Page 17 of Master of My Heart

“Sorry about that,” she murmured, rubbing her face.

He smiled and gave a small shrug. “Can’t say it’s never happened before,” he said with a laugh, which made Sabrina feel a little better. “Have a good rest of your trip.”

“Thanks.”

She trudged down the stairs and into the hot, muggy air beneath Union Station, still trying to remember what happened. Once upstairs inside the cooler, white-marbled terminal, she sat down on a bench. The clock on the wall indicated it was a little after four, so she had about five hours until the train to Boson left.

Her body ached, she still didn’t know what happened on the train, and she just wanted to find a nice soft bed to crawl into and go to sleep.

A glimmer of a memory popped into the forefront of her mind.

I feel better than I have in a while. I feel relaxed... so relaxed. Kelvin grins, watching me sip my third drink. No wonder people drink. It feels wonderful.

The room starts to spin. I look at my plastic cup, then at Kelvin, who starts moving closer. He puts his hand on my leg. “Feeling better?” he asks in a low voice, sliding his hand up my thigh.

I giggle, not really sure why. “Yeah. I feel funny, though,” I say, my voice slurring slightly. Funny and suddenly horny. I put my hand on his and slide it higher. He raises his eyebrows as I lean forward to kiss him. Hard.

Sabrina leaned forward and groaned. She remembered. She’d felt warm, cozy, and wanted sex so badly, she’d practically attacked Kelvin. Then she had sex with his two buddies. No matter that they were gay and a couple. The four of them drank and had sex for hours. She remembered talking a lot.

She gasped as her stomach knotted. Sabrina remembered telling them about her escape. All about her escape. Quickly sitting up, she grabbed her bag, pushing everything aside.

“No!” she cried.

Her money was gone! All of it! She had no doubt Kelvin and his friends had taken it. She searched her bag more carefully and gave a quiet thank you to the universe that nothing else had been taken. Even Chase’s ring was still safely tucked away in the rolled socks she’d put it in after dinner the previous night.

Sabrina stared into her bag, willing the money to reappear. But it was no use. She had no other means of paying for anything. Yes, she had her ticket to Boston, but it was for a regular seat. No cozy room. No meals included.

Hot tears started rolling down her cheeks. What on earth would she do now?

She had two options. Go on to Boston, as originally planned, and pray her fate would work out, or stay in Chicago and figure out how to make a living here.

The ticket to Boston was already paid for and she had an audition to look forward to. At least she knew a few people there. Even if she wasn’t good enough to make it into the company, maybe she could ask Martin for help finding a job.

Or I could call Chase’s mom...

No!

Sabrina couldn’t bear the thought of facing Mrs. Ralston. She didn’t want to see the disappointment on the woman’s face when she found out Sabrina had become a murdering whore. No, she couldn’t go to her. But maybe Martin would help. Or Angie, who ran the summer program, if she was still around.

Too bad she wasn’t still Immortal. Then she could seduce some money out of a man.

Sabrina shook her head. She didn’t want to be that person anymore. She may have been turned into a whore and a murderer, but that didn’t mean she still had to act like one. It wouldn’t change who she really was, but maybe she could pretend she wasn’t.

For a while anyway.

The thought didn’t give her much hope, but it was better than nothing.

She stared at the white marble floor, willing herself to believe that things would get better, that things would be okay, but the longer she thought about it, the harder it became.

Her stomach growled and clenched, reminding her that she didn’t have any money to get dinner. When was the last time she ate? Did she eat at all while she was with Kelvin and his friends? She didn’t think several mouthfuls of cum counted.

How on earth was she going to make it to Wednesday, or through the audition for that matter, if she didn’t have money to eat?

She stood and put on her jacket, deciding to find a water fountain. Water in her stomach was better than nothing. Her mind circled around, trying to figure out how to eat for the next two days. She didn’t focus on anything other than that. She couldn’t. It was too much to bear.

Near the bathrooms, she spotted a water fountain and leaned down to take a sip of the cold, not-very-good liquid. Better than nothing, she reminded herself.

As she turned to walk away, she shoved her hands into her pockets and froze. When she pulled her hand out, she stared at the folded papers.

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