“No,” Vex says. “It’s a deal. A very expensive deal. And we need to get our money’s worth. Hop on and hold on tight. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
I don’t “hop” onto any man’s motorcycle, regardless of how good-looking he is.
“I know I agreed to attend an underground auction, but that doesn’t automatically mean I don’t give a shit about my life.”
“What are you talking about?” Vex says. Unironically, he has a vexed look about him. “You know the rules, sweetheart. The highest bidder gets to take you home for the night.”
“And where is home?”
Carter intervenes and turns away from me to chat with his friends. “I don’t think this is a good idea, guys.”
“Rules are rules,” Vex says. “We also wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for you.”
“Yeah, I know. I acted out of impulse. I had to do something.”
“You didn’t have to do anything,” Skipper says. “Writing that number down on the blackboard was your choice.”
“Conrad’s a shady fuck,” Carter protests.
“Why do you care?”
Vex is really starting to make me despise men even more.
“I don’t. I just had to?—”
“Yeah, we get it.” Skipper rolls his eyes.
Carter growls. “I didn’t even want to come here in the fucking first place. It was Vex’s idea.”
Explains a lot.
Carter sighs. “We have to get away from this. Let’s forget the money and forget Carmen.”
“Carmen?” Skipper says incredulously. “You know her name? When did the two of you meet?”
I’m just as surprised as Skipper. Carter’s body count is probably well into the thousands. For him to remember my name, I must’ve done something memorable.
“It doesn’t matter when we met,” Carter replies. “All I’m saying is that we should part ways and pretend this never happened.”
“I thought men like you are supposed to keep their word.” I step forward and join their conversation. “You want to pretend like this never happened? Are you serious?”
“Very,” Vex says.
“What about the money?”
Carter turns around to face me. “Why do you care about the money?”
Because we’re not all made of bucks.
I keep my answer short and to the point. “Your bid was a lot of money. I think we can all agree on that. With a check like that, I could vacation in Bora Bora until I’m like, sixty.”
“You’re a long way off sixty,” Vex says.
I keep my mouth shut. Best not to mention that this sort of money saves lives. “Anyway, this isn’t just about the money. It’s about principle.”
“Principle?” Carter stares at me curiously. “What do you know about principle?”
“I know Conrad O’Neill runs a tight ship, and he won’t be very happy to hear that you three have broken his rules.”
