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Talking never had the hope of healing her. The only thing that would get her there was having control over her own life and having some power back. But that ship had sailed. If only she’d figured this out before she’d fallen for Lindsay’s smooth talk and lies about only wanting what was best for her. Lindsay wanted what was best for Lindsay’s bank account.
“Mina?”
“Sorry. Yeah, it’s fine, I think. It might bruise. I don’t know.”
“Well, he deserved it. I still can’t believe he sold you to Brian. Of all the sadistic shitheads to hand you over to.”
Mina bristled at the insult to her master but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t prepared to admit that any part of her was already willing to defend him. The moment in the bathroom had shifted something inside her the tiniest amount.
She tried to ignore Anton’s slave as she dug into her dinner. She’d been famished and was surprised she hadn’t passed out.
“Are you okay? Has he hurt you?” Annette asked, echoing Lindsay’s earlier pretend concern. From her the concern sounded convincing.
“I’m fine.” For now.
Annette’s eyes widened and Mina turned to see what had caught her attention. Brian stood in the middle of the cafeteria, watching her. Everyone else on the main level had given him a wide berth. He crossed the floor to Mina’s table with a tray in his hands.
Annette got up as if her chair had been lit on fire and fled the area. Brian sat in the chair she’d vacated and started to eat his own dinner.
“I woke to find you gone,” he said between bites. There was no inflection. No anger. Everything came out flat. The lack of emotion was perhaps more frightening than if there had been any.
“I’m sorry, Master.”
“I haven’t eaten much today, either.”
Mina just stared at him. Never would she have expected someone with Brian’s reputation to take anything she’d done calmly and rationally.
When he looked up, she switched her focus to her own food. She winced when he laid his hand over hers.
“What happened to your hand?”
Mina jerked it back. “N-nothing.”
“Nothing, Master,” he corrected. But he wasn’t angry. Who was this guy? What had he done with the psycho?
“Nothing, Master,” she repeated. But it didn’t end the inquisition.
Instead, he grabbed her hand to inspect it. She didn’t see any broken skin or enough redness to call attention to. He must have noticed her wince.
Brian pressed against the knuckles and watched her expression closely. “Does this hurt?”
“No, Master.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“A little.”
“How did it happen?”
“She punched the doctor in the jaw!” one of the girls nearby, said.
Mina was sure the girl tattled on her because she thought Brian would hurt her. Information about her contract terms had leaked, and many in the house had decided she needed to be taken down a peg.
Lindsay seemed to appear out of a mist to stand beside the table. “Yes, she punched me in the jaw.”
She couldn’t determine if the doctor was trying to get her in trouble, too.
“I’m sure she had a good reason,” Brian said.
