24. Cruz

24

CRUZ

H aving an honest job was an adjustment for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but balancing schoolwork with the hours I was picking up was hard.

Today would mark the first race I would miss in the last year.

After I sent the crew a message telling them I couldn't make it, I didn't bother checking on my phone anymore. I already knew that Big Dog would be pissed. It wasn't ideal, and the money was nowhere near the amount I won with Big Dog, but at least I knew that aside from potential murder, I wouldn't be busted for grand theft.

"You're doing a fine job, son," Ava's dad told me.

I was a fucking adult. There was no reason for his praise to make me feel good the way it did. I probably was deficient in kindness, too, so of course it would make me feel warm and fucking fuzzy.

Now, if Mr. Hayes knew that I saw his pretty little princess playing with her wet fucking pussy, I doubt he'd be complimenting me. Or maybe he would give me a medal because my level of restraint was even better than I thought possible.

"Thank you, sir."

I pulled a rag from the back pocket of my hands and removed the grease from my hands.

"Who taught you how to work on cars?"

This would be a good moment for me to lie, but the moment I opened my mouth, the rehearsed speech didn't come.

"When I was sixteen, I worked my ass off mowing grass, shoveling snow, washing cars, walking dogs…anything and everything I could legally do. I managed to save just enough to buy a piece-of-shit car." I laughed as the memory came to me. "That car was one bump away from falling apart."

Mr. Hayes chuckled.

"There was a junkyard on the outskirts of the town where I lived…and after blowing all my cash on a car that needed more work than it was worth…" I paused, feeling embarrassed about what I was about to confess. People who lived comfortable lives didn't know how desperation drove you to do things you otherwise wouldn't. "I…I thought sneaking in and stealing the pieces would be a good idea…which was not only stupid on my part, but insane since my only guide was YouTube videos."

"You got caught?" he questioned me without any judgment in his tone, and that was refreshing.

"Yes…I almost pissed my pants," I admitted. "The yard belonged to three brothers, and the one who found me was one scary fucker. He yanked me by the shirt and dragged me out. Before he made me go back, he asked me what car I was trying to fix, and that was that." I paused to take a sip of my water. Mr. Hayes had leaned against one of the cars, genuinely interested in my story.

"A few days later, the guy found me and gave me one of the parts I was going to put on my car. He laughed in my face and cursed me out in Spanish when I told him I would YouTube how to install it. He showed me how to fix it, and then one or two of his brothers would come in his stead and teach me that it doesn't matter the miles or the year of the car, but if you take care of things, they will last."

"Sounds like you lucked out," Mr. Hayes commented.

All I could do was nod. "I learned two things from that experience. The first was that blood didn't make you family, and the second was that kindness could go a long way."

"Keep up the good work, son," he told me before he headed for his office.

Instead of hurrying up to finish my work, I took my time. Nothing was waiting for me back in the dorms. I briefly wondered what the others were doing, but as much as it sucked to admit, it was none of my business.

Grayson had a game, Micah was probably there taking shots, and Ava—who the hell knew where she was? Maybe she had gone with them, and they were back to being a tight little unit. In every scenario, I was the odd man out.

I still owed Ava, at least for this job. The pay was shit, but it was a lifeline to a better life.

When I left the auto shop, I locked Mr. Hayes inside, since it was already pretty fucking late. I wasn't paying attention when I was making my way to my car. I let the comfort my job provided me lull me into a false sense of safety.

The punch to my cheek made my eyes water and my ears ring. I lost my balance, and I ended up falling to the ground. Before I could even react, I was being kicked in my stomach. I gasped in pain as I saw a set of footsteps retreating.

"Tu no te mandas solo, Cruzito."

It was a warning. I wasn't in charge of my own life.

Big Dog was not happy with the fact that I had bailed today, and he had ordered one of his bitch boys to send me a warning. The races he could deal with—there was always fresh blood willing to step up into the ring and prove themselves, but the side gigs were what kept me chained to Ricky's side.

You either earned money with Ricky, or you died without him.

Maybe this whole situation wasn't fucking with me as much as it should have. At the end of the day, I was a dead man walking.