Page 13 of Judge's Mercy

“It’s not like you assholes won’t be in here bugging me all night anyway,” I say.

“That’s true.” He plops down in the chair next to me, his black shaggy hair falling over his eyes, something he rectifies by shaking his head to the side.

Dutch reminds me of a dog, and not in a bad way. He’s cute and playful, and even when bad things happen, he’s quick to release the negativity. Also, he’ll do anything for one of the meat sticks I bring to snack on, including running to my car to grab me a tampon. He’s also fiercely loyal and protective. A couple days ago, I watched him go from kidding around to beating some guy’s ass when he got grabby with one of the girls before they’d come to any agreement. Then, seconds after the guy sped away, he was right back to his usual happy self.

“Besides, I was ready to be on my own a few days ago. It was Rigger who thought I wasn’t ready.”

“This job could be life or death for those girls walking around, so of course he wants to make sure you know what you’re doing before you’re left alone,” Golden says from where he’s perched against the doorjamb.

If Dutch reminds me of a dog, Golden reminds me of a stick in the mud. He’s the club’s treasurer, and there has never been a more suitable position for someone. He takes his job seriously and follows every single rule Rigger has laid out.

Dutch leans in, getting close to my ear. Feeling his warm breath makes my skin crawl, and I have to fight the urge not to back away. He’s not a threat, Myla. Keep your shit together. “Legend is, Golden shits diamonds because of how tight he keeps his ass clenched.”

I hold back my grin, wanting to see how the man in question will take the insult. He walks behind me and smacks Dutch on the back of the head. “Fuckin’ idiot.”

Releasing my smile, I draw my knee to my chest and settle in. For the most part, this job is boring, requiring copious amounts of caffeine to stay alert for the possibility of someone needing help. Even when I’m brought an ID to check, that only lasts a minute or two, and then it’s back to staring at a screen for so long, my eyes cross.

I’m not here for excitement, though.

Headlights flash across the screen that shows the entrance to the ranch, and both guys jump to their feet. Part of their job description is intimidation, so they make sure to be seen when a guest walks in.

“See ya in a bit.” Dutch musses my hair as he trails after Golden.

I don’t waste time combing my bob down. This is my first chance to do what I came here for, and I only have a few minutes before Dutch or Golden will be back with an ID to run. I grab the tablet that houses the database of guests and get to work. Satyr is nothing if not thorough, so I can filter the list for guests we’ve turned away. I quickly highlight and copy my selection before opening up a blank spreadsheet and pasting the information.

My heart pounds in my chest as I glance up to check and see where my babysitters are. Dutch and Golden are standing in the parlor as Mary goes through her spiel about how things work. Good; that means I have a few more minutes.

I hit print and wait. My leg bounces as the machine comes to life and warms up. I grab the pages the second they spit out, folding and tucking them away into my bag. Once that’s done, it’s just a matter of hiding my trail. I delete the search and close out of the program, which won’t stop someone from seeing what I did if they dug around, but there’s no reason they would, so I’m confident it’s enough. The door to the office opens just as I’m locking the screen and setting the tablet back down.

“Need my services?” I ask, smiling as though I wasn’t just up to no good.

“Yup. Here you go.” Golden hands me the ID, and within seconds, everything anyone could want to know about the man is on the screen in front of me.

“Oh my god. What the fuck?” My eyes widen at what I’m seeing.

“What?” Golden leans over me and is silent as he reads through the information. “How is this man not in prison?”

“He’s a senator, and surprise, surprise, he wasn’t ever convicted. As far as anyone knows, those are just allegations.” I scroll down further, bile burning up my throat.

“No fuckin’ way is he getting near our girls.”

I hand him back the ID. “Don’t go out there guns blazing. You don’t want to make an enemy out of him.”

“I don’t give two shits what this guy thinks of me. He’ll be lucky if he leaves here without his balls being kicked in. Assholes like him deserve to meet the Reaper.”

“That man has more power in his pinkie than the entire club put together. I’m telling you, if you piss him off, he could make your life hell.”

“He’s a senator from Oklahoma or some shit; he doesn’t have any say in Nevada.”

“All political figures are interconnected. Just trust me on this,” I plead.

“So you want me to just let him go back with one of the girls, knowing he’s been abusing his wife for years? And that’s just what we know of. Who knows what he’s done that he’s gotten away with.”

“No,” I say but he doesn’t wait for my answer to storm out of the room.

Chewing on my nails, I watch the camera as it follows him to the front office. He tosses the ID on the desk in front of Mary as she stands to face him. I can’t hear anything, but the more Golden’s mouth moves, the more nervous and worried Mary becomes. She falls back down to her chair and smooths her hands up and down her pressed slacks, and I can practically see her mind moving a million miles a minute. What I explained to Golden is true, and she knows it. After all, I learned it from her.

Mary has an uncanny way of learning all her girls’ strengths and weaknesses, and while she’d never tell a client who to choose, she has steered them in the direction of who she thought they would do best with. Prior to working at the ranch, I was a dancer at a club where the owner cared more about money and less about safety, which meant I was used to dealing with a certain kind of man. The kind of man who didn’t respect boundaries or rules and liked things on the opposite side of vanilla. I quickly learned how to give these men just enough to keep them happy without compromising my safety or well-being.

---