Page 19 of Nyx

We all sound off again.

"Cerberus males do not go inside the house," Oracle begins.

"What if someone infiltrates?" Holler asks.

Oracle rolls his head on his shoulders, looking at the man beside him. "If someone gets inside, then you've already failed. It's not an option. Understood?"

Holler nods.

"The backyard is fenced. We patrol around it, but we do not go inside," Oracle continues. "You will memorize all visitors scheduled. Unscheduled visitors are not allowed. Everyone who works with these women knows they have to be on the list or they don't get inside. We don't care if they've been there a million times. Not on the list means make an appointment. Sometimes the list updates. Those working a shift that day will get a notification if it does."

I take all this information in as he speaks.

I know how serious this job is, and not just because Cerberus royalty is in attendance today. The women inside, not connected to Cerberus, deserve just as much protection.

"It shouldn't have to be said, especially to anyone in Cerberus," Oracle says. "But I'm going to say it anyway. This is a serious fucking job. Anyone caught slacking, anyone caught napping, if you land an overnight job, anyone caught not giving a hundred and fifty percent will be out of a job."

"So no more shelter shifts?" Recon asks.

Oracle glances up, looking at the man in the rearview mirror.

"Done with Cerberus," Oracle says. "Is working at the shelter going to be a problem for you, Recon?"

"No, sir," he answers, his tone serious.

I don't know if the man was just trying to lighten the mood or if he was actually checking on the consequences because he's not going to take this job as seriously as it requires.

I glance up, Oracle meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror, and he holds them for a second.

I dip my head, understanding the request immediately. He needs me to pay close attention to Recon. That man would burn the world to the ground to protect Beth, and he can't risk someone falling short on their job.

I feel like new air has been pumped into my lungs. It's not that I was hating the idea of working security at the women's shelter. I understand the importance of our presence there, but having a secondary mission helps a lot.

I'm not a snitch, but if there's an issue, we need to know about it.

I trust that Cerberus made the right call by bringing Recon into Cerberus, but we're going to have to verify that by watching his actions.

The trip to the shelter isn't long. Misty, Beth, and Emmalyn are already inside when we park.

"Hold tight," Oracle says as he climbs out of the SUV.

He walks across the street to where Kincaid and Shadow are. As he speaks to them, both Kincaid and Shadow look up at our SUV, and I know he's explaining what happened.

"It was a fucking joke," Recon growls, but there's still a hint of fear in his voice.

I turn slightly, looking over my shoulder at him.

"These men don't fuck around about their women," I say. "Ever."

"Got it," he says.

"There's plenty of time to joke back at the clubhouse, but when working, it's all business, all the time," I continue, opening my door when Oracle waves at us to join him.

"Recon," Kincaid says. "A word."

Not a single person in the group chuckles or jokes about him being sent to the principal's office, and maybe this one instance of misplaced humor on Recon's part is enough to drive it home that these jobs are taken seriously.

I don't watch Recon walk toward our president. I keep my eyes on Oracle. I want him to know how seriously I take this privilege.