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“Well… no. But I was scared. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“They won’t accept that as an excuse, Piper. Come on. Just think about it.”
Her eyes snapped back up to meet mine. “Why the hell are you doing this to me?” she asked in a low voice.
“I’ve already answered that. I need you to help me get Amerie out of the Playground. Oh, and while we’re doing that, we’re going to destroy the society too.”
Piper slowly shook her head. “You’re delusional if you think you’re going to get away with that,” she muttered. “All those people against one person.”
“No. You’re delusional if you think I’m going to let those psychopathic assholes continue with their sick fucking scheme.”
She slumped into a seat and rubbed her temples. “It’s not even that bad,” she said. “The women are there by choice. They know exactly what they’re getting into when those contracts are signed, and their families on the outside are given everything they need to improve their lives.”
Anger flared in my chest. “Amerie didn’t choose to be there.”
“That was a special case,” Piper said, averting her eyes. “Most of the women are happy there. They’re taken care of very well, and they never have to worry about anything except having babies.”
“Right. Because that’s just so fucking easy, huh?”
“It’s natural,” she said stubbornly.
“And what happens when they hit menopause, Piper? Are they shot in the back of the head and dumped in a ditch somewhere?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course not! They live in cottages on the farm, and they spend their days reading, painting, or watching movies. Whatever they want. It’s an idyllic life, really.”
“An idyllic life they can never leave,” I said, nostrils flaring. “Zero contact with the outside world. No family or friends.”
“I know it sounds bad, but Mom explained it all to me. By the time the women reach a certain age, they’ve been away from the real world for so long that it wouldn’t be possible for them to reintegrate. So really, they need us to survive.”
“Wow. You’ve really drunk the Kool-Aid, haven’t you?” I said, jaw tightening.
Piper sighed. “I’m just telling you the truth.”
I sank into the chair beside her and leaned forward, steepling my hands on the desk. “You know that’s not the truth,” I said. “Deep down, you know the real truth. Even if they haven’t told you.”
She defiantly lifted her chin. “No. You’ve just lost your fucking mind, Jensen.”
“Bullshit. Just think about it. Remember that night in your room, after I sent you that creepy video?”
“Yes. What about it?” she said, upper lip curling contemptuously.
“Amerie told me how scared you were when your mom said she wanted to book an appointment for you with her friend Dr. Carmichael. You were fucking terrified.” I leaned a little closer. “You felt that way because deep down, you know the truth about the women on that farm, and you thought there was a chance the society might force you to become one of them.”
Piper’s eyes dropped to the desk. “That’s not true. I was just… I was tired,” she muttered. “I overreacted.”
“Bullshit. You were petrified of being added to the harem at the Playground, and you know it,” I said, rising to my feet. “Think about it. The terror you felt that night… that’s what all those women feel every day while they’re stuck there. Their whole lives. Do you ever want to feel that way again?”
She nervously licked her lips. “It won’t happen to me. I’m not like them. I wouldn’t choose that life for myself.”
“It wasn’t a choice for Amerie, either. It might be the same for you after I turn this recording in, because the society will want to punish you.”
Piper lifted her chin. “It won’t be like that for me. Mom and Dad would never allow it,” she said, eyes flashing with fury. She was clearly trying her best to put up a brave front, but I could tell I was still getting to her.
“Your parents won’t defend you, Piper.”
“They will!” she shouted, jumping to her feet.
“No, they won’t, and on some level, you already know that. If you thought they would, you wouldn’t have been so scared when I did all that shit to you and convinced you that the society was really after you. But you were scared, and there’s a reason for that,” I said. “When your parents told you the truth about all of it, I think some part of you instantly realized that deep down, they don’t truly love you the way parents normally love their kids. They value the society and the power it brings them above everything else.”
