Page 38 of Hidden Echoes

“Because my body doesn’t understand,” he blurts in a desperate, alarming tone. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

Take advantage of me? What does that mean? I could kill him if I wanted to.Why is he so worried about taking advantage of me?

“Mia, I know very little about you, but you’ve clearly been through a lot and still have a lot to figure out. I don’t think that’s right. And I can’t control my body’s reactions even if I would never act on them. It’s just…”

“You’re hard,” I say, reaching my hand down to the bulge in his pants that’s partially wet. “Do you want some help with that?”

“Fuck my life,” he curses and looks up as if begging for something and then looks at me. “You’re beautiful…”

Why is he telling me the obvious? I know I'm beautiful.

“I know,” I reply. “You don’t have to call me pretty if you want to joke around. I’m not much of a praise kink girl.”

“No, you don’t understand me, you’re beautiful, but can’t we do this.”

“So you don’t want me to do it? I used to help this guard who was watching over my cell all the time. He said it was painful to guard it and also when the master…”

“Please, I understand,” he says with a dark expression and I wonder if I said or did something wrong.

“Fuck Mia, I wish I could kill all those motherfuckers who took advantage of you.”

“You talk as if they did something wrong.”

“Whatever they did to you is wrong. Fuck Mia, it’s wrong and fucked up on so many levels and they’ve trained you not to care.”

“ Oh,” I smiled.“It’s fine. I just had to wait until they were done. I was trained to not feel pain. At first, it hurt like hell, but after a while, I was either unconscious or trying to bargain for extra food or favors. I know men like sex, and you’re a man.”

And then Zane does something that takes me by surprise, he takes off his shirt and slides it over my body.

“Starting today, I need you to promise me one thing,” he says looking into my eyes and I nod without hesitation.

“You won’t do favors for anyone anymore. And the only people who can touch you are the ones you allow. You promise me?”

I pretend to think.

“Will you be mine? If I do what you ask. Will you be mine?”

Zane looks into my eyes for a while as if reluctantly and then nods.

“Great, then I’ll do that. Without letting people touch me.”

“Me included,” he argues.

“That’s unfair,” I pout. “I want you, angel.”

I can't be without my new toy.

“Real life isn’t fair, now let me teach you how to turn on that shower properly,” he says, leaving no room for discussion.

The convention lights were too bright, flashing neon as the sound of tattoo needles vibrated around me. I was still getting used to it all—the chaos, the people, the whispers.

“Good to see you’re wearing clothes today,” Houseboy Carter comments, his tone already cold, not hiding the disdain in his voice.

I blink, momentarily confused. “Uh, thanks? I mean, what else would I wear? I thought this was thenormalthing to do,” I say, trying to keep it light, though his attitude makes the air a little tense.

Carter doesn't seem impressed. "Right. Normal," he mutters, his eyes scanning me like he's already bored.

I can’t help but laugh quietly, more to myself than him. “Well, if you were expecting something else, I’m afraid you're out of luck,” I say, still trying to keep it playful, but his glare tells me he’s not interested in my version of humor.

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