”I saw Miss Nakamura roll the book cart down the aisle behind Becky. Becky kept talking. “Right now I’m reading about military shhhtrategy. This...big book is Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy. It’s about how once you’ve gotten powerful by force, you have to be smart and manipulate people. And if you’re smart, you can be really, really, really powerful.” Each time she said the word ‘really’ she flexed her shoulders and traps, and it looked like she was going to hulk out of her clothes right. You’ve fought so hard for our dream, and you’ve put your life on the line for me so often, and you’ve never given up hope. You’ve always looked out for me, and you’re so courageous ... How could I not fall in love with that person?”She blushed and broke eye contact, which had to be a good sign.“ ... I need to think about it.”“I understand, take your time.”She turned towards the door. “I’m going to go for a bath now, and I think I should do that alone.”“That’s fine, go ahead.”I tried to be. The six women had been sex slaves of the gang and had been raped every night. The whip scars were the remnant of punishment for not doing the things the members of the gang wanted them to do. At one time, there had been one sex slave for each gang member, but so many had been whipped to death in the past 2 months, that these women were the only ones left. The gang had been out the day before on a search for women to replenish the sex slave stable.They didn't know why Glover had decided to kill. Right away you made me feel things, as though you were a stray puppy needing me. Arrogantly I felt sympathy for you since you were only a human being. I had hoped we could have some kind of connection but I didn’t know what I could offer you, or if you could welcome me into your life. ‘Knowing you were Anastasia’s son, I thought of ways to seduce you. I wanted you to like me at first, at least sexually. I wanted you to find me appealing so I could ‘infect’ you when your conversion would be.