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He looks at the crumbling concrete porch as he mumbles, “I paid the electric bill with it.”
Fucking hell. I’m the worst guy ever. That money’s nothing to me, and this kid was just trying to help his mom. Tess turns away, but not before I see the tears gathered in her eyes.
Every bit of anger I had left over my wallet just drained away. I don’t want to make things any more awkward than they already are.
“It’s fine, I don’t care about the money. I just?—”
Tess clears her throat, composing herself. “Zee, give him the thirty-two dollars and the wallet.”
Her son goes into the house, his shoulders slumped. Tess crosses her arms and meets my gaze, her eyes round with contrition.
“I’m sorry.”
It’s like a knife to my heart seeing this proud, fierce woman so humbled. It was easier to talk to her when she was furious with me.
“Really, it’s okay,” I assure her. “I just want to grab my license. He can keep the thirty-two dollars.”
Her expression turns to granite. “We may be broke, but we aren’t thieves. I can’t pay you back right now?—”
“No.” My tone is more insistent than I intended. “You’re not paying me back.”
There’s no way in hell I’m taking money from a family that clearly needs it. I’ve got millions in the bank.
“Ultimately, Zane will be paying you back. I’ll make him work off the debt somehow. Shoveling shit for a buck an hour if I can manage it. I have to teach him a lesson.”
The thought of Tess paying me back with tip money while trying to juggle her tight budget kills me. I won’t let her do it. Those fifties were just pocket money to me, but paying them back would be a burden for her.
I’m about to press my argument when a light bulb goes off. “He can work it off with me.”
She pinches her brows together. “What?”
I nod, knowing this is the answer. I can take it easy on the kid and Tess won’t have to bust her ass to repay me. It’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t even know you. I’m not letting you take my kid somewhere and make him do God only knows what.”
I bristle at her accusing tone. “Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. I said you didn’t even have to pay me back, but you’re the one insisting. Come with him if you want, I don’t care.”
Zane pushes the screen door open and steps back outside. I frown when I see that the rusty door doesn’t have a window or a screen—it’s just open, offering no protection from potential home intruders even if it’s locked.
As Zane passes me my wallet, Tess says, “Zee, you’ll be working off your debt to Dom.”
“Dom?” He sneers. “A thousand bucks says that’s not his real name.”
I scoff at his smart-ass remark. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have a grand to wager, kid, and my legal name is Dominic Locke.”
“You stole the wallet of a professional hockey player,” Tess tells her son. “Not that it matters because we’re not fucking criminals. You’ll be doing whatever chores he gives you for ten bucks an hour until you’re square with him.”
“Ten bucks an hour?” Zane gapes. “That’s bullshit.”
“Don’t talk to her that way.” I give him a menacing glare.
“Who the hell are you?” he fires back. “Besides the asshole who can’t take care of his own car?”
“Stop talking, Zane.” Tess’s level tone is even more ominous than her threatening one. “One more word out of you and you won’t be getting your driver’s license until you’re seventeen.”
He presses his lips closed. Tess meets my gaze.
“He can start tomorrow.”
