Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 82(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
“Think about what?” I retort.
Jimmy chuckles. “You know I heard about a guy who put a move on the boss’s last girlfriend? They found him dead, naked in the park with his willie cut off and stuffed in his mouth.”
“I’m not putting a move on anybody,” I reply, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I like my willie and my life, and besides, I know I’d have a better shot at winning the lottery than I would at getting with Josie Romano.
My life is standing outside this club for high-rollers, watching them pull up in their cars that cost more than the building I live in, dressed in clothes that cost more than my rent, and providing security for their lives I could only ever dream of living. I don’t even know why I let myself fantasize about what it would be like to run my hands over Josie’s perfect body…to untie the tie on the back of that red dress and peel it off of her until she stood in front of me naked…to drag my tongue up the inside of her thighs and apply pressure to her most sensitive places until her back was arched and she was crying out my name in ecstasy.
Because after all, that’s never going to happen.
It’s been almost two hours of standing out in the cold before I hear a ruckus inside. Jimmy’s about to head in to take care of it, but I hold out a hand to him. “I’ve got it,” I tell him. He nods, a grin forming on his lips.
“Watch out for yourself in there,” he tells me. We both know what he means. I can handle whatever needs handling inside, but we both know why I volunteered to do so.
Josie.
Just the chance to see her is motivation enough. Hell, I’d trudge through the worst blizzard in ten years just for a glimpse of her beauty.
The problem inside turns out to be two drunk dickheads at the bar about to start throwing blows at each other. I step between them, but I can see by the glazed-over eyes that the man staring at me doesn’t get who I am.
“What, you want some too?” He tries to push past me, but I block him with both hands. He stinks like sweat and booze.
“One chance,” I tell him. “I’m giving you one chance to get out of here before I remove you.”
I look back over my shoulder at the other man, but he’s already gotten the message and is heading somewhere else, drink in hand.
“Tough guy, huh?” he snarks. “What, do you think you own the place?”
“No. But I know the guy who does.” I drag my hand across the big “security” letters printed across my shirt. The man takes a second to focus on them, and then finally gets the message.
“All right, all right,” he groans. “I guess I can let that guy off the hook. I’ll just take my drink over there.” He points to a booth in the corner. “And uh…enjoy myself.”
I nod. “Yeah, you do that.”
Just to make sure things go smoothly, I wait and watch until the man is fully on the other side of the room and seated before I relax.
“Thanks, Magnus,” the girl tending bar says.
“No problem,” I reply, raising my hands to my nose. “Think I’ll just go wash that man’s stink off my hands before heading back to work.”
I hear her laugh as I make my way toward the bathrooms in the back. I’m not the kind of guy who’s afraid of getting his hands dirty, but another man’s body odor on my palms for the rest of the night? Yeah, I’ll pass on that.
There’s a long hallway that leads to the bathrooms, and as I approach it, I hear voices engaged in an argument. One is a girl I don’t recognize, but I recognize the other immediately; it’s Vincent, and he’s yelling.
“You know how this works! You think holding out is going to change things?”
“I…I don’t…” Whoever she is, she’s terrified. Her voice sounds like a pane of glass on the verge of shattering. Must be one of the servers or bartenders about to lose her job.
“There are consequences, and you know what those are, don’t you?”
“Vincent, please, honey! Please, don’t!”
Honey? My gut tightens as I instantly realize what’s happening. Vincent isn’t screaming at one of the girls in his employ. He’s screaming at Josie.
I know what I should do. As one of Vincent’s employees, as an employee of this club, I should mind my own business, turn around, and walk back outside. But I can’t. Maybe if he was disciplining one of his men, I could do that, but not her. Not my Josie.
I may be making one of the biggest mistakes of my life, one that Jimmy would absolutely warn me against making, but instead of turning around and leaving, I round the corner and step into the hallway.