Page 16 of Worthy

She shrugged. “The way I see it, I can earn tons of cash living in a mansion, having kinky sex with hot billionaires, or I could still be working at Taco Bell. Far as I’m concerned, it’s a no-brainer.”

“Huh.” Maybe I should take a page from Macy’s playbook. Instead of having an existential crisis about losing my virginity to an imposing billionaire stranger, I could view it as a get-out-of-poverty-free card. “Maybe it’s not so bad.”

“Not so bad?” Macy looked at me like I had three heads. “We’re going to be multi-millionaires by the end of the year, we get to swim in an infinity pool all summer, wear designer clothes every day, and eat for free. And I know the Blackwood brothers were intimidating, but like I said, they’re hot as hell. Hopefully, all the billionaire members will be that good-looking. And sexy. And have all sorts of muscles going on underneath their custom-made suits.” She waggled her eyebrows at me.

“I hope so,” I said noncommittally.

“Faith, give it a chance. This is going to make us rich,” Macy said encouragingly. “Trust me—it beats the hell out of Taco Bell and Tinder.”

“Did someone say Taco Bell?” Gina poked her face into the room. “There’s no eating fast food around here. The club patrons like their virgins on a healthy diet,” she said, her tone teasing.

“I like fast food, but I’ll go full-on vegan-paleo-whatever for two million dollars.” Macy sat up on the bed and grinned. “Hi, Gina.”

“Hi.” The Madam swept inside and smiled at us. “What did you two think of the Blackwood brothers?”

“They’re super hot.” Macy raised her hand. “I volunteer as virgin tribute!”

Gina laughed. “I love it. Your enthusiasm is infectious, Macy. The patrons are going to adore you.”

The Madam turned to me. “And you, Faith? What did you think?”

“Um…” I twisted my hands together nervously. “They were nice. I mean, the younger two seemed nice. The oldest one was a little intense.”

“Mm-hmm, Mr. Blackwood certainly can be intense.” Gina’s gaze flicked over me. “You’re on his radar now. You should definitely pay attention to how you speak to him at all times, okay?”

“I will, Gina. I promise.”

She reached out and patted my arm. “You’re going to do fine. I know this is overwhelming.”

“Thank you.” The Madam’s calm demeanor had a soothing effect on me. “I’ll make sure that I act appropriately around Mr. Blackwood—and all the members, of course.”

Cassius Blackwood intimidated the hell out of me, and so did his brothers. The idea of meeting the rest of the patrons—all billionaires—as early as tomorrow night was absolutely overwhelming, but it was inevitable. I’d signed a contract; my brother was getting the help he needed because of my earnings. I was signed, sealed, and had been delivered to Club 444.

“Once each of you are chosen by platinum members, and that big check hits your bank accounts, you’ll understand that this was worth it,” Gina said.

“Absolutely,” I said. The fact that I’d be earning another two million dollars was incredible. “I’ll be able to take care of my brother for the rest of his life.”

“And I’ll be able to buy my own house, get a tiny dog that fits in a purse, and fund my retirement.” Macy couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “This is a win-win.”

“It is, I agree.” Gina smiled again. “Okay, I’m going to need each of you to come to my office to sign some paperwork. Faith, you’re up first. Bring your identification and your cell phone, okay?”

“Okay,” I said, but I suddenly had a fluttery feeling in my stomach. “I thought I already signed everything…?”

“It’s just an additional document,” Gina said easily. “Macy, I’ll come back for you.”

The Madam waited while I gathered my things and followed her down the hall. A willowy blonde was running up the stairs as we passed, and Gina stopped as the girl reached us. She was quite tall, over six feet, with large brown eyes. She wore no makeup, a plain white T-shirt with jeans, and her hair was back in French braids. She was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.

“Tate, is everything ready to go?” Gina asked her.

“Yes, we’re all set up and ready for tomorrow night.” Tate’s gaze flicked to me, down to my necklace. “Ah, you must be one of the virgins.”

I fingered the V of the pendant, then smiled sheepishly. “Yep, that’s me. One of the virgins.”

“You’re like, a unicorn.” Tate arched an eyebrow. “I never thought I’d meet one in person!”

“Tate, this virgin-unicorn has a name—it’s Faith,” Gina said, laughing. “Faith, this is your roommate, Tate.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” I stuck out my hand and was surprised at her vice-like grip. “Wow, you shake hands like Thor.”

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