Page 18 of Master A-0011
Master A-0011
“Idon’t think you understand, Main Master. I appreciate you going out of your way to find her for me, but this is not going to work. She’s not cut out for this. Look at her, for fuck’s sake.” I gestured to the heap I had carefully placed on my bed.Carefully.On. My. Bed. Not the floor, which is where I should have left her after those tears of revulsion she’d shed. Fuck, what the hell was wrong with me? I should have given her a real reason to cry. I should have woken her up and forced her to continue to quarter thatb. Did I do that? No. I finished both women by myself in record time. I paced. I went to her. I paced some more. Then…I’d called him to take her back, refund or not.
“Did you do that to her face?”
“Does it matter?”
My eyes moved to the laceration under her high cheekbones. My lips twisted, and the lust ramped up at seeing the shallow cut. She was lucky I’d stopped at a few inches in length and hadn’t pushed deeper. I wanted to.
Elec glanced over, his brow drawing in as he stepped closer to the bed to gaze down at her.
“Did she tell you what happened?”
“Boating accident at twelve. She doesn’t remember it though.”
He let out a sarcastic sound under his breath.
“That was no accident.”
“What do you mean?”
Silence.
“Elec.” I stopped, shifting on my feet. “How do you know it wasn’t an accident? What do you mean by that? Are you saying someone did that to her on purpose?”
More, he moved to the bed, tilting his head as he gazed down. For it being close to dawn, he showed no signs of fatigue. He was still alert, and I noticed he wasn’t in his auction suit anymore. But he was almost on edge or restless as his face drew in through his thoughts.
“Quincy Mallory was a good friend of my father’s. My father even tried to spark a deal with him when I was barely in high school. Pearl was a baby back then. I threw the biggest fit at overhearing the proposition, but it was for nothing. Pearl?—”
“Wait.” I closed the distance, looking between the Main Master and the slave on my bed. Her name did something to me. Just hearing Elec speak it was like a temptation I couldn’t run from. “Are you saying Pearl was almost your betrothed? She’s…one of us?”
“Not anymore.” Elec turned to face me. “Any promising future she could have secured back then through marriage is gone. Had she had the schooling or connection.” He stopped, shrugging. “They never put in the effort to train her while she went through the surgeries. And they came far with those, but the road was longer than they were willing to travel. They hid her inside, away from everyone. They wouldn’t even see her, themselves.”
My eyes went to Pearl as he continued. “She was a stain on the Mallory name. A burden. Quincy beggedthe uppersto takeher. She sat alone in a room no bigger than her cell here until she eventually came to me. Pearl Mallory died in the outside world almost four years ago. An infection from a surgery gone wrong.”
“But…Four? She would have barely been sixteen.A kid.” My voice nearly cracked. “She was one of us. She…” I ran my hand down my face through emotions I couldn’t begin to process. Emotions…that shouldn’t exist. Emotions that hit too close to home. “Alone.” I could barely talk. “You said her scars weren’t an accident?”
“No. I have no proof, but from what I’ve heard, it was the stepsister who pushed her off the boat. They call her Sissy, but her real name is Susan. She’s a piece of work. Even today. Worse than most of the women of our status.”
I tore my eyes from Pearl. “Worse?Can I haveher?”
“The sister?” Elec’s head cocked to the side as he studied me, but all I could do was nod. “You know that’s not possible. I don’t even see why you’d care. You just wanted me to take Pearl, even though you know I can’t. You bought her. You’re responsible for killing the slave if you’re finished with her.”
“Do you hear yourself right now? She’s not a slave. She’s one of us who was abandoned because of something that wasn’t her fault. I want the sister.”
“You’re walking a very thin line turning on one of your own.”
“Me?” I exploded, pointing to Pearl. “What about her? She’s one of us, Elec! Did they not sentence her to death because of what that bitch did? You said stepsister. Is this Sissy even born of our blood? Pearl is elite.Is she?”
More silence. Elec’s gaze returned to Pearl, and I followed his line of sight, stiffening as her eyes fluttered and she scrambled to sit. The fear that quickly took over her expression at seeing Elec had me nearly cursing.
“Main Master? Master, I…” Her head immediately lowered at Elec’s gaze. She couldn’t hide the panic as her hands clasped inher lap and she let her wild curls cover her scars. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pass out again. I swear I’m strong. I really am. The visions. The…I’m sorry. Don’t kill me or send me back to the cells.” Her voice gave out with the sob. “I can do better. You can show me what to do, and I’ll do it. Icando this.”
“I know you can.” I breathed out, tightening my lips through the anger.
“But?” Her eyes were so round and vulnerable as she looked between us. “Is this because I was crying? You’re mad at me because of that, butit wasn’t you.” Her head shook. “It’s not you, it’s me. It’s…always me. My mind. I-I can do better. Don’t return me to my cell. Don’t send me away.”
Away. Alone. Abandon her just like her own father?Her fucking traitor, piece of shit father?