In the Black Read Online Free Page B

down into the darkness, the torture shoes bundled in the leather jumpsuit and tucked under one arm.
    The small grill slid shut behind the mechanic, leaving Sam alone.
    Sam swam to the hallway hatch, moving further inside the
Belle
. She went inside and grabbed hold of one of the nylon straps set in the walls to pull herself along the corridor. The method of travel wasn’t unfamiliar to her but having to do a sales presentation for high-priced prostitutes was.
    For the past six months, she’d been learning on the job.
    Being a ground pounder had provided woefully thin experience on how to run a space brothel.
    She swam past the numbered doors of the courtesans’ quarters. Despite what she’d said outside, most of the men and women were there for sex—good, healthy sex with no questions asked and all fantasies delivered in confidentiality. If you were willing to pay for it, you’d find someone to give it to you, courtesy of the Mercy ships and their trained professionals. There was nothing too shocking to ask of a Mercy man or woman.
    As long as you could pay for it.
    One more hatch and she’d be at the center of the ship, the galley that served as the social hub for the courtesans.
    No clients came up here. This was Guild territory and neutral ground, a must when dealing with the strong personalities on board.
    Sam pulled the hatch open by jerking hard on the handle. One of the first things she’d learnt about the
Belle
was that everything had to be earned.
    Kendra spotted her in the doorway and gave a welcoming nod. The courtesan plucked a plastic fork from one of the boxes mounted on the wall and twirled it in Sam’s direction. It flew end over end toward her, a slow-motion cutlery film-clip.
    For a bunch who counted every calorie and ounce that entered their bodies, they could sure put away the food. Sam scratched the tip of her nose to hide a grin. She, on the other hand, had no such reservations about stuffing her face. If she was lucky, the damned jumpsuit would never fit again and she’d have to resort to her old uniform when she did the presentations. The Guild wouldn’t be happy, but she could sell their services wearing a burlap sack.
    It wasn’t the wrapping the customers wanted—it was the contents.
    Sam caught the fork with one hand and reached for a strap to stop her forward motion with the other. She surveyed the gathering. Everyone was present except for Dane.
    It didn’t surprise her.
    Dane had shown himself to be a bit of an asshole from the minute she’d stepped on board and he’d offered her his services at double the going rate “because you deserve the best and I know you can pay for it.”
    Not that he was the only jerk on board. Attitudes came in ample supply on the
Belle
.
    Kendra, the self-appointed mother hen for the group, tapped the screen set in one wall. “We’re filling up with reservations.” The electronic timesheet flared different colors, one for each worker, expanding every few seconds with a new update. “Looking good. You must have really stirred the pot.” She pushed back a wayward strand of blond hair, twisting it behind one ear. “Don’t remember it being so busy for the last few stops.”
    It was a welcome compliment but Sam kept her smile hidden, just nodding in response.
    Kendra had come with the
Belle
, one of the original contracts from long before Sam entered the picture. She had to be in her late thirties, easily, but no one ever asked her real age and Sam didn’t have the nerve to check out her official details. What she did know about Kendra was that the woman tolerated no fools on the
Belle
, including the captain, ruling her domain with a sharp wit and a tongue to match. What Kendra said carried volumes, and she didn’t speak unless she had something to say.
    Sam inched her way along, using the smaller straps set in the wall to maneuver toward the circular net in the middle of the small room. The various chunks of sliced fruit hovered inside, kept