Romero (Moreno Brothers)

Chapter 3

MOVING ON

Romero

Manny and Max weren't happy when they found out that not only was Romero not going into the family business, he wouldn't even be doing the doorman gig anymore. Of course, he'd help out if they were ever in a bind and needed him, but he had a goal, and he was sticking to his plan.

After a year of doing the doorman thing exclusively, he started landing jobs at other bars and clubs. He needed the experience of dealing with more than just throwing a bunch of drunks out on their asses.

He landed a job at a sports arena, working security during concerts and events. The bigger celebrities had their own security, but the small-time celebs needed to be escorted in and out. As different as the venue was, compared to his uncles' bar, the sexual encounters were surprisingly similar. His choices in this case were of a more sophisticated caliber, but the outcome was still the same. The women may have been classier on the outside, but to Romero, they were just as hollow on the inside, and the act itself, just as meaningless.

The biggest difference was while the women at his uncles' bar looked up to him as if he were on a higher level because his uncles owned the joint, these women had the fucking nerve to look down on him because he was the security guard to their gig. They'd spread their legs just as easily as the girls from the bar and moaned just as loud. It was laughable. Though most of the time he didn't feel much like laughing.

One night, he walked the back stage, keeping an eye out for any eager fans that might sneak back to get a closer look at the musicians performing that night. The music blared so loud you could actually feel it vibrate through the halls.

Thoughts of his next step to get to his goal consumed him. He'd already enrolled in an online course required by the state to get his business license. Talking to Angel and Eric helped him stay on course. They were always talking about the next semester and having to pass this or that prerequisite. Even though he never talked about his own goal, he had a lot to take care of before he got to where needed to be.

The main thing slowing the process for him now was money. His uncles had it, but he wasn't about to hit them up. He was doing this on his own. That was part of the reason he sought out another job—more money. His uncles had offered him more money to stay, but he knew it was a handout. Most of the time, he sat out there for hours. Some nights he saw no action at all. How the hell could he justify a raise for doing nothing more than sitting and keeping an eye out?

Loud voices jolted him from his thoughts. He turned to see a man and a woman arguing just outside the ladies' room at the other end of the hall. He hurried toward them. From what he could see, they both seemed to have the proper backstage passes around their necks. Their argument was escalating. The music was loud, but so were they, and Romero could make out what they were arguing about.

"You don't talk that way to a man in his position!" The man barked right in her face, but she didn't back down.

"The hell I don't. He insulted me!"

The man grabbed her arm, and she pulled it away. "Get your paws off me!"

The second Romero saw the man's other hand go for her throat, he broke into a sprint. He felt something ignite in him, and the memories of that night with Cici in the parking lot assaulted him. "Get your fucking hands off her!"

They both turned, startled by his voice. The man backed away from the woman just seconds before Romero reached them. Romero slammed him against the wall. "You think you're a tough guy, hitting women? Hit me, mother fucker!" He held his hands open to his sides, dying for this guy to take a swing.