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Justin’s lips curl up. “Don't worry about that. Deck knows everything that goes on. If he's not here to see it himself, he makes sure to hear about it, ask about it, or watch the cameras to find out about it for himself. Believe me, he knows all about you.”
That makes my hair stand on end. “Since I’m still here and now being promoted, I’ll take that as the mystery boss man’s approval.”
Justin lifts a brow. “You sound surprised? You’re not being promoted because I like you, Aiden. It’s because you're good, you've got an eye for detail, and an instinct you can't train. You've either got it or you don't. I'd be an idiot not to utilize you here. That’s what Deck has seen too.”
I lift my chin. “There's not much else I can say about that. If he likes what he sees and thinks I’m good at my job, I’m not about to argue. Stranger to me or not. That would kind of go against everything I'm trying to achieve here.
“Good. Now can we finally get on with actually working?” he muses.
“Yeah. Just hear me when I say thanks, J.”
“All good. For the record, tonight must be your lucky night because Decker’s coming in soon for a meeting he wants us to sit in on.”
I nod, feeling the anticipation build in my chest. It's the next step I was waiting for, even if it is happening a hell of a lot faster than I had anticipated. But the best way to find out everything I need to know about him is to meet him and get close to him. If I'm to have any chance of getting the evidence my client needs, then a face to face with the boss is a great place to start. At least then I can get a read on him and work out whether he’s the prime target I suspect he is.
“You going to tell me what this new job of mine is all about then?” I ask as we stop outside the control room door.
“You're going to be another me,” he states matter-of-factly. Justin has either just made my life a hell of a lot easier, or it’s a 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' situation. “I'm busy already and that’s just going to get worse when I take on all the things Decker wants me to do. That means I need someone to be me when I can't be—that’s you.
“I appreciate that, I do. You can understand why I'm a bit shocked though. We only met up again a week ago.”
“You forget. I know you, Aiden. I know the man you are and the kind of cop you were. You'll handle shit the same way I would. That's what I need. It's a no-brainer. Why do you think I hired you on the spot?”
“Ah, so you were looking for a workhorse all along so you can sit back in the VIP lounge drinking whisky and smoking cigars?” I say with a laugh.
“Fuck, I wish,” he says. “But you didn’t realize that your first two shifts when you were working your way around the club and being hands on, that was me testing you. And you passed with flying colors. This is your reward. The next step, Aiden. Just need you to tell me I can trust you.”
Getting my head back in the game, I plaster the most earnest grin I've got in my arsenal and hold out my hand to shake his. “You know you can, Justin. I'm honored.”
“Good. Now let's check on the crew in here and do the rounds before Deck gets here.
“Understood,” I say simply. Justin claps me on the back before we step into the security perched high over the whole club. Camera feeds play continuously on the wall full of screens that fill half the room. It's overkill but from a security and business standpoint, it's smart. Everything that happens inside the four walls of Marquis is our responsibility and in this room, almost all of it is visible and recorded. So whatever happens, it’ll either be seen as it happens or can be looked up after the fact.
“Everything OK tonight?” Justin asks the two guards on duty.
“Yeah, boss. All quiet. No funny business so far,” Ben says without looking away from the screens.
My head drops with a groan and I don't miss the guy's wide eyes as he realizes he's committed the one faux pas we all know you shouldn't make. Never say it's quiet.
Justin chuckles. “Guess who just bought himself a week of check-out duty.” Something I discovered during my first shift is that the job nobody wants is working at the coat check/locker check out post.
“Yes, boss.”
“And Chris,” he says, turning to the other guy. “That means you get another week up here.”
“Not complaining about that, sir,” Chris replies. “It’s entertaining as hell watching all the guys get shot down by women that are out of their league.”
“Good man. Aiden here is going to be taking over most of my duties once I bring him up to speed. So, if I'm not here, he's me.” Both of the men turn toward me and nod, instantly giving me their respect. It's a heady feeling, something I haven't felt since I was back on the force. It's empowering to know that they trust me implicitly. Let's just hope that when all is said and done, they don't feel like they've been screwed over and betrayed.
For the next few hours, Justin and I do the rounds, checking in on the rest of the security team. Covering for breaks and dealing with a few reports of disturbances, one of which is a dealer trying to drum up business in the restrooms.
As the night wears on and Decker still hasn't shown up, I start to think he's not going to turn up after all. Justin and I sit at the bar and I watch as the vibe in the club slowly switches from the witching hour for mating to the slow, seductive roll of 'any companion will do,’ something I’ve noticed always seems to happen around two a.m.
“You liking being back in Vegas?” Justin asks as the bartender whose name I now know as Brandi slides me a club soda and Justin a whisky sour.
I take a sip of the soda, feeling the fizz dance on my tongue before answering. “Yeah, it's been...interesting so far.”
“I can imagine,” Justin chuckles. “You always did have a way of finding yourself in the middle of things.”
