Free Masters at Arms by Kallypso Masters

Maman!”
    Her mother had spread a picnic lunch on a
blanket for them to enjoy. When she smiled and held out her hand,
Savannah glided forward, her feet just hovering over the sand.
    Safe. At last.
    Savannah sank to the blanket and took Maman’s
slender hand. She shivered. The air was cooler than usual inside
the cave. Savannah stretched out on the blanket and laid her head
in Maman’s lap, curling her legs up to her chest. Maman stroked her
hair away from her face. She was always brushing the tangles from
her long curls.
    A shudder wracked Savannah’s body. Maman
wrapped her in a warm blanket. Savannah didn’t remember seeing the
blanket when she’d arrived. She smiled. Maman worked magic. She
always knew how to make their time together here perfect.
    The waves crashed far in the distance, but
they couldn’t reach them here. A door slammed.
    A door? In her cave?
    Savannah’s brows furrowed.
    “Here, querida . Drink this.”
    She groaned. No! How had he found
their secret cave? She fought against the man pulling her away from
Maman. She sputtered and gasped as water entered her mouth. He
captured her flailing hands. Was he trying to drown her? When had
the tide come in?
    “Shhh. He’s gone. Drink the water. It will
help. You’re safe now.”
    No, not safe until you’re gone. Leave us
alone .
    She clutched at Maman’s dress. “No!” But he
pulled her away, dragging her over the sand-encrusted rocks that
bit into her skin. Raw. On fire. She fought him, but he continued
to tear her from her safe place. From Maman.
    Someone screamed in anguish. Then the fiery
pain washed over her thighs, pussy, and breasts and she realized it
was she who screamed. A strong, hard body pulled her against him,
wrapping a steel-banded arm around her waist and arms, holding her
tight.
    Claustrophobia. Smothering. She tried to push
at him, but his chest was as hard as the rocks on the beach. Only
smoother.
    “I have you, querida . No one’s going
to hurt you as long as I’m here. Just breathe slowly.”
    With an effort, she managed to return her
breathing to normal, as he’d told her to do. He spoke Spanish. The
sadists hadn’t. His voice was gentle, oddly soothing to her jagged
nerves, despite being a man’s.
    Her chest hurt so badly, her nipples ready to
explode. Ropes, quirt, electricity.
    Good God! No, there was no God, good
or otherwise. She moaned as images flooded her mind—the purple
globe shocking her pussy and breasts. She’d tried so hard not to
scream. She hadn’t wanted to give the sadists that satisfaction.
But the pain. Oh, God, the pain had been the worst ever. She gasped
on a sob.
    “Shhhh, bebé . It’s over now.”
    A strong hand stroked her hair. Comforting,
but firm.
    Safe.
    At last.
    Sleep now, Savi.
    “Yes, Maman.”
    * * *
    Damián knew the moment she’d fallen asleep.
Her body released its tension and she relaxed against him. Well,
he’d never been mistaken for someone’s mother before. He smiled and
pulled her closer.
    She felt so fragile in his arms, as if he
could break her if he touched her the wrong way. Her long,
sun-streaked blonde hair was sleek and straight. He wanted to run
his hands through it, but didn’t want to wake her. Instead, he
pressed his face against her hair and inhaled her scent. Flowery.
Clean.
    An hour passed and she continued to sleep,
not moving a muscle. Damián expected the police to arrive at any
moment—but no one came. He couldn’t move her yet, certainly not on
his Harley. Damián eased away from her and went into the sitting
room to prop a chair against the suite entrance. He locked the
bedroom door. Better than nothing. Might at least keep Jerk-off
away from her.
    What the hell kind of security did this place
have? Hell, he’d busted down her door and no one had come to check.
He returned to the bedroom and crawled back into bed beside her. If
any of those dickheads came around her again, he wanted to make
sure he stood between her and them.
    No way would he