Kaitlyn O'Connor by Enslaved III: The Gladiators Read Free Book Online

‟ t help the smile of welcome that lit her face. Kael looked surprised, but he returned the smile tentatively. “What doing?” he asked, nudging his chin toward her project.
    Loren felt her face redden with discomfort. “Engineering a higher wall for privacy,” she said ruefully, pushing away from the wall she was propped against and moving a little closer to the door. “I guess they don ‟ t lock any of you in?”
    His smile died. “Sometimes. Now, lock out.”
    Loren couldn ‟ t decide whether the jolt that went through her was spawned by fear or pleasure, but she finally decided it was a little of both.
    “Lock all fighters out. Keep little ting safe…for now.”
    Loren felt her color fluctuate. Fear clawed at the back of her mind at the reminder of her predicament and yet she couldn ‟ t deny that she thought it was sweet he ‟ d referred to her as „little ting ‟ . Of course, he was as big as a tank. She could ‟ ve been a hell of a lot bigger and still been a
    „little ting ‟ to him. “My name ‟ s Loren.”
    He tried it out on his tongue several times, struggling to pronounce it as she had and finally managed something close—and just garbled enough by his accent to be charming. Dakaar joined him at the door. Kael flicked an annoyed glance at him when Loren smiled at him.
    “Little ting alright?”
    It warmed her that he seemed concerned. At the same time she felt a shiver run through her at the reminder of what she ‟ d endured earlier. To her horror, she also felt her nipples harden in response and there was no doubt in her mind that both Kael and Dakaar noticed it immediately.
    Their gazes zoomed in on the peaks tenting her thin shift. Trying to be casual about it, she lifted her hands and rubbed her arms. “It ‟ s a little chilly in here,” she muttered.
    It seemed to break their trance. Both of them met her gaze for a long moment and she saw the same hunger in their eyes that she ‟ d seen in the others. It had an entirely different effect on 23

    her, however. Instead of being unnerved, she felt warmth flutter through her belly.
    “Pretty little ting is Lau-ren,” Kael said.
    “Lau-ren…pretty,” Dakaar murmured.
    She couldn ‟ t decide whether he was saying she was pretty or her name was, but she felt her cheeks flush with pleasure at the compliments from both of them. “Thank you.”
    To her horror, she felt tears well in her eyes at the tiny bit of comfort they ‟ d offered.
    Actually, she amended mentally, the great deal of comfort. They hadn ‟ t been among those who ‟ d crowded around her and handled her and pinched her and she was as grateful for that restraint as she was for the soothing words and compliments even while the disturbing thought arose that maybe they hadn ‟ t been interested enough to feel her up like the others had. She blinked the tears away with an effort and sniffed, afraid if she broke down they ‟ d leave and she needed some sense that she had friends—needed to believe they, at least, wouldn ‟ t hurt her even though they were almost as big and scary looking as the others. “Have you been here long?” she asked hurriedly, trying to find something to keep a conversation going.
    Their faces hardened to her dismay.
    Dakaar glanced at Kael.
    “No way count time here. No sun. Only darkness all time,” Kael said finally.
    “Long time,” Dakaar said. “I count three mayhap four years our world.”
    Loren ‟ s dismay deepened and sympathy for them made her chest tight. “Three years!” she echoed. “Fighting?”
    Another Hirachi joined the two already at the door. Loren recognized him as the one who ‟ d been with the fish-man when they ‟ d brought Karen and the alien woman.
    “Long time for games. Most no fight that long.”
    Loren blinked at him when he spoke. “So you only have to fight for a few years? Then what?”
    “Die. Most only one year. Some two. Only Hirachi last three.”
    Horror washed over her in a cold tide.