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"II Gatto Nero," Henry said, taking her wrist and wrapping a length of fine red-silk fabric around it She did not protest, not even when he tied her wrists together and tethered her to the bedpost His sexual tastes were sometimes a bit odd, but he never hurt her, and he always saw that she found her own pleasure before he found his

A tied up, but if it made Henry happy, it was a small price to pay

"The black cat? I did not know you had a cat"

Henry took a nipple into his ot about cats and charades Nothing else mattered but this She closed her eyes and savored the sensations She wished to be able to touch Henry, to wrap her arms around hi and licking and arousingthen he was gone

A beside the bed He still sreat warht?"

"Yes," Henry said "Areyou happy, love?"

"Ecstatically so Coesture to him, but could not with her hands bound and tied to the bed

"That is good" Henry reached beneath the urine A cat, she saw right away

"II Gatto Nero takes greater enjoyment from a soul filled with pleasure as well as fear Such a soul tastes sweeter, and he has waited a very long ti about?" Aainst the bonds She did not like the expression that crossed her lover’s face

"No one will miss you," he said softly "Are you truly surprised? Did you not hear II Gatto Nero speaking to you in days past?"

The soft purring, the echoingthe ree where Henry kept hershe had heard it all but had thought the sounds to be those of noran to chant, and a black smoke rose from the head of the jade cat Aood She was trapped Trapped by the man she loveda rew, and she jerked her head to the side and stared at Ruby

Trust no one

Ruby opened her eyes sharply The screah to catch the attention of a nearby nurse Ruby glanced around, recognizing the place She’d been here before, with Aunt Mildred Minville had one small but well-equipped clinic set up to act as a small ER, and she was in one of the beds

"What happened?" Ruby asked, and as she finished her question she remembered the damned cat, the telephone pole, and the dream

"There’s someone here to see you," the nurse said

Ruby suffered a rush of fear So to seduce her and tie her to a bed and offer her soul to a piece of rock Is that why he’d aroused her last night? Was heher tastier for the demon? She shook her head and immediately wished she had not It hurt

The curtains parted, and Marielle stepped through

Even obviously concerned she looked perky, with her long blond ponytail and heart-shaped face "Oh irl said "The police called the shop looking for fa the store?" Ruby asked

Marielle pursed her lips "The shop is closed and will reht you were sick Why were you out driving around? What were you thinking?"

It was a question Marielle didn’t expect an answer to, which was good because Ruby didn’t have one

"Takeup carefully She was suddenly certain neither

Birh from Minville

"You’re addle-brained," Marielle said as she offered a steadying hand "I’o home!"

Marielle didn’t ask hich was just as well since she’d never believe the truth "Well, my place is too s coo there I’ll take you ho better"

"The shop"

"Ruby’s Sweet Shop wili still be there when you’re recovered If there’s someone else you can call to sit with you I’ll keep the place running, but if not, then your loyal customers will just have to make their own cookies and cakes for a few days"

There had been a time when Ruby would’ve crawled on her hands and knees to keep her business open, but now her little shop seemed unimportant