Mercy's Debt (Montgomery's Vampires Series Book One) Read Online Free PDF Page A

laughed heartily. “I take it you do not suffer fools kindly.”
    “No sir , I do not,” I said, attempting to impersonate his posh accent, though I sounded more like a Jamaican.
    “You are funny. A good sense of humor is a valuable thing to possess.”
    “So is five hundred clams,” I said, holding up my clutch bag.
    “A h,” he said. “Now I get it. It is all about the money, honey .” He winked at me conspiratorially.
    “Hey, it i s when you’re drowning in debt.”
    I had no idea why I was telling a man that I’d only just met about my personal affairs. I seriously hoped that I wasn’t turning into a pet-less variation of the crazy cat lady due to all the time I spent on my own. I really needed to start getting out more, or else I was in real danger of becoming the sort if weirdo who yapped the ears off of strangers while in line at the grocery store.
    “I see. Let me guess,” he said, tapping his forehead. “You have tons of credit card debt because you went wild one day and bought more shoes than you have room in your closet for?”
    “ Ha! I wish. Nope. Student loan. I owe over a hundred thousand dollars.”
    “That is madness!” he huffed. “Is that what college costs these days?”
    “It is when you go to Dewhurst. And that’s not even the full amount. Other students pay more, if you can believe it. I actually went there on a partial scholarship,” I smiled darkly, feeling a familiar panic gnawing at my nerves. “So, yah, every bit helps.”
    “ Wow, Dewhurst. You must be really smart. I read somewhere that the president’s kid went there.” His face grew serious. “I thought you seemed too clever to be in a wet t-shirt contest just for the fun of it.”
    “Gee, thanks,” I said dryly.
    He put up his palms . “Hey, no, I did not mean it like that . What I am merely implying is that this place, it’s just so… bourgeois. ” He made a revolted face, as if somebody near him had just passed wind.
    “Hey, you’re here,” I snapped defensively. I agreed with him nonetheless.
    “I have my reason s for coming to this place, but we both know that you do not really belong here any more than I do.”
    “Meaning?” My feathers were a bit ruffled. This guy knew absolutely nothing about me. Well, except for all the personal information I’d just shared with him.
    “ I intend no offence,” he said. “Look, you are a pretty girl and you are smart. I am simply stating that there are better ways for you to make money.”   
    “Like what?” W as he propositioning me?
    “You look worried. Please do not be .”
    He pulled a business card out of his front pocket and handed it to me. The card was high quality; smooth like satin while stiff at the same time, and a creamy white color as stark as the man’s skin. I flipped it over so I could read the business name: DIGNITARY. The writing was sleek, bold, and unembellished in a high-end, less-is-more sort of way. Classic old money. I rubbed my finger over the raised text.
    “What sort of business is this ” -I looked down at the name on the card- “Michael?”
    “It is a business that my wife and I have run for many, many years. It has made girls like you very wealthy.”
    “That didn’t answer my question.”
    “Without revealing too much, it is a very exclusive service we provide to wealthy clients who… prefer their privacy. Members only.”
    “What? Like a brothel ?” Now I was offended. Who in the hell did he think he was speaking to?
    “Look,” he said calmly, “I think you may have the wrong idea, but I really cannot get into it any more right here. How about you come by tomorrow evening so we can have a chat? You would really like my wife. She is feisty, like you.”
    “I don’t think so,” I said coolly. I turned away from the bar, crushing the card in my hand.
    “That is too bad, because you would be out of debt in no time.”
    That got my attention.
    Still, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there .
    Just what was he