Instead he wraps a hand around my waist and plants a small kiss on my forehead.
“Never, angel. Just stay by my side.”
Kade opens the door and steps out. I follow him quickly, but I don’t look up, keeping my eyes trained on the floor and that's where they're going to stay. Still, I can see the couple from before in my periphery. I can hear the sounds of her muffled moans and the man grunting and groaning as he pounds into her echoing in the hall. My heart races, and I nearly trip on Kade’s feet.
“Angel,” he says and gives me a low warning. I look up with wide eyes. He lays a hand on my head, letting it slowly smooth my hair. “Just relax.”
I nod once because I can’t speak. I just want to disappear. A few men in suits walk behind us at the top of the stairwell. I can feel their eyes on me, but I don’t look up. I’ll just look at the floor and try to stay next to Kade until he’s done parading me around.
Fear and anxiety race through me, but I can’t let them show. I’ll be good. I just need to stay by his side. I feel as though I'm in imminent danger of being devoured, like I'm bleeding out in the middle of shark-infested waters and on death's door. And I know the only thing keeping me alive and safe right now is Kade. Yet he's the most dangerous predator there is.
As I follow him down the stairs, watching my feet and only my feet, I see several shiny, black shoes of men but also the small, bare feet of women walking the opposite direction, up the stairs. Women like me. My eyes slowly rise, and I’m nearly petrified to see a woman completely naked with rope wrapped around her throat and midsection.
I look at her eyes, but she doesn’t look back. Her shoulders are squared, and her back straight. She walks with dignity, and it’s then that I notice she’s smiling and her hands aren’t bound.
My lips part to ask a question and my head turns of its own accord and I nearly trip and fall down the stairs as Kade’s grip on the leash pulls me forward. I nearly bump into his back as I catch my steps.
My heart beats faster with fear as several men around us turn to stare. Kade turns around and cocks a brow at me, as if daring me to say something.
The world around me stills as I look up at him. I’m lost and confused and scared. I just need him on my side.
“Do you need help, Master K?” I hear a man’s voice offer to my right. My lungs stop, and I stare at Kade’s shoes. My shoulders turn in and I want to run as the man steps closer. I can feel him next to me. He chuckles and says, “She’s new. And it looks like you've got your hands full.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Master A?” Kade says.
The man laughs and his fingers brush my shoulder, moving the hair to my back. My eyes widen with fear and I stare straight into Kade’s eyes, but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at the other man with a smile, as though everything is just fine.
My heart races faster when he turns to me and the smile falls. My body’s paralyzed.
“She’ll warm up soon enough,” Kade says to the man, although he’s still looking at me. The warmth on Kade's features still hasn’t returned.
“I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job with her,” the man replies as a woman wearing a short, simple black dress passes behind him. She's balancing a silver tray in her hand carrying several champagne flutes filled with the sparkling liquid.
The man moves in my periphery, and I instinctively look at him.
He reaches out to the woman’s tray and sets an empty glass on it. He’s in a suit like Kade’s but it’s dark grey with a perfectly folded, bright white handkerchief in his pocket. He flashes the woman a dazzling, bright smile and shakes his head as she turns and lowers the tray for him to take a new glass.
“No thank you, love,” he says with a boyish charm. The woman smiles and turns, leaving the man to look back at me. He has rich brown eyes and a classically handsome face that's freshly shaven.
“Say goodbye to Master A, Olivia,” Kade says with a hint of admonishment in his voice, bringing me back to reality.
I open my mouth, but my throat is so dry, I have to swallow and clear it before I can say anything. I look up at the gorgeous man, and I can barely breathe. “Goodbye, Master A,” I say in a rush as the words tumble from my mouth.
The man groans and pinches his forehead, looking at Kade as though I’ve just teased him. “You did that on purpose, you fucker.” He says the words with humor in his voice.
Kade chuckles low and says, “You're an easy target.”
Kade leans into me and asks loud enough for the man to hear, “Do you want him to be your Master?”
I quickly shake my head as fear grips my body.
Kade places a hand on my shoulder and rubs soothing circles on my body with his thumb. “Call him sir,” he says simply.
“Sir.” I’m quick to correct myself. I am not giving him permission to take me away from Kade. I have to actively resist the urge to cling to Kade.
“Say goodbye, correctly.”
I look at the man who has a sad smile on his face. “Goodbye, sir.”
