“Alternative payment?” she said, frowning in confusion. “What, like, Bitcoin?”

“If you don’t want to pay with cash, maybe you have something else of value,” I said.

Jess looked utterly lost. “Are you trying to get me to sell my organs or something?”

Lucas, who’d been in the shower when I’d told my idea to Manson earlier, also looked lost — only he appeared significantly more murderous about it.

“One moment, Miss Martin,” he said roughly. “We need to have a little meeting with our accountant.”

We gathered together at the far side of the garage as I explained. We discussed it in sharp whispers, Manson and I teaming up to get Lucas on our side. I’d expected him to put up more of a fight but once I’d explained — and after a long minute of him grumbling about how “it had better be worth it” — he agreed pretty quickly.

We turned in unison to face Jess again, catching her off guard.

“So, who’s buying my kidney?” she said, a very nervous smile on her face. She had no idea how close she was to the truth. But it wasn’t random organs we were interested in.

It was the whole package.

19

19

Jessica

“You’re serious? You want me to pay you by…what…having sex with you?”

The completely serious expressions I received in response told me I’d gotten it right. We were seated in their kitchen at a round wooden table with mismatched chairs. Glasses of cold water were placed between us. They’d left the back and front doors propped open, allowing the dogs to wander in and out while a blessedly cool breeze swept through the house.

Vincent had joined us, or rather, we’d joined him. He’d already been at the table when we came in, groggily consuming a bowl of Fruity Pebbles cereal.

He looked significantly more awake once I asked my question.

“It’s not all about sex,” Manson said. He was looking at me with single-minded focus, as if no one else in the room existed. “It’s about submitting. No more running, no more teasing, no more bullshit. You give us what we want, we give you what you need. You’re ours until your debt is paid, simple as that.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m yours? Please. This sounds like the plot for a bad porno. Which one of you is playing my stepbrother and where’s a washing machine I can get stuck in?”

“You can call me big bro,” Vincent said, winking at me as Jason rolled his eyes. Jason was sitting closest to me, and in my peripheral vision, I could see him watching me, bright blue eyes unnervingly focused.

What was he looking for when he stared like that? Weakness, fear, excitement? He was too observant, and it made me feel like I was under a microscope.