Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
W ilder sent his crew home to sleep as he waited for the security company to arrive. He worked on paperwork, called his international managers to give them a heads up on what was happening in the U.S., then went over the financials from the past several months. There was definitely an impact from the crime in his club.
The buzzer from the back door drew Wilder’s attention from the numbers he was pouring over. He glanced at the security feed and saw Collins Hanover and three of her techs. Wilder pressed the unlock button and walked down to meet them near the bar.
Collins reminded him of Olivia. She was tough as nails, took no crap, and ran a very successful security company that specialized in club security and training for club employees. Both Hardy and Tiny, along with the rest of the security staff, had taken her certified training courses in crowd control, access control, and door security.
“Tiny filled me in,” Collins said with a frown as she walked to the bar with her team behind her. Collins was five foot eight with a “don’t mess with me” attitude she’d gotten when she served ten years in the NYPD. That was all Wilder really knew about her. She was all business. He had no idea if she had children, a husband, a wife, or a cat. He guessed she was in her late thirties. Her golden blonde hair was always up in a ponytail and she only wore the bare minimum of makeup. He’d liked her instantly when he’d met her after buying WET. “We use cameras as a deterrent, and unfortunately, that makes them more visible. Let’s go with some smaller profile cameras.”
“I like that idea. Tiny and I identified several locations they’d be helpful, including on the exterior.”
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Collins began as they started their walk about.
Thirty minutes later, six additional cameras were in the process of being installed. “Are you seeing an uptick in crime at your other clients’ clubs?” Wilder asked as the techs worked on installing the cameras.
Collins gave him a professional smile, which told him he wasn’t going to get an answer from her. “Would you want me telling other clubs in the city that you’re experiencing an increase in crime?”
“Fair point,” Wilder said with a relaxed grin. Collins didn’t even tell him who her other clients were. She took privacy seriously. Bryce had talked to the clubs they had a good relationship with, but if Collins worked with places like The Golden Harp or Tequila Nights, he wouldn’t want them to know anything about his business. “I appreciate you coming on such short notice. I really wanted these additional measures put in place before we open the doors tonight.”
“No problem. It’s my job after all. Do you need to hire additional security? I have a group of men and women who have just finished training.” Collins pulled up her phone and scanned something on it. “I also have a round of servers and bartenders that finished last week. I’ve introduced a good amount of security and awareness in their training as well.”
Wilder nodded. Dracklen had taken her course and was as much security as a bartender for the VIPs. Wilder also appreciated his female servers taking Collins’s courses because it taught them how to handle themselves and guests who were in a position of needing extrication from handsy or intimidating dates/patrons. “Let me check with Bryce and see if we need to add to our staff and I’ll get back to you.”
Collins handed him a bill and then shook his hand. “They’ll let you know when they are done installing everything and make sure the feeds are hooked up for you to monitor. Call me if you need anything else.”
Wilder shook her hand. “Thank you again. I’ll be in touch.”
Collins had just left when Wilder’s phone rang. He glanced down at it and saw that it was his brother. If he didn’t answer, Damon would send a text until Wilder responded. Damon was worse than their parents, who were now happily retired in the warm Arizona sun. Wilder wouldn’t be surprised if Damon hadn’t installed those GPS tracking apps parents put on their teen’s phone on each of the Townsend siblings’ phones.
“Hey.”
“How are things at the club?” Yup. Damon had to have a tracker on his phone somehow.
“How do you know I’m at the club?” Wilder asked. He loved tormenting Damon. It was all out of brotherly love, but Wilder felt it was his job to try to turn Damon’s black hair gray. However, Pen was doing a good job at it too.
“Are you getting added security?” Damon asked, completely ignoring Wilder’s question.
Wilder looked out to see where one of the guys was installing a camera. “Yeah. Got six new cameras going up right now. Are Kane and Waverly upset I had to leave so fast?”
“I’m pretty sure all of us understand work that pulls us away from family, Wilder. We’re just worried about you. If you had a woman by your side to help support you . . .”
Wilder groaned. “What the hell, Damon? I’m starting to believe this theory we have that you have a secret girlfriend that you can’t marry until we’re all settled. Is that what’s going on?”
Damon actually chuckled. “I haven’t had a girlfriend since you all hit middle school and I started shuttling you to and from all your activities and then watching out for you in high school and making sure you didn’t screw up in college.”
“Oh yeah, you’re a monk,” Wilder said sarcastically.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t hooking up. I just said I haven’t had a relationship. I don’t have time for one looking out for you all and expanding my shops.”
Wilder shook his head even as he smiled. “You know, that sounds like an excuse to me,” he said, repeating what Damon would tell him when Wilder said he was too busy growing his business to have a relationship.
“Smartass,” Damon muttered with affection.
Damon didn’t want to admit it, but his dating life was exactly the same as Wilder’s. Stone had had the same issue. Hooking up with women was easy, but avoiding the ones trying to trap you was getting harder. Wilder might not act like it, but he made a crazy amount of money. So did Damon. So did Stone. Stone was happily married now, but Wilder was having trouble fending off the women who wanted to become Mrs. Wilder Townsend solely because of his money.
Damon was a little different. The women after him tended to be hardcore gearheads, not flirty socialites. The women after Damon didn’t have a subtle bone in their bodies. Once, when Wilder was out with Damon at a biker bar, three women got into a hair-pulling, punch-throwing fight to earn the right to screw Damon. Damon had just shrugged it off and Wilder had begun to think he didn’t know nearly as much about Damon’s life as he thought he had.
“I’m sending a wire transfer with your investor’s share before the end of the quarter,” Wilder said, changing the subject away from their dating life—or lack of it.
“I told you, stop sending me that shit. I’m not an investor. I helped you out when you needed it and you paid me back. Hell, you’ve paid me back ten times over by now. None of us want it. Stone sends his to charity. I think Olivia does too. I don’t know what Kane uses it for, but it might have paid for Pen’s last year of college and some equipment Forrest needed.”
“Then give it to charity or Forrest or Pen or donate it to Rowan’s children’s charity. You’re getting it. Period.”
“Do you listen to me about anything?” Damon muttered.
“You taught me to always bring my own condoms. I listened to you about that.”
“I need a vacation,” Damon said almost as a curse, which just made Wilder laugh. “Look, do you need help? I have some guys who can come help with security if you need it.”
Wilder stopped laughing. He could tease his big brother all night, but one thing he would never tease him about was being the best big brother in the world. Damon was always there for him. Not only for Wilder, but for the entire family. Wilder frowned as he realized something. Who was there for Damon? Damon never asked for anything. He never came to them for help. So, who was helping him?
“I’ll keep that in mind. Hey, is there anything I can help you with? Work-wise or personally?”
“What?” Damon actually seemed shocked. “No, why?”
“Because you help us all the time. I wanted to make sure you knew you could call on us too if you ever need it.”
Damon was quiet before he cleared his throat. “I’m good. Thanks for asking. Call me and let me know how things are going. Got it?”
“Got it. Love you, big brother.”
Damon cleared his throat again. “Yeah, love you too.”
Wilder hung up with Damon as the tech came over to show him the finished camera installation. Tonight, he’d make sure no one was hurt in his club.