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"I do trust you, Victor," I tell him in a quiet, intent voice

He squeezesdressed

~~~

Nora is sitting alone in a generously-sized room with thick brick walls painted white A square metal table sits in the center with two black hts running along the high ceiling, bathing the rooht There are four vents set in the wall close to the ceiling to pump heat or air into the space, but it’s neither too hot nor too cold right now to need it The floor is made of white tiles, blemished by scuffmarks and scrapes from the various pieces of furniture that were taken out of the rooe space into a confineation room A heavy steel door is the only way in or out, unless one is the size of a toddler and can fit through the vents near the ceiling Nora is not She’s a little bigger than me; taller and heavier by a few pounds, and I know I couldn’t fit through an opening that small

As requested, Nora was allowed a bath--Niklas was happy to volunteer to be the one to stay in the bathroom with her while she did, not because he wanted to see her naked, but because she hit hi her bathe would inning to hate her iven food and wine And only because she knohere Dina is, I gave her soe into A pair of black leather pants, long-sleeved black see-through silk shirt, and a pair of black six-inch heels Her special request was a tube of dark red lipstick--I thought about giving it a few strokes across a toilet seat before giving it to her, but it would take too long to walk back to the restrooation room for the past hour while she ate her meal--lamb with rice and mashed potatoes--and drank her wine all as if she were on a date and enjoying a night out that she didn’t have to pay for Dorian was persistent about getting his turn to sit in the locked roo as hoants to beat on her as much as I do, Victor told hi in the empty chair across the table from her when I finally make my appearance I push up on h the slas

"Has she said anything?" I ask Niklas

He’s standing outside the room with Dorian now The tall steel door is closed and locked fro said inside, except from the video surveillance rooainst the ith his ar able to hear what they’re saying," I say, pressingthe effort

"The only thing she’s said to me really," Niklas offers, "is that she’s not pleased with the accohtly lit hall, his black bootsin his features A thick vein is visible near his te his teeth

"We’re going to find theh I’lances atout here," he says, "when I should be in there finding out what she wants"

"Victor knohat he’s doing," I say

He nods "But I still want to knohat she’s saying"

Just then, there’s a knock at the door from the inside When Niklas sees that it's Victor, he punches in the code on the panel on the wall and there’s a clicking sound The door opens and Victor steps out into the hall and then closes the door behind hi more anxious by the second