Page 26 of Mistress A-0002

“And for the last few months you’ve been fucking at least three different Masters I know off-hand. Let’s not bring up the missing video of that night.”

Melissa reared back, but I was waiting, catching her hand before it connected with my cheek.

“Who you fuck is none of my concern.” I tightened my grip. “But your actions and insinuations are. You say the Council has record of this abortion.Of my child.I’ll save you the embarrassment of me asking them. Have that file on my desk before the day is out tomorrow. I’ll talk to Medical, myself. From here on out, I’ll be seeing another doctor. I’m sure you can understand.”

A high-pitched sound came from her as Melissa jerked her wrist free of my hold.

“You are not allowed to be a bastard to me.I am the victim. Not you. I’ve done nothing but try my best to make you have everything you’ve ever wanted. God, Elec…” she gestured around the room. “I’ve dedicated my life to you. To making you great.To making you loved by everyone. The cameras, they’ve always been unreliable. But to think I—to say—” Tears raced down her cheeks and that damn ping of uncertainty had me questioning everything I was. Bastard. Bastard. Fuck, she was right about the cameras. And I knew how these sessions worked. I’d watched patients react in ways unlike their normal behavior while under. And Vivia…what wouldn’t I do to have her again?

My lids closed as I rubbed my palms up and down my face. When I opened them, Melissa stood, waiting.

“If what you say is true…I am deeply,deeplysorry. I’m mad because I would never intentionally try to hurt you. I would have done anything you needed.Anything.You should have known that.That’s another reason I’m upset. I take care of those close to me. You could have trusted me to do whatever you saw best. Even if that was only to be there to support you through those hard times.Melissa,you know this. You know me.”

“I said I’m sorry. I truly am.”

My jaw clenched. “I can’t fucking think.”

“Don’t,” Melissa rushed out. “Don’t think, Elec. We’ve both made mistakes. Horrible ones. It must end here. Any word of this, and it would cause a ripple in the Collective High Council.The circle.The scandal on both of our names…Please. I’ll get you my medical records. I’ll transfer all your information to another doctor. Let’s not make this into some big he-said, she-said battle. The Gardens, not to mention our families, do not need that sort of drama. Let’s make a deal. When I leave this room, it all ends. We never bring up what happened between us again. Deal?”

“If you’re lying to me?—”

“I’m not, and I’ll prove it.” Her hand came out. “Shake, Elec. The past dies right now. Auction night never happened. It was all a mistake. My mistake. Do we have a deal?”

I glanced at Shane and Nineteen, seeing their shock. Their worry. If she was telling the truth about the rape, she was saving both of us a shitstorm. Especially me.But if she was lying…I’d find out.I stuck out my hand, grasping hers as death marched in the shadows of my mind.

“Deal.”

Mistress A-0002

Men were stupid. They were quick to act, most often driven by emotions to conquer instead of using logical sense to decipher situations. Elec was no different. He and his men had probably stood over his desk all day, dissecting my entire medical chart, looking for a needle in a haystack so he could nail my ass to the wall. They wouldn’t find it. Convenience, maybe even destiny, itself, was on my side. Yes, I had an abortion during the time I mentioned. No, it was not from Elec.

He wouldn’t know that though. No one knew the truth. The one-night stand was just that. A quick fuck for a woman having a boring trip. Pathetic. The act wasn’t even worth a payout at the time, not that I ever needed it. I did learn from the mistake. Well,mostly.I grew careful. Guarded. That had ended auction night, but my slip-up did have benefits. After all, it was saving me now. The entire situation might actually work in my favor. Elec…grovel at my feet for a change? Perhaps…lose some of his anger?”

I took in the unconscious crow strapped to the table, losing myself even more in my thoughts. Had it not been for Jett’s impatience pulling me from my satisfying recollections of having watched Braddock smash in his slave’s face, I might have foundmyself missing the entire procedure. How beautifully poetic that I got him to open the door after I left Elec. Maybe his slave was even dead by now. She’d been so bloody. So…broken and weak when I had to rush out. If only I could have stayed and watched him finish her.

“Wait.” My hand came up. “You never want to go through the corner of the eye, Jett. From what we’re working on today, you want to insert the tip of the orbitoclast under the lid here,abovethe eye. From there you can ease the instrument to the back of the socket. After you get it in, you’ll angle in the direction of whichever area you wish to target. Have you chosen from the numbers I gave you? Do you remember them?”

“Yes. They’re numbers eight through fourteen. They’re parts of the brain.”

“Not just parts. They’re scientifically mapped out areas. Each will cause a different reaction in the crow.”

“That’s what I meant.”

My lips tightened as he kept his focus on the victim.

“Have you chosen a number?”

“Well…” He paused, looking up. “Ten, I suppose. It’s in the front and the easiest.”

“And what will ten do?”

Hesitation. “Memory. It’ll make him forget stuff.”

Stuff.I breathed out, calming the slight annoyance.

“Correct. Areas nine and ten will affect memory, but more importantly,recentmemory.”

“Fourteen sounds way cooler. I could make him rage.”

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