Chapter 1

 

Leah moaned softly in pain and fear. It seemed like she had been in this position for hours. Her shoulders ached and her fingers had gone numb. She was bound with her wrists in leather cuffs secured over her head by chains and her legs were widely spread by a stretcher bar. It was simple bondage, but elegant, displaying her body perfectly. She wore only a pair of high heels and a leather blindfold.

Around her she could hear the sound of voices. Unexpectedly a hand would grasp her breast, hefting it or squeezing it and there would be laughter as she would gasp and struggle her way free from the hand. She could smell the alcohol they were drinking and the scent of food. She had no idea when they had last fed her.

"This one looks nice, Sir," a voice said from behind her and a hand caressed her bare ass.

Leah could smell the faint scent of sandalwood as another person walked closely around her.

"She is not as striking as the blond." The male voice sent shivers through her. There was something about his voice, something unlike the others that she had heard that night. She tried to pull away from him as her instincts kicked in. "Hmmm, but I see what you mean. Her fear is delicious." There was a silky tone of pure pleasure as if this unseen man could taste and savor her fear.

The hand on her ass slid around and between her spread legs, fingering between the moist lips and expertly teasing her clit. Leah couldn't help herself, she had been teased all evening and now her body arched in hunger. She pressed against his fingers trying to get more, trying to sooth the throbbing ache in her body.

A cool hand caressed her face, fingertips tracing her parted lips.

"So responsive, yet not a sound. That may lower her price, so many of the buyers like to hear the cries and screams, or even a whimper."

The hands left and she felt them walk off to see the other merchandise. Leah closed her eyes tightly under the blindfold glad they were gone, yet frustrated at the need the touch had fired in her. Damn him. Damn them all.

She was left to listen to the sounds of the sale. Trying desperately to shift to a more comfortable position, Leah struggled with the emotions that ran through her. Anger, humiliation, fear and yes, even arousal and excitement battled inside her. She was being sold like property to some stranger who would take her, do Lord knows what to her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She knew that there were ten of them up for sale tonight. All of them were like her, in their twenties, unattached and with no family ties. Few would notice their disappearance from the world.

She tried again uselessly to shift her position, to relieve the pressure on her wrists, or her toes, or to ease the ache of her legs being forced wide for so long. She could hear one of the other girls crying. Another cried out. There was a rattle of chain and the sound of male laughter.

"Gentleman, Ladies. The auction will now begin."

Leah couldn't help but turn her head toward the voice as panic rose inside of her. She had known this was going to happen for several days, but nothing could have prepared her for this moment. She felt hot tears spilling out of her eyes into the soft lining of the blindfold and she willed herself not to let any of them see that she was crying.

"If you would look in your catalogs, item #1 will be our first girl up for auction tonight. The opening bid is listed as is the bidding increments. Who will start the opening bid?"

"You can't do this to us! You can't! You fucking bastards!"

Leah recognized the voice as the Japanese-American girl that had been caged across from her before. She fought off the nausea that swelled up in her as she remembered solitary. Those cages had been much better. There were some scuffling sounds and the cries were muffled. Leah guessed they had gagged her again. The bidding continued with no prices being mentioned. The sound of the gavel made her flinch. She had no idea if she was "item #1" or "item #8" in this surreal event. The growing reality that her life would never be the same, that there was no escape for her, weighed on her heavily.

And then, it was over. She heard the auctioneer thanking the people and the sounds of people leaving, catalogs rustling, murmurs of disappointment and voices congratulating each other. She tried to breathe, but it was as if all the air had left the room. Fear began to wrap itself tighter and tighter around her. She wanted to cry out, to scream, but there was nothing inside of her. The sounds of the room pulled back farther and farther, dimming into a deeper darkness than the blindfold.

Pain and a sharp, acrid scent pulled her back. She tried to move away from the bottle being held under her nose and moaned at the ache in her arms. Leah realized that she was on the floor now, her arms free, but so numb she could barely move them. What wasn't numb was burning in pain.

"She's coming 'round, Sir. I suspect she was just overwhelmed by the whole thing."

Familiar rough hands rolled her onto her stomach and pulled her protesting arms around to the small of her back, fastening them in lined leather cuffs. The pain of that movement alone almost made Leah pass out again, and she curled into herself.

"Do you have a collar you want on her, Sir?" the auctioneer said from nearby.

"This will do for now until I have her home," it was the voice that had sent shivers through her. No, they couldn't have sold her off to him. She tried to move away, but the rough hands of her captors pulled her back by her hair, yanking her head back and pulling her up to her knees. She gasped at the pain, which wasn't all pain, but oddly arousing, too. The thick leather collar was buckled around her neck snugly. She realized immediately that it was designed so she could not lower her head. She felt a tear slid past the sodden lining of the blindfold and down her cheek.

There was a snick of metal snapping around metal and a tug on her neck that pulled her forward and up. The meaning was clear. She struggled to her feet awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to be able to hide her face, but unable to move her head.

"There you go, Sir. Just like the catalog advertised. I hope you have many hours of enjoyment with her and remember us when you need a replacement."

"Of course." Said the silky voice of her owner and she felt his cool hand wipe the tear from her face. "But I don't think I will be replacing this one for a very long time."

The gathered men all laughed as Leah pulled back helplessly. The leash on her collar pulled her forward and she stumbled blindly along after it. The walk seemed endless, but the man was patient even when she fell to her knees, waiting for her to get back to her feet.

Leah felt the chill of night air and the sound of a motor. She was outside - naked. She moaned, balking at the door, as terror filled her. She couldn't do this. She wouldn't. She shook her head, pulling back hard on the leash.

"It's just a few steps to the car, Pet. I know you are scared. Don't make this harder on yourself than it needs to be." His voice spoke in her ear, his lips brushing against her skin. His cool hand took her elbow and with gentle force, he guided her to the car.

Within moments, they pulled away from the building. Leah knelt on the floor of the car, her forehead touching the floor, trembling. At this point, she took the position she had been taught over the last month without even thinking. She could feel his shoe pressing into her side and the steady tension on the leash. He spoke to the other man about paperwork, ignoring her completely. They lapsed into silence after some time.

Leah would have dozed off, but she ached too much. The constant level of fear was making her feel ill. As she was starting to worry about throwing up, the car stopped and she was pulled out again into the night. Gratefully, she gulped at the air, trying to clear away the nausea.

The sounds here were different. Echoing. There were engines - plane engines-in the near distance. An airport? A hanger? The cool hand took her by the elbow again and half carried her up some stairs into something. Yes. It was a plane. It must be a private plane. If he was rich enough to buy someone illegally, he was probably rich enough to own his own plane, she reasoned.

"Kneel here," his voice brooked no discussion.

Leah knelt down on the floor, feeling the thick carpet beneath her legs. She heard him sit down close to her and felt his outstretched leg touch hers.

"Would you like something to drink, Sir?" the other voice asked.

"Some wine, I think. The red."

The engines started, powering up with a whine and moments later the plane began to taxi.

 

Carlton Dalby looked down with pleasure at the young woman kneeling at his feet as his aide handed him the glass of red wine. She was exquisite. She should be for what he paid for her. Her natural dark red hair curled down her mid-back. He knew that the blindfold covered startling green eyes. He admired the roundness of her full, pale breasts and the dark, hard nipples. Not too much, not too little. Her tapered waist curved into sleek hips and her naked pussy glistened from the juices she could not control. He used his foot to push her knees wider apart.

"Lesson one, Pet. When you kneel, you will always have your legs open for me. I wish to see all that I own." He sipped the wine, watching a pink flush spread over her skin. He wanted to take off the blindfold and see the confusion and fear in her eyes, but right now, the blindfold kept her dependent on him. Right now, that was the key to controlling her.

He opened the file that came with her sale and looked over the documents. It has all been summarized in the sale catalog, but he wanted the details. The Sanchez brothers were fairly rough with their girls, but they were very complete in what they did.

First was the detectives report. The girl had not known that she was stalked for two months prior to her kidnapping. A paralegal, Leah had led a quiet life. A summary of her bank statement showed that she barely made enough to keep her small studio apartment and feed herself. He glanced over the reports of her daily schedule, foods eaten, places visited. He noted she had a sweet tooth that she struggled with. He also noted that the detective had made a point of mentioning that there were no sex toys or erotic books in her flat. Interesting.

He moved next to the background report. This report included photos from her family album of her as a child and teen. She had been a pudgy thing with braces. She had slimmed down at the university. She probably still thought of herself as unattractive, he thought. He frowned as he read the notation about a strict religious upbringing with foster parents. That could be problematic in the long run.

Shuffling the papers he moved to the copied medical reports. The doctors offices would never be the wiser that they had been entered and files copied. The summary page showed that she was healthy and amazingly, in this day and age, still a virgin. Blessings on that religious upbringing, he thought. Of course her virginity had been part of what had cost him so much.

The Sanchez brother's notes on her reaction to captivity were the last. They remarked that she was the quietest of their captives, but had attempted to escape twice. The first time had been during her kidnapping. She had managed to shatter the kneecap of one of the men, blackened the eye of another and was halfway out of the van before they were able to subdue her. The subduing involved her biting one of them badly enough that he needed stitches. Carlton raised an eyebrow and looked down at the trembling girl. Resourceful and feisty. He continued reading.

The second attempt was at the facility. Her quiet, good behavior had made a guard lax and she had grabbed his Billy club knocking him out. Her freedom was short lived due to the security system in place. They had cornered her and tazered her into submission. She was caned in front of the other captives and locked in stocks. They had used extra security on her after that.

Carlton closed the file and took several minutes to study his new purchase again. He had almost given up trying to find a girl for sale that resonated with him the right way. He had been to ten different sales in the last few years and none of the girls offered seemed to call out to him the way Leah did.

He leaned over and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and watched her jump, her muscles tightening in fear. She probably expected him to throw her to the ground and rape her. It did have a certain appeal, but there would be plenty of time to taste all of her.

"Are you hungry, Pet?" he asked. He was sure she was. The Sanchez brother's probably hadn't fed the girls in the last twenty-four hours. They didn't want any of them throwing up in nervousness during the auction.

She was still for a long moment, like a lovely statue of living flesh, and then she nodded hesitantly.

He continued to stroke her cheek, "Lesson number two, Pet. When I ask you a question, you will give me a verbal answer. You will address me in your answer as Master."

His lips quirked into a smile as he saw her body tense in rebellion at the word. She gave away so much without even knowing it.

"Are you hungry?" he asked again.

Again, she paused and then lifting her head slightly in a barely hidden defiance whispered, "Yes... Master."

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" he asked, unable to keep from playing with her some, forcing another answer from her.

She remained tense, "No, Master."

Carlton looked over at his aide who had been watching the scene with interest and made a motion for him to bring food from the galley. He let his fingers play in her hair. It had not been cared for properly for the time she had been a captive. It was dry. That would have to be seen to.

"You are quite lovely, my little Pet," he purred, watching her body tension move from rebellion to confusion. Yes, he had been right. She had no idea what she really looked like. Ah, how the mind deceived itself.

Raymond returned with a tray of microwave food and set it up on the table next to Carlton. He noticed Leah lean forward an inch, her nose twitching at the smell of the cooked chicken and vegetables.

Taking his time, he cut the food into bite size pieces. Spearing a bite of the moist chicken, he held the piece to her lips, "Open up."

She took the bite, her arms pulling at the cuffs in frustration.

"What is wrong?" he asked, knowing exactly what her problem was. How bold would she be?

She swallowed the bite and shifted a bit on the floor, "Please.... Master," there was a trace of a sob in her voice and a slump of resignation to her shoulders at the use of his title, "I can feed myself."

"I know," he replied patiently, "But it pleases me to feed you. Lesson number three, Pet. Your only desire in life now, is to please me."

He watched a range of emotions move through her body giving way at last to what looked like despair. He speared another piece of meat and held it to her lips. She took it and chewed as another tear escaped the confines of her blindfold and slid down her face.

The meal progressed in silence. Halfway through, she refused the bite of food.

"Open up, Pet," he commanded.

"I'm not hungry anymore, Master," She tried to pull back

"That does not matter. You will stop eating when I say you do. I do not want to punish you so soon in our relationship."

Her shoulders slumped slightly and she opened her mouth. He smiled. Of course she would try to test his limits. He would have been disappointed if she hadn't. When he finished her, he took his wine glass and held it to her lips. "Drink, Pet."

Her nose twitched again like a rabbit and she pulled back, her body language a mix of fear and disgust. "I - I don't drink alcohol."

Ah yes, the religious upbringing. He wrapped his free hand in her hair and pulled her head back sharply, "You seem to have forgotten something." He tightened his pull, arching her back painfully. How quickly would she get it?

"Master.." she gasped struggling to relieve the pain.

He let go of her hair, watching her tremble at her near miss, "I will forgive you this time for refusing as you are new. If you refuse me again, I will force the wine down you in such a way that you will never forget this night, and I guarantee you will never refuse anything I offer you again."

He brought the glass to her lips again and smiled as she opened her mouth. He had only planned for her to have a sip as a treat, but now he made her drink the whole glass. He ignored her gasp and coughing as he took the glass away and poured more for himself.

"What do you say after such a nice meal, Pet?"

Another tear slid down her face. "Thank you, Master." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Good girl," he patted her on the head and leaned back in his seat, pleased with the progression of events.

Leah couldn't seem to stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. In all of her fears about what would happen, she had never imagined anything like this. The humiliation of it as he seemed to take away layer after layer of her independence. The realization that he could easily kill her and no one would ever know was keen on her mind. The reality of his casual arrogance of control bit into her painfully. Maybe she should be fighting him, but there was something in his tone, his touch that told her that she did not want to incur his wrath.

Her legs and back began to ache painfully. She tried to shift her position to ease the pain, but he tapped her on the head and told her to be still. She stifled a sob as despair swirled through her. The wine made her feel fuzzy and she wished there were some way to get rid of the bitter taste of it in her mouth.

A growing need pulled her out of the haze she had let herself drift into. She realized that she had no option but to ask.

"Excuse me, Master," that word rankled her, "I- I need to use the restroom."

"Of course, Pet."

She felt the tug on her collar and she struggled to her feet, unable to stop a whimper of pain. She stumbled blindly after him toward the rear of the plane. Almost tenderly, he helped her into the bathroom and guided her to the seat.

Leah sat still, waiting for him to leave. He did not move.

"A problem, Pet?"

She felt her face redden, "I was waiting for you to shut the door, Master."

He chuckled and stroked her face again, "You have no more privacy, Pet. Privacy is not for slaves."

Slave. The word was cold and harsh and bit through her more than anything else had since she was taken. Burning red in shame and cold to her heart at what he had called her, she used the restroom and endured him cleaning her up. She even managed to thank him without breaking down.

He led her back to his seat and settled her on the floor again. "You do not need to remain kneeling, Pet. It is a long flight. You may sit as comfortably as you can and lean against me if you want to sleep."

Somehow, this was more than she could bear and Leah began to sob. She did not resist as he pulled her close to his leg and stroked her hair. It almost felt soothing. She cried herself to sleep.