The female, hethought. The one who was talking with thedamn slaver just before he started the pain collar. The one who…bought me? Didshe buy me? Does she think she’s my new Mistress?

Suddenlyan agonizing bolt of pain hit his ankle and traveled up his entire body. Hefelt every muscle locking up, going rigid with pain. And then…nothing.

* * * * *

“He’sout.” Sidna was breathing hard. “Are you all right, Trin?”

“I…thinkso.” Trin massaged her throat delicately. “He’s got a hell of a grip.”

Sidnasighed in relief. “Thank the Goddess he didn’t get both hands around your neck or I would have been too late.” Shehanded the stunner back to Trin. “Here. I was coming to bring this back to youwhen I saw what was happening. I don’t like to say I told you so but it’s clearhe’s a vicious, savage beast.”

“He’snot.” Trin coughed, feeling the burn in her throat. “He let me go before youstunned him.”

“Hewhat?” Sidna frowned at her.

“Ithink he was having some kind of a nightmare. He was thrashing and moaning andI was trying to calm him down. He grabbed me when he was still half asleep andhe was trying to say something. I think…” She frowned. “I think it was ‘Master.’”

“Great.”Sidna put a hand on her hip. “So you’re saying he had a nightmare about his lastmaster and his response was to try and choke him? What does that say about whatkind of slave he is, Trin? Why do you think he was being sold in the firstplace?”

“Idon’t know,” Trin said stubbornly. “But I still don’t think he meant to hurt me.”

“Well,whether he meant to or not, he nearly killed you. You’re going to have someserious bruises there.” Sidna examined her neck critically. “Will you please move him into the brig now?”

“How?”Trin demanded. “He’s out cold and he’s huge, as you pointed out. The whole crewtogether isn’t strong enough to move his mass from here to the brig.”

“Well,you have to at least restrain him,” Sidna said. “I mean it, Trin—it’s not safeto let him stay loose. The whole crew is in danger this way.”

“Iguess you’re right,” Trin said reluctantly. “Do we still have the manacles weused on the Gox?”

“Wedo. Want me to bring them up?”

“Iguess you’d better.” For some reason, Trin still felt reluctant to shackle thebig Havoc. She honestly didn’t think his attack on her had been on purpose. Butshe could tell that Sidna wouldn’t feel safe otherwise and that probably wentdouble for the rest of the crew.

“We’llchain him to the cot for now,” the medic said. “But if he wakes up in abelligerent mood, I still think we should move him to the brig. We can hold ablaster on him and force him to move there under his own power if we have to.”

“Allright.” Trin sighed. “Go get the manacles.”

AfterSidna left, she stared down at the huge Havoc who was still out cold. Who hadhe been seeing when he tried to choke the life out of her? And what hadhappened to him to provoke such a murderous reaction?

Shewasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

Chapter Four

Thrace wokefor the second time, gasping like a male whose head has finally broken the surfaceof a pounding sea. In his case, a sea of nightmares. Memories he’d carefullysuppressed for years were crowding into his mind, flowing in like cold, slimysewage trying to drown him.

Gods, where am I? Helooked around the small room he was in. It was dimly lit with bare metal walls.A cell of some kind? He tried to sit up but his body wouldn’t obey. Then heheard a metallic clinking and felt the manacles around his wrists. A surge ofpanic hit him and a low growl began to build in his chest.

The Master! He’s chained me up again! Thatmeans it’s only a matter of time before he comes in and—

“Soyou’re finally awake. Again.”

Theunfamiliar voice made him jerk his head—the only part of him which was able tomove freely. A familiar face came into view—a female with creamy, light brownskin and long black hair. She was lovely, with big, dark eyes and delicatefeatures. Her full lips were the color of ripe berries.

Andthere were finger-shaped bruises in a ring around her slender neck.

Thrace had avague memory of throttling her and felt a surge of shame. I did that to her. Me—I did it. But why?

Heseemed to remember bad dreams, memories coming back of things he’d buried yearsbefore. The Master, he thoughtuneasily. I thought she was the Master…

Butwhy was he thinking of that bastard now? What had unearthed the bad memories ofthe past?

Ashe stared at the female’s face, it all began coming back to him. The seedyportside bar on Padge where he and Solar had gone to drink while The Empress was repaired. Being capturedby the slavers…sold on the auction block at the Flesh Bazaar…. Sold,apparently, to this female here. The one who had been eyeing him before thatbastard of a slaver used the fucking pain collar on him.

Heopened his mouth to talk—to demand that she untie him—but nothing came out buta low croak. More memories came back.

That fucking slaver—the paralytic heinjected into my vocal chords… But shouldn’t it have worn off by now?

“Don’ttry to talk,” the girl said. Her slim brown hand came towards his face and Thracetried to jerk away, certain she was holding some kind of a weapon. Retribution,maybe, for the way he’d hurt her.

“Holdstill, she admonished him. “You’re sweating like crazy—I’m trying to cool youdown. Not that it ended very well the last time I tried it.” She touched herfingertips to her bruised throat and winced before reaching for him again.

Thrace watchedas her hand descended to his face. He tried to raise his own hand to stop herbut the manacles held him fast. He was tied down and helpless—there was nothinghe could do.

Hefelt his breathing go short and sharp as his heart started to pound. There wasnothing worse than this feeling of helplessness—the feeling of being tied downand unable to move while another acted upon you.

Ha—“acted upon you.” That’s a nice way toput it, growled a sarcastic voice in his head. Really fucking poetic considering—

Thehand reached his face and something soft and cool and slightly damp caressedhis forehead. Thracejerked again—this time in surprise.

“Seeyou big silly? It’s just a wet cloth. Just to make you feel better.” The girlspoke to him in a soft, coaxing voice, almost as though she was talking to awounded animal or a sick child. “Not gonna hurt you, big fella,” she went on,stroking his hot cheeks with the cloth too. “Just trying to help you get well.”

Thrace staredat her uncertainly. He had nearly choked the life out of her—why was shetouching him so gently? And why was she talking to him like he could barelyunderstand him? He opened his mouth again.

“Un…tie,”he finally managed to croak.

“Ican’t do that, sorry,” she said.

“Un…tie!” Thrace demanded more forcefully,though it hurt his throat.

“Ican’t and it’s your own fault.” The girl frowned at him. “I can’t let you go,not after you did this.” She touched her bruised throat with her fingertipsagain. “Not that I think you did it on purpose,” she went on quickly before hecould formulate a reply. “But I’m pretty much the only person who feels thatway. The rest of the crew all think you’re some kind of crazed psychopathicmonster and honestly, they didn’t have that high of an opinion of you even before you tried to strangle me. Becauseyou’re male, I mean.” She sighed and shook her head. “If I let you up to roamaround the ship I’d have a mutiny on my hands.”

Thrace lookedat her appraisingly. So she was the captain of a ship—which was probably wherehe was being held. The question was, how the hell did he get loose and get outof here? Experimentally, he tried the manacles again but they were incrediblystrong—some kind of alloy maybe. Thrace doubted he’d be able tobreak them.