Page 19 of Sinner's Sacrifice

The two men froze, their guns not yet pointed at anyone.

Was it Yvgeny’s accent?

“Like what?” one of the men asked.

Yvgeny and Mason approached them, and Yvgeny spoke to them for a while. She couldn’t quite make out his words, but his tone was audible. Conciliatory at first, but after an exchange, it became hard and resolute.

Finally, their conversation ended when one of the men from the car waved at the woman with Darlene.

She frowned, then turned to Darlene. “Looks like you’ve got a new daddy.” She looked slightly disgusted.

Sam wanted to laugh at the irony.

Darlene watched the other woman walk over to the car across the street, get in, then followed the taillights as the car drove away. She turned back to Sam with a hopeless expression on her face.

Holy fuck. Yvgeny just bought Darlene from her latest pimp.

Sam smiled at Darlene, then turned to Yvgeny.

He and Magnus were looking at Darlene, Yvgeny with a benevolent smile on his face, Magnus with concern.

“How much did you pay for her?” Sam asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

Yvgeny raised one eyebrow. “Should I have left her in her...situation?”

“How much, Yvgeny?” this time she didn’t try to hide her anger. She let it saturate her voice, freezing it into razor sharp blades.

A warm hand rested briefly on her arm. “Sam?” Darlene whispered. “Don’t.”

“You’re a person, not a horse or a dog. People should never be buying and selling other people,” she hissed back.

“It was the fastest, safest way to free her,” Yvgeny said.

“Free her?” Sam wanted to punch him in the face. “You gave those assholes money for her. How does that make her free?”

Yvgeny narrowed his eyes. “Magnus, do I own this young lady?”

“No, sir,” Magnus replied.

“Why not?”

“Because slavery is a disgusting practice.”

“Yes,” Yvgeny said. “It is.” He looked at Darlene and waved his hand around. “How did you end up...here?”

She kept her head down, but snuck a couple of glances at him. “I ran away from home when I turned sixteen.” She shrugged. “It didn’t take long.”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

She looked older.

Magnus’s expression had gained a dangerous edge as he continued to stare at Darlene. Who was he angry with?

Magnus glanced at Yvgeny, who met his gaze for a couple of seconds and raised his eyebrows.

Magnus nodded.