Author's Note: Well, I messed up with names. Again. If you read Chapter 59 the first 24 hours it was up, I had Crusher saying that his given name was Paul. And of course, Kristin would use whatever name his momma called him. But Paul is Mary's dead husband's name and it's just silly to always have to clarify which Paul I am talking about, especially with both names tied closely to Tim. I revised Chapter 59 so that Crusher says his name is Matthew. Kristin didn't change his name from Paul to Matthew. I am just pretending (and asking you to pretend along with me) that it was always Matthew. Matthew=Crusher=Number 2. Same big guy. Paul = Mary's first husband, who tried to sell her to a sheik for her telepathic abilities, and was killed by said sheik. Okay? Sheesh, I need to have crib notes for my own stories.

Chapter 60

Wendy had come close to telling Kristin to throw in the towel for Tim. He was a lot more hurt than he was letting anyone know, except that all the energy he was expending to hide it from Jonathan and the spectators meant he lost the ability to hide it in mindlink. Mary wasn't speaking to him during the fight, as they'd both agreed was a distraction. But she had blanket permission to read him empathically and although he had blocked her on a few occasions when he had the energy and concentrated hard, Mary said that most of the time, he just kept himself an open book to her. During the fight, she could read his emotions and gauge his pain, and by extension, so could Wendy.

The lieutenant and the commander had been trying to make it look good, right up until Jonathan's ego got a little bruised. Wendy refrained from scanning him, but it was pretty obvious just from what she could see and hear. Tim wanted to take a dive, but Jonathan ordered him not to, so he did as he was told and the two of them just kept hitting and kicking each other with no apparent end in sight.

Thank goodness Kristin figured everything out on her own and ended it for them. She'd probably deny it, but, like Nathan, Kristin had a high psi factor. It was undeveloped, of course, but she had good intuition and she was generally not afraid to act when she saw someone else in pain, particularly anyone she considered her patient. And Tim was not only her patient, but her friend, and, for this mission, her "pet". Being a mistress here was more than just ordering guys around, dressing them in ridiculous clothes, and smacking butts just because they could. They'd joked around a lot, but Kristin, Katie, and Wendy all felt that the undercover relationship, however fake, was a solemn responsibility. Men were vulnerable here.

In Wendy's admittedly emotional opinion, Jonathan owed Tim an apology. But Tim would never reveal how much pain he was in so that the commander could understand what he'd done. It was a male ego thing and she knew better than to interfere. Neither one of them would appreciate it. They'd probably both write off the whole incident as just another unpleasant task they'd performed in the line of duty. Jonathan would see it as delivering an excellent performance and Tim might even realize he wasn't so inferior physically to the other officers anymore. If beating Matthew hadn't been enough of a boost, surely holding his own against Jonathan couldn't hurt.

Thank goodness that little foray into futility was finally over. Dr. Westphalen had Tim under her watchful doctor's eye as well as her protective mama wing. Wendy didn't need to give them another thought, which was a very good thing considering that Jim and Will were fighting back-to-back matches right after the bout that immediately followed Tim and Jonathan's. Number 6 and Number 3 were currently duking it out to see who would be Jonathan's opponent in the semi-finals.

This fight was probably hardest to watch of any she'd seen so far that day because these two guys were both out for blood. And already, both of them had spilled some. Wendy wished Will could see this because it put things in perspective. He'd felt bad just for leaving a cut over Killer's eye, but that was nothing compared to what these two brutes were doing to each other. And unfortunately, it was probably all too indicative of what he'd face with Rocky.

As disturbing as it was to watch the combatants, Wendy found it even more disturbing to see the bloodlust in the spectators. Up to now, the Gladiator Games had seemed very similar to a kickboxing match with just a few of the rules relaxed. But now it was starting to live up to its name and the crowds were not just cheering like they would for a horse they'd bet on, but they were reveling in the gore like it was bread thrown to starving masses. Their hostility was more than she could block and it was wearing her down.

Wendy took a minute to check on Jim while the entire colony was mesmerized with the carnage unfolding at the arena. She'd felt sorry for all the contestants, chained by their ankles to display stalls like they were farm specimens or something. But right now, it was deserted, with not even a guard or a contest official in sight. This far away from the stands, she could hear the crowds screaming and cheering, and it was evident Jim could hear it too, because he looked like he was trying to sleep but the noise was preventing it. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Hey, Doc. Have they killed each other yet?"

She shook her head. "But not for lack of trying. You heard that Dr. Westphalen took Tim out of the competition, right?"

"Yeah." His body language suggested… envy?

"Hey, you don't have to do this either. I can throw a towel just as well as Kristin."

He shook his head. "No, you can't. You throw the towel and it disqualifies me and Shan. He's our best shot at winning this."

"I will not let some woman win your freedom, Lieutenant. You have a wife and a son, not to mention a captain who would go ballistic if I failed to safeguard you over some silly sense of pride. There are other ways to get Lucas."

He looked away and muttered darkly, "Yeah, but we tried them already."

"Guess what? For once, it's my call and I am going to protect you whether you like it or not."

He chuckled. "You tell 'em, Mistress."

"Damn straight, Skippy."

"That reminds me—how come the new guys get to be 'Tom' and 'Matthew'?"

"Number 2 told Kristin his name was Matthew. He's going back to seaQuest with us for some counseling and support. As for the rest? I just didn't like the degrading names they had, so I gave them something temporary. Therefore Killer became 'Tom', the guy you beat will be 'Dick', and Rocky is going to be 'Harry'. That is, assuming they want to remain under Juno law. If any of them want to be their own masters, they can pick their own doggone names. I'm sick of naming every Tom, Dick, and Harry."

Jim burst out laughing, which had been her goal.

She let him enjoy the levity before she continued. "You sure you're up to this?"

"Positive. And don't get me wrong. I don't wanna be stuck here. I just don't want you to end it unless we're sure we have to."

"Do you want to arrange a signal?"

"Three fast blinks."

"And what if I can't see your face?"

He shrugged. "I'll yell, 'Help me Rhonda'!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just don't call me your Little Surfer Girl."

"No way. That's probably a worse crime than using a vid-link."

"Well, we know the penalty for not throwing the towel before you're declared a loser. There's not a lot worse than that."

He shuddered. "I'd call losing a limb worse."

Wendy cringed. He'd thought he lost a leg once. And he was right. Becoming property could be reversed. That was why they were here. "Sorry. You're right." Just then, the crowds in the arena erupted in a massive roar, followed by cheers and applause. "I'm guessing someone finally won," she said. Actually, what she was thinking was that someone was probably dead or close to it. And what bothered her most was that his fate was in the hands of some woman who likely placed no value on his life, health, or comfort. At least with the four they'd already inherited, she and Kristin had been able to render medical care and assure the poor loser they weren't going to be left alone to die.

"They should be coming for you soon now," she said quietly.

"Good. I was getting bored."

"Hey, are you saying I'm boring?"

"Uh…"

"Don't answer that."

He nodded and shut his mouth, and just in time. One of the Games officials arrived. Wendy also noticed a few more spectators moving about, running to the restrooms and the concessions, mostly.

The official unlocked Jim and then herded him along with one of those electric cattle prods. It bothered Wendy that she used it and it bothered her more that she couldn't come up with some snide way of telling the official off. Shouldn't the owner standing right there be enough? With effort, Wendy held her tongue. They had much bigger fish to fry.

The scoreboard showed that Number 3 had beat Number 6. It had also been updated to show the stats on Skippy and his opponent, Razorback. About the only good thing Wendy could see was that they were closely matched in weight and size. Brody had received extra training which she had probably read in his records at some time or another, but which she'd never bothered to commit to memory. She expected that most military training involved weapons, and that was of no help here. It didn't really matter now. It wasn't like there had been time or opportunity for a crash course. They wouldn't even let Shan talk to him since they'd signed in, and they both belonged to the same mistress.

Jim stood proud while they introduced him (well, his alter ego anyway) and Wendy heard all the guys from their cheering section whoop it up. She glanced behind her to see Butch, Sundance, and Tom joining in with the cheering. They hadn't wasted any time becoming part of Team Splendor. Kristin, Tim, and Matthew sat in the stands since Kristin was no longer allowed down by the ring. Tony had snuck in with Katie, Ben, and the other guys who filled in directly behind where she would stand, in Jim's corner.

Wendy tried to shut down her empathic senses. Normal crowds were bad enough, but these frenzied, bloodthirsty freaks were so much worse. The weight of their hostile emotions was so bad that she had to sit.

Katie came up behind her. "You okay, Wendy?"

She shook her head. "Is it me or are they getting worse?" She gestured vaguely at the audience.

"They're getting worse. That last match was insane. I thought they were going to kill each other."

"This is really draining me. If I don't do something about the flood of negative emotions, I could pass out."

"Why don't you go lie down? I can cover for you."

"I don't think they'd let anyone but the legal mistress throw in the towel, will they?"

Katie cringed. "Yeah, you're probably right. I forgot about that."

"Just watch for me and let me know if I need to throw it. Brody said three quick blinks would be his way of saying he'd had enough. If I sit still and meditate, I can manage the onslaught better."

"Okay. I got your back. Do whatever it is you do."

Wendy leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She heard Jim and his opponent bring the fight close to the corner and Jim panted out, "Madam Lynx, are you okay?"

Katie yelled out to him, "I'm her eyes. Let me know if you need a time out or whatever." She didn't spill their secret strategy out loud. Jim could figure it out.

From the sound of punches, oofs, and grunts, he was too busy to answer, but she didn't detect any panic on his part. Then again, she was directing enormous amounts of psychic energy into trying to block anything she possibly could. Katie patted the top of her shoulder reassuringly.

It was difficult to be in this place with the oppressive emotions pouring in from every side, but now she felt guilty for not watching Jim. Her frazzled emotional state meant doubts crept in to muddle all her confidence, but she remembered that she trusted Katie implicitly before this and used the memory of that trust against faded convictions in the present. She felt someone touch her shoulder and then Tony's voice sounded softly in her ear. "You need anything, Doc?"

"Tony, this is going to sound really weird, but can you just hold my hand and think about quiet and calm?"

He snickered. "Quiet 'n' calm? In this zoo?"

"Especially because it's a zoo."

To his credit, he didn't laugh and he didn't ignore her request. He knelt on the skuzzy floor and took her hand. And he did indeed concentrate on quiet and calm. She could feel it. He had some latent psychic abilities he'd only used a few times, but his concentration strengthened her. "That's great, Tony."

He chuckled. "I ain't doin' nothin'."

"Yes, you are. You're thinking about quiet and calm and that's helping me to push out all the mean and nasty."

"Are you readin' my mind?"

"No. But I'm feeling your good vibes as long as you let me. I know you came to check on me out of concern."

"You weren't watchin' the fight."

"Katie is watching for me. She'll let me know if I need to call time out or throw in the towel."

"I dun think that's gonna be necessary."

"Well, let's hope not."

"No, you don't under—"

Katie interrupted: "It's over. Brody won!"

Wendy's surprise startled her out of the serenity she'd achieved while concentrating on Tony's calm. The crowds had gone wild and she hadn't even noticed. She jumped up and saw Brody headed back to his corner. "Are you all right?"

He looked tired, but he smiled, his eyes sparkling with charm. "I'm great. You may wanna go check on Razorback though."

She ducked under the ropes, patted Brody on the back, and hurried to where Razorback was lying sideways on the mat. His mistress had come out from her corner and knelt over him. She actually looked worried. Wendy spoke gently to her. "I'm a doctor."

She sighed. "I know he's yours now, but please help him."

"I will." She was already pulling out her portable diagnostic equipment, but she could check vitals in her sleep. She ventured a quick question: "How do you feel about losing him?"

"Don't tell him, but I bet against him so I'd have some way to buy him back if he lost. I hope you'll sell him back to me."

"But if he'd won, you'd have had to pay."

"If I won, I could sell your Skippy to cover it." She cast a glance toward Brody's corner. "I watched you in his first fight. I think you would have paid to get him back."

"You're right. And if Razorback wants to be with you, I'll give him back to you. But it's got to be his choice."

"G-Give?" Her voice wavered. "Are you kidding me? He's worth thousands."

"Then why risk him? You bet against him so there was no chance you could make any money. And you didn't plan to keep his opponent."

"He wanted to do it to raise my reputation, so the other women would stop making fun of me." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "They say I'm too nice."

Wendy chuckled even as she started recording his vitals. He was already starting to come around, but she didn't think he was coherent enough to be listening in. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if you can't be yourself here, maybe it's time to move."

"I wanted to, but he thought this would make it so we didn't have to."

Wendy opened some smelling salts and passed them under her patient's nose. Razorback jerked awake. She pressed lightly on his shoulders. "Just rest a minute."

He focused on Wendy. She saw the realization that he'd lost register on his face. Then he saw his former mistress. He cringed and turned his face away from her. "I'm sorry, Domina Beth."

She patted his hand. "It's okay. If you had to lose, I'm glad you lost to Skippy." She turned to Wendy. "Is he going to be all right?"

"Yes, I think so. Razorback, do you want to be with Beth?"

Tears formed in his eyes. "Yes. But I won't be a jerk about it. You won me fair and square."

"I'm not keeping you as my property. I'm going to free you when we get out of here."

He shook his head, harder than he probably should have in his woozy state. "Please don't take me away from Juno. If I try to come back alone, anyone could claim me."

"Well, I'm leaving. So tell me what I should do with you. I'll give you to any woman you choose."

"Give?" He sat up slowly, his eyes locked on Wendy.

"Yes, give. I don't believe in selling human beings."

His eyes lit up and he smiled for the first time. "Domina Beth. I want to be with her."

"Done." She looked up at Beth, whose eyes weren't dry either. "I think he's okay." Wendy started packing her medical equipment away, but she continued speaking. "I think you should tell him what you told me."

Beth nodded even as she moved in to hug Razorback. "I will. How can we ever thank you?"

"Don't enter any more fights, okay? If you can't talk your way out of problems, then consider moving somewhere else. There's nothing wrong with being nice." And now that she had a little extra money, moving out of Juno wouldn't be so impossible.

They both nodded.

Wendy stood and walked back to her corner. Brody looked up with concern. "He's fine," she assured him, then she looked up at Katie. "But he's not coming with us. His mistress bet against him just so she could buy him back if he lost. And if he won, she was going to sell Skippy to pay off the bet. I think they're in love."

Katie shook her head in disbelief. "This place is so strange, nothing would surprise me. Okay, so we don't have to add Razorback to our herd then."

Brody forced a fake cough. "Herd?"

Katie rolled her eyes, but she was standing over Brody so he couldn't see it. Katie set her hand down on his shoulder. Her eyes sparked playfully. "Gaggle?"

Tony burst out laughing. "I think she just called you a goose, dude."

Brody shot Shortcake a dirty look. "A gaggle is a group, dude. She just called us geese."

"Hey, I'm in the herd. You know, like elephants."

Brody rolled his eyes. He couldn't win an argument with Piccolo, especially when it was a ridiculous one. "At least I'm not a dessert."

Wendy swatted Brody lightly on the back. "I can fix that. I could call you Pumpkin Pie."

The tired lieutenant let some humor enter his face. "I think I liked being cattle better."

"Good, 'cause they're taking you back to the bull pen now," Katie informed him.

He nodded, looking like it was welcome. "Tell Tiger I said to knock 'em dead. Oh, and tell him to do it quietly. I wanna sleep."

Wendy smirked at him. "Oh, yes, we mustn't disturb your beauty rest."

The contest official led Brody back to his stall. Wendy would have followed them, except that someone else was already leading Shan to the ring. She signed over Razorback's papers and handed them to Beth, then she leaned in to Katie. "Can you stay with me? It really helped me not to watch. Besides, Will knows you better."

"You got it, Doc."

Tim's mindvoice snuck in next. Dr. Westphalen wants me to ask if you want Razorback to sit with us.

I already gave him back to his mistress. He's good. Wendy heard Tim repeating the information out loud to Kristin.

How are you holding up? Mary asked.

Not well. But Katie is watching the fight so I don't have to. You wouldn't believe the hostility in the air here.

Yes I would. I can feel it through Tim and he's not even a Receiver. Let us help you too.

Us? Tim questioned. I can only Transmit words.

So say something calming. Recite a poem or something.

P-Poetry? Uhh... 'Once upon a midnight dreary; while I pondered weak and weary—'

NO! Wendy mind-shouted. Although she had to admit she would be impressed if he could really recite all of "The Raven".

Not that poem! Mary chided. Something comforting.

Something comforting, he made a sound like clearing his throat, which was curious, since he wasn't using his real voice. But when he spoke again, his mindvoice had definitely changed. It wasn't his official communications voice and it wasn't his nervous, let's-make-smalltalk voice either. Its deep timbre swelled up and reverberated inside her mind: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want…

Tim kept reciting the comforting passage with this new, unfamiliar voice whose resonance commanded calm. Wendy knew it was a Psalm, and she knew she'd heard it at a funeral before, but Tim related it in a way that didn't strike her as morbid or sad. His mindvoice wrapped her in comfort like a warm blanket. After a sentence or two, she expected he'd be done, but he evidently had quite a lot of this passage memorized. Either that, or he was composing this on the fly. His speech was so natural and flowing that she could almost believe he was just talking to her. Then again, if he was talking to anyone, it was probably Mary. He was purposely letting her listen in, but he wasn't actually talking to her.

Wendy lost track of time. The screaming crowds faded and the press of hostility from the masses withered. Mary radiated positive vibes at the same time, but she was piggybacking on Tim's wavelength, choosing her emotions to magnify his themes without any cross-interference. The effect was like a double whammy of tranquilizer.

Tim, sweety, you need to stop, Mary interrupted. You're going to put Wendy under.

Oh. Sorry, he said sheepishly. His regular voice was back.

Don't be. That was incredible. But Mary's right. In another few seconds, I would have been asleep.

That boring?

No, that hypnotic. I bet no one else in this whole colony could sleep in the midst of all this. She jostled herself in her seat to get her blood circulating. Have you been watching the fight?

A little.

How is Will doing? She braced herself for bad news.

He's still on his feet and he doesn't look too bad.

Is he hurt?

Not that much. He's dodged most of Rocky's swings. He looks tired though. He's been pretty busy.

She wondered how odd it had to be for Tim to watch a grisly fight, while trying to sound calm and soothing in his mind. She was glad Shan wasn't hurt, but it was a little distressing he was tired already. Rocky didn't look like the type who would just run out of steam. Surely Will had to realize he wasn't going to win on endurance alone.

Wendy felt so relaxed that she chanced opening her eyes. Bootlicker, Shortcake, Butch, Sundance, and Tom were all on their feet, cheering. Their focus was over her head, so they didn't really see her. Their excitement bolstered her, and she expanded her perusal. However, Rocky was Juno's pride and joy and this was his first fight. He was the odds-on favorite and it didn't look like his fans were happy with how he was doing. While she knew their woe translated to good news for Team Splendor, the weight of their anger and hostility slammed hard into the psyche Wendy had taken such measures to calm. Mistake.

You opened your eyes, didn't you? Mary scolded her.

I didn't even look in the ring, Wendy answered with apologetic tones.

Then Mary spoke over her, obviously to Tim. And this is why you must never ask me to attend even a tame sporting event, like baseball. People get too riled up and we Receivers cannot handle it. Tim, you watch Wendy and if she opens her eyes again, go put your hands over them.

Tim was horrified that his fiancée was trying to tell him what to do. Mary didn't know how far away he was from Wendy, in the stands with Kristin, not close to the ring like Tony and the other guys. Nor was she remembering what kind of colony this was and how bad it would look for his cover. Wendy could sense his discomfort because Mary let it through their link, so she had to know what he was feeling. He didn't know how to argue without hurting her feelings or embarrassing her with Wendy listening and that was adding to his distress.

I'm kidding, sweety. Wendy's a big girl and should know her boundaries well enough to close her eyes when she needs to.

Wendy sighed with relief, more for Tim than for herself. Okay, 'Mom'. I'm properly chastised now. No more looking. She was curious about how Shan was doing, but Mary was right. She should know better and protect herself. She had to trust Katie to watch for her and make the right decisions.

Wendy returned to meditation, but she was a little too embarrassed to ask for Tim and Mary's help again. She wasn't in dire straits, just a little agitated. She kept her eyes closed and breathed deeply. Mary sent some calming vibes without being asked. Tim was evidently rather engrossed in the fight, and a little of his associated anxiety seeped through, so Mary cut him out of the link.

Wendy could not have said how long the match lasted, nor could she even tell who won at first, but the uproar that occurred when the match ended was so earth-shattering that she couldn't have missed it had she been in a submarine a mile away. Her eyes flew open, she stood and turned around in one movement, and then struggled to look around Katie, who was jumping up and down so much that it was no easy feat to see around her.

In the center of the ring, Shan was standing. Rocky wasn't.

Wendy surged forward, intending to enter the ring, but Katie held her back. The crowd was going wild and everyone was on their feet, but the referee evidently hadn't officially ended the match. Rocky didn't stir from the floor, so the official raised Shan's arm, declaring him the winner. Mayhem erupted, and Katie lowered her restraining arm. Wendy said, "Thanks," even as she followed Katie into the ring. It certainly would have been awful to have ruined a clean win by barging in before the fight was over.

William Shan was a bloody mess, but he was standing without aid and he was lucid. Wendy checked his eyes with a penlight. "How do you feel?" she whispered.

"Honestly? I feel like crap, Doc. But I don't think anything's broken. Can we get out of here?"

Wendy looked up at Katie.

The lieutenant commander placed her hand on his shoulder. She spoke quietly enough so no one would overhear. "That was the most brilliant move I've ever seen, Ensign. I'd like nothing better than to take you back to the sub right this second, but I'd rather not draw any suspicion until we have Lucas and his papers in hand. You're the forerunner. It would look very strange to just quit."

He nodded. "Understood, Commander. I can crash in the pig stall."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

"Just get Lucas back."

Wendy turned her attention to Rocky. He wasn't just a little dazed, like Razorback had been. He was completely unconscious. She checked his vitals. He wasn't 'fine' but he wasn't terminal either. "He'll live," she said to Katie.

"That's good, I guess," Katie said, "but I'd really like to know whether he wants to be part of the deal I'm about to make."

Wendy noticed that she was looking in the direction of Rocky's corner. Her eyes had locked on a woman in red leather pants and a black leather and lace corset. From where she was standing, this could only be one person: Gianna.

"You've got Butch, Sundance, and Tom for sure. No matter what Rocky wants, it's already a better deal for her."

Gianna sauntered across the ring with a sexy sway of her hips, confident and cocky. But she didn't head toward Katie. She stopped in front of Wendy. Wendy didn't want to leave her patient. Kristin couldn't come take over for her either, because she was banned from the arena after throwing in the towel. Rocky was stable and breathing and didn't need to be roused just yet. If he wanted to be part of this deal, they could always throw him in as a bonus. But Wendy recognized that her slave had beaten Rocky so she was the one who had to negotiate for Lucas. Wendy drew a deep breath and stood. She smoothed her leopard print catsuit and met the gaze of the brazen hussy standing far too close for comfort. "Gianna Valentino?"

The woman didn't acknowledge. She whipped out papers. Wendy reached for them reflexively, but regretted it. Gianna slapped them into her hand. She didn't have to look to know they were Rocky's ownership documents.

Katie spoke, her voice much harder and better suited for this business than Wendy's was. "We want Lucas now."

Gianna glanced at Katie with an air of condescension. "Excuse me? Was I talking to you?"

"You'd better talk to me. We beat your Rocky. Now you will sell Lucas at the agreed price."

"Wait just a minute, sweet cheeks," Gianna said in an oily, demeaning tone. "There was no 'we' in our agreement. I told you that if your slave could beat my Rocky, then we had a deal. I made no deal with this cat-bitch."

Wendy held her tongue. She knew Gianna was trying to get a rise out of her and she wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. This was Katie's ballgame now.

"Then you have a problem, don't you, dear?" Katie said in just as slick a tone. "My Ebony is still in the competition, and Rocky was defeated in his first fight. Besides which, he now belongs to Lynx. It's certainly not my fault your champion was such a flop."

"Yes, I see he wasn't worthy of my faith. But that doesn't change the fact that the deal is off. I'm selling Cupcake at auction."

"Yes, fine. You do that. Here I was with three prime Gladiators, ten thousand gold, and a chance for you to maintain your honor, but how stupid of me to assume you would be interested."

"My honor has nothing to do with anything. You're the one who brought all these outsiders into this. I was trying to keep this between the two of us."

Wendy felt Katie's deep-seated satisfaction . She'd been baiting Gianna to say something like this.

"Like hell you were. You were hiding behind Mr. Universe here." She canted her head toward the unconscious Rocky. "You're a coward, Gianna."

"Do you want to put your money where your mouth is, Katerina?"

"Nope. I offered money and you thought it would be more fun to play games. I want a real fight with no hiding behind pets and playthings. You and me, alone, in that ring."

Gianna crossed her arms over her chest. "And I suppose if I lose, I become your slave?"

Katie scoffed. "Hell no. I wouldn't want your sorry-ass carcass. If I win, I get Lucas, free and clear. No auction. No gold."

"Yes, I know I have something you want. But what do I get if I win?"

"My LS909."

Wendy gasped. That was their only way out of here.

"In trade," Katie amended. "You get my brand new luxury liner and I take your rustbucket sausage with a propeller. Oh yes, and I also have three new slaves to throw in—the ones I and my friends inherited through the Games: Numbers 5, 7, and 8."

"What about Number 2 and 4?" Evidently, Gianna had been paying very close attention to Team Splendor.

"I already sold Number 4," Wendy said. "Back to Domina Beth." She didn't mention that the sale hadn't involved any money. That was irrelevant.

"Number 2 isn't part of the deal," Katie said. "Scarlet is keeping him. That's still a pretty damned good offer. Three Gladiators and a billion-dollar submarine against one nerdy teen and your diesel death-trap. It's almost obscene to even mention that bit about your honor. I doubt you have any to speak of in the first place."

Wendy felt Gianna's temper rise. The dominatrix glared daggers at Katie. "You're on."