Ashley woke at six in the morning. It was a habit - her body did it automatically. The consequences for being late with Chad's morning blowjob were severe, and her even her unconscious mind knew better than to sleep too late or too deeply.
But it wasn't HIS scent in the sheets, not HIS warm, naked body pressed against her backside, not HIS slender arms pulling her into a safe, loving hug from behind. It was all Mistress Kara. Chad was history, except for the painful memories he'd left in Ashley's mind and the ugly tattoos he'd had inked into her pale skin.
She allowed herself a contented sigh. Her Mistress had brought her to bed each of the past three nights, and sleeping with the other woman was comforting and secure. It was a new and blissful feeling to spend the night with someone you truly loved.
She wiggled out of her Mistress' embrace and slid out of bed, careful not to make any noise or jostle the sleeping woman too much. Her owner was kind and forgiving, but Ashley knew that was no excuse for slacking off and not giving her best service at all times. Just the opposite - having an awesome Mistress made it even more important to work hard. Diligence was one of the Five Principles, after all.
She crept to her room and buckled her collar around her neck first thing. She dressed in a blue pair of bikini briefs, then wrapped a sheer, blue scarf over her boobs, knotting it behind her back. She did a slow turn in front of the mirror, admiring how the colour contrasted with her bare skin. She loved dressing in the sexy house uniform her Mistress had chosen for her.
She took extra time to look at her bum in the mirror, and was disappointed to see that after three days, her paddle marks had almost faded away. Maybe tomorrow when they went back to the workshop, she'd be able to tempt her owner into giving her another session in the hanging stocks!
Being paddled by Mistress Kara had been painful at first and then changed into an incredible dreamy, drunken feeling. Really calm and fearless - almost giddy. She'd never gone that deep before - it had been beyond amazing and she couldn't wait to get back there again. Her owner was taking her to new levels of submission. It was more than Ashley had ever dreamed of.
Well, she couldn't spend all morning in front of the mirror! She hurried to the kitchen and got the coffee brewing, making sure the measurements were exactly the way her Mistress preferred them; she liked her coffee strong and black in the morning and lighter in the afternoon, with a little cream and sugar.
As it was brewing, Ashley made a quick pass through the kitchen, living room and bathroom to make sure everything was tidy. She wanted Mistress Kara's first waking moments to be satisfying, and what was more satisfying than a clean apartment?
It was six thirty when she heard her Mistress rustling the sheets as she got out of bed. Ashley hurried to her owner's bedroom.
"Good morning, Mistress. Did you sleep well?"
Mistress Kara stretched her arms over her head. She looked glorious when she was naked - curvy and sexy and soft. Ashley couldn't tear her eyes away.
"Like a baby. How about you?"
"Me too. Thank you for bringing me to your bed again last night...and for letting me lick your beautiful pussy."
Her Mistress pulled her into a tight, warm hug. Ashley returned it and breathed in deeply, savouring the smell of the other woman's hair and skin.
"Mmm. That talented tongue of yours is becoming an addiction, I'm afraid."
"I'm happy to give you a fix any time."
Mistress Kara patted her bum affectionately, then headed for the washroom. Ashley took the opportunity to smooth down the bed sheets and arrange the comforter neatly on top. She checked the laundry hamper on the way out of the bedroom. Only half-full, not enough to run a load.
She went to the kitchen and put two slices of multi-grain bread into the toaster, then poured her owner a cup of black coffee and handed it to her as she entered the room. Mistress Kara had just settled into a chair when the toast popped, and Ashley gave each piece a light buttering of margarine, cut the slices in half, and slid the plate onto the table in front of the other woman.
"Is there anything else you need, Mistress?"
"You're perfect as always, Ash. Eat something - you're at the bakery today so I don't want you hungry."
Ashley nodded and quickly poured herself a bowl of cereal.
"May I be seated?" she asked. Breakfasts were usually low-protocol, but it made her feel better to ask anyway.
Her Mistress nodded, part-way through a sip of coffee.
The two of them sat in silence that felt relaxed and comfortable. Ashley was excited to start the day.
*
She was part-way through her shift at the bakery when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"There's someone asking for you out front," Lenny said, gesturing in the direction of the store.
Ashley set aside the metal tray she was scrubbing, turned off the hot water and pulled off her rubber gloves.
"Must be Kara," she said, though Lenny was only half listening, darting not-too-subtle glances at the side exit to the bakery. They'd only been working together for a short time, but Ashley recognized when her co-worker was craving a smoke.
"Hey, can you watch the store?" he asked. "I just need to step out for a bit."
"Yeah, sure." Ashley untied her apron and pulled off her hair net as she walked down the short hallway to the store.
There was a small storefront near the main entrance to the bakery, where regular people could come in and pick up a dozen rolls or a loaf of artisanal bread. Most of their business was restaurants and bulk orders, but the retail side got some traffic, too. Ashley didn't know how to work the cash register yet, and in jeans and an old sweater she wasn't really dressed for dealing with the public, but she could keep an eye on things until Lenny finished his cigarette.
She pushed open the door and stepped into the store, behind the counter. The place was empty except for one person. It wasn't Kara after all, but a guy.
Chad.
It was Chad.
She froze, paralyzed by fear. Her skin went cold. Why was he here? How had he found her? What did he want?
The smirk on his face and the way he narrowed his eyes meant trouble for her. She recognized the look, having seen it often enough during her three years with him. He was here to deliver bad news, and was going to enjoy doing it.
It took her a few moments to recover from shock.
"What...what are you doing here?"
He leaned forward against the counter and she retreated a couple of steps. With the waist-high counter separating them she was probably safe from whatever awful stuff he had in mind, but it never hurt to be extra cautious.
"I've come to re-claim my property, of course," he said in a tone that was light on the surface but carried a threat underneath.
Ashley's heart beat faster even as she felt her chest constrict. She tried to take another step back but ran out of room; she was backed up against the wall. She drew a deep breath and tried to summon her courage.
"I'm not your property. I left you."
He chuckled joylessly, and the sound sent a shiver of terror down her spine.
"Oh, that's right. You belong to Miss Kara Meadows now. How is she doing?"
He knew about Mistress Kara? Somehow, that filled Ashley with even more dread.
"You need to go. I'm...I'm working now. I'm not getting back together with you," Ashley said, edging along the wall in the direction of the bakery door, careful not to take her eyes off him for even a moment. The bakery was full of people - if she screamed, surely someone would come to help her, right?
He didn't make any move to stop her. Instead, he unfolded a piece of paper, put it on the counter and slid it over to her. Even from a few steps away, she could see a long list of names printed on it, along with email addresses.
"Miss Kara has a lot of friends, doesn't she? Family, too. It's probably a good thing they don't know about her kinky lifestyle."
"What?"
He gestured at the paper. "Her mom and dad, her sister and two teen-aged nephews, for starters. I wonder what they'd think if they knew she was a closet lezzie who got off on beating little girls with a paddle?"
Ashley went white as she began to understand the reason for Chad's visit.
"Her dead husband had a lot of friends too - the guestbook for his online obituary probably has two hundred names on it, including his brother and sister. I bet they'd be pissed to know Kara was fucking someone half her age before his body was even cold."
"It wasn't like that..." Ashley whispered, but Chad wasn't listening.
He pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen a few times, then turned it to face her. A video was playing, and the inside of the workshop was easily recognizable. There was no sound, but the picture was sharp and showed Ashley naked in the standing stocks as Mistress Kara, dressed in her bra and panties, smacked her ass with the medium paddle.
"It's amazing how clear the picture came out, even through the window," he continued in the same light-yet-threatening tone. "When she takes off her panties you can see every detail of her face and her cute, little, shaved cunt. I bet her nephews would LOVE to get a peek of their big-titted aunt and her bare muff. What do you think?"
"That was private..."
"You probably should have closed the curtains, then," he countered. "All the hours I spent filming really paid off in the end - that was a real show the two of you put on for me."
"How...how did you find me?"
He ignored her question. "Who else do we have here?" he said, pretending to read the names off the page, letting the video continue to play on his phone. "The principal of her nephews' school. Her sister's minister. A bunch of guys. Ex-boyfriends, maybe? Business contacts? Old high school buddies? Dozens and dozens of names. Probably everyone she knows. Everyone important to her."
"Chad, please don't-"
"And you look so tiny in this video! Hasn't Miss Kara been feeding you? I mean, if I didn't know you, I'd guess you were fifteen or sixteen - seventeen, tops. Definitely a minor. Who knows what would happen if the cops ended up with this video? They'd have to launch an investigation, right? And if the newspaper got a hold of it I'm sure some reporter would do a story on Miss Kara, you know, trying to make a name for himself. Even when the truth came out, she'd probably have to leave town."
"But...Mistress Kara never did anything to you. Why would you-"
"That's not true. She stole from me. She took what was mine."
"That's because I ran away...and it was cold. I...didn't have a coat..." Part of her wondered why she was arguing. She already knew the horrible direction Chad was heading.
"Anyway, I just came by today to show you this stuff. I've already written up an email and included all these addresses in a mailing list. I can destroy her life just by clicking 'send'."
"No! Chad...come on, please! There's no reason to do this."
"I told you, she stole from me. She took my property. If I can't get it back, at least I can make sure the thief is punished, right?"
Ashley was silent, trying to find the words to dissuade him, but none came to her. Or maybe there was no reasoning with him. Maybe surrender was the only option he'd accept.
"Of course, if you were to come back to me, where you belong..." He let the thought hang out there. His lips curled into a smug, self-satisfied smile. He had her right where he wanted her, and they both knew it.
Ashley tried to imagine returning to him, to the life she'd had before meeting her Mistress. It was a terrifying idea, and it repulsed her. He was a cruel man - not really a Master after all, just a mean guy who abused and degraded her. Mistress Kara had shown her what real dominance looked like, and that wasn't what Chad was offering. Going back to him would mean pain, torment and hopelessness, and possibly worse.
It didn't matter. For Mistress Kara, no sacrifice was too great. Ashley would do whatever was needed to ensure the other woman's happiness. Ashley owed a life debt, after all. More than that, she loved her owner with her entire heart, and sometimes love meant sacrifice, right?
Then a second thought forced itself into her mind. If Ashley left, would her Mistress be even MORE unhappy?
Mistress Kara said Ashley was 'incredibly important' to her. She said she was 'grateful' to have Ashley in her life. And although her owner hadn't said 'love' yet, she'd SHOWN love through her actions; her gentleness and patience. That had to mean something! And if her owner loved her, or even liked her a lot, it would cause her Mistress pain if Ashley just walked out. Especially with Master Peter's death still so recent. It would hurt her badly.
Ashley would never hurt Mistress Kara. Not in a million years. Not for anyone.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and forced herself to meet Chad's gaze. She hoped she wasn't about to make a giant mistake. She hoped her Mistress would forgive her.
"No."
"What?"
"I said no. I'm not going with you. I belong to Mistress Kara now. I won't abandon her."
"And how will she feel when she finds out you stood by and watched her life get destroyed?" He waved the phone in front of her face, taunting her.
"I don't know."
"She'll be furious with you. At your betrayal."
Ashley paused, trying to imagine her Mistress getting furious with her. Somehow, it was difficult to picture.
"In that case, I'll have to accept whatever she decides to do," Ashley said. "I trust her to know what's best."
Chad hesitated, and Ashley got the impression he hadn't expected a firm refusal. And no wonder - in the three years she'd been his slave, she'd rarely said the word 'no', and had always painfully regretted her rare moments of resistance.
Finally, he seemed to decide on a new approach. He chuckled, though it sounded forced. "Right - I forgot what a slow thinker you are. I'll give you till tomorrow night to consider the consequences. You know how to reach me. And I'll know if you go to the police. Don't bother - they'll never connect me to anything."
"Goodbye, Chad," Ashley said. It surprised her how calm her voice sounded, now that the decision was made. It didn't stop her knees from quaking, though.
"Kara's life is in your hands," he said, then put his phone away. He gestured to the list of names and email addresses on the counter. "That's a lot of people who will never speak to her again."
"I have to go back to work," she said, folding the paper and sliding it into the back pocket of her jeans, then backing out the door and into the bakery. As soon as she'd closed the door behind her, she dialed her Mistress with shaking hands, trying to figure out how to deliver the awful news.
*
Mistress Kara greeted the news with a long silence. Ashley told her everything, and even read to her from the list of names Chad had left behind.
"Are you safe? Should I come and get you?" she said at last, her voice calm, but heavy with concern.
"There are lots of people around, and the public isn't allowed in the bakery area. I think I'm okay for now," Ashley said. "I'm really sorry, Mistress. Chad is my problem. I hate that I dragged you into this."
"This is my fault, not yours. I'm going to call Mr. Sato. He's a police officer and he'll have good advice."
"Chad said he'd know if we tried to contact the police."
There was another brief silence.
"How? How will he know?"
"He didn't say. He just said he would."
"For that matter, how did he know you were at the bakery? How did he know where the workshop was?"
"I didn't tell him, that's for sure. Maybe he followed us from the apartment?"
"But how would he know where the apartment is? Or what my name is?"
Ashley shrugged, then realized her owner couldn't see it over the phone. "I have no idea, Mistress."
"Regardless, I'm calling Mr. Sato. And...I suppose I'd better think about calling my parents and sister as well. If they're going to find out anyway, I'd rather it be from me. This could get messy."
"Um...it's not too late for me to call Chad. You know...agree to what-"
"No way. You're done with that life forever. I'm glad you shot him down - that took a lot of courage. I'm really proud of you, Ash."
Ashley breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She'd figured her Mistress would feel that way, but it was still reassuring to hear her say it out loud.
*
Ashley always kept her phone muted during her shift so it wouldn't distract her, but she checked it during her next break to see if Mistress Kara had called or texted with an update.
She was shocked to see she had forty-one new texts, had missed twenty-three calls, got eighteen new voicemail messages and twenty new emails. She didn't recognize any of the numbers - they weren't from Mistress Kara, Jaycee or Chad. Who else would think to call her?
Before she could check her messages, she got another incoming call. The area code was local, but the number wasn't familiar. She decided to answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey...is this Ashley? Ashley Mallory?"
"Yeah."
"Awesome! I can't believe the number was legit! Hey, do you and Kara do private shows?"
"Um...what?"
"Private shows, like on Skype. It would be hot to see you in a diaper, with Kara pretending to be your mom, breastfeeding and changing you. Stuff like that. How much would that cost? I'm thinking for an hour."
Ashley hung up, confused and alarmed.
She checked her text messages. 'Do a scene where Kara throats you with a nine-inch strap-on'. 'Fuck yeah - needs more pussy whipping'. 'Do one with sound - sucks that we can't hear you scream'.
All of them were like that. With rising panic, she called Mistress Kara.
"Ash? I need you to turn your phone off, then take out the SIM card and battery. Call me back from another phone and I'll explain," her owner said, then disconnected.
The abrupt commands did nothing to calm her, but she did as she was told, then borrowed Lenny's phone and called her Mistress again.
"Hey, Ashley. Sorry about that. John thinks your phone has been compromised. Chad might be tracking you using your phone GPS, and listening in on calls and texts."
The idea that Chad might have been spying on her since the time she left him caused the blood to drain from her face. How much had he seen? How much had she unknowingly revealed to him?
It took her a few moments to compose herself.
"I've been getting a bunch of weird calls and texts," she said.
"Yes, I'm getting them too, one every few minutes," her owner said, the irritation in her voice obvious. "I guess you didn't check your email? It looks like Chad uploaded the video to at least two porn sites, with our names, address and contact information embedded in the video."
"But...he said I had until tomorrow!" As soon as she said it, Ashley realized this was his way of softening her up, getting her to accept his offer before the email got sent.
"Gee, I'm starting to think he's not an honourable guy," Mistress Kara said, the mocking sarcasm heavy in her voice. Then she sighed. "Sorry - that wasn't directed at you. I'm just a little stressed right now. How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay, just scared. Did Mr. Sato have any suggestions?"
