Chapter 4 #2
“We were,” Jumper answered, one arm leaning on the tall reception counter.
“Then we saw you staring down at your phone like a loon,” Pirate added, looking far too much like the cat that ate the canary.
Keys put his phone on the counter, facedown. Sophia, Jasmine, and Simone were standing by the door with Tom, but from the glances the three women were throwing Keys’ way, they too were curious. Fuck.
But instead of cowering, Keys straightened his back and lifted an eyebrow. “What? I’m not allowed to talk to a friend?”
Pirate’s grin grew at Keys’ reaction. “Is this the same friend who paid fifty grand for a date with you?”
Fuck. Keys was never going to live that humiliating day down. “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Either way, it’s none of your business.” Neither brother looked like they were going to back down. “I’m allowed to have a social life!” Keys argued, indignant.
“You are,” Jumper agreed. “And honestly, I’m proud of you for…” He waved a hand towards Keys’ phone. “Whatever that is. I just want to make sure you’re being safe.”
While Keys knew Jumper meant the statement literally, Pirate took his brother’s comment in a completely different direction.
“He can’t get her pregnant over the internet,” he quipped.
Then frowned. “Wait, this is Keys we’re talking about…
If anyone could figure out how to impregnate someone through a computer, it would be him. ”
For fuck’s sake! “I’m not impregnating anyone!” Which was said way too loud in a lobby that he just realized echoed. A lot. Fuck. When all other conversation in the lobby stopped, Keys dropped his head into his hands and groaned. “This has got to be against the Geneva Convention. I have rights!”
Pirate and Jumper laughed, and Pirate reached across the counter to slap Keys on the back. “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll stop.” Keys slowly lifted his head. “But in all seriousness, are you being careful?”
“Oh, you mean like being more careful than getting drunk and ending up on a pirate ship with my brother’s fiancée’s best friend?
” Keys asked pointedly. He was vague enough to remind Pirate that Keys knew that his and Sophia’s current marriage wasn’t their first one while also keeping that fact a secret from Jumper and Jasmine.
Keys didn’t know if the other couple was still in the dark about that, and as embarrassed as he was by his club brothers prodding into his personal life, he was not about to break that trust.
Pirate’s eyes narrowed just slightly, hinting that fact was very much still a secret. “Precisely.”
Whether Jumper picked up on the silent exchange or not, he hit the counter with the palm of his hand. “We’ll go. But you can come to us if you need anything, Keys. I hope you know that.”
Embarrassment aside, Keys nodded. “I do.” And then added, “Thank you.”
Pirate and Jumper headed towards the door, Aerial trailing after them.
They said goodbye to Tom, and then all three women left with the club brothers.
Like many of the club’s female family members, Simone was an honorary ol’ lady, and since moving to Mount Grove, had become friends with many of the club women.
Tom locked the doors before heading back over to the reception counter. “You need to work on your poker face.”
Keys fought the urge to stick his tongue out at his business partner and friend. “I’ll add that to my never-ending to-do list.”
Tom chuckled. “Ready?” he asked, indicating to the brothers still waiting for them.
Keys nodded, standing from the large office chair he’d rather hide behind than walk away from. “Sure. What better way to start an interview than me declaring I’m not trying to impregnant computers.”
“I think it was through computers,” Tom corrected. From the shortness of his voice, Keys knew he was trying to keep in further laughter.
“Not helping,” Keys grumbled. Together, they walked up to Thorne and Goose, who stood from the comfy waiting chairs as they approached. “I’m just going to start this out by apologizing for you having to witness that.”
The brothers, though, did not look amused or disgusted by what they’d overheard. Instead, Thorne crossed his arms over his broad chest and Goose cracked his knuckles.
“Need us to kick their asses, boss?” Goose inquired.
Keys blinked, surprised. “What, no! I mean, they’re family.”
Both Thorne’s and Goose’s postures relaxed slightly, like they understood the razzing between siblings. Still, Thorne added, “Let us know if you change your mind.”
Tom and Keys exchanged aghast expressions. Tom cleared his throat. “Why would you say that?”
“Not to be presumptuous,” Thorne’s eyes flicked between both Keys and Tom as he answered, “but we’re aware of your connection to the club, Keys, and we already turned down their offer to prospect.
We’re here to work for you,” he said sternly.
“Which means if hired, you say ‘jump’ and we say ‘how high?’.”
Keys liked that he wasn’t beating around the bush. And there was something to be said about that type of loyalty—and loyalty was definitely something Keys could understand.
Tom gave a curt nod. “The NDA you signed prior to interviewing is already in effect. Our goals might not be as black and white as they were for you in the military.”
“Good,” Goose said. He crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring his brother. “What you promised us was a chance to be able to defend those who have either been failed by the system or can’t afford the system.”
Keys nodded. “Other security companies can handle the high profile clients, the ones that can afford their bill at the end of the assignment. We’re protecting the people who need that protection but can’t pay the tab.”
“Honorable,” Thorne declared with a chin lift. “And we’re all for that goal, but if they’re not paying the tab, we have a right to know who is.”
The I-told-you-so look Tom gave Keys spoke volumes. They’d already had this discussion as to whether to tell any employees where they were planning on getting their funds from.
“Why don’t you come to the conference room?” Keys offered. “It’ll be more comfortable than standing around the lobby for this discussion.”
The building itself wasn’t any larger than the clubhouse across the street.
But without the need for living quarters like the club had, Keys and Tom were able to utilize the floor plan for a staff area and gym, conference/briefing room, lobby, armory, and Keys’ tech lab.
The second floor held ten offices, giving Tom and each employee their own space.
Since Keys did not need an office and a tech lab, he wasn’t taking up one of them.
Past the lobby, everyone passed through what appeared to be a standard doorframe to a hallway, but as each of them passed under, the white frame flashed green.
Goose and Thorne looked it up and down like they were waiting for a portcullis to drop.
“I already cleared both of you to pass through with your weapons,” Keys explained. Tapping the wall next to him, a holographic projection appeared of two male silhouette diagrams showing how many weapons each was carrying and an estimate of what they were.
“And now you know why I am distrustful of technology,” Thorne grumbled to his brother. To Keys, he said, “Let me guess, the chairs had some sort of weighted system to indicate if we were armed?”
“The chairs are standard office ware available at most retailers,” Tom answered.
“The floor,” Keys added, “is custom designed.” He pointed down at what appeared to be cream-colored Taj Mahal quartzite.
“This entire building has so many sensors that a cockroach can’t sneak on the property without us knowing.
From the moment you stepped inside, gentlemen, you’ve been scanned, weighed, and analyzed. ”
Goose looked a little pale. “Knew I shouldn’t have had those extra fries today.”
Tom chuckled. “I said something similar the first time the system pointed out I was steadily gaining weight.”
“It’s incredibly fancy, but also begs the question of what you’re hiding that you need this sort of security,” Thorne said, his eyes flitting about. “I take it the cameras are decoys?”
Keys nodded. “They are. You asked who is footing the bill that allows us to help those who can’t afford our rates?
” He crooked a finger, indicating the brothers to follow him.
“The people who want this tech in their buildings.” He led them into the conference room, which housed a ten-person wood table and a wet bar along the far wall.
“This is our home base, but it’s also a demo product, if you will. ”
“People come to see this building before hiring us to construct a similar security system into their builds,” Tom added as he closed the door behind the four of them. “They foot the bill that pays your salaries, so you are free to protect those who can’t.”
Goose and Thorne took seats across from Keys and Tom.
“It’s impressive,” Thorne declared. He didn’t seem the sort easily awe-struck. “And this is also the oddest interview I’ve ever been a part of. NDA aside, you wouldn’t be telling us this if you didn’t already make up your mind about hiring us.”
“Fair point,” Keys conceded. “We would like to hire you.”
“All three of you,” Tom clarified. “Your brother, Grimm, would have a job ready and waiting for him when he gets out next year.”
Goose raised an eyebrow. “Why us? We can’t be your first candidates for hire, and if we are, I would seriously question your business skills.”
“You aren’t our first interviews,” Tom answered with a chuckle. “Nor are you our only hires.”
“However,” Keys added, “you would be the only ones we would ask to call Mount Grove your home. As to ‘why you’ specifically? Because you’re brothers.”
Thorne frowned. “I’m failing to follow your logic.”