“It’s okay, honey. I won’t hurt you. We can sit for a bit. My name is Zarina. I’m Kabir’s sister,” she rushed on. At my frown, she looked confused, then said, “Kabir is your Master.”
Master’s name is Kabir?
“He’s not here, so we can chat if you like. Read a book, perhaps?” She coaxed me when I said nothing. I hadn’t seen a kind face in so long, I wanted to believe her. “Let me take care of this, then?”
She touched the bruise on my chin. Surprisingly, I got that from slipping in the bathroom. I flinched, not from pain but from her touch. It wasn’t warm like Mama’s, and my usual inner voice warned me to be cautious.
“What the fuck are you doing down here, Zarina?” Master bellowed behind me.
On cue, my eyes snapped shut. Shaking, I quickly dropped my head and brought my hands together in prayer.
I felt Zarina rise and heard Master’s shoes tap the tiles as he crossed the room. “Stand up, kitten.” Keeping my lids shut, I stood. “Eyes,” he ordered.
Opening my eyes, I fidgeted with my tunic, my gaze flicking between them, not believing they were brother and sister even though they had the same brown hair and green eyes. Still, Master’s was lighter than his sister’s.
Zarina’s gaze traveled the length of my body before she looked at her brother. “Jesus, Kabir, you said she’s a child. She’s a grown woman. How long has she been down here? How old is she?”
“Get the fuck out of here, Zarina, or God help me...”
“Please, Kabir. Give her a little freedom.” She moved closer, rubbing his arm lightly. “Please. You stole her childhood, give her just one night of her adult life, brother.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” he sneered.
I cringed for her.
But Zarina was unaffected by his anger. She gave him a soft smile. “You told me she was your most prized possession, yet you hide her in this room, letting a select few have their way with her. Surely, you can give her something in return, and maybe her loyalty to you would be far more superior.”
Her words made no sense to me, so I just listened. I’d learned my place long ago and left them to decide my fate as usual. Mama said one day, someone would save me. Maybe that day was today. Maybe Zarina was the person who would take me to my prince.
I only had hope, nothing else.
“I’m your sister. You trust me, don’t you?” Zarina said. Master’s brows pulled together in a severe frown. “I’m catering an event tonight. Let her come with me. While I check in on my staff, I’ll take her around. Let her see something different for a change.” She looked at me. “Given the type of party it is, she might learn something and bring you some excitement, perhaps?”
I didn’t understand what she was saying, but she looked kind, like she was trying to help.
“I’ll bring her back as soon as the event ends.” Again, she rubbed his arm.
Event? What was that?
Master took a step closer, holding my chin, and squeezed it. “What would I get in return if I said yes, kitten?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to hold my whimper, something I’d excelled at.
“What could she possibly give you?” Zarina asked.
He looked at her over his shoulder. “My kitten knows nothing comes for free. Everything she wants or needs is a trade.” His eyes came back to mine. “Isn’t that right, kitten?”
“Yes, Master.”
I lowered my gaze to the floor, knowing there was nothing I could offer that didn’t exclude pain. Even though he liked to think he was giving me an option, it would be his choice anyway. Since the day Mama went away, anything I needed, including food, always came at a price.
Agony.
In all forms and sizes, my body had adapted to his cruelty. Even the aches didn’t have the same effect they had when I was younger. Some days, I went without food until my stomach screamed in distress. If it were too long, Master would give me food, followed by punishment for denying him his delight to watch me beg. No matter what, I’d never win.
Still, he expected an answer now. “Blowjob?” I went for the least unbearable suggestion.
“Hmm, I haven’t had one in a long time.” He was right.
