Blood Red (41 page)

Red leaned back against the mattress and let the girl do her work. “If you are to clean me up so he may have another go at me, you might as well leave it. I will not stop fighting.”

Rose peered deep into Red’s face. She continued to wipe away the blood. “Fighting will only leave you in shackles and eventually on the chopping block.”

“Off with my head, then, for I will never surrender.”

Rose stilled her hand and smiled. “Sometimes surrender can be quite…pleasant.”

Red grabbed Rose’s hand. She sat up and pulled the girl to her. “Is his hold on you so strong that you are blind to reason? To sanity?”

Rose averted her eyes from Red’s bold stare. She looked down at the floor.

“Help me. Help me, Rose. I will die in this captivity. I am not a woman that can be chained.”

“Please do not ask me that. I am bound to The Taker. He is my master,” she whimpered.

“Break free of him, Rose. You do not deserve his punishments.”

Tears fell from her eyes. “But I like them. His punishments are my rewards.”

Red grabbed Rose’s face in her hands. She turned her so they were eye to eye. “I can be your Mistress.

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Blood Red

You can come with me. Live with me. Serve me. I promise you that my punishments would be sweeter.”

Red didn’t want to deceive the girl, but she would do anything to escape this prison. If Rose helped her escape, she would indeed take Rose with her. That was not a lie. She could follow Red to the ends of the earth, if that was her wish.

Red watched as hope flashed across Rose’s face.

Her brown eyes searched Red’s. Red leaned forward and pressed her mouth to Rose’s. She kissed her hard, invading her mouth with her tongue.

Rose moaned into her, probing with her own tongue. She grasped Red on the shoulders and dug her nails in.

Red pulled back from the kiss. She stared beseechingly at Rose.

“You are very pretty,” Rose said shyly.

Red noticed Rose’s eyes left her face and traveled over her body. Rose blushed when she realized she was caught looking.

“You may touch me if you’d like.”

“Would it please you?” Rose asked.

“Yes, very much. It has been far too long since I’ve been properly touched.”

Rose moved her hands over Red. She gently caressed her breasts. She circled her thumbs over Red’s nipples. They hardened into rosy peaks. Rose pinched and twisted them between her fingers.

“Do you like that?”

“Yes,” Red sighed. The girl had strong hands. They reminded her of another pair of hands. Wolf’s. Red 81