Seething, Aless stood there. She was positive that Cahan was Bal. He had to be. They looked so similar. Maybe he was wearing a disguise now or maybe he had been before. Aless didn't know but it explained everything. Why Bal had been around so much. Why Bal had been interested in her. Why he told her to be careful the night she was taken. Why he had been there the night she was taken. That bastard!
She continued to seethe for hours until Kyler undid her chains and led her out of the room. They trudged to her room next to Dominic's. Once inside, Kyler unlocked all the braces and left. Torn between tears, exhaustion, and anger, Aless collapsed onto her bed. Before her head even hit the pillow, she was asleep.
A gentle hand woke her as it stroked her cheek. She was so comfortable, Alessandra forgot where she was.
"Danny?" she murmured.
Turning towards the hand, Aless saw gold eyes. Shrinking away from Dominic, Aless growled in her throat. His expression never changed as he snatched her wrists and dragged her back to him.
"Deity, you are beautiful when you sleep," he whispered.
His words were sweet, but his hands bruised her wrists, although the brace did protect her left wrist some. Dominic hadn't missed the brace and he has a sneaking suspicion of who had given it to her. Grimacing, Alessandra tried to pull away. Locking his arms, Dominic snarled.
"Do not fight me today, Aless. It has been a long day and I am not in the mood. I do not want to hurt you today. I need you to be recovering. That is why you are here."
"Then why am I so close to your room?"
"Convenience. I was tired of trudging all the way to you. Now you are close, and I can see you whenever I want, that is unless you would prefer my room."
"Go jump in a lake."
He struck Aless, though she tasted only a little blood. Dominic had been holding back.
"Aless, what did I tell you? Not today. Playing nice with the buyers makes me tired and irritable. You wouldn't want me to take it out on you. You would be unsellable."
Bowing her head, she could only imagine what that meant. He vibrated at the sight of her resignation and kissed her cheek.
"I only want to see you sleep, my Ale. So sleep. I am not here."
"You are odd."
"Aless…"
Instinctively flinching, Aless closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Yet it was hard. His hands roamed her body lightly, barely touching her skin. His lips traced her jaw line and neck. Goose skin danced across her body as she tried to think happy thoughts. Eventually Alessandra did fall asleep and Dominic watched her for a long time. She was so delicate and feminine. He loved it.
Dominic was a man of practicality. He rarely indulged himself, but he was going to with her. It had been a long time since he had found anything he really wanted. Yet he wanted her. Her spirit was something he wanted to control, and he would. Dominic always got what he wanted, one way or another. It was not about sex, for in all honesty he could have taken her by now, but rather control. He was going to find a way to gain total control over her. To contain that icy fire that burned in her eyes. At first Dominic had though he wanted to dullen it or even to make it flicker and go out, but he realized that if he did, he could not bathe in like moonlight. No, he wished to control it. To make it only fall on him.
After thirty minutes, he stood up and left the room, locking the door behind him. He did not like to share his toys. Walking down the long hallways, he made his way to a meeting room.
Mistress Isabella Yìguó was waiting there in a slinky black dress. She shamelessly exposed her well-shaped legs and her smile was like a lioness on the hunt. Poor, dumb lioness, Dominic thought.
Eying her, Dominic smiled and took the hand she offered, kissing it ever so gently. Beaming at his manners, Mistress Yìguó fixed her rose-colored eyes on him. Dominic chuckled to himself as he felt Mistress Yìguó undressing him with her gaze.
"How may I be of service to you, Mistress Yìguó?" he inquired politely as if he didn't already know.
"Master Dúcái, as you know I am not the most skilled 'hunter.' I prefer others to do my hunting for me. Yet this race you have created is full of excellent competitors and I do feel that I will be left behind."
She put on her best puppy face and Dominic pretended that it swayed him. Truthfully, this woman offered him nothing that he couldn't get on his own and he felt nothing except contempt for her. Mistress Yìguó had money and would provide maybe a night or two of entertainment. Other than that, she was just a dumb-witted female with too much time on her hands.
"What I was hoping is that I could hire you and your men to be my hunters. I know Madame Niánqīng is hiring her own hunters, but I want the best of the best. You caught the slaves in the first place, so you must know all about them and be very skilled at capturing them. I can admit I'm competitive and I'm used to getting what I want. The slaves I bid on I want. You merely must tell me your price. If you agree of course."
Exhaling loudly, Dominic sat back in his seat. He already knew his answer. He just liked to make the customers sweat. It was more fun. Biting his lip, Dominic placed his hands behind his head and leaned back as if he was thinking. He looked up at the ceiling appearing to be weighing options and calculating the money. Mistress Yìguó sat still at first then started fidgeting. She was a very sore loser.
"I guess we can come to an arrangement," he finally said.
His tone indicated that he thought it was a bad idea. Pleased, Mistress Yìguó smiled. Nodding her head, she told him price was no object.
"I just like to win," she grinned viciously.
Pathetic, Dominic thought, his smile still in place.
"We can discuss price later but there is one term that I must have in order to agree to this."
"What?" she asked hesitantly.
"You will bid on the female slave Alessandra."
"The one who was bound up tighter than the Three-Eyed Cąȶ on the End's Day?"
"That's the one."
"But I have no use for such an ill-bred, bestial girl."
"You don't give her enough credit, ma'am, but I do not want you to bid on her so you can have her. I will agree to work for you if you bid on her and let me keep her."
Mistress Yìguó raised her eyebrow at him and seemed to dislike this idea.
"Why would you want such a girl?"
"Does it really matter to you, Mistress Yìguó?"
Pursing her lips, Mistress Yìguó shook her head in no. Taking a deep breath, she looked around. Did she really have a choice if she wanted to win?
"Alright. I will bid on that girl and you may keep her if you catch her, but you must catch the slaves I want first. Agreed?"
"Of course, Mistress Yìguó, I wouldn't think of it any other way."
Her smile was less sure this time, but Mistress Yìguó appeared to be pleased. They started haggling prices and compensation. It didn't take long to come to an agreement they both liked. Mistress Yìguó was still uncomfortable about the idea with the slave girl, yet it was what Mr. Dúcái wanted. He was such an odd man, despite his good looks. They shook hands and Mistress Yìguó found her attraction to him wearing off. His grip was too soft and lingering, while his fingertips pressed hard against her flesh. It was the oddest grip she had ever experienced.
They parted in the hallway and Mistress Yìguó scurried off to her room. Dominic watched in amusement at the woman's new fear. Women were like rabbits. They picked up fear and fled as quickly as possible. Laughing a little, he headed down the hall in the opposite direction. Turning the corner, he bumped into tall figure. Taking a step back, he saw the man called Jᴔnsa.
"Master Jᴔnsa," Dominic smiled, bowing a little.
"Master Dúcái, just the man I was looking for."
Cahan seemed all business and a little irritated.
"How can I help you, Master Jᴔnsa?"
"I was wondering if we could discuss a slave of yours."
"Which slave sir?"
"Alessandra."
Dominic managed to keep his composure. In his mind though, he saw the delicately sleeping Alessandra with that new brace on her wrist.
"Did something happen today during your viewing of her? Did she act poorly? If so, please let me know and I shall have her apologize immediately."
Suppressing a grimace, Cahan knew what Dominic would do to Alessandra to force an apology from her.
"No, no, Mater. Dúcái. I merely wanted to schedule more viewing time this week. You mentioned during the introduction that we could and so I wanted to before her visitation slots were full."
"She will not be getting extra viewings, Master Jᴔnsa. She is too much of a risk. Earlier today she almost bit another one of my clients and the views after today are private, so…"
"Please, Dominic, don't try to kid me."
Cahan dropped his polite manner and his eyes flashed. His eyes had naturally focused in, picking up every possible detail of Dominic. The man had four strands of Alessandra's hair on him. Three randomly strew on his body, as would naturally happen when coming into close contact with a woman with long hair, and one wrapped around the ring on Dominic's right middle finger. Now it was possible the hair was caught on the ring, but Cahan has a suspicion it wasn't an accident.
"I can handle one little girl and we both know that you aren't restricting her visits because she is a risk. I have noticed your special interest in the girl, Alessandra, and I'm trying to respect that, but, as she is up for bid, I am asking for more time with her to see if she is even worth my money."
"I don't know what you are talking about, Jᴔnsa."
Dominic's voice picked up an edge and Cahan smiled a little. Cahan saw the increase of Dominic's blood pressure, the large artery in his neck pulsing harder. His eyes also detected the moistening of Dominic's lips, like Pavlov's dogs, at the sound of Alessandra's name.
"Right…I want to view her some more. A couple more times. I want to make sure she is healing and see if I would even want to consider her as a slave."
"She got under your skin, huh?"
"It is my turn to not know what you are talking about, Dominic."
"I guess I do not have much of a choice since I know you will simply bribe the guards as you did earlier. Go ahead and see the bitch."
Dominic went to walk off, his good mood spoiled.
"I expect you moved her to a room close to yours, Dominic."
Stopping, Dominic felt his jaw tighten.
"I thought so. You like to keep her close for some reason. You look like the Three-Eyed Cąȶ with new a game. If a man like you has taken an interest, there must be something there. I intend to find out what."
Cahan turned his back to Dominic and started on his way.
"Be careful playing with the Three-Eyed Cąȶ, Cahan," Dominic said poisonously. "Death always follows."
Cahan stood at the door to Aless's room, trying to think what his reason for being there was. After his conversation with Dominic, he had chosen to wait a day before he visited the girl. Sure, she was pretty, but he had been with far prettier. Her defiant gaze glared him in his mind and a sneer involuntarily crossed his lips. Yes, she was an ungrateful, defiant girl. He just wanted to see what made her tick. She put up a brave front, but Cahan knew it was just a front. He wanted to see what was beneath it.
Reaching for the handle, Cahan found a bone breaking grip on his wrist. Following the hand grasping him up the arm, he found it belonged to Dominic, whose face wore an intense expression. The man needed to conceal his emotions better.
"You are getting your extra viewings, Jᴔnsa," he snarled.
His hand crushed Jᴔnsa's wrist.
"But there are rules. You may talk to her, but you cannot touch her intimately."
"Intimately?" Cahan blinked, perfectly masking his discomfort.
"Just say to yourself would this piss off Dominic?"
"Well, that leaves me nothing."
Cahan laughed coolly. Dominic seemed to smash Cahan's bones together even more.
"That is good then. Don't be afraid to lose interest in her."
Dominic turned on his heels and stormed a few rooms down and went in. Sticking his tongue out at Dominic's back, Cahan massaged his wrist and he briefly wondered if that was how Aless's wrist had been broken originally. Then he opened the door.
Alessandra was sitting in a chair in front of the door, looking as if she had been expecting him. She wore a large man's t-shirt and boy shorts. She appeared so petite in those clothes. It was clear that she needed to be fed more. Her gaze analyzed him intently and Cahan found that he was actually uncomfortable under her gaze. For someone so young, her gaze was so penetrating.
"Slave," he nodded.
Slipping gracefully from the chair, Aless glided over and held her body a breath from his. Neither of them moved, Cahan too stunned and Aless concentrating hard. Her mind raced as she wondered if this would work. Staring at him hungrily, Aless licked her lips and moved ever so slightly closer, making sure her body did not touch his. Her baggy t-shirt brushed against his shirt, sending electric signals across his chest.
Taken aback, Cahan could hardly believe how intense and strong she appeared. Yet, at the same time, Aless seemed small and delicate as if she needed him to hold and comfort her. It was her eyes. They were wide and round, so helpless looking. Cahan could even see himself in them. His arms instinctively rose to wrap around her when he froze. Dominic's words echoed in his mind and Cahan looked at Aless again.
She wasn't touching him. He had to be the one who touched first. Although there was sadness and longing in her eyes, there was also a hard, confident sliver shining. Alessandra was tricking him. She wanted him to break the rules and get thrown out.
His right hand raised as if to cup her cheek, then pushed her to the side, not hard, but enough to rock her off balance. Surprised Aless regained her balance. It hadn't worked! How could it not have worked? She had seen him faltered, felt the heat between them, and yet he had somehow figured it out. Damn!
Smirking, Aless walked back to the larger chair and sat in it with her legs crossed. Watching Cahan, Aless knew by his new resolved look that she was stuck with him.
"That was pretty good," he admitted. "You almost had me."
"Almost."
'But you didn't."
"What do you want?"
She was suddenly tired. Cahan tried to focus on her, but, like the time before during the viewing, her image blurred and wavered as if out of tune.
"I don't know," he replied honestly, looking away from her briefly.
"That's helpful."
"Are you ever not sarcastic?"
"No…I don't think so."
Cahan rolled his eyes. Maybe this had been a bad idea. This girl was an impudent wench. He had much better ways to fill his time than bothering with this girl. Gritting his teeth, Cahan started heading back to the door.
"Leaving already?" she sneered.
A catch in her voice caught his attention. Aless didn't want him there, and yet at the same time she did. It wasn't that she liked him or wanted him there specifically. It was just that she was lonely without Kayla. Dominic would visit frequently now that her room was so close, but she hated his visits. She hated him. More importantly, Alessandra was tired of being alone.
Biting her lip, she watched Cahan reach for the door when he stopped. He seemed to be thinking and Aless wondered what was going through his mind. She shouldn't have tried to trick him. But this man wanted to buy her. Buy her. As if she was some sort of animal. On top of it he looked so much like Bal and, despite everything, she missed Bal. And, when she thought of Bal, Aless thought of Danny. Her heart ached for Danny. She just wanted to be safe at home in his arms. Studying her toes, Aless pushed down a wave of sadness as Cahan looked back at her.
The girl looked so forlorn and alone. Her aura changed so much and so rapidly, Cahan didn't know what to make of her. Spinning his heels, he smiled cockily.
"Naw," he chuckled. "I was just pulling out my deck of cards. You play poker?"
Lifting her head, Alessandra didn't know what to say.
"No," she shook her head. "I have once or twice with my boyfriend, but I don't really remember much of it. He stopped playing with me. I forget why."
Boyfriend. This girl had a boyfriend back home. Perfect. A love-sick teenager.
"I'll show you. It's pretty easy. Where do you want to play? On the bed?"
Going violet, Aless shook her head again.
"On the floor."
Laughing, Cahan felt his ribs ache. He hadn't meant anything inappropriate by his suggestion. The bed just looked like the only comfortable place to sit. Aless slid down from the chair and positioned herself on the floor with her back against the chair. Cocking an eyebrow at him, she waited for him to sit and deal the cards. Taking the hint, Cahan sat down, though much less gracefully than Alessandra had done. He proceeded to shuffle the cards in fancy ways that made Aless think of professional card swindlers she had seen in the big city. On a few rare occasions, her father had taken her to Okane, the biggest city on the east coast. It was there she had seen the card swindlers shuffle cards magically, tricking hundreds of dollars out of their customers.
Huffing, Aless waited for him to finish and watched as he dealt the cards. She knew nothing about poker. Yet Aless knew she was a fast learner though and thought that it wouldn't be too hard to pick up.
"Five Card Stud," Cahan announced.
With expertise, he divided the cards and dealt them. He was the best at poker. Very few people could beat him, in large part thanks to his gift.
"You will have to explain the rules to me," Aless said flatly.
Studying her cards, Aless had no idea if they were good or not.
"Fine, I will but I think we should make the game more interesting."
"Interesting?"
"Whoever loses each round must…"
"I'm not stripping."
"Is your mind ever not in the gutter? I was going to say must tell the other person something personal about themselves."
"That's original."
"We can do the stripping thing."
"No! This will be fine."
Quickly, Cahan explained the rules as Aless tried to follow them. It took her a couple rounds to get the gist of the game and then she started analyzing Cahan's behavior while he played. Aless got lucky and won a game or two but for the most part she lost. Winning didn't matter for the time being. This time was for learning Cahan.
Since Cahan was making the rules, Aless had to answer one question after every game. Trying to be difficult, Aless kept her answers short and in need of elaboration. Cahan didn't push her too much. He wanted her to answer naturally so he could better study her.
"So what is your family like? The man said you were the only child of a single father. What was your family life like growing up?" he asked after about the fifth hand.
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"It was a very nice life. I had every possession and advantage I could ever want. My father was always very generous with the money he earned."
"The money? Sounds a little cold. What about his time? Didn't you spend a lot of time with him?"
"That's a second question. Deal."
Aless focused her eyes on his hands as he dealt. Cahan knew he had hit a wall that was covering a very sensitive area. Her blank stare told him this was a sensitive subject. Too bad he was not a man who knew how to be sensitive. He made sure the next hand ended quickly.
"So answer the question."
Uncomfortably, Aless shifted her weight
"Wouldn't you just prefer I strip or something?"
"No. These questions make you much more uncomfortable than stripping ever would."
Picking at nail, Aless knew he was right. She hated telling this man about her family and her personal life. It wasn't like he really cared.
"He works a lot. He is the head partner in his firm, so he has a lot, and I do mean a lot, of responsibilities."
"So he wasn't around?"
"My father was around as much as he could be."
Cahan studied her strained face as Aless thought about what cards to drop or add. She had a very good poker face. Narrowing in his gaze, Cahan activated his secret skill, seeing every detail of her face and what it meant. Her poker face had to come from years of hiding her sadness when her father stopped coming home. He could see a younger version of her waiting by the door for daddy. Rushing to the door on her birthday expecting her father, but only meeting a delivery boy with a shiny new toy. Cahan could see the lonely dinners set for two but with only her at the table. It almost made him feel sorry for her.
"Play."
Her words jolted him and Cahan realized he had been just staring at her. With a grunt, he looked at his cards and made his move. Another win.
"How about your boyfriend? What was he like?"
"Danny is a great guy. He has always been there for me. He lacks patience and he doesn't like my dad, even though they have never met. Danny truly cares for me."
"Cares for you? Wow, that sounds like a great basis for a relationship. Real hot and heavy."
"Not everything is sex."
"The fun parts are."
Sniffing, Aless wouldn't look at him. She wouldn't know about that, but Aless knew he was just being a jerk. Thinking of Danny caused Aless's hand to touch her neck. The crescent still hung there. It was the only thing Dominic had let her keep. Of course, he didn't know it was from Danny. She quickly pulled her hand back down, but Jᴔnsa had noticed the movement. His eyes absorbed the slightly crescent and he felt contempt. His powerful eyes saw the mild heat that radiated off the necklace, the marks of the tools that forged it, and a slim fault along its side. Cahan didn't know this boyfriend but he decided that he didn't like him.
"I win," Aless said suddenly.
Cahan blinked and saw she was right. She had won.
Dominic watched contemptuously as Cahan sat on the floor of Alessandra's room. There was no sound but the image was so perfect that Dominic could see the dimples on Alessandra's cheeks. Once and while Cahan would lean forward and smile slyly at Aless. His charm never worked on Aless. She was too smart for that.
It made Dominic's jaw clench to think of Cahan being alone with Aless, his Ale. Sure, Dominic had warned him, but the man was taking time away from Dominic. If Cahan wasn't in the room, he could be there. He wasn't sure what they would talk about, if they would even talk, but that wasn't the point.
Cahan laughed and Dominic snarled. The crime boss was a wolf after his doe. A star hunter after his moon. Dominic hated to share. It did make him happy to see Aless's obvious dislike of Cahan.
He had been sorely disappointed when his Aless's attempt to tempt Cahan failed. At first, Dominic had been enraged to see the way she looked at Jᴔnsa, at the way she stood so close to him. But then he saw the sliver of disdain and knew it was a plot. His Ale was trying to make Cahan violate the agreement. Dominic had warned her before Cahan came that if she and he were intimate, Dominic would show no mercy.
Alessandra's face was so serious on the screen. Occasionally, she would talk and nod her head, but he could tell her answers were short. His Ale was not interested in answering that man's dumb questions.
If Cahan wasn't such a valued client, Dominic would have removed him from the hunt. As this thought entered Dominic's mind, he froze. What was he saying? He was choosing a worthless female over a prized customer. This was crazy. Aless was messing up his always clear-thinking mind. Maybe it was better that he was having time away from her. Such a tricky moon witch. He would have to keep a very close eye on her, just from a distance. Dominic decided to take a break from Alessandra. He had to become his old self again.
Taking one last look he at Aless, Dominic switched the monitors off. The last image he saw was a close up of her face. Turning, he left his room and walked down the hall way. He needed to find trashy lay. One that he could work his frustration out on. One he could enjoy. Mistress Isabella Yìguó was an option. Passing by Aless's door he heard a soft laughter. Aless. His Ale. Stroking his Josӕng, Dominic thought of the Three-Eyed Cąȶ. Maybe he needed to visit his shrine and offer a prayer.
The next week passed with little disturbance. Dominic did he best to distract himself with Mistress Yìguó. The woman appealing in a generic way, but, every time his mind drifted to Alessandra, Dominic sought Mistress Yìguó. Mistress Yìguó was no threat to Dominic or his business. Aless, he was sure now, was a moon witch, like the ones his mother used to tell him about.
As Dominic did his best to curb his cravings for Aless, Cahan dedicated multiple hours each day to her. He would arrive just before lunch and leave very late into the night. In the mornings, he would eat with his companions and visit the other slaves they had bid on, but mostly he was determined to see behind Aless's mask. While his gift allowed him to see every detail of her being, the puffiness of her eyes when she had cried in her sleep, the crooked lean of her index finger that had been broken years before in Pakido, and so on, he could not read her mind as he did with others. Even as he got to know her, Cahan couldn't ignore the feeling that she was still unknowable. He could predict her moves and words about sixty percent of the time, but the other forty percent always surprised him.
Cahan's men did not dare ask where he went every day. They knew that he would thrash them for their impertinence. He was the leader of his family and no one questioned him, at least not openly. Behind his back, his companions called him the Cąȶ, for his temper and habit of playing games with his victims. The other hunters gave Cahan space too, knowing of his reputation. He was one of the youngest crime bosses to be in power and many said the only man whose temper rivaled his was his father's. There were horror stories of Jᴔnsa Senior. It had come a shock to the criminal elites when Cearul Jᴔnsa retired at only sixty.
Around Aless, Cahan acted differently. While his temper was always vivid and faster to surface than even hers, he never acted violently. Alessandra saw him as a cocky and arrogant man with little patience and a great dislike for losing. More than anything, he reminded her of a little boy who only wanted mommy's attention.
"So what's it like being Dominic's pet?" Cahan snickered.
It was their fourth day meeting. Only five more days until the week was up. That day, Dominic lost to his jealousy and visited Aless. Knowing that Cahan was to be arriving soon, Dominic demanded his homage. Resentfully, with bitter eyes, Aless did as she was bid. Drawing away, Aless did not to even need to look to know that Cahan was there. The smug expression on Dominic's face told her already. As always, she had been forced to look at him as she paid her homage. Pushing past Cahan, Dominic left, lighter on his feet than he had been in days. Choosing not to comment, Cahan had entered the room and immediately begun shuffling chards.
"I'm not his pet," Aless said
"He treats you like you are. Even has you lick his feet."
"We both know that I didn't lick him, and I definitely did not lick his feet."
"Yeah, well you still did it."
"I have to."
"Do you really?"
His sneered indicated that he doubted it.
"We made a deal and I have to honor it even if I do not want."
"What deal?"
"One, that is none of your business. Two, you didn't win this hand."
Cahan growled slightly. His winning ratio was less than fifty percent now. Aless had taken that first day to study all his signs and signals while Cahan played. About fifty to sixty percent of the time, Aless could read Cahan's poker face. This made it easier to know when to fold and when to call his bluff. It drove Cahan crazy. No one ever beat him at cards. His gift helped him with that. Yet his eyes seemed to falter sometimes when he tried to focus on her.
Their cards games went on, and, despite the fact that Aless was winning more, Cahan kept asking the questions. Oddly enough, Aless didn't mind. His questions toed the line of inappropriate occasionally, but Alessandra gradually enjoyed the conversations that birthed from them. Still Aless made sure to push her own questions, trying to learn as much about Cahan as possible. Maybe, just maybe, if she got to know him, she would understand how to avoid him when the hunt began.
Regardless of her intention, Aless found that she looked forward to his visits. Their card games lasted hours as their discussions, debates, and frequent arguments delayed the games. The seventh day, they never even finished one game for they became engrossed in sharing odd folklore they had heard growing up. That day Aless almost forgot that Cahan was a hunter and she a slave.
"Would you look at the time?" Cahan whistled. "We lost the whole evening to our stories."
"I still know many more," Aless laughed.
"Well, then when we return to Alᵫmdaun, you can be my story slave," Cahan grinned.
"What?" Alessandra stuttered.
"Yes, that will be a good job for you. You can tell me stories when I desire it and for my siblings' children and at the yearly festivals."
"I am tired."
Jumping to her feet, Aless went to the door and opened it.
"I think you should go."
"Go?"
Bewildered by her sudden change in mood, Cahan made his way to the door. He noticed that Aless's cheeks were periwinkle and that she kept her eyes averted from him.
"It is late," he admitted. "I will be back tomorrow."
"Whatever."
"Lass, what…"
"This slave is tired. Good night."
Slamming the door in his face, Aless stayed put, listening. The letting loose a soft curse told her that Cahan remained on the other side of the door. Both stood there wondering what was wrong with the other. Huffing, Cahan stormed off. Why had the girl ruined such a wonderful evening? Was it that time of the month or something? One minute she had been warm and enjoyable; the next she was throwing him out. Him! Cahan Jᴔnsa! How did she not know her place yet?
Inside the room, Alessandra listened to Cahan leave. Trembling, she went to her bed and laid down.
"You're an idiot," she thought harshly. "He isn't your friend. This isn't a vacation or camp. He is criminal. A monster who wants to buy you. Stop letting your guard down!"
It was his fault, a small voice in her mind said. He shouldn't be so nice and friendly. He should be more like Dominic.
"You would rather he beat us or torture or molest us," Aless replied to herself.
Her little voice didn't speak up. Crawling under the covers, Alessandra closed her eyes too sleep. That night she did not sleep well. She dreamed of the night she was taken. She dreamed of her mother and father. She dreamed of Danny. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she slept. Watching on the video screens, Dominic wondered how bright her eyes must be with all those tears pouring out. Did Cahan make her cry? Or something else? Dominic longed to know. Was she dreaming of him? Or someone else? He hoped it was of him.
Still irritated the next day, Cahan strode to Alessandra's room and was about to knock, when he stopped. Shaking his head, Cahan decided to return to his men. Let the girl have a day to herself. He did not want to deal with her that day. She probably didn't even want to see him.
Inside the room, Aless waited. Hours passed and Aless grew sullen.
"He's not coming," she said aloud.
Returning to her bed, Alessandra tried to sleep like Kay did during for most of their capture. Her body would not rest. Getting out of bed, Aless practiced her Pakido forms as she did every morning. Mad at herself for caring, Aless pushed herself hard in the exercises until sweat rolled down her back. Only when her muscles shook from fatigue did she conclude her practice. Sitting in the chair, Aless allowed her head to loll back, eyes closing. Her breathing became steady and then she was asleep.
Waking in the morning, Alessandra found herself on her bed with a crick in her neck. Groaning, she massaged her neck as she tried to recall how she got to the bed. Did she walk there while she slept? Did someone move her? If so, who? Alessandra couldn't imagine that Dominic would have moved her without taking the opportunity to harass her. Cahan had never visited the day before so Aless was determined to not wait for him today. Unfortunately, there was not much to do in her small room. Still, Aless did her best to stay busy. Filling the hours, Aless sketched on paper that Dominic had left for her.
Past noon, Cahan came. He entered without knocking and found Aless brooding in the chair. Upon seeing him, Alessandra fixed on him an insolent look.
"Oh, you are here," she said coldly.
"Yeah, lass, I am here," he said.
Shifting, Cahan thought the tension radiating off her could smother a person. Cahan smiled a little to see Aless's apparent annoyance. She had been waiting for him. He wondered why he enjoyed that so much.
"I had some problems to deal with back home."
"Whatever. You do realize I have other things I have to do, instead of waiting for you to show up. Next time don't tell me you are coming if you aren't."
"Waiting for me, huh?"
"No, it's just that a promise means something to me."
"A promise? Did I promise you I would come yesterday? And what other things do you have to do, lassie?"
Aless flushed, though Cahan couldn't see that with her back to him. She started fixing her bed, which was full of paper she had been doodling on. Aless had always loved to draw. Dominic had dropped of a pencil and paper a few days before after she gently requested some.
"There are other buyers who would like to visit me. And I can work on my drawings and I don't know…lots of things."
"So busy, lass, how do you balance it all?"
Ignoring Cahan's sarcasm, Aless started straightening her drawings and placing them under the bed. Cahan liked this flustered Aless. It amused him.
"If you weren't a buyer and could beat the shit out of me, I'd…I'd…"
"You'd what, lassie?"
Cahan had snuck up behind Alessandra and she jumped when she heard him so close. Turning she frowned, trying to make space between them.
"I'd tell you to go to hell and kick you out."
"Me being a buyer has never stopped your tongue before."
"Go to hell then!"
His hand flew up and grabbed her neck. Alessandra gasped, but his grip was loose, barely touching her skin. Cahan had been raised to never harm a lady, but he could mess with her a little bit. His eyes narrowed but Cahan was still smiling.
"So insolent. Your tongue is going to get you into trouble."
"You're not supposed to be touching me!"
"I don't care. And I'm not supposed to touch you intimately. This isn't intimate, unless you like this kind of thing. Do you, lass?"
A growl was Alessandra's only response. He pushed her hard onto the bed and Aless rolled over the top and onto the floor on the other side. Aless let out a yelp of pain as she hit the hard floor. It was Cahan's turn to ignore her as he stooped to pick up the drawings Aless had been trying to hide from him.
They were simple pencil sketches, but they were very good. He was impressed by Aless's obvious talent. There were some drawings of the other slaves, including Kayla. A man with close cropped hair, round eyes and a set jaw. His look showed no warmth, but there was sadness in the shading of the drawing. Her father? Right after that picture was one of a beautiful woman with loosely curled hair and beautiful oval eyes. She seemed to glow even on paper with kindness and love, despite the dark shading under her eyes and cheek bones. Her mother?
Another drawing was of a young handsome boy who was smiling and beaming at whoever was looking at the drawing. The boy seemed very welcoming and likable. Her boyfriend. There was no doubt. The boy seemed oddly familiar to Cahan.
The final drawing was of a man who had strong features and, at first, Cahan would have sworn it was him. Yet as he studied it, Jᴔnsa saw the man was different looking than him. The man's nose was the same but his chin was a little differently shaped and the man's eyes were a little rounder then Cahan's.
"Who is this?" he asked.
He held up the man who looked so much like him.
"Bal," was all she said looking angry and hurt.
"Bal. The man you thought I was."
"Come on…I know you're him. Maybe you just were wearing stage make-up to look different and contacts. I don't know but there is no way he could look so similar and not be you! Why don't you just stop lying to me?"
Cahan looked at her and frowned. She still thought he was this Bal guy. Crumpling the drawing in his hand, he heard Aless gasp. She had worked hard on that drawing. He briskly went around the bed and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you…I am not Bal! I am Cahan Jᴔnsa and I hate to be mistaken for someone else," he snarled.
Remembering his code towards women, Cahan worked hard to not lose his temper. He would never forgive himself if he hurt-hurt her.
"And I'm saying you are Bal! I know him! You act almost exactly like him! The way you talk and make me laugh. The way you always show up when I'm lonely. And you look almost exactly like him!"
Driving Alessandra backwards, Cahan pushed her against the wall. She squeaked in fear. His ego was very fragile and the fact that this girl thought he was some other man, who she had obviously had feelings for, tore at it furiously.
"I am Cahan Jᴔnsa, you stupid slave! Don't you ever mistake me for another!"
"I don't believe you. You have to be!"
"Why? Why do I have to be?"
"Because it would explain everything. Why I'm here…why he warned me the night I was taken…why you look like him…why you come and see me all the time…why he came to see me all the time…"
"That is all? Your stupid mind is just imagining it."
"I'm not! I mean I know you changed your gotong, but this one or the old one could have been fake or temporary. It is the only explanation."
An electric sensation ran down Cahan's spine. Lowering his voice, he spoke with deadly calm.
"What gotong?"
"The one on your arm. I mean know you have the two small ones on each shoulder but…"
"You can see my gotong?"
"Well, yeah. I mean they are talented woven into your other tattoos, but they are there. Your other one was beautiful, but it took up most of your arm and shoulder. Even as a fake or temporary gotong, that must have taken hours. Which is another thing? Who gets a fake gotong? Let alone one that represents four people?"
"Shut up!"
His voice sliced through the air despite its low volume. Holding her breath, Aless didn't move.
"You are saying you met a man who looks like that picture, who you believe is me, had a large gotong on his arm that represented the loss of four people."
Afraid to respond, Aless just moved her head up and down.
"But you called him Bal? You may speak."
"Yes…"
Minding moving at incredible speeds, Cahan placed together the pieces and his memory of the first time she accused him of being this Bal. He knew suddenly the answer. Enraged, he slammed her against the wall. His anger was not directed at Aless, but she was the only one present for him to vent his anger on. The slam didn't hurt Aless, but she still gasped as he shook with rage.
"This Bal, did he ever kiss you?"
"What?"
"Did…he…kiss…you?"
"You know he did or rather you did."
"Lass, if I kissed you, you'd remember it and never compare me to another."
"Why do you keep treating me like I'm stupid?"
"Because you are acting stupid. I am not Bal."
"You are!"
"Then tell me I'm him after this!"
Cahan pulled her to him and kissed her. Aless was surprised by the intense heat that rushed through her gut. Repulsed by her feeling, Alessandra pushed against his chest until he let go. Breathing heavy, he let Alessandra stagger back against the wall.
"I am Cahan Jᴔnsa. Do not forget that."
He turned on his heels and headed towards the door. Right as he reached it, the door flew open and Dominic stood there ominously.
"Jᴔnsa," he snarled.
"I know. I broke the rules. I'm leaving."
Pushing past, Jᴔnsa roughly shoulder bumped Dominic as he left without looking back at Aless. He could still feel her lips on his and he had to shake his head to clear it. Damn that man.
Alessandra stood still, breathing heavy as well. Dominic looked at her coldly and said something to her, but she didn't hear him. He repeated it, calling her name.
"What?" she said.
Her expression was dazed.
"What do you have to say about what just happened, my Ale?" he barked, crossing his arms.
"He's not Bal," Aless said flabbergasted, looking up into Dominic's eyes. "He's not Bal."