“You realize that will get infected, right? You will need to see someone.”
I drink from the bottle, my head spinning, my body humming with adrenalin. Ripping a one hundred percent Egyptian cotton case off one of the pillows over my head, I hold the material to my stomach, staunching the wound. “We’ll see.”
I know my body. I know how it works. This isn’t the wound that will kill me. I’ll know it when it happens. I might be sore as fuck for a few weeks and I might be grumpy as hell about it, but other than that this injury will end up scarring nice and good and leaving me with another story to tell the girls.
I glance up at Michael, who’s standing with his hands on his hips with his head cocked to one side. “So, this is a pretty common occurrence. There’ll be a lot of blood involved. The hours are long. Mostly nights. I’ll ask you to do shit and I’ll expect you to do it without asking questions. Nearly everything will be illegal. You’ll probably get killed at some point. What do you say?” How could he possibly say no?
Michael nods, turning slightly to angle his body toward the laughter and chink of glassware out in the apartment. He seems to think about it for a second. And then he says, “Sure. Why not?” And that’s it. It’s a done deal. Michael now works for me. “You got bandages?” he asks.
I tell him where to find them in the bathroom cabinet across the hall. He’s gone for a moment and then he’s back with the whole first aid kit. He tells me he’s going to sew me up and I tell him I don’t need stitches. He doesn’t listen and does it anyway, which could be a problem in future, but I figure I’ll have time to mold him into the perfect employee as we go along. After that I’m bandaged up and slapped on the shoulder, and I realize that no one’s done that to me in…ever. It’s a brotherly thing. A sign of camaraderie that I’ve never been shown before. I’d probably murder any of Charlie’s other boys for even trying. I don’t try and kill Michael, though. I give him a hard nod—thank you—and jerk my head toward the party going on in my living room.
“You wanna stick around. I’m guessing you know what this is all about.”
He nods, laughing softly. “I had my suspicions. Which were confirmed when I risked the hallway just now.”
“It bother you?”
“Group sex? Voyeurism?”
“Any of it. Any possible sexual deviation you can imagine. You’ll see them all here.” Better to be honest right off the bat, I suppose. Once a month, this place is not for the faint of heart.
“I got my own things where that’s concerned,” he admits. “Not much fazes me these days.”
“No, I didn’t think it would.” I tense my abs and slowly stand, rising carefully, waiting to see if my intestines are about to tumble out of my body. Aside from hurting like a bitch, everything appears to be staying put, though.
“You didn’t think about calling this off?” Michael asks.
I laugh, enjoying the slightly manic edge I’m feeling as I make my way over to the walk-in closet and stoop, collecting a black duffel from the ground. “Now why would I do that? I’m good to go, brother. And there are women out there I got business with.”
He has curiosity written all over his face. It’s the first time I’ve been able to read what he’s thinking properly. He eyes the bag. “Should I even bother asking what you got in there?”
“Take a look.” I hold it out to him. He takes it from me, unzips it, and his eyebrows hit his hairline.
“I see.” I consider laughing, but the whiskey’s making me feel sharp. I retrieve the bag and kick it under the bed. Michael slides his jacket on, cracking his neck. “You got a woman out there? Someone in particular?” he asks.
I place both of my hands on his shoulders, looking him square in the eye. “The day I bring a woman back here and tell you she’s mine to keep, Michael, is the day I’ve lost my mind. Put me the fuck down immediately.”
SLOTH
By
ELLA JAMES
I thought it might be fun to share an excerpt from one of my favorite authors! If you haven’t already discovered the amazing Ella James, then that are you waiting for? Sloth is out right now and it’s incredible!! Check out the excerpt below and let me know what you think!
Best,
Sloth: A Sinful Secrets Novel
By Ella James
Releasing Monday, June 22, 2015
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23716176-sloth
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sloth+ella+james
For updates on Sloth, Ella’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage
Book Blurb:
Dear A. –
I am writing to express my gratitude for your gift. There are no sufficient words, but please accept my sincerest thank you.
Yours,
R.
She writes me back.
I didn’t expect that.