Saving Simona (Alone In The World Trilogy) Read Online Free Page A

The variety of healing in the scars made it clear to Gia that Helene had been whipped many a time, for many a moon. She wondered if it had been the girl’s father who had done it, and if that was why Helene ended up seeing her body on the streets. Had she been forced into it, and beaten as a consequence of failing a customer? Had she ran away and needed to find a way to support herself, until she could find a beau that wanted to make a dowry-less woman his wife?
    Gia shook her head and came back to the present as Helene took a shuddering breath, the full extent of the corset’s hold compressing her lungs and disabling her from getting a full breath in. Once again, Gia found herself wondering what Helene’s background was, if she had not even known how a corset was to be properly warn during the field, especially if she was brought in to be one of Leander’s girls. She clearly had not been broken or trained yet. Harland had likely brought her in just to please himself for the night, as Leander had suggested. Gia remembered Leander had told his henchmen early on that although they were allowed to look at his daughters, they were strictly forbidden from deflowering his precious money makers, which led to many of the men finding woman from other walks of life, or at least independent, non-ring associated prostitutes, to please themselves for the night.
    Once Gia had finished the lacings (Helene was breathing shallowly in front of her still), the brunette took a step back and curtsied at Leander once again. “I have finished, Father,” Gia murmured, her eyes downcast and her head bowed. Leander smiled at her over his eyeglasses and took her head between his powerful hands, dropping a chaste kiss against her forehead.
    “What a good girl you are, my beautiful Georgiana,” Leander said, tilting her head up so that she had no choice but to make eye contact with him. He kissed her lightly on the mouth before releasing her face, turning back to Helene. He narrowed his eyes at her again. “This was the only warning you shall receive, child. You will spend tonight with Harland and Franklin. I do declare that you need to be broken and trained at the quickest convenience. Both men should serve you just fine.”
    Once Leander had finished speaking, his eyes brightened once again, and he clapped his hands together. “You are free to go now.” The girls began to head to the door, still in their lines. “Make Father rich tonight, my little darlings!”
    Gia made it all of three steps from her spot next to the man when Leander put his arm out, stopping her in her tracks. “I would like all my special ones to stay with me for the moment, please,” he said, reaching a hand out and smoothing out Gia’s hair. He smiled at her before turning to the rest of his girls.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
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    “I have been asked by a very important group of men for you to come and make their acquaintance,” Leander announced as the girls gathered in a circle around him. He looked from face to face, his eyes wide as he spoke. Gia could not be sure, but his eyes appeared to sadde n when they passed over  her. “It will be much different than your usual visits with the wealthy, and I doubt that you will be staying in town while you are in their presence. Elijah is set to accompany you to the men’s home so that the vultures of the streets do not touch my most prized possessions during their travels.” He shook his head. “I would be devastated if anything were to happen that would cause me to lose any of you.”
    His eyes settled on Gia for a moment again before they left her again, glancing back around. “Remember, loves, that you may be asked to do things you are not comfortable with doing. However, that is out of my control. The men are paying me a great sum to borrow my most beautiful daughters, and I have an agreement with the men that, should any new beauties be found, you shall assist in bringing back your new sisters. You are