Page 12 of Cruel Master

Jacob nods. “Yeah, I thought the same thing, mate. Bloody good job you saw that message when you did. I dunno what he wanted with her, but it can’t have been good.”

It can’t have been good. A diplomatic way to say it could have been very, very bad. Worse than what I’m going to do to her? Maybe. Maybe much worse.

“I’ll ask Candice to investigate. She can—”

“She already did. I got Quinn to ask her. Didn’t want to disturb you.”

Oh, really?

Until recently, Candice would have run something like that by me. I try not to show any reaction to Jacob’s words. I don’t need people more disturbed by her than they already are. If people still think I’ve got a tight rein on Candice, they’re more likely to leave us alone.

I’ll have to have a serious talk with her later.

“And what did she find?”

“Nothing. That’s the fucked-up thing. She was really confused. She’s helping out with damage control on the rumors, but the cat’s out of the bag now. There’s only so much she can do.”

Kendrick clears his throat. “You’ll remember this was one of my concerns when you brought up your choice of Ward. She’s fairly well known in certain circles.”

His reproachful tone rubs me up the wrong way. “I only wanted her, sir.”

Kendrick nods tiredly. “I understand that. But we need to know who this man is. I believe you have a clone of Juliet’s phone? We’ll need access to it. Every message.”

My skin flushes at the thought of some of the messages, the detailed descriptions of her fantasies. I don’t want anyone crawling through that side of Juliet. It only belongs to me.

I open my mouth to argue but close it again. He’s right. We need to know who this man is and just what the hell he wanted with my Juliet.

A red-hot ember lodges in my stomach. He lied to her. Tried to meet her under false pretenses. If I find him, I’ll make him sorry about that. Very sorry, indeed.

My skin prickles with the need to be out of this room and back where I’m supposed to be.

It’s time for Juliet to meet her master.

ChapterFive

Juliet

Itdoesn’ttakelongfor boredom to set in. That shouldn't be possible, should it? I've been kidnapped and trapped in my own game. Someone calling himselfMasteris on his way. Surely that should be enough excitement for one day?

I've read the ominous note until the words lose all meaning, and whichever way I twist them, I can’t find a non-terrifying meaning. Who has a master? A slave. That’s who.

But the minutes drag on, turning into hours, and the walls start to close in. I've explored everything there is to explore. Something has to happen soon.

When the door clicks, though, I shrink back against the cabinet. I'll stick with boredom. Please, let me stay bored a little longer. My legs tremble as the door opens.

I'd almost stopped worrying about my nudity, but now it's all I can think about. Not the exposed skin, but what it represents. What it implies is going to happen next.

Master

Slave.

Naked.

It's an equation with only one solution.

I don't know what I'm braced for, but the man who steps through the door, then closes it behind him stops the blood in my veins. Maybe I am dreaming after all. Or maybe I've fallen into a K-hole and can't find my way out. Because this can't be real.

I stare at Saldar, and he stares right back at me.