A man is forced to work out his debt to the mob by swapping into his wife’s body and serving at an upscale brothel in Swapped by the Mob 1, available on Body Swap Stories, Smashwords or Amazon.
Andrew’s life has been on a downward spiral since he lost his athletic scholarship to college several years ago. His only constant has been his wife, Vanessa, a former cheerleader who has stuck with him as he lost job after job and fell deeper into debt with the mob. Before Andrew and Vanessa can flee the state, the mob grab them to get back what they owe.
Threatened and scared, Andrew agrees to swap bodies with his sexy wife and work off his debt in the mob’s high end brothel, choosing each day whether to be a cam girl, a stripper, or a prostitute.
With a sexy blonde roommate showing him the ropes and a severe mistress in charge of all the women, Andrew has a lot to learn. And a lot of work to do to pay off his debt.
Andrew remained at the bar until just past eleven. He nursed only two beers, each down to the lukewarm dregs. He didn’t have the money to throw away on booze and yet he desperately needed the escape. Wasn’t sure how he could face his wife, Vanessa, without it. His plan was to wait at the bar until he thought she was asleep before returning home. Put off the inevitable conflict for another day.
Andrew’s business had officially closed two days ago when the landlord finally kicked him out of the garage in which he’d set up shop as a mechanic. It had been sudden but not totally unexpected. Andrew did end up sneaking back in to liberate his last customer’s car.
Overdue rent. Unpaid bills. In debt up to his eyeballs with some really bad guys. That was a problem for another day. Andrew just wanted to end today. He ran his hand over his face, feeling the scratchy stubble that had once been a result of meticulously grooming and now was just evidence of laziness and sadness.
The night air was cold and crisp as Andrew began to walk the four blocks back to his apartment building. He pulled his thin coat tighter around him, avoiding eye contact with the few passersby. The cold exacerbated his knee pain, making him limp slightly.
He had to wander around the piles of trash dumped unceremoniously on the sidewalk, his loud footsteps causing a rat or two to scurry away into the darkness. The shops on the streets were all closed, their shutters down. The street was an unwelcome site of security screens and the near-homeless.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. At eighteen, Andrew had received a basketball scholarship to play for Indiana. He never had a head for college but, with the scholarship money, didn’t need it. He just needed to play well. So he shirked his classes, doing the bare minimum to get by and sometimes not even that. The coaches had to intervene. Speak to the dean and the professors about what would happen to the university if their star player crashed out.
But Andrew got away with it because he was great. Being on the court was effortless. Sometimes it felt like he could see five seconds ahead. Like he was Neo in the Matrix, dodging around agents who seemed to stand still.
Life off the court was great as well. He was dating the hottest cheerleader in the university (and his soon-to-be-wife), Vanessa. She was a nice midwestern girl. Sweet and mild and conservative in manner and dress. Which just made it all the more hotter to see her in that skimpy cheerleader uniform. He loved making her blush and hear her tell him he was ‘too much’.
Andrew had it all. And then he broke his hip as a result of a stupid dare. It was a bad injury, made worse by trying to come back too soon. Surgery fixed it so he could walk but he would never play basketball again.
Vanessa, bless her, supported him. Kept his spirits up. Made him think he could do anything he wanted. She stuck by him even as he failed her again and again, dropping out of college to work at his dad’s auto repair shop. Letting his muscles turn to fat. Fighting with his dad about his future. Leaving in a huff to start his own garage. And, finally, borrowing money from some bad guys it was now clear he would never be able to repay.
Tomorrow’s problem. Or so he thought.
The elevator in the building was out again and the four flights of stairs were hell on his knee. He stopped halfway up to catch his breath and let the pain subside somewhat. Only twenty-two years old and his body already wrecked. What horrors would the future hold?
When he reached his landing and stood in front of his door, a man stepped out of the shadows. He had a look that screamed ‘thug’. Broad, thick body. Heavy chin. Dull eyes. Tattoos and scars along his knuckles.
“Vincent doesn’t like having to send out people to chase down his money,” the thug said.
Andrew gulped and took an instinctive step back, only to run into another thug who’d appeared behind him and towered over him. The second thug gave him a shove back towards the first one and Andrew only narrowly avoided falling onto his face by clutching at the wall. The thugs towered over him.
“I’ll get it you. I promise,” Andrew said, hating that his eyes were filling with tears from his terror. At least he hadn’t pissed his pants.
A knife appeared in the first thug’s hand and Andrew’s eyes widened. The knife spun around the man’s knuckles, the metal flashing in the harsh lights of the hallway before being suddenly plunged into the plasterboard wall right beside Andrew’s head. Andrew jumped.
“Tomorrow. Six o’clock,” the first thug said.
“Yeah. We know where you live,” the second thug said.
The first thug shot the second a look before yanking his knife out of the wall and disappearing it back into his pocket. As they walked away, Andrew heard the first thug admonishing the second:
“You need to keep your mouth shut. It was already implied we knew where he lived ‘cause we were at his door…” The voice faded as they moved down the stairs.
Andrew unlocked the door as quietly as possible, his heart still racing. Dodged the squeaky floorboard. Pulled up on the bedroom doorknob up as he turned it to take pressure off the hinge and lessen the squeak. Vanessa was in bed, the city lights peeking under the window shade bathing her in a soft yellow glow.
She was still gorgeous, at least. In Andrew’s slightly-less-than-sober state he admired her features as she lay curled up on the side of the bed, one hand nearly pressed against her face. Her long, coffee colored hair was tied up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She had a gentle face with a perfect button nose. Her profile was that of an angel and Andrew wanted to weep with gratitude that she was still here with him.
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