Page 40 of Servitude to Serpents

She holds me just like that, humming softly while we pick at the meat and cheese that was brought to us by a naked man with a very interesting device attached to his balls. Sir seems mollified for now, but I can’t help the dreadful feeling in my stomach, like maybe this is the calm before the storm, and I’ll be punished later. It doesn’t stop me from soaking up her maternal affection despite the way she made me feel earlier. I’ve come to learn what my body feels has often very little to do with anything other than stimulation. It disturbed me in those first few weeks with Sir, the way he would wrangle arousal out of the most disgusting and painful torment. He’d talk about things that made me want to vomit, but still, my body would react. Before I was taken, I never cared about sex. Sure, I’d touch myself now and then, but that was about the end of it. Now, I can’t even think about the act without my core tightening.

“Put your back to me, sweetheart, and let’s work out this mess of hair,” she whispers, bopping my nose, making me suppress a laugh. She’s gentle as she uses her fingers to work through the worst of my knotted hair. Mom used to do the same thing, section by section. I’d get so irritated because it took too long.

I was stupid.

“….and you think he would talk?” Master asks, drawing my attention back to him.

“I can’t say for sure, but I know he’s pissed for the same reason I am. Harun had many people going on his last insider campaign, even some of their own. Fucking scum.”

“And Tyet has no clue you harbor any hard feelings? Extending me a line will already raise enough heads.”

“He doesn’t look that far ahead, never has. I don’t even think he knows he fucked over one of his advisors on the deal. The man is a spoiled brat with endless funds and a line to almost every power in the world.” Andres takes a long drink, letting his glass slam a little too hard. “The guy lost over five hundred large when the pump and dump stock crashed.”

Master nods. “His advisor is a friend of yours. You should know that if he doesn’t talk willingly—”

“He will,” Andres interrupts.

The brush feels heavenly on my scalp as she makes another pass. My eyes flutter closed as I struggle to pay attention. I’m exhausted, and the blanket she offered me earlier is just cozy enough to cocoon in. I’m supposed to stay presented, upright, and pretty. Instead, I’m swaddled in the plush caftan blanket, my eyes droopy, makeup nonexistent, my inner thighs chaffing and tackey from Master’s cum. The large, brooding man drew the line when Mahari offered to clean me up there.

“If he doesn’t, I won’t hesitate to do whatever is required to loosen his tongue. This has been years in the making. I won’t have it fail.”

Andres nods, raising his glass. “Make good on it. I want my seat at the table, sure, but I wouldn’t mind watching his pompous ass fall.”

Mahari has gone back to holding me, frowning as my master says his goodbyes to her husband. If I’m being honest, my chest aches at the idea of leaving her. I could stay here being coddled by the kind woman for ages.

“Pup, time to go.”

I nod, tilting my head up to give her a sweet smile despite the tears budding in my eyes. As I cling to the shred of comfort she’s giving me like a life raft, she presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. “What if you didn’t listen, Chloe?” She whispers,making my eyes go wide. Hearing my name from her makes my heart wrench. I’d whispered it to her earlier, which nearly sent me into a full-blown panic attack.

“Come,” Master orders again as I hurry to my feet.

Mahari follows, crossing her slender arms as she glances at her husband and back to Sir. “I’d like to make you an offer for her.”

“Mahari!” Andres hisses before turning toward Master. “I am sorry. She likes to collect the damaged ones.”

Ouch,but I suppose he’s not wrong.

“You’ve overstepped.”

“You can see she isn’t cut out for this! Let me take her as afriendand not a fucking pet.”

Master’s hand flicks to his holster, and my heart stops, thanking God he lost his gun earlier. For one traitorous moment, I hesitate, her question bouncing around in my mind.

What if I didn’t listen?

The emblem dangles around my neck, tickling my skin as I spin on my heel, wrapping my arms around Mahari, rapidly blinking away the tears in my eyes. “Thank you, but I’d like to stay with my master.”

Her dark eyes are sad, but not in the way I thought they’d be. It’s an endearing sadness, one I saw in my parents’ eyes when they looked at my sister, the way I always wanted them to look at me.

“Enough, Pup.”

I dip my head, dismissing myself despite knowing she doesn’t expect me to as I go back to my master’s side. Inhaling the deep scent of him like my life depends on it, my lips part as he steps closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, tugging me against him. “We’ll be in touch if everything pans out. You can contact Stuart directly when you get confirmation of your insider's schedule.”

“Of course, Basilisk. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. Don’t be a stranger.”

Mahari stops glaring at Sir long enough to give me a little smile. I beam back, waving at her before I’m told to don my slippers and am ushered out. We’re quietas we descend into the dark warehouse, Stuart nowhere in sight as Master pulls me into the limo we arrived in. I assume he’s attempting to collect the other girls. My eyes follow the dark outline of factory buildings as they race past us, willing it to lull me to sleep instead of this pungent anxiety I feel now. I’m lost in my thoughts when Master’s hand jerks out, capturing my arm in a bruising hold as he pulls me into his lap. He sighs, his brows knitted as he continues to scroll through emails on his phone.

“M-master?”

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