The Protector (Barrett Boys #3) - Jordan Ford Page 0,14
as a college student. He was telling me about it last night, bemoaning the fact that it’d be pretty damn hard to find an experienced guy who was good enough, that could pass as a college kid.”
I grip the edge of the machine and stand up so I can talk to Roni face-to-face. “I could do that.”
“You’re fully trained? Certified? Got all your permits and stuff?”
“Uh-huh.” I nod, and start running with this thing before I can think too hard about it. Cyrus said he could hook me up. I swallow and paste on a confident smile. “I’ve been working for a while now. I’ve got all the skills required to protect people. Alpha Security can give your brother a good reference, and I can drop off a résumé wherever I need to.”
Roni chuckles. “You sound keen.”
“I am, man. I need a decent job.”
“Well, I’m guessing this one will pay okay.” He leans forward and whispers, “My brother works for Castle Shaw.”
My eyebrows rise while I scramble to recall who that is.
“You know, the billionaire movie producer. He also owns a bunch of other companies. The guy’s loaded.”
“Wow,” I whisper.
“And I think he takes pretty good care of his staff. Azim never complains.” Roni bobs his head, his smile growing a little wider. “I’m telling you, man. You clean yourself up, you could be perfect for this gig.”
I frown. “Clean myself up?”
Roni laughs and slaps me on the shoulder. “Take a shower, get a haircut, spruce up your résumé, and give my brother a call.” He heads to the open lockers and I follow him, my mind racing as he clicks on his pen and scribbles down a number. “I’ll give him a heads-up that you’ll be in touch. I think he’s under a bit of time pressure on this thing, so don’t mess around.”
“Okay.” I swallow. “I’ll call him today. Thanks, man.”
“Yeah, no problem.” He’s about to say something else, but then his phone starts ringing. He takes the call and walks away.
I gaze down at the number on the back of Roni’s business card. My heart’s pounding for some reason. Is it nerves? Excitement?
Glancing over my shoulder, I check where Roni’s at, then clear out my locker. As soon as I’m out the door, I call Cyrus.
“So, you made a decision yet?”
“Yeah,” I puff, picking up my pace as I start to jog back home. “I need that ID. Full certifications and permits. The works. I need to present myself like an experienced bodyguard.”
“All right, man!”
“And you said you’d give me a good reference, right?”
“For sure, Bro. Sounds like you’ve got something in the works.”
“Yeah, potentially.”
“Cool. Well, swing past my office as soon as you can and we’ll get started.”
“Okay, I just need to get a haircut first.”
“Going fancy, huh? Nice!”
“I need this job, man. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“You’ll get it.”
He sounds so confident, and I have no idea why.
My hands are shaking as I hang up and run home. Is this really a good idea? Lying to score myself a job with a billionaire?
But the money.
It could be a sweet paycheck, and I need it.
Some things are worth bending the rules for.
It’s a simple matter of necessity.
7
A Place for Me
The peppermint gum I’ve been chewing is turning to rubber. I spit out the ball and throw it in the metal trash can next to my desk before resuming what I hope won’t be a futile job—packing for college.
Laying out the clothes I specially selected and bought online, I run my eyes over the ripped denim jeans and cute little T-shirts, the sneakers and baggy sweaters. I tried to aim for things that I never usually wear in public. Both my parents have always been fussy over image and appearance.
“What you present to the world is how they’ll see you. Do you want people to think you’re a slob? Or a nerd? Or someone who shops at Wal-Mart?”
My mother’s snobbish voice crashes through my brain. She left when I was a kid, but she still keeps in touch sporadically. Phone calls are her usual jam, and she tends to call when she wants to boast or needs me to make herself look good.
“You have to be at the premiere, darling. The media will love it. The movie’s about a mother-daughter duo. It’ll be perfect.”
“The gala will be amazing. I’m having a dress specially made for you so we match. Make sure you wear the Jimmy Choo’s I bought you for Christmas. You’ll need the height.”