Chapter 3
Luke
A sking Tim for more shifts resulted in more money, but not as much as I could make with more or better fights. Jimmy wouldn’t budge though. He was my connection with the other fighters. That was how it was set up, someone had to sponsor you to get in the ring. Otherwise, gangs and all kinds criminal organizations would just take over. Word was that the mafia and cartel were the biggest players behind the setup, but hell, I didn’t even want to know. All I cared about was getting my cut, and I did.
I just want cuts more often. I could handle it. There was no chance Jimmy didn’t know I could take on more qualified fighters.
For a week, Tim gave me and Randy more shifts. Between the general security work we handled, being bouncers at the club on the Tropican property, or even picking up shifts with the maintenance crew, we were busy. Busy was good. Busy meant money. But it also equaled more stress.
“Dude, I don’t know what happened,” Randy said after he found me near the biggest building that housed the most frequently visited bar. The whole area opened up to the beach, and it was a prime location for scoping out eye candy in my downtime.
Randy asked me to come help him with a situation, and once I got coverage, I hurried away with him.
“I got a work order a couple of days ago. No. It was sent to Kev first, but since he sprained his ankle at the gym and called off for the rest of the week, Tim more or less shifted Kev’s stuff to me.”
“Okay.” I followed so far. He led me toward the southern edge of the property, where at the more expensive condos were. We were heading into the VIP part of the Tropican.
“I had lots of other shit to do already. Different patrols to do. Checking with whatever bullshit the VIPs’ security teams requested. You know how it goes.”
I nodded. I did. Sometimes these macho bodyguards acted like they were the Secret Service. Some of those formerly in governmental positions stayed here. Celebs did as well. And most of them were a pain in the ass. They tipped far, far less than the regular guests on the other half of the property.
“This work order was to change the locks for a VIP condo. The previous guests complained about the locks malfunctioning, and I guess they wanted to replace them altogether.”
“Is it not working?”
He cringed. “I put it off. I didn’t start on it yet. Because I looked at the reservation lists when I got the work order and it looked like no one would be in there until this weekend. So I planned to do it tomorrow. But someone changed something and guests showed up in there a couple of days ago. I didn’t look back in the system.”
“Oh. Shit. So what do you need me to do?” I nodded an acknowledgment at one of the supervisors at the customer service desk that we passed. “Keep the guest back while you work on the lock?”
A task of changing a lock panel wouldn’t take much effort, but it was something that one person could easily do without interference. With a guest hovering around in the room, it’d be easier for someone to preoccupy the guest while the other tended to the lock.
“No. Yes.”
I frowned at him as he hurried faster.
“The guest claims that someone broke in this morning.”
“Shit. Because of the lock malfunctioning?”
“I don’t know. I only got a quick look at it when security was called. I hurried over there and they’re all pissed off, threatening to call Tim and make me lose my job. All kinds of threats.”
I patted his back as we rushed there. “Hey, it’ll be all right.” It wouldn’t be the first time a guest threatened to make us lose our employment. The customers thought they were always right, and usually, we projected that concept, but Karens and Chads were a whole other animal.
“I mean, I fucked up. I didn’t do the work order sooner, but I didn’t think the place would be taken.”
“And you’re handling Kev’s shit. Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
“I can’t lose my job.”
I rolled my eyes. “You won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
I didn’t. “But I know there’s not an irate guest I haven’t dealt with who can’t settle down.”
“Alyssa’s pregnant. We think Regina’s gonna need glasses and that’s not covered with insurance. I gotta be making all the money I can and the idea of losing this job is—”
“Chill, man. It’s all right.”
He didn’t. Cringing, like he was about to lose his shit, he looked like a mess.
“Just hand me the key card. I’ll take this one.”
His brows shot up. “Seriously?”
We stopped before the branch that would lead to the VIP condo. They were so spaced out that this one had a huge lawn separating it from the previous one.
“Yes. Seriously.”
He lowered his head and shook it. “No, dude. I can’t let you take the heat for my fuck-up.”
I thrust my hand out further. “Maybe it isn’t a fuck-up.”
“Huh?”
“If this condo wasn’t broken into and the guest is just bitching about the lock, then it’s simply a matter of things falling through the cracks.”
He gritted his teeth. “On my watch. My responsibility. Nothing is supposed to fall through cracks at the Tropican.”
“Yeah, well shit happens, doesn’t it?” I grabbed the key card from him. “Don’t worry about.”
“Luke. She’s really mad.”
I shrugged one shoulder, backpedaling toward the condo. “What, am I supposed to be scared?”
He grunted a weak laugh. “No one scares you.”
You got that right.
Hurrying after me, he shook his head, still looking so worried. “I can’t let you take the blame.”
“I said don’t worry about it.” I chuckled, wondering why he was so worked up. These things happened. What was the worst this angry guest could do? Threaten to have me lose my job, too? Tim valued us too much, but I bet he’d be irritated about having to smooth this incident out. The last thing we wanted was to make his work worse.
Even if it came to me losing my position here—or rather, position s —so what? It’d free me up to focus on nothing but fighting, and that would get me more money faster. I’d be able to provide for Mom much better with less effort. Perhaps this could be one of those cases of one door closing letting another one be opened.
Randy stopped, wincing as I approached the front door to the condo. Red hibiscus flowers waved in the slight breeze, blocking him from my view as I took the turn on the path to the door.
“Go. I’ve got this.” Whatever the hell this is.
He frowned, still uneasy, but he left.
I knocked on the door. “Building services,” I called out.
No one answered, so I tried again.
And again.
Since this was a potential security issue, it had to be dealt with now. I followed the protocol of alerting the guest three times, but I knocked once more and called out anyway. After calling the room and not getting an answer on the land line— not like anyone uses those anymore —I called the cell number on file, since it showed on the smart phone we all had to carry. It was amazing how technologically forward the Tropican was with apps for these things.
“All right,” I muttered to myself since no one answered.
I unlocked the door, finding no issue with the lock panel.
Then I stepped in and walked into one of the sexiest sights I ever could have imagined.
Damn. I mouthed it, glad that I kept the words silent as I noticed the slender brunette at the other end of the room. In nothing but high cut, lacy panties that didn’t cover half of her luscious ass, her wavy hair tumbling down over the smooth curve of her bare back, she looked like a walking wet dream. I never saw faces vividly in my dreams, never imagined specific individuals when I relied on my thoughts to jerk off—which was less messy than finding and dealing with a one-night stand. Without her turning to face me, I knew from the first glance that the image of her would forever be etched in my mind.
She whipped around though, flinging her hair over her shoulders as she grabbed a towel to cover herself. I would’ve missed the full-frontal view anyway. At the last second, I found the decency to avert my gaze. If she was the guest and she was already mad, I didn’t need to piss her off more by letting her catch me red-handed. Ogling guests wouldn’t be excused.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she demanded. While it wasn’t screech or yell, I heard the authority in her tone. Haughty and powerful, as though she was often in charge.
“Building services.” I pointed at the key card. Wearing the security uniform was plenty for her to understand why I was here.
“Can’t you knock?”
“Yeah. I did four times.” Get off your high horse, brat. Now that she faced me, I was struck with the other half of her perfection. High cheekbones pink with a blush, plump rosy lips twisted in a scowl. Her eyes captivated me the most though, more than the idea of how big her tits had to be with them pushing at the towel she clutched to her. Light blue but also green. I’d never seen such a vibrant and bold color of eyes. They were electric, if not because of the hue then because she glowered at me with such fury.
“You can’t just barge in here.”
“I didn’t barge.” I was forgetting the cardinal rule about never arguing with a guest. The customer was always right. Facing off with her attitude, though, I felt drawn to be defensive. “I knocked and called out four times. I called the landline. I called the number on record.”
She huffed, looking away for a second. “I don’t see how any of that gives you a right to come in here uninvited.”
“I’m not expected to wait for an invite.” I kept my tone neutral but I didn’t bother to stop glaring right back at her. Sexy or not, she didn’t have to be this rude. “I apologize for entering at an inopportune moment, but I was tasked with fixing something of a security priority.”
“Yeah, that’s two strikes. One more and it’s your job. The audacity. Coming in here and seeing me...” She pressed her lips together. “Then slacking on the job and letting me stay here with a faulty lock.”
I jerked my thumb at the door. “Seemed to work fine for me.”
“It’s the back door,” she snapped. “Watch your sarcasm. I’ll have you fired.”
The fuck you will. “What sarcasm?”
She fisted the towel. Her eyes slitted further as she clamped her lips in to a firm line of disapproval.
Was I asking for trouble antagonizing her? A little bit. But like Randy said, no one scared me.
“If you don’t mind...” I lifted my hand, gesturing for her to move so I could tend to the lock on the rear door.
“I do mind, dammit. I expect to feel safe here, not worrying if and when someone might break in.”
“The Tropican prioritizes security—”
“Not in this condo.”
“—and I apologize for the inconvenience of this mishap.”
“Mishap?” She scoffed. “More like you fucked up and can’t even own up to it. You’re not prioritizing anything if someone broke in here.”
“Why should I own up to anything for you?” I stopped as I passed by her. Looking down at her furious glare. I knew her type. I’d suffered this kind of holier-than-thou attitude too many times. These VIPs came in here acting like damn royalty, so ready to sneer at me because I was a lowly worker. A commoner. Someone to appease them just because they had wealth and power.
She gaped at me, shocked I’d talked back.
“Do you have any evidence that anyone broke in?”
“How dare—”
“Em?” Another woman rushed in. “Oh.” This woman stopped short, glancing at me, then this guest. “Am...I interrupting?”
I held my hands up and backed away toward the back door. “Building services,” I replied, taking an easy out.
I didn’t have time to butt heads with this sexy guest. I didn’t have time for a woman who’d get off on threatening to get me fired.
I hurried to deal with changing the lock panel on the back door, reprogramming the codes. Halfway through it, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.
Since the women were in the other room and I was more or less alone, I slipped the device out of my pocket and glanced at it to see a notification that I’d missed call from Jimmy.
I snorted. Now what did he want?
As if on cue, a text popped up.
Jmmy: I’ll see you at the fight tonight.
Yeah, yeah. I know. Today was a double, no, triple shift. First, a security shift for the hotel. Then I’d be a bouncer at the resort’s club for a partial shift later. And I’d end the night with a fight. All three jobs.
I didn’t have time to be delayed by this haughty woman in this condo.
I didn’t have time for any woman, and I never would if I kept this pace up.