Her head spun, and her face burned, but the pit of her stomach felt as if she’d swallowed ice cubes. Dizzily, she scrunched into a corner of the couch and pulled her legs up.

His mouth flattened into a straight line, and he said something to Vance too quiet to hear.

“We’ll see.” In khakis and a blue short-sleeved shirt, Vance walked into the living room and took the chair directly across from the couch. “How are you doing, Kim?”

She swallowed. These are friends, not the enemy. Master R—Raoul—got me out. That was the only reason, she realized, she hadn’t run for her bedroom. He’d saved her. “Not good, but better.”

“Lots better,” Gabi said staunchly and dropped down beside her.

Disconcertingly, Master R kneed the large ottoman closer to Kim and sat on it. Within touching distance.

Kim barely kept herself from shrinking away. She’d forgotten how muscular he was. The sleeves of his polo shirt strained to fit around his thick biceps.

“You said you needed to talk about problems,” Gabi prompted.

“Problems, definitely. Our operation is…” Vance’s jaw tightened. “The Harvest Association auctions are big events with many buyers, lots of slaves, and a large number of the association’s personnel. We’ve wanted to raid one for some time, but they change the locations and give out the date and time of the auction only at the last minute. The buyers are transported in windowless vans with anti-tracking technology. Sandoval was to have refused the slaves, so he’d get invited to the next auction. Instead…” He gestured toward Kim.

Instead he bought me and won’t get an invitation. Kim wet her dry lips. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not, chiquita,” Master R said softly. “We’ll figure something out.”

“But the FBI is angry and—”

Vance smiled slightly. “We can’t be mad at him. He got referred as a buyer all on his own and was generous enough to let us in on the action.”

“I didn’t know that,” Gabi said. “You weren’t recruited? But why?”

Master R flashed her a grin. “My mamá named me after Raoul Wallenberg. How can I not help?” His mouth straightened. “Gabi, it’s a dom’s job to protect his submissives, not sit back while they volunteer to get kidnapped.” He gave her a stern stare.

Kim gripped her friend’s hand. Gabi had done insane things trying to rescue her. What if the slavers had actually succeeded and if—

“Stop imagining,” Gabi muttered to her. “What happens now? Can Kim go home?”

Vance hesitated, and Kim couldn’t bear the silence. “I know it’s probably not good news. Just spit it out, okay?”

He smiled. “If you can speak to me like that, you’re doing better than I thought.”

Master R growled. “She is very strong, but she has been very hurt. This is not—”

Vance broke in. “First, going home isn’t a good idea.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his voice tight. “We’ve discovered at least two slaves escaped.”

“Really?” Gabi leaned forward. “Then they can identify, testify—”

“They can’t,” Vance said flatly. “They’re dead along with anyone they talked with.”

Kim felt her skin go clammy. Going home would put her mother at risk?

“I’m sorry, Kim.” Vance started to say something and then stopped. Waited.

Can’t go home. God, by staying here… She swallowed and edged away from Gabi. “They might come after Gabi and Marcus?”

Gabi broke in. “Don’t you even start thinking like—”

“It might not be a good idea to stay here,” Vance interrupted.

If she ran, where would she hide? The Overseer claimed they had people in every state. She had no money. Her arms wrapped around her legs. The tide was coming in, and it was black.

“Kimberly,” a low, resonant voice said. “Kimberly.” Master R’s voice.

She shuddered and looked at him.

His eyes held hers. “Better. You will listen to everything before you panic. You have options, chiquita.” His intent gaze stayed on her as he prompted, “Buchanan, go on.”

“We are trying to accomplish two things,” Vance said. “To keep you safe and to continue with the operation of shutting down the slavers in the Southeast quadrant. You have a couple of choices.” He waited for her nod. “We can put you into a witness-protection program. Sandoval will report you died—we can’t risk saying you escaped, in case they go after your family—and he’ll ask to buy another slave. The downside is your death would have to be public enough they’d know it was true. Your family would… It might be difficult for them.”

Kim stared. Have Mom think I’m dead? Is he insane? “What’s the other plan?” It must be better.

“We give up on having Sandoval attend the auction. Instead he’d refer someone else.”

“That sounds good,” Gabi said.

“It would be except for the Association’s fu—damned precautions. The only way to talk to the Overseer is at the follow-up visit.” Vance frowned at Kim. “The visit where he finds out if the customer is satisfied. Where he’ll expect to see you, Buchanan’s slave. A good slave, since otherwise you get returned.”

Kim felt the ground drop away. Be a slave. Meet the Overseer again?

“God, no.” Gabi scowled. “She can’t handle that.”

All the feeling had receded from Kim’s fingers. How white they’d gotten. Did she have any blood left inside her? “How long is the visit? How long would I have to pretend?” She’d have to see the Overseer. Deep inside her body, her bones shook like a Halloween skeleton in a cold wind.

“I’m not sure. Probably a couple of hours at least, maybe an evening.” Vance shook his head. “But, Kim, the problem is this: the Overseer doesn’t make contact for a few weeks. At that point, he’d expect to see a fairly well-trained slave. One who knows Sandoval—his habits, his protocols.”

“She could fake it.”

Vance snorted. “Don’t play stupid, Gabi. This isn’t something a slave picks up in an hour. When Marcus nods at the floor, does he mean strip and prostrate yourself, suck his cock, or present yourself doggy-style, or maybe kneel with your hands on your thighs? Or does he prefer your hands behind your head?”

With a sinking feeling, Kim saw Gabi’s understanding nod.

“But maybe she could be…well, kept in a separate room. Like Raoul only uses her for sex or something?” Gabi asked.

Master R shook his head. “During my interview with the Overseer, he asked what functions my slave would perform. I said I wanted service as well as sex. I never imagined being caught in this kind of situation.”

“Who could?” Vance asked. “So Kim would be expected to serve and be present in the room. Having her cringe if her master’s displeased wouldn’t be unusual, but cringing whenever he touches her—or even looks at her? No. Not knowing what to do when he motions for something?” Vance’s gaze turned to Kim, pity softening his blue eyes. “You can’t fake this kind of slavery, sweetie. You’d have to live with Sandoval starting now and actually be his slave, in order to act like one in front of someone as experienced as the Overseer.”

“I already told you no. I won’t have anything to do with this,” Master R said in a hard voice. “She can’t do it.”

The tiny amount of pride left in Kim flickered at how easily he’d dismissed her. She could do whatever she put her mind to. But the rest of her agreed. Go back to being a slave? No way.

But to have them tell her mother she was dead? Would Mom survive such a devastating blow? No.

“I don’t see any other choice,” Vance said. “Not if—”

“I bought her to free her, not to torment her further.” Master R interrupted. “She has enough nightmares without me adding to them. What if she panics when he’s there?”

“Not a deal-breaker,” Vance said. At the deadly look Master R gave him, he shrugged. “To still be struggling with her problems would be normal enough. So would jumpiness. But she can’t fake training she never gets. Most masters do some instruction, even for a sex slave. The kicker is that you not only asked for a service slave, you’re also known in the lifestyle as being an excellent teacher. I’m sorry, Raoul. You’ll have to train her—and you’ll have to touch her as well.”

“Maybe I could go and be there with her? It would be easier with…company or something,” Gabi offered.

Kim looked up. Maybe that—

Vance shook his head. “They do an extensive background on the buyers, so they know Sandoval lives alone. They might do some monitoring after the sale. For him to bring in another woman right after he buys a slave would be downright unlikely and would probably send up a warning flag.” He scowled. “They’re paranoid bastards.”

Warning flag. Ice water trickled into Kim’s core as she remembered… She closed her eyes, took a breath. She had to tell them, but her words stuck to her tongue. “Vance.”