Breaking
Laura
Laura watched the taxi leave, the
long gravel drive crunching as it sped away. She shook her head. Back to school
at the age of twenty-eight. Who’d have thought it? She eyed the intimidating
building with its gothic architecture and huge windows. So this was Hollybourne
School.
Don’t forget the slaves part .
Hollybourne School for Slaves . She snorted. Under its guise of
respectability the grand mansion hid a world of sex and depravity. Her stomach
churned as she made her way up the stairs, small suitcase in hand. What had she
let herself in for? This had to be the most outrageous assignment she’d ever
done.
Before she could knock, the door
swung open and she stepped inside, stealing one last glimpse of the outside
world.
Blinking, Laura took in her
surroundings and the stern woman that stood in front of her. Well lit and
surprisingly modern, the hall reeked of wealth and glamour. Muted shades of
gold and bronze mingled with blacks and creams. Two large, sensual sculptures
framed the grand staircase and the marble floor gleamed underfoot.
“Laura Montgomery?” The woman
peered at her, a good several inches taller.
Roughly middle-aged and
attractive, her thick black hair was pulled back into a chignon. Dark make-up
accentuated her brown eyes and full lips. Her tight black dress made Laura feel
underdressed in her jeans and fitted t-shirt.
The woman thrust out a hand and
Laura shook it, surprised by the grip.
“I’m Victoria Pembroke, the
headmistress here at Hollybourne,” she greeted in a clipped, efficient tone.
“Nice to meet you.”
Victoria flicked a look at the
clipboard in her hand. “We have all your paperwork and your medical test
results came back last week so all I need to do is show you around and then
I’ll take you to your room and introduce you to the other pupils.”
“Are there many others?” Laura
asked, clutching her suitcase to her chest.
Victoria motioned for her to put
it to one side and when she clicked her fingers, a butler came hurrying out of
a room and took the suitcase upstairs.
“Two other girls.”
“Oh, I thought there would be
more of us. Like a normal school, you know?”
A black eyebrow arched as
Victoria eyed her. “This is no normal school. We run a very intensive course
here and everything we do is customised for each and every sub. It requires
time and patience. We could hardly do what we do if we had a rowdy class of
girls to deal with. That, my dear, is why Hollybourne School is the best
training school in England, if not the world.”
Laura’s cheeks heated. “Of
course. No, I know it is. I didn’t mean to imply…” She clamped her mouth shut
as Victoria spun on her heels and led her through the house.
“This is the main reception room.
You may use this room to relax in the evening. You will have one day off a week
– Sunday – and you are very welcome to use any of the facilities here during
down time. We have a pool, tennis courts and a spa. You are also welcome to
leave the school on Sundays but NOT during the week, is that clear?”
“Of course. No worries.” Laura
resisted the urge to glare back as Victoria eyed her coolly. What a bitch.
While Laura was shown much of the
house, several of the rooms remained out of bounds, peaking her curiosity. From
the discrete brochures she’d been sent – ones that were only sent out after
they’d run a security check on her – she knew some of those rooms were for
training.
Victoria finally led her
upstairs, ushering her into a large room. The dorm. Laura gulped as the heads
of two other women snapped in her direction from their beds. Both sized her up
before offering her a smile.
The dark-haired woman’s grin
widened and she jumped up. “Hi! I’m Simone. So you’re the last of us, eh?”
Laura studied Simone, managing a
tight smile. Somewhere in her forties, Simone’s skin was a deep caramel shade,
matching her long, dark hair and chocolate eyes. Simone looped an arm
Jane Hunt
Jonathan Maberry
K. Sterling
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James Kakalios
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Shiloh Walker
Mary Balogh