With a curse, I lower my arms and shove my hands into my pockets. "Fine," I reply casually. A burst of hope appears on her face, and a kernel of wickedness fills me as I know I'm about to stomp it out.
"You're letting me go?" she asks.
I snort. "No." Her face falls. "Instead, I'll have you work off your brother's debt." My gaze lifts to the two men standing against the wall. "Cut her loose," I order.
John steps forward and goes down to the floor behind her, withdrawing a pocket knife from his back pocket. With careful precision, he slices through the zip ties and then takes a step back, grabbing the useless plastic as he goes. She brings her arms around in front of her and rubs her wrists.
"I don't understand," she says.
I nod to John and his partner. "You may step outside," I order them.
John frowns at me but does as he's commanded, and then, I'm alone with my beautiful little liar. I take a seat in front of her. "Stand up," I tell her.
On shaking legs, she rises.
"Strip."
Her jaw drops. "E-Excuse me?"
I lean against one arm of the chair and prop my chin up. "Take off your clothes," I say. "Unless you'd like for me to reconsider giving you to my men and letting you work off your debt with them."
Her eyes meet mine, and for a long moment, a charged feeling zaps the air between us. I wait, pondering if she'll make her decision or force me to make another for her. Then just when I think I'm going to have to call John and the others back, she reaches up, and her disgusting black waitress apron falls to the floor, and I know her choice.