Page 19 of Mistress A-0002

I knew I had, just as deep down, I knew I hadn’t had control in that decision. Kissing. Melissa. I nearly gagged. But that question only added to a tidal wave of more. Were these acts recent?Ongoing? For…years?

A blinding flash of her torn dress on auction night nearly had me stumbling. This was bad. Worse than her wanting to overthrow me. This was personal, not business. Feelings of desire were the root of the most venomous destruction. And I knew Melissa. She was as cold as she was calculating. I had to process. To think. But first my friend. As soon as I got Braddock back in his apartment, I was going to figure this out. Melissa didn’t want my position as Main Master…she wanted me.

Mistress A-0002

It was never wise to anger the person who held the power. I’d told that to my father not long before I killed him. Back then it had been over a debate about my husband whom I’d been betrothed to from childhood. My father got what he wanted. Me as a LaRoe. I let him walk me down the aisle. Iallowedhim that time. I even calculated my own emotions to see if I had been overreacting. After all, I was used to having my father blame my behavior on disorders. I knew it was normal to lash out at injustices, and that’s what I saw the marriage as. But just like I knew when I made that threat during one of my episodes, I was right. My husband had been nothing but a weak pushover who was unaffected by my persuasion. He was unworthy of me, and I was doomed to a marriage I’d never escape. Not even with my gifts. It was hell. Time didn’t change the situation, and I found fulfillment in other ways.

But that could be ending now.

Elec knew we’d kissed. I wasn’t just ticked that my secret was out because of some stupid blank slate. With the mortification at getting caught and him possibly exposing me, came something deeper rooted. Something that was taking over every waking moment. Embarrassment. Insecurities. Ego. Mine was findingways to destroy me. I couldn’t remember the last time I overcriticized myself. I wasn’t beautiful. For so long I lived in delusions, making everyone see me as something I wasn’t. I never did that with Elec. I hadn’t been trying to win him over with my looks. I just figured he’d never know about us. He knew me. He saw mefor me,and there was something freeing in that when I’d been deep in my games. But now? No. The truth was out, and I suddenly couldn’t stomach that. The mortification drove me to Braddock’s. To banging on his door with no answer after he missed his appointment. Something told me it was bigger than him not wanting to see me. Had the Main Master seen the bigger picture? Was he suspicious? Or was this paranoia stemming from what I tried to hide? I almost didn’t care past my need for revenge over my embarrassment.

Elec… He knew what I’d done. Me. Ugly Melissa. That look he gave me when Allison had interrupted. Repulsion. Disgust.

“Soft but striking.” I met my slave, Muriel’s stare, finding myself looking down at the eyeshadow palette she held. “Make me beautiful. More beautiful than ever.”

“You’re already beautiful. Mistress…Melissa.” Her lips pressed together for the briefest moment. “You’ve barely left the apartment in the last three days. You won’t talk about what’s bothering you. Are you alright?”

A finger came to slide across the tear that slid down my cheek. She lowered to her knees, staring up at me from where I sat in my vanity’s chair. Muriel had been my companion since before the Gardens. My own personal servant from my household I’d stolen and brought here. She was my best friend. Sometimes my lover. She wasn’t but twenty-seven, much younger than me in my forties. I envied her beauty. Iadoredit.

Leaning forward, I cupped both sides of her head, sliding my palms over the soft dark color. We were opposites in almost every way possible. Where my hair was red, hers was nearlyblack. Where I had porcelain skin, hers was the most beautiful shade of golden tan, as if she’d been kissed by the sun itself. Even her eyes had yellow specks. If I loved anyone, it was her. She had more of my heart than my own kids. She was everything, and she worshipped me. Although I had her mind, there was no mind-bending with her feelings. She saw in me what others didn’t, and she stayed at my side for the last seven years by choice. At first, I thought it was the money but…she loved me, even if we never said the words.

“I don’t want to go out there today.” More tears fell as I closed my lids, brushing my lips into hers. “He knows. The Main Master.” My lids cracked, and I sobbed. It didn’t stop Muriel from moving into kiss me again.

“What does he know? Does he know everything?”

I sniffled, shaking my head.

“A stupid blank slate walked into my office and broke him from the trance. We were kissing.”

Muriel’s eyes scanned mine.

“Kissing? That’s it?”

“That’s enough. Elec.” My lids closed through the overwhelming truth. When I opened them, Muriel was patiently waiting. “You know him. I’ve told you all about him. He won’t rest until he’s blown this entire thing wide open. Right now, I can guarantee he’s reviewing footage of his every move.”

“But he won’t find anything, right? I mean, not of the two of you.”

My head shook. “Only three guards control the cameras and doors, and I’ve gotten to them all. Daniel Loxly, the leader, his sole mission is to serve me with whatever I need. He knows to cover my ass. Even if they did miss something,” I laughed, despite that the tears still came, “Elec won’t see us together like that. He can’t on film or even in mirrors. His mind will block usout. If we get too close, the video should distort. But only to him. His mind won’t accept it.”

“Really?” Muriel scanned my eyes.

“To him, I’m a ghost.”

“That’s…genius.”

“I couldn’t leave room for mistakes. But I did, and now...”

“No. Shh.” Muriel went back to pressing her lips to mine. “I’ll help you figure this out.”

“Elec won’t let this go. He trusted me. He’s going to dig and dig?—”

“Not if you tell him not to.Make him forget. You can do that.”

I could have argued. I could have explained how hard that would be now that I had altered that trust. I didn’t bother as I deepened the kiss. She wouldn’t understand how this worked.

“I have appointments.” I pulled back. “I’m a wreck. You have to fix me. Just…make me pretty. I need to be approachable. Trustworthy. But…”

“Sexy?”

---