“Ash wouldn’t be disappointed in either of them.” Eli snaps out.
She turns, looking at him, and steps closer. “So you knew Ash?” she pauses. “Now why would my son have a cop speaking highly of him at all? Unless you were on his payroll.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I gasp out.
“No. You’re right, but I’m smart enough to put some things together.”
She’s right. She may be flaky and not have a goddamn maternalbone in her body, but she’s right; she’s never been stupid.
“So, it’s either you were on my son’s payroll, and now on my grandson’s, or not. And either way, I don’t see how he would appreciate you fucking his sister.”
She’s quickly pissing me off. “Cut the shit, Terri, why do you care?”
“The money I’m rightfully owed.”
“Money!?”I laugh this time, shaking my head. “Terri, I’m a broke-college student. I don’t have any money.”
“Oh, is your brother keeping it all from you?”
I can’t answer her question. Z and I came to an understanding years ago. While I was still in school, my tuition and rent come out of his account. He has always set me up with some money every month as well. And every year he’d send me the forms to do taxes, so on paper, I’ve had a job for years. He told me about the accounts our parents left, but we all agreed it all should stay in a shell corporation so the money is much more difficult to track back to each of us. And specifically so Terri’s hands stay the fuck off it.
“I don’t think that’s the case, though. He may be closed off, but he cared enough about you to drop out of school and change his entire life so you wouldn’t be inconvenienced.”
“That’s not why he did it.”
I can tell as I look over at Eli how he had no intention of saying what he did.
“What?” she snaps back at him.
“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “What do you want?”
“I’m thinking 1… 1.5 should be enough to keep my mouth shut.”
“You are kidding me —”
“Okay,” Eli agrees, cutting me off.
“What?” I shout at him.
“I can’t get it all at once, though.”
“Okay,” she thinks for a moment, glancing over at me with a shitty smirk of her getting her way. “250 quarterly for a year and a half.”
“Eli, no!”I gasp, looking between them.
“As long as you can make the first payment now.” She stands firm.
“Okay.” He nods.
I stand back, staring from one to another.
“I have to get it.”
“Well, I think it’s only right that my granddaughter stays with me while you do.”
“No.” he shakes his head.
“No deal.” She smirks as she pulls the phone out of her pocket.
