Page 11 of Cherished By the Sinners

She could text Louise and ask for someone else to relieve her, but she didn’t want to dump the job on anyone else.

She sucked in a breath and texted Mason.Excuse me, how do I politely tell one of the important guests from India to stop following me so closely?I don’t want to start trouble or anything, but he’s in my space.If he does this to every housekeeper, no one will want to clean their suite.

Mason would know what to say.She hit send.

Darlene frowned.Why was she waiting for someone else to deal with this jerk?She could figure this out for herself.It was her job, her life now.

“What are you doing?”the man standing behind her asked, his voice low and full of menace.

Was he trying to scare her on purpose?She looked at him squarely for the first time since she’d entered the suite, and dropped her phone into her pocket.

He smiled at her, wide enough to show off canine teeth filed sharp.Mason and Magnus had similar teeth, with one difference.

Mason and Magnus, who’d made her promise to call them if she needed help, had never threatened or tried to intimidate her.Mason and Magnus could probably twist this guy into a pretzel without much effort.

The guest licked his lips, but didn’t otherwise move.

Really?She was trying to keep things calm, normal, and...tidy,damn it.And he was acting like a jerk.

What was it with men today?

She looked over at the other guests, another man and three women, sitting in the middle seating area.

“I would appreciate it, if your friend or family member here would stop bothering me while I’m trying to do my work,” she said to them.

One of the women stirred, shifting her weight slightly.“Why would we do that?”

“Because none of the other housekeepers are willing to clean your suite.”

The woman blinked, then frowned.“I don’t understand.”

“Do you want your suite cleaned, towels exchanged, and your garbage emptied or not?”Darlene asked.“Because, if I tell Mason and Magnus Breznik that I won’t clean here because he’s—” she angled a thumb at the guy behind her.“—acting creepy and scary, I don’t think anyone else will do it.”

The woman laughed.“You’re nothing but a servant.”

Is that how they saw her?As a lesser person?Someone who could be hurt without consequences?

The others laughed with her and the chuckle from the man behind her was as evil as the serial killer’s who’d tried to kill her.

Oh.Ohhhhh.They were like the rich guys who used to try to get her in their car, get a blow job, but pay nothing or beat her up and take whatever money she’d earned.Those guys thought they were better than everyone else, but they were just as mean as every other strung-out pimp and john she’d ever met.

And she didn’t have to take that from anyone anymore.

Well, she’d warned them.

Darlene turned and walked back to her cart, made sure she had everything, then turned the cart and began pushing it toward the door.

The man got in front of her, forcing her to stop or run into him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”he asked.

“I’m following my boss’s instructions,” she said.“Excuse me.”

The man shook his head.

“Do you want to use the supplies on the cart to clean the room yourself?”she asked.

He frowned.“No.”