Raymond slid his hand over Ming's smooth skin and felt her tremble beneath his touch. She was so beautiful, her body straining against the white ropes, her eyes slightly glazed with the haze of several orgasms. He leaned in and licked her hard nipple just to hear her moan. She pushed her body toward him.
"Please, more!" she begged breathily.
"So hungry," he smiled, "And to think a few weeks ago you weren't sure about pleasure and sex."
She gave him a glowing smile, "You have made me sure, but now you torture me with the pleasure."
He walked behind her and pushed her long hair off her neck and nipped at the skin there, knowing how sensitive she was there, making her dance in the suspension. "Perhaps I should be questioning you under the torture. What would you like to tell me to make me stop?" he teased.
Ming twisted in the bonds playfully, "I will never tell! You will just have to torture me."
Raymond circled around her again with a wicked and determined look on his face, "I guess that is what I will have to do then."
In the shadows of the dungeon, Carlton turned and left; the pain in his chest almost too much to stand. Raymond and Ming had the relationship that he had wanted for himself and Rabbit. What did Raymond do that was so different than him? Why hadn't Rabbit blossomed to him like that? And worst of all, how could he stand not having her? Hadn’t he cared for her like that? Hadn’t he been gentle and loving?
She was all he thought of during the day and night. He had made elaborate plans to rescue her, calling the major over and over until he was told to just accept the fact that she was gone. He took one last look back over his shoulder at Raymond and Ming, their playful banter and deep affection. If only he could have another chance.
Later that day, when Raymond came into the office, Carlton took a deep breath. This was not easy for him, “Raymond, I – I have a question for you.”
Raymond pushed his glasses up absently, “Yes, Sir?”
“Why does Ming stay with you, when Leah risked her life to escape from me? What did I do wrong?” He could not hide the pain in his voice.
Raymond sat at his desk and took a moment to form his reply, “Sir. I am sure there are a number of reasons. Foremost, you never gave Leah a choice. A trapped animal will always want to escape no matter how nice the cage. Ming chose to stay with me.”
Carlton frowned, “You mean to say, you would have spent all that money on Ming’s papers, only to have freed her? That wasn’t just something to make her feel good?”
Raymond looked a bit disgusted, “No, Sir. It was the truth. If she should ever want to leave, she is free to do so. We have a signed contract that provides her with rights and resources if that day should come. The difference is, Sir. I have treated Ming like a human, not a pet.”
Anger rose quickly and then died just as quickly in Carlton as the truth of what Raymond said burned in him. He put his head in his hands, “What have I done? My God, I destroyed her life!” He looked up at Raymond, the horror of what he had done, what he had participated in reflected in his eyes. “And now it’s too late!”
“Actually, Sir,” Raymond said with a slight smile, “there may still be a chance to put things right.”
_____________
The mood at Alexis’ house was one of fear. Most of the staff had been fired. Buyers had been brought in for all of the girls except for Bebe, Primrose and Dora. Leah had discovered that Bebe was not really being trained for sale, but was actually being boarded by her Master. Primrose was spoken for, but was still learning the skill sets required by her Master-to-be before final purchase. Leah realized that left herself and Dora as the only sellable slaves left, or in other words, Alexis total net worth.
When the bank called to inform Alexis that the check for her mortgage payment was returned for insufficient funds, Leah realized that things were coming to a head. When she saw the maid usher the men into the office, Leah felt her skin crawl. There was something about them, that despite their hand tailored suits and Italian shoes, screamed that they had crawled up from the gutter.
She tried to calmly work on the file she was assigned to while Alexis greeted them. Be still, she thought, be very still and they won't see you. They opened a briefcase filled with currency and Alexis smiled. Leah felt a shiver of coldness go through her. She had not heard of slaves being sold for cash before. Usually the money was moved by wire transfer.
She was distracted by the instant message screen from Raymond appearing on her computer.
"Is Ms Alexis available?"
"She is currently with buyers, a Mr. Peter Monroe," she typed back.
"Who is he buying?" the reply came back quickly.
"I don't know." Leah responded, "Why?"
At the other end Raymond tried not to panic. Monroe was a notorious dirt bag. Girls that he got often never reappeared. Alexis must be more desperate than he had thought. If Monroe got his hands on Leah, he might never be able to find her again. What could he do?
"I think he is here for Dora. Alexis enslaved her for embezzlement." the words appeared on his screen allowing him to breathe again.
Leah tried not to watch as Dora took one look at Monroe and lost all control. She threw herself at Alexis feet and begged with her to keep her and not to sell her to him. Her terror was so strong that Leah could taste it. This man must be a true monster if Dora was this afraid of him.
Monroe's helpers restrained Dora and deposited her at his feet. He toyed with her with his foot watching her try to curl back in fear to his amusement.
"She will be delightful, Alexis. Thank you for thinking of me. Of course, you didn't tell me that she is part of a matched pair." he eyed Doreen.
Doreen held her head up proudly, "I am not a slave, Sir. I am a trainer."
"How much if I throw her in also?" Alexis asked with interest.
Doreen gasped and looked at Alexis in shock, "I have worked for you all these years with loyalty and you would dare to think to --"
One of Monroe's goons wrestled Doreen to the ground, binding and gagging her with an ease that frightened Leah to her core. Alexis looked up and caught Leah's eyes and the looks she gave her made her want to scream in fear.
"Raymond! Get me out of here! She just had the trainer enslaved and sold to this guy. Help me!" Leah managed to type.
"I will have you out by tomorrow night, I promise."
Leah cut the connection and cleared the history and was quietly working on the file when Alexis walked over. She did not stop working as Alexis put the cash into a safe and then leaned over Leah's shoulder to whisper in her ear.
"Don't think I won't sell you to the lions when I need to. I have someone planned for you that will make me look like a walk in the park, Princess."
By evening, Leah's nerves were shot. Alexis had driven her hard the whole day, even taking her hard as she could with a strap-on. As she served dinner, a crash in the kitchen caused Leah to jerk her hand as she was pouring wine and splashed Alexis.
Alexis backhanded her hard enough to knock Leah into the wall. Without a trainer to do her bidding, Alexis dragged Leah to the training room herself, grabbing a cane and started beating Leah until her initial anger had passed. Realizing now that selling Doreen was a mistake, Alexis had Bebe and Primrose get out the punishment box.
When Leah saw it, she began to plead and beg for forgiveness. She tried everything she had learned over the time she had been there, but the lid closed over her and locked leaving her in the confining, terrifying darkness.
________________
Disguised as a thugs, Raymond and Carlton sauntered into Alexis house unannounced with Vincent and several of his buddies. Carlton was pulling in every favor he was owed and some he wasn't to pull this off. He wished he had a camera for the expression on Alexis' face when she saw Vincent. She was so busy watching Vincent that she didn’t have time to notice him under all his makeup.
Carlton knew that the money she had gotten the day before for the sale of Dora and Doreen had gone to pay the bank and other overdue bills. She would not have the money to cover this, and that is what he was counting on.
