The Protector (Barrett Boys #3) - Jordan Ford Page 0,2
the coals by Mr. Corstanza, who just happens to be at the club tonight and who also just happens to be the father of that first-class putz who smacked his girlfriend. He saw the whole thing from his upstairs office window, and now he wants my head.
“You treat my son like some trash you can just throw out of here! Get out of my club, and don’t let me see your face again!”
Shock freezes me. I can’t speak. Move.
What did he just say?
He’s firing me?
But it was a mistake! I didn’t know who that little asshole was?
I try to open my mouth to appeal to him, but he’s already shouting into his phone.
“Yeah, Cyrus, it’s Lorenzo. Got one of your boys here. You didn’t tell me you were hiring dipshits at Alpha Security. When the hell did that start?”
I close my eyes, my insides simmering with dread as Lorenzo Corstanza ruins not only this job but my freaking life. Alpha Security contracts out its employees to different clubs around the city. They’re like a hiring service for bouncers and bodyguards, and getting a job with them at the start of this year was a freaking triumph.
It can’t be over.
“He better be off your payroll by tomorrow morning.” Corstanza’s sharp eyes land on me. “What’s your name?”
I don’t want to answer him, but Adan slaps his hand down on my shoulder and gives me a shake.
“Brody Adams,” I mutter.
“Adams. Make sure he’s gone by morning… I don’t care that you think he’s one of the best you’ve got. He just tried to throw my son out of here! Now you fire this asshole, or I’m not using your services again, and I’ll tell every frickin’ person I know to never use you again, you got me? Your business will be down the toilet by the end of the week!”
He throws the phone down on his desk and looks about ready to slaughter me. “What the hell are you still doing here? Get out!”
I follow his pointing finger and walk out of his upstairs office. Adan lets me stop at my locker. I empty it before handing back the stiff suit jacket and being escorted out the back door.
“Sorry, man,” Adan murmurs.
“I didn’t know it was his son.”
“Yeah, it’s a bad rap.”
I sigh, my chest deflating.
“Don’t sweat it. You’ll get other work.” With a final slap on the arm, he leaves me to slump against my crapped-out Dodge Durango.
He makes it sound so easy, but he has no freaking idea. Since graduating high school twelve months ago, I’ve worked four jobs. I hated bagging groceries, so I quit that after two weeks. Manning a gas station wasn’t much better. The sports shop wasn’t too bad, but I got laid off due to economic strain. They felt really bad about letting me go, but it didn’t change the fact that I was once again jobless. I had freaking rent to pay and I needed to eat, so I went back to the grocery store, but they didn’t have a job opening. Once again, I was out on my ass. I spent months applying for jobs until Cyrus was willing to give me a break. He knew I was young and unqualified, but he also knew what I was capable of. He saw my size, my strength, knew I’d be an asset, and he started hooking me up with bouncer gigs all over town.
Alpha Security gave me the break I needed, and now I’ve gone and screwed it up. Let him down.
Sort of. It wasn’t all my fault.
But I mean, even if I did know that little jerk was Corstanza’s son, would I have acted any differently?
He hit a girl! Slapped her across the face! She’s half his size. You don’t treat people that way. It’s not cool. I don’t care that she was yelling at him. There are other ways to deal with that kind of thing.
Scrubbing a hand down my face, I stare at the cracked concrete beneath my shiny black boots and mutter a few curses. Now I’m back to square one. Thanks to Mr. Corstanza, I won’t be getting another bouncer gig anywhere in this town.
“Shit,” I mutter on repeat, getting into my car and yanking the phone out of my bag. “What the hell am I gonna do now?”
2
An Illegal Proposition
I stare at my phone, wondering how much longer I’ll be able to afford it. This job was covering the basics. I have nothing spare after that. How the