Page 2 of Worthy: Cassius and Faith

An image from last night flashed in my mind. Cassius was penetrating me from behind. My palms were pressed flat against the wall as I took him hard and deep. He screamed my name, then emptied himself into me. That’s how, stupid.

But I’d taken the contraceptive shot. All the girls had—it was part of our contract. Gina had explained that the shot was highly effective—ninety-nine percent—but that one out of one hundred women still got pregnant. We had to sign a waiver stating that we understood. I signed and didn’t give it a second thought.

The odds were so low that I hadn’t worried about it. The odds were so low that getting pregnant was basically impossible—except for that one girl out of a hundred.

Who was me.

I wrapped my arms around myself. The spark of hope I’d felt about a future with Cassius went up in smoke. It had been silly to let myself feel that way. We were from two different worlds. He was so much older than me and more experienced. I wasn’t sophisticated, rich, I wasn’t… anybody, except for his hired plaything.

And now I might be pregnant. If anything would scare the icy billionaire off once and for all, this would surely be it.

What would happen next? If I was pregnant, I obviously couldn’t work at the club anymore. Would they pay me for my double-platinum rights and then send me packing? Probably. I’d lose some of the money, but I’d still earn enough to care for Lucas.

Funny how that wasn’t the only thing I cared about anymore.

Funny, but not actually funny.

Because the idea of Cassius Blackwood casting me out once and for all made me cold inside, a frozen tundra of despair. I allowed myself some tears, even though they were self-indulgent. Even though my tears had never solved any of my problems.

I couldn’t even begin to think about being pregnant—what that meant for me and my life. What it might mean for the tiny life inside me if, in fact, there was one.

Sighing, I got up from the bed. I needed to go and find Cassius and tell him the truth.

There was no such thing as a happily ever after for a girl like me.

CHAPTER TWO

dark

Cassius

Sterling and Rhodes were waiting in the conference room. They were already half-way through their respective coffees.

“Did you start the meeting without me?” I asked as I sat at the head of the table.

“Not on purpose.” Rhodes grinned at me. “But you’re late. I wonder what was keeping you, Cass?”

Sterling tapped his pen against his chin, feigning a thoughtful expression. “I wonder what—or who—it could be? It’s not like our fearless leader to show up last.”

“Enough.” I sat back in my chair. “This meeting isn’t about me; it’s about our opening week. Walk me through the numbers, please.”

Rhodes pulled out his tablet. “It’s been even better than we anticipated. We’ve already earned out on our investment multiple times. Outside of operations, everything is profit.”

“That’s… That’s incredible.” We’d spent significant money on the mansion and its improvements. “The fact that we’re doing so well after one weekend is something to be proud of. Good work, you two.”

“It was your vision, big brother,” Sterling said. “You’re the one who pursued this. I have to give it to you: the club’s even more than I hoped for. The members love it—I’ve never gotten so much positive feedback. Many of them said this was the best weekend of their lives.”

“The girls seem happy, too,” Rhodes added. “Everyone had a good time. I heard zero complaints.”

I nodded. “I’m meeting with Gina later this afternoon, so we’ll have more data from the employee side. Were there any other platinum purchases?”

Rhodes shook his head. “Every platinum membership’s been bought out. I hope Gina will bring in some new girls—a lot of patrons have been requesting more virgins.”

“Gina’s sister, Elena, has been busy in Boston,” I said. “She’s been actively recruiting virgins, so hopefully, we’ll have a fresh batch by our next big weekend.”

Rhodes nodded. “It’s one of the things that sets our club apart. Our members are so rich they love the idea of spending even more money to purchase platinum rights. It’s a status thing.”

“It can be,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. It wasn’t a status thing for me with Faith, but that was none of their business.

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