Page 33 of Seducing Selena

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SELENA

“Keep your eyes on the ground,” Derek said. His voice was quiet and even, but firm. “You don’t have permission to speak unless the three of us give it to you. You do not respond to anyone else unless we say you can. Follow behind us, and when we stop, you kneel. If we’re settled somewhere, you can sit to the side. And if any of us allow you to do anything, you will thank us.”

My eyes were on the floor, and I kept them there. I was a little dazed. Once again, the world didn’t seem real. From the fever dream of a heat to this reality and the truth of the Syndicate, part of me wondered if I’d fallen into the deepest dream ever.

I wasn’t naked, and for that I was grateful, but it was a barely there thing. Less fabric than the green concoction I’d been put in for the cage. It was pretty, and in other circumstances, I might feel sexy. Burnt orange at the straps flared through the brighter color and into a pale yellow around my hips.

Thin, sheer fabric around my breasts and gathered beneath them, with no underwear. So it was a fraction of a step up from being naked, but it still felt like a bit of protection.

“Selena?”

My eyes jerked up to Derek’s, and I dropped them to the floor again. One of the first things he told me was to respond to all commands with,yes, Master. I’d already forgotten.

“Yes, Master,” I whispered.

When I woke up this morning, Derek was still wrapped around me. Not just that, he was holding me so tightly to him it felt like he was trying to keep me with him. As if I were being pulled away, orhewas being pulled away and I was his anchor.

He moved as soon as I did, and there were imprints of his fingers where he held me. I didn’t know what to make of the look on his face. A mixture of fear, horror, and devastation, before he shook it off and got me this scrap of a dress. It was already evening, my heat having taken us to strange hours.

“Let’s go,” he said.

I followed him into the elevator. It was better this way, the floating. Because if I wasn’t truly aware of what was going on around me, it wouldn’t matter. I would simply listen and hope I heard something that could give me the answer the Syndicate wanted. Then I could get back to Anna, and my life.

Grief struck me, and I pushed it aside.

No.

I couldn’t deal with the complexity of my feelings for these men right now.

The elevator doors opened to pulsing music and sound. It was so loud compared to the last few days. I kept my eyes on Derek’s feet, following him as he strode through the darkness and pulsing lights. He stopped briefly, and I stopped. Not long enough to kneel.

“There you are.” Nick’s voice reached me over the music. “It’s about time.”

We were by a black leather couch. His hand came down on my shoulder, and I knelt on the floor, shifting to the side to sit on my hip next to him. Nick’s hand rested on the back of my neck, rubbing gently.

From the outside, I realized it would look possessive, with my head bowed, hair curtained around my face, and his hand gripping my neck. But in his touch I felt only tenderness which twisted into longing in my gut, and I didn’t know what to do with that.

“Good to see you follow through on your word.”

The familiar voice sent chills across my skin, but I didn’t look up. Derek’s shoes were still beside me, noticeably blocking the stranger from getting closer to me and Nick. It was the man from the theatre. The one who wanted to buy me and cut me into pieces.

“Of course,” Derek said. “As they told you, it’s important for us to do some training in private first. As you can see, she is well in hand now.”

“Is she? I don’t know. What do you say, slave? Are you well in hand?”

I didn’t move and didn’t speak. They hadn’t given me permission, and I didn’t want to talk to this man. Where was Sebastian? He was the one who made sure he… Christopher? Was that the name he used? That he didn’t take me after the auction.

Nick lifted his hand from my skin as if to illustrate he didn’t need to touch me in order for me to obey.

A dark chuckle. “Are you sure she’s awake?”

“Slave, look at me,” Derek said.

I instantly lifted my face to lock eyes with him. Pride and relief rested in his gaze. “Stand.”

Without any help, I rose to my feet.

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