9. Chapter Nine #2
Why is it so fucking hard to find reliable young people who want to work and work hard? Not that last night was even hard work. Awake with sustained attention. That’s it.
“This should have been an easy gig. It’s clear neither of you is ready for any sort of security assignment.”
Datu comes back with the tablet that holds the mansion’s security system. “It’s not good, boss,” he says, passing it to me.
It sure as fuck isn’t good. While I watch the recordings, I curse my sister, all her coworkers, and these two shitheads in front of me who couldn’t stay alert.
The group is in Halloween costumes, but facial recognition has gotten good enough that I could probably ping all of them with the national database.
Until Raul and his security team are back on the island, it’s pretty clear what I have to do.
“You two are dismissed,” I say to the boys in front of me. “Report to basic training tomorrow, and I’m telling them to grill you hard. You don’t pass, and you can look for another job. When we’re dealing with people’s lives, any mistake matters.”
“Sorry, sir,” they both mutter as they head toward the car they came in. They push and shove each other as they walk. Barely in their twenties and clearly in need of more life experience.
Rather than watching them go, some instinct draws my gaze upwards, and Ava is framed in the second-story window of Landon’s room. She’s there every day, but I often pretend not to notice. Easier that way.
“Do you want me to repair the downed cameras?” Datu asks.
“Yes,” I say. “I’m going to start doing twenty-four-hour shifts until Raul’s full security is back on the island.”
“He’s gone another week?” Datu asks.
“Yeah.”
“I gotta be home in the evenings for my wife and kids. But I can come in earlier in the mornings. What’s your sleep function?”
“Four hours,” I say. “I can cope on four hours if it’s just for a week.”
“I’ll come in four hours early. I’ll wake you up just before we leave to take Mrs. Santos to work.”
“You sure?” I ask.
“Can’t trust those fuckers,” Datu says, nodding at the car exiting the gate. “And we’re short-staffed. I’ll pull extra weight.”
“I appreciate it,” I say with a nod.
Datu goes to our car to get the spare supplies we took from the office this morning to fix any of the damaged cameras. At least the boys seem to have given accurate information about the destruction done to the outside security system.
As I move toward the front door, I check my watch. Vanessa will be leaving for work in a few minutes, and our first nurse will be arriving.
With a grimace, I dial Vanessa’s number. This isn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, and it pisses me off that it even has to happen.
“Big brother,” Vanessa says, a smile in her voice. “You left early.”
“And you were up late, it seems,” I say.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Her voice has a singsong quality that grates on my nerves.
“Trespassing is a crime. Just throwing that out there. Vandalism is a crime. Facial recognition is a thing that exists.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if I did, I would tell you it was a harmless prank.”
“It’s not harmless when one of the people in the group checks the doors to see if they’re locked. That’s not harmless.”
A heavy silence settles on the line.
“What are you going to do?” Vanessa asks.
“What I always do. Keep everyone safe. I’m going to be here twenty-four hours a day until Mr. Santos is back on the island. We’ll have to hire more care for Mom and Dad. That’s on you because the reason I have to do this is also on you.”
“No one is going to hurt Ava,” Vanessa says with a sigh. “The signs were really nice about her. I made sure.”
“Do not tell me shit like that,” I say with a frustrated huff. “I should be reporting what happened to the police. Testing the doors is a step too far, Van.”
“That wasn’t me.”
“But you were with them. You become an accessory. What you all are doing isn’t going to get Ava on your side. It won’t. I guarantee it.”
“Workers are being threatened. We’ve had surveillance photos delivered to people’s houses. Family members—kids, followed. It’s not just bribery and a lighthearted “vote no” on some pot. He’s serious, Stephen, and so are we.” Her voice takes on a steely note at the end.
“Which is exactly why I need to be here.”
“Ava’s a good boss. Everyone says so. She needs to speak to her husband about how he’s behaving. Ava’s husband only cares about winning and saving money, not about people. If the police weren’t so corrupt, they’d have put a stop to some of the shit Raul’s done.”
The reminder of Raul’s title in her life slices through me like a papercut. Even though I know she’s married, remind myself by calling her Mrs. Santos whenever I can, each time “husband” is used, it’s a fresh wound. Ava got married, and it wasn’t to me.
“She’s not his keeper, Van. She runs her business, and he runs his. Trust me, she’s not stepping into the fray here.”
Another heavy silence settles between us.
“I can’t afford more nursing.”
“Guess you should have thought of that before you did what you did,” I say, my tone firm. “You’ve left me no choice, and now you have no choice. Get it done, because I won’t be home tonight.”
“Seriously,” Vanessa says with a huff, “if this was anyone else, would you be like this?”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “I take my job seriously. When I don’t, people get hurt.”
“Fine,” Vanessa says, and then she hangs up on me.
“Why aren’t you going home tonight?” Ava asks.
I spin around, realizing I was so deep in my conversation that I didn’t even hear the front door open.