innocent person; and never had he
taken a woman against her will.
“You can’t ignore her. She has been gifted to you as your
slave. I’m sure you understand exactly what is entailed in the role of her
Master. If your father suspects you’ve disobeyed his directive, I hate to think
what consequences will follow; not only for you, but for the girl.”
Like the sharpest of blades, Xander’s words instantly sliced through Aaron’s resolve, reminding him that his decision
would not only bring torment to his life, but to hers as well. Aaron loathed
the choice he would have to make. Madeleine would need to learn the expected
behaviors of a slave and the hierarchy of the Estate. She would endure ridicule
and humiliation in her role, the injustice of being forced to act against her
own will. Aaron wasn’t sure such a small, innocent thing could survive the role
that even the most corrupt and sinful of women could barely tolerate.
“Fine.” One word, gritty against his throat, swelled closed
from contained rage. “We’ll train her; but she will not endure the abuse of the
other slaves.”
Xander’s expression betrayed his
confusion and disbelief at Aaron’s words. “And how do you expect to pull that
off? You know we are constantly watched. Your father’s men will never let even
the slightest infraction slip … ”
“We’re not watched here.” Aaron’s rage finally overwhelming
him, his tone was raised, yet cold; each word spoken slowly, effectively: “She’s
safe within the confines of my apartment. There’s plenty of space.”
“But, he will want her displayed, Aaron. You cannot hide her
away in here forever. He will want to see that his gift has been accepted … used … properly .”
Aaron stomped toward the doors, the weight of his feet sending
tremors through the wooden floor. “This discussion is over for now. She will be
trained, but do NOT violate her, Xander . You are a
better man than that.” His hand slammed down upon the handle. A gust of wind
blew against his face as the air objected to the movement of the large wooden
doors. His eyes instantly sought her. She remained where he’d left her, balled
tightly in the middle of the large sofa. Even if you weren’t looking for her,
you still wouldn’t be able to miss her; the dark mahogany of her hair and the
alabaster tone of her skin helping her contrast sharply against the rich, brown
leather.
As Aaron passed, he noticed how her body would flinch with
each approaching footstep, how her skin was prickled from the cold of the room.
Cursing the situation, he turned to enter his bedrooms through the opposite set
of doors. He walked the long corridor, finally bursting through the door at the
end of the hall. His bedroom was another large, ornately decorated space;
lavish fabrics and dark woods softened by the elegant touch of fine metals and
plush carpeting. He only used the room for sleeping, spending much of his time
outside of the large compound, or buried deep within business in his office. Marching
toward the bureaus, he ripped open a drawer to grab a pair of sweat pants and a
black t-shirt. The clothes would swallow her, but he couldn’t let her sit
around pissing herself from the frigid air in the rooms.
The back of the bureau collided heavily with the wall as
Aaron closed the drawer. Spinning on his heel, he noticed Xander standing quietly in the doorway to his room. “Who are the clothes for? Please
tell me you’re feeling the need to dress more casually.”
“They’re for the girl.” Noting the disapproval in Xander’s expression, Aaron quickly added, “Has she eaten,
or gone to the bathroom; hell … or been bathed?” Before Xander could respond, Aaron moved his hand dismissively to his own question. “The
concert was last night, it hasn’t been twenty-four hours since the time they
could have grabbed her.” His words came out a tired mumble, as if thinking
aloud rather than attempting communication.
“She was bathed