Page 18 of Master of My Heart

Money!

Sabrina quickly unfolded it and bounced up and down on her toes as she sent up a prayer of thanks. In her hands were two crisp bills totaling thirty dollars. Her heart soared as she hurried out of the station and looked around for an inexpensive place to eat.

*****

The sun was high in the sky when Sabrina awoke on the train the next morning. The plush, navy-blue seats were spacious and comfortable. No one sat next to her, so she was able to lay across both seats and stretch out a bit. She didn’t feel as achy as she had when she went to sleep.

She yawned and glanced at her watch. Almost one o’clock. Her stomach grumbled, so she headed to the snack car, keenly aware of her limited amount of money. She’d managed to keep her dinner the night before to under ten dollars, ensuring she’d have enough for the rest of the trip.

Looking up at the menu in the snack car, she gaped at the prices. She hadn’t paid attention before. Five dollars for a bottle of water? They couldn’t be serious, could they? The lady behind the counter mentioned to another passenger that there were stations in the cars where bottles could be refilled. That would help, but still...

She knew she needed to eat something, though, so she bought a bottle of water, a sandwich, and a couple pieces of fruit, spending fifteen of her twenty dollars. As she headed back to her seat, she prayed it would hold her over her until she arrived in Boston.

She only needed to make it through today. The audition was tomorrow. One day at a time.

Then what? She dropped into her seat and closed her eyes, trying not to cry. Fear clawed at her chest and threatened to overwhelm her, but she lifted her chin and swallowed hard. There was no turning back now. The only feasible direction was forward. She certainly didn’t want to go back to where Khyan might find her.

She was almost to Boston. She was determined to make it.

Somehow.

One day at a time.

What other choice did she have?

About eight p.m., the train pulled into the Boston station. She made her way off, along with the hundred other people in her car, then sat down on a bench to think, kicking herself for spending so much money. But what else could she have done? The food in the station wasn’t much cheaper, and it was dark outside. She wasn’t stupid enough to go wandering around an unknown city at night.

Now what? She only had five dollars left.

She looked around, feeling hopeless. There were businessmen in the area. Maybe one of them would pay me to—

No! She wouldn’t sell herself. She wasn’t that desperate!

Yet.

She slowly chewed a bite of apple as she looked around the station. Where would she sleep? Five dollars wouldn’t buy her a hotel room.

Maybe she should call Mrs. Ralston—

No. She was a respectable woman. She wouldn’t take in a whore off the streets.

Sabrina spotted an empty bench in a dirty corner on the far side of the station and started walking toward it. Maybe she could just sleep on that bench. Would anyone notice her? It was a public building.

Was there really another option? A bench was better than the floor.

Sabrina put the last of her precious dollars into the bottom of her bag, then scrunched it under her head before she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Chapter Eight

Sabrina’s heart twisted as she woke the next morning, her dreams having been full of angry, lustful men. She shook her head, trying to dispel the anxiety swirling around her. She wasn’t in her dreams. She was safe in Boston, far away from the hell she’d lived in for so long.

She could do this. One thing at a time.

The auditions started at ten. Glancing at the clock on a nearby wall, she saw that she had about an hour. She wandered around the station for a few minutes until she located a bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she felt... Well, not exactly better, but cleaner.

As she studied the map Mr. Baker had given her, she realized the ballet studio was only a few blocks away. She could walk and save her money.

Sabrina wrapped her thin jacket tightly around her body and followed the map to the studio. By the time she stopped on the cobblestone sidewalk across from the four-story red-brick building, she was shivering.

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