Page 144 of Spark

“So he purchased you, huh? Saved the best for last?” Kayla asked, her voice turning light.

“Yeah, I won Murphy’s lottery that day.”

“I’m not surprised,” she added. “I had a feeling it would be him.”

“Yeah, so much for getting the old fuck I was hoping I could kill and escape from.”

“You don’t think that’s possible with him?”

I bit my lip, wondering how much I should divulge.

“This one is a tough safe to crack,” I said with a sigh. “It’s going to take more than I’m capable of.”

Kayla bowed her with a nod, sadness taking her over. I knew I was her last hope in this. If I couldn’t escape Darren, then she likely didn’t have high chances of escaping her fate with Rainer.

“I escaped him once,” I admitted softly, looking toward the clouds. “Started a fire outside of my bedroom window as a distraction and took off on one of his motorcycles while he was out of town.”

Kayla’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, Jaden! That’s incredible! I knew you were a badass. But… obviously, it didn’t go so well.”

“No, not really. This thing has a GPS tracker in it so he can always find me,” I said, gesturing to the collar around my throat. “Not to mention it’s a fucking shock collar.”

“What a sadistic bastard,” she said angrily. “How did you bypass that?”

“Rubber shoe sole around my neck,” I said with a small laugh.

“Ha, good thinking.”

“I don’t see any restriction around your throat. That’s good,” I commented.

She shook her head. “I don’t give Matt much trouble, and he has eyes everywhere. Plus, you’re not the only one with a tracker. I’ve got a GPS chip in my skin, too.”

“Gotta keep track of your merchandise,” I said sarcastically.

“Yeah, I guess,” she said with a smile.

“So what’s he like? What do you know about him?”

Kayla took a deep breath before releasing it through her nose.

“He does business with weapons. That’s about all I know. He’s gone a lot because of it, which is nice. I feel like I can finally breathe then, so it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. He’s just very… strict.”

“Strict how? Darren brought me here so I could experience the life of someone less fortunate than me. Is that true?”

Kayla bit her lower lip like she was struggling with her answer.

“It doesn’t look like you’re even allowed on the damn furniture.”

“Only on special occasions,” she said sadly. Her voice shook as she continued. “I sleep in a luxury dog bed, and if I fuck him well enough and he’s in the mood, only then am I allowed to sleep in his bed.”

“Jesus.”

Kayla seemed like she was struggling to swallow. “This is the most clothing I’ve worn in months,” she said, plucking at her little black dress. “Normally, if I’m lucky, I get to wear lacy lingerie with crotchless panties, thigh-high stockings, and heels. Otherwise, I wear nothing at all.”

Fucking hell.

“I’m locked away in Matt’s suite all day, and I don’t get to go out unless he lets me, which is rare. He said he always wants to come home to his slave in his room. It’s where I belong, he says.”

“Motherfucker,” I muttered under my breath.

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