I slid the top off and gasped at what was inside. It was my purple butt plug, the one with the gem that my four men had put inside me. It looked clean, shiny, and new. I scoffed and moved to toss it away before something shiny glinted in my view.
I moved closer and moved some of the paper at the bottom.
The butt end of a knife poked out. I reached in and grabbed it, quickly replacing the top of the present. The knife was a bit odd, in that there was only an ivory handle, curved with positions for my fingers, but no blade. I gripped it in my hand and squeezed.
Under one of the finger grips was a hidden button and I pressed it, gasping softly when a blade appeared, only it was an outline of a laser. I heard the door and I quickly scrambled to hide it under the pillow on the bed. I dropped to my knees and stared at the floor when I heard a female clear her throat before me.
I lifted my head, feeling a sudden relief at who was waiting.
“Nadia,” I exclaimed, rushing to my feet and embracing her in a tight hug.
“Kira, I can’t stay long, but some of the commanding officers on the bridge sent me to deliver these papers. See to it that Strohass gets them. He won’t like it if he finds me here with you,” she said quietly, dropping her eyes in fear when she said Strohass’ name.
I took the file from her arms with a smile.
I paused for a moment before I lifted my head.
“Nadia?”
“Yes, Kira?”
“Are you happy? Is Raythe is good to you?”
“He is. I’m to bear his child soon. I couldn’t wish for anything more,” she smiled, while placing her hands on the small bulge in her lower belly.
“I’m glad you found your happiness. I was worried for you all these years,” I whispered.
She raised her head and looked straight at me, her chocolate brown eyes softening.
“You’ll find yours too, Kira,” she replied, before she waved and left the room, leaving me along once again, only this time, with critical i
ntel for Strohass’ eyes only. I grinned. Couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this one, I thought.
I opened the folder and looked at the contents on the first page. My heart dropped at the first words.
Alaina Stryke. Danika Stryke. Kaela Stryke.
Fuck.
My world came crumbling apart upon seeing the first few sentences. I turned the page, horrified at what came next. Images from satellite cameras showed my sisters’ faces, one by one on the next few pages. Intelligence had found the existence of my camp of people and it implicated me in the process.
I wonder if Strohass knew already, if this data was just confirmation of what he already suspected. I didn’t know.
I had to stop it. I had to protect my family, my friends, at all costs.
My gaze flickered to the knife’s hiding spot.
I heard the sliding sound of the door and quickly shuffled the contents of the folder back inside. I knelt and waited. I had to find out if he knew.
Strohass chuckled in the doorway. I allowed my head to raise and I watched him. He stared back at me, his eyes perusing up and down my body. It made me feel dirty and unclean. My heart began to pound as the possibilities of what was about to happen raced through my mind.
I didn’t want this. I knew what he wanted, what he would do to me.
He was going to hurt me, and he was going to enjoy it. He wanted to see me bleed and cry and whimper and beg for forgiveness before he killed me.
He was the real enemy. All this time, I had thought Zaavyr, Aedan, Jax, and Coltan were, but I had been so very wrong. They were nothing like this man.
They were different, kind, understanding. They respected me.