“I can pay you.” Her voice breaks and she can’t hide the fact that she’s crying now.

I step to her, reach out to touch a tear with my thumb. She gasps.

“This isn’t about money, sweetheart.”

“Please don’t—”

“Shh, Priscilla.” I turn to Jones. “Get up.”

She obviously thinks I’m going to break his legs right here, right now, because she throws herself forward, crashing into my chest. I catch her when she bounces backward to stop her from falling.

“I’ll do anything!”

I’m still holding her by the arms and she’s trembling.

“Please, please, just let him go. It was just a stupid—”

“Since when is stupidity an excuse?”

“Please. I’ll do anything you want.”

I let silence hang in the air between us, watching her. “Anything?”

She pulls back and turns her face up and suddenly, I want to see her eyes. But then, she nods. Three quick, nervous little nods.

I touch her face, smear a tear down over her chin, her throat, to the hollow between her collarbones, the skin of her chest. She’s holding her breath as I drag my finger down to where her blouse has torn a little, feel the softness of her breast. “Are you offering to fuck me, Priscilla?”

She draws back sharply. I watch her struggle to come to grips with what she’s just done. I walk behind her and touch the ropes binding her wrists. “I’ll have to see what’s on offer, of course.”

She makes a sound and I know she’s crying again.

Slowly, I untie the rope and the first thing she does is reach up to her blindfold. I grip both wrists from behind.

“Don’t do that,” I whisper in her ear. “Not if you want to walk out of here.”

Her hands shake but she nods and slowly sets her arms at her sides.

I move to stand before her.

“Show me.”

“Wh…what?”

“Show me what it is you’re offering.”

Her mouth falls open like she can’t believe what I just asked her to do. I don’t actually expect her to do it. To strip. I can tell she’s not that kind of girl. But when her trembling hands reach to draw her coat off her shoulders, I’m surprised. Hugo’s watching her too but her brother’s head’s bowed. I can’t believe he’d let his sister go through with this. Fucking asshole. When I’m done here, I think I’ll break his arms too.