Dangling it in front of her face, I hissed, "Do not speak." She nodded almost imperceptibly. "This is your collar. " I dropped it to the floor in fron... of her and continued. "It is a symbol Dominique." I unclipped my crop. "Thirteen months ago we began this journey together. The collar I placed around your neck signified the beginning of 'us'. You were to respect it by respecting me." I punctuated each point with a slap of the crop against my calf. "The collar tells you that you are different.". After loading the new cargo, the Captain called me to his office.“Jason you are a competent freight handle but you’re too ambitious. I can’t afford you.”“I’m willing to work for a freight handler’s pay. What else do you want.”“I’ve found a replacement. I’m dropping you here.”“I’ll never find a ship here. At least let me stay until we hit a better planet.”“We lift in an hour. Pack your bag and be off the ship. You’re dismissed.”So, there I sat on an out of the way planet without a ship and only. The woman had fair hair and pale eyes, probably a Greek, but enough to satisfy Cleopatra when she asked Charon if a blue eyed, yellow haired, woman had arrived.”“Where is my si – my friend’s sister now?”“I do not know. All I know she is safe from Cleopatra. My poor Becca. I know what horrors she endured at the Palace. The girl I knew is gone. Her mind is dead. Her eyes see but do not recognise. Her mouth opens but no sound emerges. The Becca your friend and I knew is no more. All that remains. "Take my running pants off," she demanded in a quiet voice. Refusing never entered my mind. I just reached up to the waste and untied the string and pulled the pants over her hips. She kicked them off her feet. She stood over me in a black thong. "Take it off." There was no question what she meant.I reached up and pulled the piece of lace off her body. When it was on the floor, she spread her legs wide. "You know what to do," she said almost angrily. I buried my face in her body. I had to.