Working Out West - Lila Rose Page 0,1

parents used to say when I got into trouble for something flashed through my mind. No, they could never find out about this. Never.

It would be just another sin added to my life, like wanting to move away from them, even when it wasn’t far. It had only been recently they’d started speaking to me again, and only after I’d told them I’d prayed every morning and night for forgiveness.

They were different. I knew this. They were strict, and God was everything to them. My stomach pivoted downward.

Gosh darn it all. Now definitely wasn’t the time to think of them. I was doing this for me, to help my future, to set me up, because there wasn’t a chance I would go back to living under their roof.

I had to get my head in the game, so I pasted on a smile as I opened the front doors to the building where Mr. Hail lived on the top floor.

Two men stood behind a desk, and both looked up when I entered. Their grave expressions had my smile slipping a little, but I pushed it back up.

Was having men guarding the door a normal thing for condos? I’d heard of doormen before, but these two looked nothing like doormen. Besides the fact they hadn’t opened the door for me, they both wore plain black T-shirts, and if I had to guess, since I couldn’t see below their waists, they’d have jeans on as well.

One picked up a phone and said something into it in a quiet tone.

“Ben Gowan?” the other man called with a slight accent.

I nodded and walked the rest of the way to the desk. “Yes, I’m me. I mean him…. I’m Ben.” Shit, get it together, man. The new name, my escort name, had me fumbling like a fool. I had to remember my name so I didn’t give anyone my real one.

“Mr. Hail is waiting for you. I’ll escort you up.”

Wait, what? Why?

“Um, sure, okay.” I stepped back and waited for him to move around the desk. He grabbed a jacket on the way. When he walked by, putting on the jacket, my eyes widened when I caught sight of the gun strapped to his back.

Who was this guy? No, more importantly, who was Mr. Hail? A condo didn’t need this type of security, did it? For a moment, my hand itched to touch the pin I wore on my suit. This whole scene had me on edge.

At the elevators, the man pressed the button and then turned to me. “Do you mind if I pat you down?”

“Sorry?” I choked.

“Pat you down for weapons,” he said seriously and with an intense gaze.

Laughing uncomfortably, I waited for him to join in, thinking he was pulling my leg, but he didn’t.

My laughter evaporated. “Right, okay, sure.” I nodded. His hands ran over my body quickly, and I found it strange he was doing it now and not when I first walked in. I could have had a gun and shot them both already, then got in the elevator and headed up to kill Mr. Hail. I wasn’t sure if mentioning the flaw in their system or not would be good. It could get me killed. Then again, there was a possibility I looked innocent enough they didn’t think they needed to check me over until now. Or their skills were that good, and I didn’t seem like a threat, but they’d better do their job.

The guy straightened. He nodded just as the doors dinged open. We stepped in, and there was a moment I felt like making conversation to fill the silence, but I didn’t know what to say and worried anything I said would sound stupid.

Did he know what I was there for?

Did he know Mr. Hail paid for my company?

Shaking my head slightly, I pushed all thoughts out because none of it mattered. Nothing mattered except getting my head in the game. I wasn’t sure my mind would ever really be in the game, though, not at the moment anyway, not since it was my first night. My first client.

My heart galloped in my chest when the doors dinged open. The guard stepped out first. I followed and waited behind him, since he stopped just outside the elevator doors.

A sudden urge to pee filled me when I heard heavy footfalls on the polished wooden floors.

Then he was there. I peeked over the guard’s shoulder when the guard dipped his chin, saying, “Mr. Hail.”

“Ostav’ nas,” Mr. Hail barked.

Oh