“New tricks, huh?” Dafford grinned. “How much did you spend?”

My back snapped straight. “How much?”

“Oh, come on.” He lowered his voice, stepping closer. “I know a possession when I see one.” He slapped me on the back. “Good pickings. Pretty enough.”

I struggled not to tear his motherfucking arm off.

My jaw locked, preventing me from tearing his ears a new asshole and rendering him deaf.

“Had one of my own for a few years until…well.” He shrugged. “Things happen, I guess.”

Pim sucked in a tattered gasp, understanding his vague insinuation of abusing a life and then fucking shrugging when that life was snuffed out. Brimstone boiled in her blood, tainting the air between us as if any second she’d launch at him, regardless she was still weak.

If she did, we’d have a full on brawl, most likely ending in death.

His death.

I took a subtle step toward her, pressing my side against hers. I assured myself it was for her benefit, when in reality…it was probably for mine.

She trembled. Her heat scorching through my shirt, my skin, past my tattoo and right into my bloody heart.

Her face lost all kindness or inquisitive awareness of the city. She stood taller, tighter, slamming doors to each partition that I’d finally cracked open, throwing locks home and shutting down into ice.

She glowered at Dafford as if he were Alrik reincarnated from the dead.

Dafford grinned at her silence, misreading her for meekness rather than trembling with vehemence. “Where did you buy her from?”

I swallowed hard against my ever-growing hate. “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t?” His eyes glittered. “Hand-me-down?” He raked his attention over her.

I wanted to fucking stab out his eyeballs. I buffed my nails on my shirt, doing my best to remain above his cheap filth. “I suggest you shut the fuck up.”

How dare he look at her? I never wanted another fucking bastard looking at her that way again.

His eye twitched. “Aww, I get it. Sensitive subject in public.” He lowered his voice. “She’s well trained, though, judging by her condition. But you could work on her making eye contact. That’s a bit rude.”

I ignored most of his sentence, temper hissing through my nose.

Well trained? What fucking condition? “You’re basing your conclusion on her behaviour by her bruises, am I correct?”

He laughed. “Yeah, they’re the signature of good control. Don’t you think?”

My hands clenched until my knuckles popped.

Selix crept up behind me. His solid power was comforting even if I didn’t need his help to kill a turd like this. He shifted slightly, moving to shadow Pim, placing himself unasked to protect the girl I’d stolen—the woman he couldn’t understand why I was fascinated with but wouldn’t say a word because he knew I didn’t need logic to do things.

Just as I didn’t need any more encouragement to hurt this prick.

Pim trembled against me as Dafford leered at her. “Pick her up from Morocco? That’s why I’m here actually. Heard there’s a travelling company called the QMB that finds locals and prepares them in an auction. Heading there in two days.” He sighed dramatically. “Pity I don’t already have a replacement. We could’ve shared for the night.”

Cunt.

“I don’t share.”

Pim’s feet scuffed the pavement. I didn’t know if she was preparing to attack or sprint far away. Either way, I was done listening to such garbage.

Already, our little tête-à-tête had garnered attention from locals. We were a novelty. With such attention, I didn’t want to cause a scene. Then again, I knew a thousand different ways to kill—seen and unseen.

Selix cleared his throat, a code for us to move or act but not to dally any longer.

I wanted to flat out murder Dafford.

But I had enough self-restraint to suck in a breath and convince myself he wasn’t fucking worth it.

Straightening my back, I growled. “Well, as entertaining as this chat has been, we’ve got to go.” I gave Dafford a tight smile, keeping my temper and every other demon I battled locked tight.

I gave him a lifeline even though he didn’t bloody deserve it.

He didn’t take it.

Reaching out, he had the motherfucking audacity to touch Pimlico’s shoulder. She flinched, whiteness coating her face as she bared her teeth.

He gripped her hard in reproach. “No way to respond to a master touching you, girl.”

And yep, I’d known this would happen.

I’d known the minute I stole her that Pim would be the cause of my unravelling, my undoing, my self-control.

Yanking her forward, he snarled, “Tell you what, Prest. If she’s a hand-me-down, you’re not doing a good job keeping up her training. I’ll buy her off you, right here, right now. Name your price.”

Pim’s eyes doubled in size but instead of looking to me for help, she twisted and fought on her own. Always on her own. Never leaning, never seeking.

I’d been waiting for this opportunity. To offload her. To make her someone else’s problem. I didn’t have the willpower or the strength to live with her and not hurt her.

But to sell her knowing her fate?

Sell her after getting to know her in the small silent snippets she’d given.

Fuck no.

Dafford laughed, still holding what was mine. “Come on, man, I hate this place. If I can leave sooner, I will. Tell you what, I’ll buy this one and you take my ticket to the auction and pick up a newer model.” His face romped with evil. “I’ve always liked the unbroken ones. More fun that way.”