Free Wicked Beloved by Susanne Saville Page A

her master helped her put away
the things she’d purchased until Lagi called out he wanted a
refill. Her master retrieved his flagon, filled it with what she
had come to refer to as beer, since visually the liquid looked
similar, and gave the flagon to her to return. Much as she had no
interest in serving Lagi, she obeyed.
    Lagi lounged on the couch. He saw her
approaching but didn’t sit up and reach for his drink, making her
walk all the way up to his legs and lean over before he took the
flagon. As she turned to leave, his other hand snaked out to grasp
her wrist, squeezing to the point of pain.
    “ Lemme go,” she whispered.
This was one of her master’s friends and she didn’t want to cause a
scene. But she didn’t want him touching her either. He wore that
same cruel, reptilian gleam in his eyes that her first master had
possessed. That most people on this planet possessed. It made her
skin crawl.
    She tried to jerk her wrist away but he
refused to release her. Her movements only caused the beer in his
other hand to slosh over the cup’s rim. So, not wishing to make a
mess, she held still and let Lagi stare at her, his eyes roaming
both her face and her body. She fidgeted, increasingly
uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
    “ What?” she finally asked,
exasperated.
    “ I’m trying to see what
Vonn sees in you.”
    “ What d’you
mean?”
    “ You bring him no
pleasure. He doesn’t beat you and he doesn’t fuck you. What are you
good for?”
    Her mouth dropped open and she stared back.
She hadn’t expected that accusation and she didn’t have an
immediate answer.
    “ You really should work
for your keep,” he continued. “You’re cheating Vonn out of his
money’s worth.”
    “ I—I—I do so bring him
pleasure…” She had. Once. At that horrible club. Although that
hadn’t been consummated. Maybe that didn’t count.
    As if he could read her thoughts, Lagi
asked, “Has he fucked you?” When she didn’t answer, his grip on her
wrist twisted cruelly. “Has he?”
    “ No,” she
whispered.
    “ Then what pleasure do you
give him?”
    The heat of shame mottled her cheeks. It was
true. He took care of her and she gave him nothing. She wasn’t even
that great a slave. She should do something to earn her keep. He
deserved that. No one else on this horrible planet would be as nice
to her.
    Had he been complaining about her to Lagi?
Was he thinking of getting rid of her? Panic clawed up her
throat.
    She liked it here. Until she could figure
out how to get off the planet, this was the safest place she could
be. Her heart flailed against her ribs at the possibility of her
master’s rejection. She should do something immediately to ensure
he’d keep her.
    Not that she’d admit as much to Lagi, the
bastard who’d sent them to that sadistic club, the bastard who was
smirking right now, savoring her distress. She focused on that
little rising flame of hatred and anger toward Lagi, in the hope
that doing so would tamp down her fear.
    “ And here I was wondering
what he saw in you ,” she snapped.
    “ He didn’t buy me .”
    “ No, he doesn’t shop for
things that cheap.”
    “ Why you little…” Lagi
laughed. “I’eke was right. Your tongue does need
slitting.”
    * * *
    That night Dzer-Jin awoke at the sound of
bare feet padding into his bedroom. His fist closed around the hilt
of the dagger beneath his pillow before he recognized the hesitant,
shuffling gait as his pet. Releasing the knife, he rolled over on
his back.
    She was a silhouette on a background of only
slightly lighter black. He touched the lamp beside his bed,
illuminating his pet in a blue nightshirt that ended just above her
knees. Its fabric clung to the curves of her breasts and rippled
delightfully about her hips when she moved.
    Though the light was dim, she squinted at
the sudden change. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
    “ Yes. But it’s not
irreparable. What do you need?”
    “ Huh?”
    “ I assume you entered this
room