Page 25 of Slave

She’d already cringed away from Karl, obviously not wanting his attentions. He, on the other hand, seemed to be utterly clueless. “Busy, is she?” Karl turned his attention back to a wide-eyed Brianna. “Well, maybe next time.” With that, he stood back to his full height and walked by me. “Have fun, Stephan. She looks like she’d be quite the tiger. I’m sure you’ll have fun.” At his parting comment, he laughed. I could hear him chuckling all the way down the hall, and I clenched my fist in response.

“Can’t you just fire him?” Lily asked, exasperated.

Uncrossing my arms, I walked into the room. “No. Unfortunately. I have no doubt he’d try and sue us if I did, so unless you have something solid I can get him on, I’m afraid we’re stuck with him for now.”

Even though I was answering Lily, my focus was on Brianna. Karl had frightened her. Her head was down, her shoulders hunched over as if she were trying to make herself smaller, and her eyes were unfocused.

Taking another step forward, I stood in front of her just to the side. “Brianna.” My voice was firm, but not unkind. And just like a switch had been flipped, her posture straightened. Her head remained lowered, but I knew she was now listening to me. “I’m finished. Are you ready to leave?”

Instead of answering vocally, she nodded and stood. I turned to Lily. “Thank-you.” My hand found its way to Brianna’s lower back, and I felt some of the tension go out of her body at my touch, although she still held herself in the same position. I caught Lily’s eyes just before we left the room. They were worried and clearly asking me to take care of the woman before me.

We managed to make it home without further incident, but she was quiet. Not like she’d been for most of the day, but as quiet as she had been those first few days. I knew she’d retreated into herself, something she had to have learned to survive, but it was still frustrating. She and I needed to talk, but I had no idea now if that was going to be able to happen tonight, and it was all because of Karl.

Karl! Right now, I wanted to take my favorite whip to him and not hold back. Unfortunately, logic and reason told me I couldn’t do that.

We needed dinner, and I was in no mood to cook. Walking into the kitchen, I opened the drawer containing the stack of menus a little too forcefully, causing some of them to fall to the floor. Picking them up, I shoved all but the one I wanted back into the space from which they came.

There was a Chinese restaurant one block over, and they would deliver with the right incentive. I knew what I wanted, so I handed the paper to her. Reluctantly she took it. “Select what you would like for dinner, Brianna.”

I knew my voice was harsher than it should be. I needed to calm down, so I took the opportunity while she was reading the menu to walk into my bedroom. She wouldn’t follow me, I knew, because I hadn’t given her permission.

Heading straight for my bathroom, I turned on the cold water and splashed it on my face. Looking up in the mirror, I was pleased to see that the anger burning in my eyes had dimmed. I felt more in control, which was good. The last thing Brianna needed was to fear me even more than she already did.

My hand was reaching for the doorknob when I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it from my pocket and looked at the caller ID.

Sighing, I figured I might as well get this over with. “Hello.”

“Stephan,” my aunt said, her voice resonating through the phone. “And how is my favorite nephew?”

Releasing the doorknob, I leaned back against the sink. “I’m fine. You?”

“Well . . . I was doing fine until I heard you have a new girlfriend that I haven’t even heard about.”

Closing my eyes, my left hand came up to pinch the bridge of my nose. Girlfriend. Not exactly.

Richard knew of my lifestyle. Diane did not. And even if I wanted her to know, this was not the time to tell her. “I didn’t mean to keep anything from you. It’s just . . .” What did I say? I had no idea, so I settled on “new.”

“Then I guess I won’t be too upset with you. Now I know Jamie gave you my message so I expect to see you and Brianna on my doorstep no later than one o’clock on Sunday. Is that understood, young man?” she said in her best matriarchal voice.

That got a chuckle out of me. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good,” she said, and I could hear her smile through the phone. “I can’t wait to meet her, Stephan.”

“We’ll see you on Sunday.”

And with that, I hung up. I still had no idea how Brianna would react to my aunt. She was very affectionate and I loved her dearly, but the young woman in the other room was shy and reserved. Her family situation was still a mystery to me, but obviously it wasn’t good or normal or whatever term you wanted to put on it. I would just have to deal with whatever it was and however she reacted to my aunt. Pushing myself away from the sink, I put my phone back in my pocket and walked back out to Brianna.

Brianna

He was upset, more upset than I’d ever seen him. Obviously, I’d angered him with that Karl man, but I’d had no idea what to do. They didn’t appear to be friends, and Master seemed to be upset that Karl had touched me. But I knew what was coming. Knew that it was not Karl who would pay for what had happened; I would.

It didn’t matter. I had to keep telling myself that. There was more in my life now than I ever thought I’d have again. Whatever he wanted, I would do, no matter how unpleasant.

Before I knew it, he was walking back out into the room. His shoulders seemed a little more relaxed and the scowl was missing. As he walked closer, I quickly lowered my eyes, not wanting to anger him again.

“Did you decide?” he asked.

I nodded. “Sweet and sour chicken, please, Master.”

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