Read Save Yourself for Free Online Page B

my total self-respect. I felt dirty. But I had sucked it up, kissed Livvy on the cheek, and headed to the hotel Brent had set up in.
    Listening to the argument going on inside, I was considering bolting. I so didn’t want to get in the middle of anything else. I could just walk away, a grand richer, and save myself a shit-load of trouble. However, Brent…Brent would be done for. Red would slice him up like Christmas turkey, and fuck, I couldn’t let that happen to the bastard.
    I mentally punched myself repeatedly, lifted my fist, and knocked on the damn door. Instantly, the yelling inside went silent, and my heart slammed into my ribs. I wondered if it was too late to run, but then the door clicked open on the chain, and I knew it was. A cold, black eye regarded me through the crack between the door and the frame.
    “Yeah?” the owner of the eye rasped like a three-packs-a-day smoker. “What the fuck do you want?”
    I recognised that voice, now that it wasn’t yelling, and a little of my tension eased. “What, you don’t recognise me, Jim? I’m hurt.”
    That black eye blinked at me and squinted, then Jim grunted and slid the chain off the door. He swung it open, and I stepped into the room, taking in the undamaged state of the cheap furnishings, the familiar bulk of Jim’s “bodyguard”, Lee, in the corner, and Brent slumped on the bed in his boxers and a cleanish grey t-shirt. He looked pale, and there were deep circles under his eyes, but aside from that, he didn’t look too bad. Although, from the littered cans all over the room, he’d been drinking.
    “You’ve changed, boy,” Jim rasped.
    I sized him up. It had been a few years since I’d seen him, and despite his occupation, I kinda liked him. He was a little shorter than me, and a lot rounder, going bald quickly and scarred down the right side of his face from a run-in with an unhappy customer long ago.
    “Last I saw you, you was still turning tricks to pay the rent. Heard you got out of that game, though.”
    Feeling the weight of my ill-gotten money in my pocket, I shrugged. “Yeah. Got myself a real job. Even got a roommate these days. I’m doing okay.”
    Jim nodded, rubbing his scruffy jaw. “Glad to hear it, lad. Really, I am. But if you ever need a new job, I’ve got a spot going—not prostitution, of course. See, Lee over there is getting on in years, and I could do with a new bodyguard, and I’ve seen you fight, kid—I’d pay you double whatever you’re making now.”
    I frowned as if I was considering it—a job offer from Jim wasn’t something to be sniffed at, even if I had no intention of ever taking him up on it. Slowly, I shook my head, feigning regret. “Sorry, Jim, I don’t think so. But I’ll keep it in mind for future.”
    Jim grunted, satisfied. “Your loss. But now, well, unfortunately I’ve got to deal with your uncle. I lent him some money a while back, and he’s yet to pay up, see.”
    I wanted to bang my head against a wall—or punch Brent in the jaw. Instead, I sighed and asked, “How much is he due you?”
    Scowling, Jim eyed me. “Still paying off your uncle’s debts, lad? Not to sound cold, but you really should learn when to cut your losses.”
    Honestly, I’d been thinking the same thing over the last couple of days. Calmly, I said, “How much?”
    Shrugging, Jim looked at Brent, who wisely kept quiet, and said, “‘Cause you’re footing the bill? I’ll let him off easy and say four hundred.”
    I nodded and reached into my back pocket. I counted out four hundred from the stack of cash, and handed it over to Jim, who didn’t look happy about it. But he took the money and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.
    “Lee, let’s get out of here. And Brent? You best behave yourself. You’ve got a good boy here, but he’s not going to keep putting up with your shit forever, you know.”
    Jim patted me on the shoulder as left, Lee trailing after him like a very large shadow. The door shut behind them,