Aelindra: [follows after, singing] “Go, go, Power Rangers…”
CHAPTER 4
WiseWave620: Steel announced he’s stepping down as Prez. I know Jenna and his family are his priority but he created the VDMC. We voted Ghost in as the new Prez, and honestly, I can’t think of a better man for the job. I just have a really hard time picturing the club without Steel and Jenna at the helm.
* * *
One Month Later
The man who walked through the glass double doors of Master Key Security Solutionsnew lobby was tall with an air of military around him, despite wearing a heather-gray suit with a light blue collared shirt rather than fatigues. He could have been walking down Wall Street, if not for the combat boots on his feet. Multiple heads turned as the man removed his Aviator sunglasses, pocketing them in the breast pocket of his suit jacket.
The man’s biceps were huge, straining like a single flex wouldbe all it would take to break through the stitching of his clothes. His black hair was styled into long messy waves, and despite it being early morning, he already had a five o’clock shadow around his sharp jaw. There was no denying this man was ruggedly handsome.
Keys sat behind what would one day be the reception counter. Many of the ol’ ladies had already spoken to him about working the desk while their kids were either in school or being watched by the clubs’ resident nannies, Frankie, Terry, or Pamela. It was something for them to do outside their everyday jobs and they liked being useful.
On the other side of the desk were Tom, his wife Simone, Pirate, Sophia, Jumper, Jasmine, and Jumper’s service dog, Aerial. Tally and Scar had originally been among the group too, but Scar had long ago ditched the idea of social interactions, randomly thrown Tally over his shoulder, and walked out to wherever it was Scar felt like going with her. They’d gotten engaged in August. Though Keys hadn’t heard of any wedding plans since, he was sure the ol’ ladies were on top of helping Tally plan.
Tom and Simone were not members of the club, though they fell under the club’s protection before Keys and Tom had become partners due to Simone’s relationship with Tally. The two had been best friends for years, making Simone and her family protected the moment Tally had put on Scar’s cut. Keys was still upset with Scar for having hidden from the club that he wasalivewhile the club thought him dead for over two months. Sophia in particular had had a hard time with it, as it had been her life Scar had saved when he’d “died”. Despite present company, there weren’t many who could actually say that they’d stepped in front of a bullet for someone else. Yet that was exactly what Scar had done for Sophia.
Keys really liked the couple. Long before Scar had come into the picture, they’d looked out for Tally, who had been a strongly independent blind chef in Atlanta. Biologically, they had onedaughter, Amelia, who was around two years old, and more recently, they had adopted a six-year-old homeless boy who had been attacked when Tally’s restaurant had been burned to the ground by a real-estate tycoon.
Like Keys, Tom looked like a stereotypical nerd. The guy even had a pocket protector in his daily wardrobe. After years of being the geeky, younger brother of the VDMC, it was great to finally meet a man who understood the Three Laws of Robotics. Tom knew enough about designing software to be dangerous, but not enough to write his own code. Whereas Keys knew enough about business to not get audited, but not enough about how to actually grow a thriving company. Together, they made a great team, and Keys was chomping at the bit to finally open their doors and start accepting clients.
But first, they needed employees.
Keys did not want to be reliant on the club for cases. Members had their own jobs, families, and lives, and it wouldn’t be fair to have them take on Keys’ clients, too. He needed his own team, men and women who were loyal to MKSS.
Unfortunately, the first time he said the acronym of his company in front of his brothers, Bear had turned around and asked what an “M-Kiss” was. And in trueVia Daemoniafashion, the name had stuck. Instead of saying that they’re heading over to the building across the street or “Keys’ building”, the club now said things like, “I’m headed to M-Kiss” or “Are you M-Kissing with Keys today?”. It had irritated Keys at first, thinking they were making fun of his business venture, but a single conversation with Glitch about it had made Keys rethink his position on the joke.
His brothers were proud of him, and sometimes, intimidated by what he could do with a computer. The jokes and razzes were their way of leveling the playing field. Sometimes Keys had a hard time remembering that. Brothers and a loving family were concepts he wasn’t used to until he came to Mount Grove. Hisown father had thrown him to the wolves when he was seventeen as the ultimate “fuck you” for Keys gaining emancipation so he could go to college.
The newcomer surveyed the room with dark eyes. Keys watched him take in not just the people but also each camera, light fixture, potted plant, and furniture piece. Like he was evaluating tactical barriers and vantage points. Angel and Cage had been trying to get Keys to do that too, but it was hard to remember.
Barely a second after the glass doors behind him closed, another man walked in. Younger than the first, he was roughly the same height, and their similar features hinted at blood relation. Unlike his brother, though, he wore jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket with his military boots.
These were the oldest of the three Riley brothers. The youngest brother was still active duty, and had been the one to contact Lucky on his brothers’ behalf about potentially prospecting for the club. All three brothers were SEALs, though the two oldest were retired and eligible to prospect for the VDMC. But it had been Keys, Tom, and their security company that had grabbed both brothers’ attention, so they scheduled an interview.
They were also an hour early.
“Which of you is Keys?” the oldest asked.
Parting like the Red Sea, the crowd split down the middle to reveal Keys behind the counter. He pushed his glasses up his nose.
“Hawthorne Riley?” Keys inquired, holding out his hand. He knew damn well which brother was which, having done extensive background checks on all three and their family.
The man’s hand engulfed Keys’. “Just ‘Thorne’,” he corrected, taking Keys’ hand.
“Good to meet you. This is my business partner, Tom,” Keyssaid, releasing Thorne’s hand and pointing to Tom. The two also shook.
“Goose,” the second brother came forward, offering his hand as well.
“Good to meet you, too,” Keys said cordially. “I do have to ask, though. How do you pronounce your real first name?”
“E-sop,” Goose answered phonetically, turning to take Tom’s hand too. “Our mother is a retired professor of English History, and clearly, did not want me to make any friends on the playground.” Though he said the words with a smile, there was a tightness to his voice that hinted at resentment. Honestly, Keys couldn’t blame the guy. He couldn’t imagine any child wanting to be named ‘Aesop’ and have to attend the public school system.
Keys quickly introduced both brothers to Simone, Jumper, Pirate, Jasmine, Sophia, and Aerial.
“We apologize for being early,” Goose said to Tom and Keys. “We had an appointment with a realtor this morning, but she had to postpone until this afternoon. I suggested calling first to see if you could talk to us sooner, but my brother prefers face-to-face, and we were only right around the corner.”
