splayed across my lower back in a show of support. I leaned into him, allowing his touch to ground me.
His eyes flashed as he frowned at Reed. I hated that he was angry with his friend because of me. If Reed worked with Master and Clayton, then he was safe. And even if he wasn’t, he couldn’t do anything to me with Master by my side. Gathering up my courage, I struggled to recall the mechanics of social niceties.
I was pleased that my hand barely trembled as I extended it towards Reed. “It’s nice to meet you, Reed,” I said, my voice a bit softer than I would have liked.
Reed glanced at Master briefly. He was clearly seeking some sign of approval before he acted. Master nodded once, the tension leaving him. Reed’s deference to his ownership of me had placated him.
Reed smiled at me when he took my hand in his. Although his eyes were such a dark brown that they were almost black, they reflected the light rather than swallowing it, giving off a decidedly mischievous twinkle. “It’s nice to meet you too, Jane,” he said warmly. His grip was firm when he shook my hand, but he released me quickly, seeming to sense that I couldn’t handle much more contact than that.
Master’s hand rubbed my back, and I glanced up to find him smiling down at me with pride. My answering grin was wide and silly. What might have been otherwise challenging seemed laughably easy with Master’s approval. If my actions pleased him, then I was fulfilling the purpose of my existence. I practically glowed with self-satisfaction. My world was rapidly changing, but I would be able to adapt to anything so long as he was there to guide me.
His eyes sharpened as he turned his attention back to Clayton and Reed. “Did you find anything at St. Paul’s?”
Clayton’s expression tightened, and he shook his head. “Nothing so far. The guy’s good, Smith. And someone’s helping him. There’s nothing on the security cameras. Someone looped the feed just minutes before he went into the building, so we don’t have any footage that we can plug into facial recognition. It’s unlikely he was able to do that by himself and get into Jane’s room when he did. He – and whoever his accomplice is – must have been watching the live surveillance feed so he could act as soon as Jane was left alone. It’s the only way to explain how he got in at just the right time to find Jane on her own.”
“Can you trace whoever hacked the feed?” Master asked, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he ground out the question.
“We’re working on it,” Reed said, “but this guy is good. It’s federal level tech he’s using.”
“What about the lead we were working last night? The witness from Decadence who recognized the sketch. Has his information gotten us anywhere?”
“No,” Clayton responded, a trace of bitterness in the word. “Turns out it was a dead end. The guy was just bullshitting to try to get out of the possession charges he’s facing. He didn’t know anything.” His bright blue eyes shifted to me. “We were hoping to get some information that might lead us to his accomplice. Did you ever see anyone else while you were being held captive, Jane? Did the man who imprisoned you ever mention a friend?”
The Mentor.
I had first met him on the day that I broke.
Blood running down my thighs as the whip slashed across my back. The two men using my broken body.
Master’s arm was around my shoulder, his fingers under my chin. He lifted my face up to his, and I clung to the sight of him like a lifeline.
“Stay here with me, girl,” he ordered.
I drew in a deep, shuddering breath. I would obey him. I would be good.
“Answer Clayton’s question.” He spoke gently, but it was an order nonetheless. I preferred it that way. If it was an order, then it was something I had to do. Master would guide me through it. Clayton was kind in the way he
His eyes flashed as he frowned at Reed. I hated that he was angry with his friend because of me. If Reed worked with Master and Clayton, then he was safe. And even if he wasn’t, he couldn’t do anything to me with Master by my side. Gathering up my courage, I struggled to recall the mechanics of social niceties.
I was pleased that my hand barely trembled as I extended it towards Reed. “It’s nice to meet you, Reed,” I said, my voice a bit softer than I would have liked.
Reed glanced at Master briefly. He was clearly seeking some sign of approval before he acted. Master nodded once, the tension leaving him. Reed’s deference to his ownership of me had placated him.
Reed smiled at me when he took my hand in his. Although his eyes were such a dark brown that they were almost black, they reflected the light rather than swallowing it, giving off a decidedly mischievous twinkle. “It’s nice to meet you too, Jane,” he said warmly. His grip was firm when he shook my hand, but he released me quickly, seeming to sense that I couldn’t handle much more contact than that.
Master’s hand rubbed my back, and I glanced up to find him smiling down at me with pride. My answering grin was wide and silly. What might have been otherwise challenging seemed laughably easy with Master’s approval. If my actions pleased him, then I was fulfilling the purpose of my existence. I practically glowed with self-satisfaction. My world was rapidly changing, but I would be able to adapt to anything so long as he was there to guide me.
His eyes sharpened as he turned his attention back to Clayton and Reed. “Did you find anything at St. Paul’s?”
Clayton’s expression tightened, and he shook his head. “Nothing so far. The guy’s good, Smith. And someone’s helping him. There’s nothing on the security cameras. Someone looped the feed just minutes before he went into the building, so we don’t have any footage that we can plug into facial recognition. It’s unlikely he was able to do that by himself and get into Jane’s room when he did. He – and whoever his accomplice is – must have been watching the live surveillance feed so he could act as soon as Jane was left alone. It’s the only way to explain how he got in at just the right time to find Jane on her own.”
“Can you trace whoever hacked the feed?” Master asked, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he ground out the question.
“We’re working on it,” Reed said, “but this guy is good. It’s federal level tech he’s using.”
“What about the lead we were working last night? The witness from Decadence who recognized the sketch. Has his information gotten us anywhere?”
“No,” Clayton responded, a trace of bitterness in the word. “Turns out it was a dead end. The guy was just bullshitting to try to get out of the possession charges he’s facing. He didn’t know anything.” His bright blue eyes shifted to me. “We were hoping to get some information that might lead us to his accomplice. Did you ever see anyone else while you were being held captive, Jane? Did the man who imprisoned you ever mention a friend?”
The Mentor.
I had first met him on the day that I broke.
Blood running down my thighs as the whip slashed across my back. The two men using my broken body.
Master’s arm was around my shoulder, his fingers under my chin. He lifted my face up to his, and I clung to the sight of him like a lifeline.
“Stay here with me, girl,” he ordered.
I drew in a deep, shuddering breath. I would obey him. I would be good.
“Answer Clayton’s question.” He spoke gently, but it was an order nonetheless. I preferred it that way. If it was an order, then it was something I had to do. Master would guide me through it. Clayton was kind in the way he
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