Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,158

for her to calm, and all the while I just hold her to me.

“Are you alright, kitten?” I ask softly, pulling away from her for just a moment. She hides her face at first and I hate it. I hate that she’s ashamed of confronting her past.

I grip her chin in my hand and force her to look at me.

She pulls away, moving her head to the side and responding softly. “I’m okay.”

I think about questioning her. Making her talk about it. But we both know what happened.

I don’t want her to hurt anymore. I pull her into my chest and rock her slightly. She holds me back with a force that’s new to her. She’s holding me as though she’ll fall if I let her go. As if she’ll shatter without me here to hold her up.

My poor Katia. I kiss her sweetly, my heart breaking.

I wish there was more I could do.

But this will take time.

Every time she puts that anklet on, she knows what she’s doing, what she’s enabling.

This was bound to happen, but I still hate it.

I lay her on the ground, breathing heavily and catching her breath while I turn the shower on. The loud sprays hit the wall, drowning out her heavy breathing. I turn to look at her, my hand under the stream, waiting for the water to warm and she’s still, her eyes wide open, staring at the gorgeous anklet, laying across the bathroom floor from her, as though it’s a snake waiting to strike.

I’m not surprised though, when she’s showered and pampered and the time’s come to either wear it or throw it away. I’m not surprised that she puts it back on to keep the night terrors at bay. But the look in her eyes is different now.

It’s progress.

“Katia, what does being a Master mean?” I ask her as I sit on her bed and gently pet her hair.

“I don’t know, Master.” She answers so quietly I almost don’t hear her.

“What do you think it means?” I ask her.

“I feel so confused,” she admits.

“What if I told you you’ve only had one Master, Katia? What would you say then?”

She turns in the bed, finally looking me in the eyes. “I’d say a Master is a good thing. A Master is a savior.”

Her admission makes my heart hurt. I want to save her. And I will.

Chapter 24

Katia

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

I look over at Isaac as he drives us down the road toward my family’s house in his spare Mazda CX-5, handling the car in a way that manages to turn me on, even when I’m on edge. Everything he does is just so sexy. His mannerisms, the way he talks, the way he moves. The way he owns me.

I shake my head. I can’t believe I’m letting this man meet my family after only knowing him for a few weeks.

10 days into being his slave… A man that owns me, mind, body and soul no less. It almost makes me laugh that we’re even coming with gifts, after I’ve avoided my family like a plague, all because he thinks meeting them will be for my own good. As much as I don’t like this, I have to trust him. And deep down, I know he’s right. I still love them. And I know they love me.

But that doesn’t change the fact that this entire situation is fucked.

My heart jumps into my chest as we turn onto Waverly Road, the familiar houses popping up in front of me, my childhood memories coming back to haunt me. I walked down this street the day they took me. I close my eyes, trying to block the visions, not wanting to get emotional. The last thing I need to do is break down in front of my parents with Isaac standing there. Who knows what might happen? I suck in several calming breaths before opening my eyes and focusing on the present as Isaac pulls up in front of my childhood home, parking the car next to the curb.

There it is. Home. I sit there for a moment staring at it. It looks just like I remember. A two story rustic brick home, with partial cream-colored vinyl siding and a cozy porch with several rocking chairs sitting out in front of it.

“You okay?” Isaac’s deep baritone penetrates my thoughts.

I look over at him, blinking rapidly as something pricks the back of my eyes. That better not be a fucking tear. I just need