Free Surrender: Keeping Her in the Dark Vol. 4 by Leslie Sansom

been married for 17 years, don’t tell me the novelty of marriage has already worn off in just nine months?” he laughed again. He took a long sip of his wine but his eyes never left mine. He expected an answer and I knew it better be good. If I wanted to be invited to the auction and even be in the presence of Rashad Salam, my answer better be a good one.
    “Well sir, I’m sure you know new girls are so much fun to play with and break in. Once you have them trained you start to get that feeling again. That itch deep down that tells you, you ache for the battle, you yearn for the struggle, and you need to dominate,” I smiled and looked around the room at the other men watching me.
    “Am I right?” I asked the group. They all gave their affirmative answers.
    “Is it true you married your slave?” he asked me. The room fell quiet and again it became serious. I felt a slight bump under the table from Nasun. He told me to lie about this part. He told me to not admit to marrying Norah. But again I couldn’t lie. This man wasn’t stupid and he already knew I had indeed married her.
    “Yes I did,” I was blunt and I held his gaze. I wasn’t going to let him think I was scared of him. Not for one second.
    “You married the girl you bought from me two years ago, is that right?” he clarified. Again I agreed.
    “Yes.” The room was so quiet all I could hear was my own heart beating in my eardrums.
    “She must have been quite a girl,” he said.
    “Yes. She is very special.” It was the truth. I felt another bump under the table.
    “Who knows, maybe I had her myself?” I could feel the collar around my neck tightening. “I sample so much of the merchandise it would be hard to remember. But I do remember having a few girls taken in Paris about two years ago that I wanted to keep for myself.” He paused hoping to get a rise out of me. I didn’t give him the satisfaction.
    “I really don’t know,” I shrugged. I really did know. Norah was a virgin when I bought her. I paid a lot of money be her first and only. He seemed to know I was lying about that. I could see the look on his face. But he didn’t call me on it.
    “Well I’m very glad you were so pleased with your purchase, Mr. Hastings. And even more pleased that you have returned,” he paused and gazed around the room. “I value loyalty.”
    He interlocked his fingers together and leaned on his elbows. It wasn’t the words that he said, but it was how he said it. Like again he knew something I didn’t know.
    “Loyalty is worth more than money in my business, Mr. Hastings. Loyalty will make or break a relationship.” He stood up and walked to a small bar cart in the middle of the room. He poured himself what looked like brandy in a very large glass, then he slowly turned towards the table again.
    “Do you like scotch, Mr. Hastings?” he was talking to me like he and I were the only people in the room. It was scotch not brandy. I never could identify liquor when it is kept in a crystal decanter.
    “Yes I do.”
    “Have you ever had 60 year old scotch?” he swished his glass around then held out a glass for me. I smelt it first and then took a sip.
    “Now that is delicious,” I said. And it was. Usually scotch is aged for 12 to 25 years. The scotch I keep in my home was aged for about 30 years. This was the most magnificent tasting scotch that had ever graced my lips.
    “Come with me out on the balcony, Mr. Hastings,” he gestured. “I think you and I are going to be very good friends. We walked toward the double doors at the other end of the room. They slowly opened and two very large men were standing on the other side. I swished my scotch around in my glass and followed him out of the room.

Chapter Five
    Norah
    “I can’t just sit around and do nothing!” I shouted. I moved papers around on my desk and knocked over a bottle of water. “Shit!” I shouted again. “Maybe if my desk was a little more organized I could find