that it used to defend her
sanity.
“ … but maybe, it will help you to
know this sooner, rather than later. You are a slave. You caught the attention
of the man to whom you now belong. You are to do as you are told without asking questions and you are to
follow instructions exactly as they
are given. Obedience is paramount from this point further. Any infraction on
your part will provoke dire circumstances. Do you understand?”
She was able to nod her head in response, even though the
rest of her was paralyzed by the realization that she was now a missing person.
She’d seen notices about them all the time: on the news, in the paper, on the internet , and on those flyers she received in the mail. Never
had she imagined she would become that random face plastered across the media. Those
things always happened to someone else; someone less careful than her; someone less
scared of life outside.
The man must have been satisfied with her silence because he
turned and moved swiftly to the door, dragging her along as he walked. The door
swung open and she was momentarily blinded as he dragged her out from the darkness
and into the light.
Chapter
Three
The girl looked like shit and Xander was instantly pissed that she would need to be cleaned up before she could be presented . Her skin was literally blue
from having been sprayed down in that meat locker they called a room. He felt
sorry for her as he watched her feet trip over themselves ,
desperately attempting to match his pace. He wanted to be kind and slow down to
accommodate her weakened condition, but his kindness would only work against
her in the end. She needed to learn now that she was no longer a free person,
and that she should no longer expect compassion or understanding from any of
her superiors .
Xander knew Aaron wasn’t going to
be pleased with this turn of events and he was not looking forward to Aaron’s
reaction when his new slave was discovered. If Aaron were to have his way, his
birthday would have been forgotten. He would have been left alone to tend to
his own interests. Unfortunately, his father, Joseph Carmichael — also
known as the head of this Estate — was a cruel bastard and had learned to
take anything of enjoyment to Aaron and turn it into something dark and
disturbing. It was a subtle manipulation tactic on his part, and Aaron was
powerless to fight against it while his father still held the reigns.
Xander’s eyes couldn’t help but
take in the small girl walking ahead of him. He inwardly chuckled at the irony
that such a little person would have absolute mastery over an instrument that
was damn near the same size as her. Unfortunately, it was that very same talent
that caught Aaron’s attention. Xander had to admit, Cricket
was beautiful. Even with her small stature, her body was a sight to behold with
the perfectly proportioned curves of her chest and her ass. If a man had to
have a slave, she was definitely not one to be passed up. Regardless, he
worried for her. Even though Aaron never intended to enslave her, he wouldn’t
exactly be the type to set her free. No concessions would be given to this
little beauty and he knew Aaron would not stand for any questions or rebellion
on her part. Aaron was a good man, but lacked the patience it required to train
a decent slave. Believing that Cricket would, most likely, be passed to him for
training, he decided to pity her this one time and prepare her for what was to
come.
He pulled her petite body close to his and leaned down so
that he could whisper to her as they walked. His gait was made awkward by the
position he was forced to take because he practically had to bend in half to
reach his mouth to her ear. “You are going to be cleaned up very shortly. You
do not want to struggle against it or display any modesty by attempting to
cover yourself. There will be several large men in the room who would be
perfectly willing to correct you for any acts of disobedience.”
Her tiny frame