Hill, Meagan - Master Me [Masterson] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free Page A

death.”
    “How badly have you been hurt? List your injuries.” Mitch’s intuition was telling him the information was important for reasons other than his newfound need to protect her. Mitch placed her on one of the loungers scattered around the back deck of the house and pulled up another lounger and sat down to listen to what she had to say.
    “Seriously? You want to know about all the stuff I’ve had hurt?” Mitch nodded his head and didn’t miss the way the question was phrased. She hadn’t said, “Stuff I’ve hurt.” She’d said, “Stuff I’ve had hurt.” There was a world of difference. Clearly, whatever had happened to her had been a result of someone else. Mandy sighed as she gathered her thoughts. “I guess I’ll start at the bottom and work my way up. I’ve had several toes broken, both ankles sprained multiple times, and once a wrenched knee. My tailbone has been cracked several times, along with bruised, cracked, and broken ribs. Higher up were a broken clavicle twice, multiple instances of dislocated shoulders,, both wrists broken, and repeated broken fingers. I was always careful to straighten the fingers and toes, and for that matter, my nose, so they’d hopefully heal straight.” Mitch’s brain swam at the recitation of injury and pain she’d just given, so he wasn’t prepared when she continued.
    “And those were the ones that didn’t get medical care. I actually did end up in the hospital once for several days. The doctors weren’t ready for me to leave, but Cabela for,” Mandy choked on the word for a moment, before changing to a different one, “insisted that I’d be fine.” Mitch noticed what had happened and again filed it away for consideration later.
    “How bad was it that you were taken to the hospital?”
    “Severe concussion, broken jaw, cracked cheekbone, dislocated shoulders, broken ribs. I’m lucky I haven’t lost any teeth yet.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Mitch’s stomach heaved. He knew exactly what caused those types of injuries. She’d been nearly beaten to death. Her other injuries suggested the beating wasn’t a solitary event. Mitch took a closer look at her and noted the bruising under her eye and along her jawline. She was still being beaten. There was no way in hell he was letting her return to whatever situation she was in. Mitch noticed a shiver race through her and realized they were both still in wet clothes, and the sun was beginning to set. He lifted Mandy into his arms again, carrying her through the house before depositing her in the guest bathroom.
    “Where’s your car? I’ll get your clothes for you to change into while you’re getting cleaned up in here. I’ll take a look at your ankle when you’re done.” Mandy handed him her keys, indicating that the car was next door to the shop. Mitch left Mandy in the bathroom with a couple of fresh towels before changing into a dry pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt. On his way back through the house, he noticed that the shower was running in the guest bath. Mandy was bathing. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the erotic images of her wet and covered in soap, standing in his shower, waiting for him to join her. He couldn’t suppress the shudder that worked through him at the thought.
    Reminding himself of his errand, he jogged over to his mother’s shop. His mother was sitting at the counter, clearly waiting for him. “Hello, dear. I assume Mandy passed along my message?”
    “Yes, she did,” Mitch answered. He didn’t bother asking what she was doing there. His mother’s greatest power was precognition, but she was always very cryptic with her answers. The basic response was always something along the lines of, “Because it had to happen that way.” “Can you give me anymore information?”
    “She’s hurting and very close to breaking.”
    “She’s being beaten, repeatedly.”
    “She’s being more than just beaten, son. Have you not looked at