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He sighed, and stepped back further, then the two men finally let go of her arms, so she faced him on her own.
“I have decided, Laney Priestly, that you’ll be subject to three years of enslavement.”
“Three years? What?”
“Hush! And I’ll explain. For three years you will become one of my in-house slaves. You’ve seen them about. My Bela waits on you now. You will be naked as she is, as all my other properties are. Bela has not worn a stitch of clothing, not even once in two years. She has three years to go with me before her life will look any different than it does now. Like her, you’ll have your duties in the household, or on the grounds of my estate, where I use properties like yourselves as mules and plow horses and gardeners, as well as for normal household duties. You’ll be beaten regularly by my valets. When I have house parties, some of my properties become ornamentation, or whores to satisfy my guests’ perverse sexual needs. After a year of service is complete, when I can be sure that they will admirably perform, I may loan out my properties. The only rule I have for these loans is that no permanent physical damage is done, which means that you’ll likely be subject to a good deal of sadistic treatment. Some of my friends and contacts pay for the privilege and they pay well. In fact, it has recently become quite a profitable venture selling the services of well-trained sexual submissives. It’s not beyond my interests to sell properties outright, particularly if I have little use for them, or I think the sale will benefit me in some way. Let’s face it, I’m a businessman, I curry favor with some clients in many ingenious ways.”
He smiled, as if this was amusing, then paced a bit in front of her, determining what to say next.
“I believe that about describes the life of my properties. As I mentioned a few days ago, it is not a particularly romantic or sexual one. Not glamorous at all. But you will adapt. Knowing how strong-willed you are, Laney Priestly, I suspect we will fight some good battles, but you can be sure that in time, I’ll win your compliance, and have you as mindlessly humble as the best of my properties. In time…
“And that is where I falter a bit…” he paced away thoughtfully, while Laney tried to absorb the facts he’d just outlined. This was what she feared, maybe worse. The fact that it stirred her sexually to be that humbled, that demeaned and used, was frightening. The monotony that Alex and the Marquis mentioned would be the other side to this coin, and not one she would suffer easily—she knew that much about herself. If Alex had only been that forthcoming on the island; oh, her anger still simmered hot, though she did her best to squash it.
The Marquis turned back, and moved in close to her as he had on that first day. It was difficult for her to imagine now that she’d been intimate with this man. They’d had sex two nights before and she felt nothing for him now, nothing. How very strange.
“Three years, Mrs. Priestly… of course, you wouldn’t be Mrs. Priestly anymore. The tattoo would have to be altered and I’d find a name to call you that pleases me. By the time your three years are over, barring an extension for bad behavior that might increase your sentence, you will have lost most of the personality you have now. You will be more subdued, more resigned, the dreams of your youth will have vanished and you will regain only some of your life back…but all that is too far away for me to speculate about now.
“Or…” he stopped, as if he were questioning himself, “Or I can give you to Alexi and you’ll return to the United States.”
He backed away just a step, searching her face to see her response.
It was difficult for even Laney to figure out how she felt about this unexpected twist. She was shocked and in the absence of her comment, he continued talking.
“You will serve him … much as you served your husband when he was alive. I hear that you and Alexi are ‘at odds’ now? That’s too bad. I actually thought this might be a way for you to maintain some semblance of yourself. Let’s not kid ourselves, Laney,” he stopped here, his demeanor having altered enough to make him less forbidding, more like an advisor or respected friend, “you will never be a good candidate for slavery. Yes, I can make you into a slave. I have no doubt about that; I’ve worked with sorrier females than you. I can beat you and punish you and demean you enough to twist your character to my will. But I’m not sure if I want to pay the price to do so. In fact, I’m really not up for the challenge of an uppity female like you. You were a good match for your husband. It’s too bad for us all that he was taken so young.
“In any event, I’m going to give you a choice. Me, and the ‘fulfillment of the bracelet’ as you called it—or Alexi. That’s a wild card, only Alexi can tell you what you can expect of him. I would think you’ve seen enough to know how brutal and kind he can be. The fact that you’ve had your falling out may make for some rough waters…but, that won’t be my problem. So think about it. What will it be? I’m letting you choose—I never do that, but well, never say never.”
Laney shook her head, confused and so filled with information that she simply could not process it so quickly. “Why can’t you just let me go home,” she said simply.
“No!” the Marquis spoke fiercely and his eyes narrowed. “No. You’ve been too much trouble. I will not let you walk away unscathed by me or ultimately beyond my control. You will belong to me either way, it’s just how you choose to serve your three years of enslavement.”
He took a deep breath.
“Alexi has always been a bit of a maverick to our cause. You two will fit nicely, but that’s another matter…. What will it be, Laney Priestly?”
“You must have my answer now?”
“No. I’m sure your gut already knows what that answer is. But since I’m a little tired of this ordeal, I’ll give you until morning to think it through. You’re given to making rash decisions, let’s not make this one as rash as your previous missteps.”
She supposed he had a point. “I do have one question, sir. If you don’t mind?”
“What is that?”
“Does Alex want me as his submissive? Or was this just your idea?”
This glimmer in his eyes was hard to read. “Alexi agreed to take you off my hands. That’s all I can say. But understand this clearly, choosing Alexi instead of me doesn’t throw your life back to normal. Going back to the States does not mean that your life will be in anyway the same. That is for him to decide, of course. But if he tires of you, if something happ
ens to you, if you turn on him, or try to escape your obligation, I will pull you back to me—I have that power, please don’t dismiss that. It’s no telling how long you’ll serve like an abject slave under my roof.” He smiled again. She could see that he was tired. “I will see you in the morning.”
She nodded and watched him leave the room, trying to take in all he’d said, until she suddenly became aware that she was alone with six men, including Alex Greenwood, who stared at her, waiting for her to act. Feeling vulnerable and self-conscious, she made a hasty retreat.
Chapter Seventeen
After stuffing her overnight bag in the bin above, Laney took her seat on the plane, scooting to the window and looking out. It wasn’t long before someone appeared in the aisle beside her. She looked up, heart leaping ahead of itself with a hope that was immediately rewarded. Alex. Alex dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that looked as sexy as his stylish suit had looked the night before.
“You look a little surprised,” he said. “You think I’d forget?”
She waited for him to sit down before she explained. “Everything ended so quickly… and then you were nowhere around and suddenly I’m on this plane…”
