Page 38 of Red Waters

As hard as I could, I slapped Yury across the face.

The slave’s sharp inhale echoed against the bare walls.

Yury held out his hand to the slave. “Take these keys and open the closed doors. There are two more who need to be freed.” As the slave left the room, Yury stared at me while exhaling defeat. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

So angry to want the kiss, I made fists. “It will be the last time.”

Again, he nodded, then solemnly pressed his lips to mine.

In the hallway waited the slave plus one more. The other slave was a black man with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. His dark skin was so smooth it glistened. It was easy to recognize he was new. Naked, he kept readjusting his stance. “Where the fuck am I?”

My eyes widened. Another American.

The slave with grey eyes stood at an open door.

Yury observed the situation then asked, “Where is she?”

Nervously, Grey Eyes stared at the floor. “She doesn’t believe me.”

In his Master tone, Yury demanded, “Jewel. Come.”

My stomach rolled when a gorgeous young woman came scurrying from the room. Her long blond hair had been fully done, she had on makeup, and she had been freshly waxed. The hall light shimmered off the gold chain around her neck and waist as she knelt before Yury. “Master.”

Lightheaded, I fell back into a wall. “You claimed her?”

Yury helped her stand while answering me. “No. She was to be delivered tonight.”

“But you trained her.” Breaking into a cold sweat, I felt I was losing my mind all over again. I leaned sideways to rest my cheek against the cold wall in an attempt to calm down. I wasn’t sure what was making me so ill. Were my irrational thoughts of self-preservation to distract my mind from the trauma experienced only an hour earlier? “Why am I so jealous?”

“Because I have been training you to view me as a life source. Any other slaves of mine are a threat to your survival.”

He was right. I didn’t even know how to eat without him.

“May I speak, Master?”

I ignored Grey Eyes as my pulse raced. “Pretend Whit?”

Sighing, Yury opened a small door and reached into a hall closet. “Gone.”

Feeling woozy and dizzy, I watched as he retrieved back robes, handing them to the slaves. It was beyond ironic and made my nausea intensify. As he approached me with one, I could only picture Shelly’s rape. My mouth barely formed the words, “W-What does ‘gone’ mean?”

He half-helped, half-forced me into the robe I didn’t want touching my skin. “Fire. Stop.”

“Master…” tried Grey Eyes again.

I found myself rolling along the wall again, like when in the cell, trying to think clearly and breathe properly. “Please. What does… gone mean?”

Yury took hold of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “She committed suicide.”

“Master.” Grey Eyes sounded closer.

My ears began to ring as I swayed on my feet. “W-What?”

Concerned, Yury tightened his hold. “I found out when I returned.”

As leftover semen slipped down my inner thigh, I took it as a sign that I deserved what happened to me. “I am as guilty as you.”

“Catch her,” demanded Grey Eyes.