Read Online Beneath a Blood Moon by R. J. Blain - Free Book Online

word would spread to every club in the city that I had screwed him out of a lot of cash and cost him a client at the same time.
    My wolf and I wouldn’t last long on a single night’s work, no matter how good the tips were.
    “I’m sorry, but you know how this business goes. The boss really wants you to accept. It’s twenty thousand for you, right? He’s tossing in two weeks off work with paid full-time minimum wage as incentive. I tried to tell him you liked scoping out the men you went home with, but no luck. It’s a pretty sweet deal, girl. Don’t be stupid.”
    Twenty thousand would solve a lot of problems, and two weeks paid vacation was a luxury I normally didn’t have as a part-time stripper and part-time college student. Not only could I feed my wolf, but I’d have time to figure out what the hell to do now that I was a werewolf.
    I had already lost a week’s worth of income.
    Hating myself for giving in, I sighed and nodded. “Fine.”
    My wolf did not approve. I ignored her.
    “You’ll do it?” Danny blurted.
    “I’ll do it,” I confirmed, hoping I wasn’t about to make a very big mistake.
    “There’s a catch.”
    There was always a catch. I should have known. I blamed my fatigue from pole dancing in vinyl for five hours for my stupidity. “What catch?”
    “The couple isn’t done playing on the strip tonight, so they want you to accompany them wearing a fancy dress they already bought because the boss gave them your sizes. The dress, as well as its accompanying accessories, arrived by courier during your last act.”
    “That mother fucking piece of shit. Are you seriously telling me he already agreed for me?”
    I’d been sold out—no, worse; I’d been sold.
    Two weeks would give me plenty of time to get out of town. Twenty thousand would feed me and my wolf for a long time. With my acceptance, the boss knew I had a price. He knew I would say yes if pushed. I’d end up like the one-timers, sold to the highest bidder for a night of pleasure—for his profit.
    I trembled, breaking out in a cold sweat. My wolf’s presence retreated, but she couldn’t hide her alarm from me. She didn’t want a claimed male, and despite her shortcomings, she understood a wife was a male’s mate.
    My wolf didn’t like it, but neither did I. If I didn’t agree, she’d starve, and that frightened me more than a one-night stand with a married man and his wife.
    All I had to do was last through one night. Once I made it to morning, I could cope. It wasn’t like I hadn’t prostituted before. I had.
    Only then, I had been the one to pick and choose the men, making the safest bets possible.
    Danny flinched, bit her lip, and nodded. “Fifty thousand reasons for him to,” she reminded me. “You know how he is; fair until there’s a really good business deal that doesn’t cost him anything to accept. Wouldn’t surprise me if the fucker tried to cut out some of your twenty, too, except your client insisted on paying you directly.”
    “Small favors,” I grumbled.
    “I already grabbed your tips so he can’t take your cash. I don’t have much time, but let me help you get out of that vinyl, showered, and changed. It’s the least I can do.”

    The dress came with a blindfold. I took one look at it, started shaking, and backed away. “No way.”
    “It’s only until you reach the parking garage. George is going to go down with you, okay? He likes you, and if he thinks something’s up, he’ll call it off, okay?” Danny said, holding it out. It was red and covered with tiny golden sequins. “George is as straight-laced as they get.”
    The bouncer was a good guy, so far as they went. He fit the muscle-bound stereotype I didn’t like, but he hadn’t brought any violence to me or any of the other girls. He enjoyed showing off his strength by tossing us over his shoulder to remove us from sour situations the boss didn’t like. We’d all been grabbed at least once by him.
    Maybe George was as