look happy with you"

Linda shook her head "He toldabout his ex She sounds like a real bitch"

"Seriously? He never talks about his wife Orelse, come to think of it"

But he’d opened up for her, cracked his wall of silence I love you, Saive up--we can do this "He’s definitely confusing h "But I can’t think about it now Tiet to work" She had a slaver to find

"I’m on the other side of the room," Sally said, "but I’ll try to keep an eye on you"

Linda gave her a squeeze "Thanks" And Sam would watch over her She never doubted that for a second

See as now a trainee The spotter pretended to watch a girl-on-girl scene as he studied the redheaded ex-slave Quite interesting that she’d beco involved with a Dom--after all, the Association "harvested" women in the lifestyle But the trainee duties seeh Now he’d have a chance to enjoy her A pale- redhead whose skin wouldthe results of his efforts

He also preferred the older wo ones,h or the pain was the type they hated, he could keep them out of subspace Hurt them in ways that made them scream

He was uncomfortably hard as the redhead walked past the bar Unfortunately, since she was a new trainee, he’d get no chance at her tonight But eventually? Most definitely

Maybe he could talk her intohim somewhere He needed some relief His kills had been discovered, and the reporters were having a field day announcing a serial killer who chopped off his victiht in the red-light district, he’d spotted four plainclothes officers Even worse, the whores weren’t getting into cars

As he watched her talk with people, he frowned Her de a Do intently and the et a careful study Her attitude wasn’t that of a sub for a master

Uneasiness aze flickered over hie, he relaxed She didn’t recognize hi her of where they’d "ht before he started on her with his knife

Chapter Twenty-Four