“This is so painful,” Hudson said.
“Fine! People were getting pissed on! In a romantic way.”
Bradley halted his search of our fridge, slowly turning his head with a bewildered expression.
“And hogtied on dining tables. And hunted in a shrubbery maze. Sexually, not violently. But there was violence as well—consensual violence. Probably.”
“Probably?” Hudson repeated, eyes wide.
“Well, I don’t know! I wasn’t there for every pre-scene negotiation. And there was a lot going on. The outfits and the décor were insane. It was like an erotic fairy tale playground for the rich, truly. Lots of hole.”
Bradley stared at me again, mouth open. When I met his eyes, he quickly looked back to the stove.
Hudson laughed in spite of himself at the phraselots of hole.
“What was theholesituation with Wes?” Delilah asked as she took a seat on a barstool, her smile far too eager.
“Wes didn’t show hole.”
Hudson snorted.
“We—we kissed,” I admitted.
Delilah clapped her hands with a small squeal. Hudson looked conflicted about this information.
I explained the auction scenario, leaving out the Roman Graves of it all. Which I did feel guilty about, but a slow reveal felt best when both of them were already gaping at me in horror.
“That’s so fucked,” Hudson said.
Bradley appeared scared to speak. He carefully cooked us breakfast, as if we were holding a gun to his head in some kind of Hinge hostage situation.
“Right!” I said to Hudson. “But getting anyone else to admit the auction was fucked up was impossible. I think sugar babies were using it as an opportunity to get paid on the side.”
“Yet you took part,” Hudson said self-righteously.
Defensive, my shoulders rose an inch. “To get into the VIP section, as I explained. I didn’t do anything with anyone. I just talked to an insufferable wealthy person for thirty minutes and watched others play.”
This was the truth… basically. Skepticism oozed from Hudson’s every pore.
“How much did you go for?” Delilah asked, glowing with intrigue.
I averted my eyes. “That’s not important,” I said quickly. “What is important is that I left that place with far more questions than answers. Again. Is it an exclusive kink community for the rich and powerful? Or is it a?—”
“Cult.” Hudson, Delilah, and Bradley said at the same time.
“I’m just trying to understand all of this,” I said, my mind still scrambled. “There were a lot of regular people happily exploring, plus a surprising number of married couples. Then there were the VIPs, who were being waited on hand and foot by Archer and all the workers. They’re paying obscene amounts of money for their status. If Lorelei is involved with one of them…I’m worried for her. Especially if her drinking is out of control.”
“Her drinking is always out of control,” Hudson said, seeming to fight to stay empathetic toward me given his disdain for Lorelei. “And that’s her problem, not yours.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, his features pinning me with a sudden, uncomfortable sincerity. “Didyouget to explore?”
When three pairs of curious eyes met mine, my entire body went into panic mode. It felt like I was under a magnifying glass, on trial for sins I’d only just started to see in a new light.
“A bit,” I said, swallowing hard. “It’s hard for me.”
Hudson nodded.
Delilah cocked her head. “Ohhh, because of the church stuff.”
“Yeah, the church stuff,” I said, smiling without humor. Delilah was familiar with some of my past, but not as much as Hudson was.
