Page 10 of Bought to Break

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She was beginning to feel safe with two of the most dangerous men she’d ever heard of and that, she found, was more terrifying than anything Ather had ever done. She was pulled to them in every way and probably would be even if they were cruel to her, which was pathetic but true. They wanted her body, and she knew being bedded by them would be as enjoyable as she’d been told it was by the tavern wenches – though she’d doubted them. But she was suddenly finding herself yearning for something more that masters did not give to slaves – affection, even love. She’d never had thoughts like these. Never. She didn’t like it.

She didn’t know where she was, but Dirk had said her da lived in Kingway. If she could escape the men, she could find the town. She could begin anew. She wouldn’t be a slave anymore. She could perhaps find love and have a family of her own. She’d never considered such things before. But she’d never before left her village. Today she’d had a glimpse of the outside, and it was filled with possibilities. It was true that if she tried and failed, they would probably kill her. But she had to try to get to her father, she thought, as she let sleep take her.

When she opened her eyes,she was in a comfortable bed in a small room, resting above the covers and, thankfully, still wrapped in the cloak. She could hear the light hum of conversation through the thin walls. Distant doors opened and closed – the tell-tale sounds of a lodging house. Lana sat up. The room was clean but worn. The rugs were threadbare and the wooden floorboards rough and stained. The casement was closed, so the light was dim, but she could make out a full, steaming bath. She got off the bed and tried the door, her recent plans on her mind. It wouldn’t open and she found when she unfastened the casement that the room was too high to climb out that way.

The light now shining in from the outside fell on the Brothers’ packs. She paused for a moment and looked around at the closed door. If she truly wanted to find her father …

She searched through the bags, finding a large purse of gold coins and various weapons and clothes as well as the usual travel supplies. She hesitated. There would be no turning back if she did this. The punishment for a slave’s thievery was harsh. She didn’t want to do it, but she couldn’t very well leave with nothing but the clothes on her back. She’d never survive. She grabbed a few coins and a small dagger, all of which she wrapped tightly into a bundle of cloth and stowed under the bed.

Her gaze returned to the tempting bath. She was alone. She couldn’t escape at this very moment, after all, and it had been so long since she’d been truly clean. Making her mind up, she let the cloak drop to the floor. She grabbed the cake of soap resting on the table and gingerly stepped into the deep, hot water. She sat slowly, moaning in pleasure and then hissing as her welts burned, and leant back as it drew all the aches from her. She scrubbed her hair and body thoroughly, over and over before she relaxed, resting her head on the side. How lovely it was to be clean! She frowned. In hindsight perhaps she should have remained dirty. It was the best way she knew of to keep men at a distance.

But she would have missed out on her first, real, hot bath in years. She gave a long deep sigh just as she heard the door being unlocked. She sat bolt upright, realised that her breasts were showing and sank down just as the door opened. Sorin and Viktor entered. When they saw her, both froze.

‘Your hair,’ Sorin finally said. ‘It’s red.’

She touched it as she looked down at the water self-consciously. ‘Yes.’

‘It was so dirty even after the pond I thought it was brown.’ Sorin grinned. ‘Found the soap, eh?’

She nodded and couldn’t help but smile at him. He was easy to like.

Viktor was different. She liked him as well, mostly from the rare moments he showed emotion and she could see his true nature. Now he didn’t smile or even look at her. Just closed the door and went to a chair turned away from her, sitting down heavily.

She wondered if he was angry, but Sorin didn’t seem bothered by his Brother’s mood.

He got a blanket from the bed and held it up for her. She shook her head and didn’t move from the water, and he rolled his eyes at her. ‘We’ve already seen you, Lana.’

She blushed.That was an understatement, she thought as she rose, the water splashing around her. She stepped out and Sorin wrapped her in the cover. He led her to the table and told her to sit.

There was a knock at the door and Sorin went to answer it. He turned back a moment later with a tray in his hands. ‘Hungry?’

Sorin set the food on the table in front of her and she began to eat slowly, savouring each bite. She’d had little more than kitchen scraps as Dirk’s slave. When she looked up, she found Viktor’s eyes on her, watching every movement. Heat began to creep over her skin. She didn’t think the hunger in his expression was for the stew.

She finished quickly and stood. ‘May I get dressed?’

‘No,’ was Viktor’s immediate reply, and she bristled.

Sorin gave Viktor an imploring look. ‘Yes, of course, but your injuries need proper attention or they could worsen.’ He held up a small pot.

‘I can do that myself.’ The thought of standing in front of them naked for their scrutiny again was too much to bear so soon after being on that table. She didn’t even care if they beat her for her insolence.

‘You can’t reach all of them,’ Sorin pointed out. ‘You can keep the blanket around you; just let it fall a bit at the back so I can reach them.’

She let out a small huff. ‘Fine, but I am keeping the blanket, and when you’re finished, I am getting dressed!’

Inside her head, a part of her screamed at her to be quiet, that she was going to get herself punished for her impertinence, but she ignored it. She was tired of being ogled like a prize mare and never being in charge of her own fate.

But Sorin didn’t look angry with her, just amused. ‘I promise. If you still want to get dressed by the time I’m finished, you can, of course.’

There was something about his words that made her suspicious, but he turned her so that her back was to him. The sooner he was finished, the sooner she could cover herself in the green dress that she’d noticed draped on the bed – assuming it was for her. She loosened her hold on the blanket, keeping it clenched to her front in case he tried to pull it from her, but he didn’t. Instead he kneaded her shoulders gently, telling her the muscles were tight. She opened her mouth to say that this wasn’t what they’d agreed, when he stopped. Suddenly something cold drew a gasp from her and she pulled away.

‘Sorry, sorry, the salve is cold.’ Sorin laughed as he touched her lightly, running his fingers down the length of the marks. He swore softly as he went further down. ‘That boy really put his back into it.’

Lana shrugged. ‘He was always heavy-handed. The horses hated him.’

Sorin turned her gently towards the light. ‘There are older marks here. How often did you get the lash?’

‘Twice a week, perhaps. Sometimes more. Depended on how much he drank and when he could find me,’ she said as she suppressed a shiver.