Page 54 of Cherished By the Sinners

So, he wasn’t a psychopath or a sociopath.He still had some basic moral principles buried in the back of his head.

“You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m not.Would you like to know what I am?”

He stared at her like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in the car with her anymore.“What are you?”he snarled.

“Sick and tired of other people using me,” she said.“For example, you.Who told you the twins had any feelings for me at all?Was it that moron vice cop?”

A flash of surprise flowed over his face.

“I thought so.He told you I was a prostitute, right?”

The guy nodded slowly.

“Did he tell you I survived a serial killer?”

The guy blinked a couple of times.“No, he didn’t.”

“I want to show you something.”She twisted in her seat so he could see her back and lifted the back of her scrub shirt up so he could see her scars.

He didn’t say anything, but the weight of his stare was a physical presence on her skin.

She dropped her shirt and turned around.“Do you get it now?I’m done with people using me for their own benefit.I am a human being.I have value.You might not understand what that value is, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

He stared at her, his expression changing, morphing into something much more complex than disgust or disdain.“Do you have feelings for the twin monsters?”

“I do.I’m not quite sure what they are, yet, but I want to find out.”

He narrowed his eyes.“Do you know whattheyare?”

That was a strange question.“Do you want me to list their attributes?”

He snorted.“No.I’m talking about their diet.”

“Huh?”Now she was really confused.

The smile that slid across his face was smug.“How about their age?Have they mentioned that?”

She shook her head.

He hummed under his breath for a second.“One of them was shot several times.How did he explain not getting hurt?”

“He wears a bulletproof suit.I could see the marks the bullets made on the outside of it.None of them penetrated though.”

The dude rubbed his hand over his face, then studied her for several seconds.“Why are you loyal to them?To all of the Brezniks?”

“They gave me a real job, a place to live, and medical care.They’re going to help me get my high school diploma, and if I want to go to college, they’re going to help with that too.”

He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.“So, financial compensation.”

“No, not entirely.They’re fair and frequently kind.If I’m having a bad day, they notice and want to know how they can help me.They do this for all their staff.They’re good people.”

He shook his head and laughed silently.“Are you sure?”

“Am I sure about what?”

“That they’re good?”