Evil Favors

ia Bec

t down to my legs and making sure my face stays angled

tures I saw when I Googled him don’t do him justice. I don’t think her hair is really very black and really black, or her green eyes are so bright that I would call t

t here for

and Jaden assured me tha

talking about?” Ford asks a

thousand,” I

,” he says pensively. “But I do owe Jad

ng up in my chest. For the first time

d in his chair, crossing his forear

kly… maybe a little too quickl

is gaze pierces straight through

pletely let go of myself stammering

now because he doesn’t business the details. I just need money and an agreement with a decen

en and needs money, my first guess is someone’s trying to let her know time is up and it’s going to hurt if she doesn’t pay. The other choice would hav

hark” thing really is. He’d never believe the deep hole I’ve dug myself into

riginal loan am

usand dollars

willing to do anything to get it. The fact that the sale of my house fell and I couldn’t get the equity to repay the loan didn’t really t

into the New Jersey desert to be torn apart by coyotes. Okay, that’s an exaggerat

e sort of reasonable repayment plan. I assume he is a noble man because Jaden seems

” Ford asks again. “And

This was very much true, but he

I was able to cash out twenty-seven thousand from my plan. but I have to borrow another thirteen. It came with a big risk, but I thought I’d just sell my house, take the equity out of it —

or, I expect him to push the issue. instead, he a

need twenty-five to pay off the loan within thirty days. I could maybe pa

a banker. I don’t make long-term loans. I’ll give you the money… but at a twen

he buyers had backed out was that the home inspection revealed there was major termite damage. It was goin

softly. And the implicati

brother saved your life. The favor I’m asking is not for the actual money, but a reasonable way I can repay it. I can’t

er all over my body as I sat in the chair opposite him. When his

epeat skeptically. He ow

e Sinful Night C

ay. When Connie was in the hospital for a valve replacement in her heart, I had to take time off from work. My bosses were unforgiving, an

hol

mom’s paycheck helps cover half the expenses, it doesn’t p

hair, I ask, “What does

this club is?

“A se

my job dutie

er I tell you the

wonder if I am mistaki

ist

st

d the bar. This may seem shocking to you, but I might use you as a waitress who sells condoms and lube and such. Or it c

ff I can do, and none of what he

volve cleaning and making the club look beautiful

ne?” I ask cautiously, because while I like sex a

s Beckett,” he drawls, and

sor

t expect you to have sex with any of the me

to pay you back the loa

t’s when your de

five thousand dollars?” I ask incredulously. “B

I’m requiring four weeks of work so that—for all intents and purposes—we have a legitimate deal. My granting you the favor I ow

go. Now we’re

ting for a new one. Would my hours here be evenings or day shifts? I just n

give you extra shifts at time and a half to add onto the front or back of your regular shifts. If you’re workin

Club for a month. I don’t have to have sex with members. He would give me extra work at the overtime rate so I could p

as I stand from my chair to face him.

he wall to reveal a safe behind it. He looks over hi

Ford,”

ises the hell out of me because he backed away while holding a wad of money in his hand. Ford wal

hich is so disconcerting I stamme

hes. “Who would da

ade a company that was the same type of job on the civilian side. Jaden worked there with him for

I was quietly counting to ten thousand. Surprisingly, it’s not as big of a stack as I tho

I ask dumbfounded a

ized. He gives me a smile, the first one he’s bestowed upon me since we met. “Take th

five more hundred dollar bills in my hand and saying, “That’s

pensate with my gratitude. “Thank you so much, Mr. Hendrix… I mean, Ford. I really didn’t have five hundred to

off and nods down to the money.

t w

the due date to impress upon people the importance of meeting

I don’t think that makes him a good person. He just w

ound the stack of money in my hand. Raising my gaze

*

im. To be clear, he really wanted to take me around the place because he told me it would be shocking to my system if I

, and I was even grate

saw, even though I was somewhat open

between watching with avid obsession and turning away my face with disgust.

ur, I was very surprised to learn that most of the people who came were couples who liked the public nature of the club or wanted to swap partner

how in the hell I was supposed to work and be professional with that going on around me. In fact, I occasionally p

use, where my mother and Connie were sleeping soundly, I decided to go ahea

ailer that was off the highway on an arid a

reath to stay calm. Two sharp knoc

e me stands my

oan s

nstead, I reach into my purse and hand him the stack of money—less the

d fallen so far. His eyes were always red with blood and there were busted capillaries around his nose and cheeks, telling me that his

rd, he earned quite a bit of money. However, yo

se I honestly didn’t think he had it. I was thrilled when he said he could gi

was a loan with steep interest. May the man not do som

the carpets and furniture were from the seventi

thousand?” h

to show you I’ll have th

ve you the money?” he a

to work at his club for thirt

ance. He didn’t care how I got the money, as long as he was paid. Honestly, I was surprised

rrowed me because his niece is also Connie. You’d think he wanted to help save her life

you told him who yo

do you

is reaction

damn nervous I’m not sure. “He led me to his offi

y anything

N

e to pay the fa

ll,” I as

back up so he can close the door, and he

sh

rtifiable, living,

ster, Daena, but he was also an asshole. He left Connie with me and Mom about six months ago, he said he was going on vacation, but he never came back. I suspect he knew

’t have a formal role in Connie’s care, less insurance. According to the doctor,

urse, all I got from him was a “loan” with an agreement to let me wait until I got the equity in m