Page 90 of Sapphire

His other hand slithers between my legs, cupping me. I’m dressed in a skimpy dressing gown that doesn’t really cover anything.

“Later, Sapphire, you will owe me for that little outburst.”

I nod as he lets go of my neck and moves away from me.

His focus returns to my sister. “Strip, Gracie,” Dmitri orders.

Gracie doesn’t move. I try to communicate to my sister that she has pushed Dmitri too far tonight and she needs to start obeying his orders otherwise he’s going to make her life a living hell. She looks around the room filled with naked or semi-naked women all getting dressed.

“Do you need me to help you undress like the other night?” His hand slides down her silky dressing gown, making her flinch. “You know how much I like undressing you, Gracie.”

Fuck, he’s already touched her. I try to push the bile down. I can’t believe I’ve failed at protecting my sister. A single tear falls down my cheek and Gracie notices. She straightens her back and looks up at Dmitri.

“Thank you for your kind offer, but I think I’m okay with undressing myself.” Moving away from him, she takes a white dress and starts undressing as if she hasn’t a care in the world. She gives me a weak smile, letting me know she is okay.

I don’t want to tell her it gets easier because no woman should ever have to get used to being forced to sexually satisfy a man. But we need to bide our time here until we can escape.

I quickly strip off and put on the sapphire minidress hanging there for me. My mind starts to return to my Sapphire personality, the one that lets me get through nights like this.

Dmitri eventually leaves the room, satisfied that we are behaving.

As soon as the door is closed, the girls come alive.

“Sapphire!” The girls all smile and give me hugs.

“We thought you were dead,” Jet, a beautiful Japanese woman, states.

“We thought Nikolai had killed you. He told us he killed you,” Amber, a statuesque brunette from Sweden, adds.

“He almost did. I was so close till—” I stop myself. I can’t think of Mateo and Tomas.

“Because of that man.” Ruby comes through the crowd and hugs me, which makes her sob.

“Ruby, what’s the matter?” I ask her.

“I couldn’t stop him from telling Nikolai. He was so happy—he wouldn’t listen.”

I wrap my arms around her, trying to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”

“Why didn’t you run? Was it because of that man you were with?”

I smile. “Yes, it was, plus there is another man.”

The girls gasp and huddle around, like girlfriends do, getting ready to go out on the town.

“I fell in love with two men. They thought they could protect me, but …”

The room falls silent; they understand.

“They’ve tightened up security since you escaped. They watch us girls closely,” Jade tells me with her Southern American twang. Her beautiful, bright green eyes sparkle under the lights.

“I’m sorry.” Because I am, my escaping probably didn’t make their lives any easier. “This is Gracie, she’s my sister. I must get her out, it’s not fair that they get us both.”

The girls all nod.

“I told you I’m not leaving without you,” Gracie says defiantly.

“But I can’t let you stay here, not when … not when Dmitri is …” I can’t finish the sentence.

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