the five to ten thousand guaranteed per vehicle—depending on the shape the car was in when it arrived—plus ten percent commission if he sold it instead of adding it to his collection—had been too sweet a deal to pass up. Saving for his dream would take much less time than he’d originally thought. Instead of having to wait until he was thirty, he’d been frugal enough that one more year to freedom no longer seemed out of the question.
“Damn, it’s fucking freezing in that thing.” Nico reappeared from the walk-in, blowing into his hands.
Silver shook his head, chuckling as he washed his hands so he could get out of there. Nico was short like Silver, but not bulked up at all. He was more of a video game fanatic than a workout freak. Yet another thing great about the huge garage where Silver lived. Plenty of space for the pieces of gym equipment he’d managed to pick up at garage sales over the years. Anything extra, like a monthly gym membership, would cut into his savings.
“We ready?”
Silver untied his apron then flung it over his shoulder the way he always did. Nico’s gaze traveled to their workstation, then he nodded.
“Yeah. I’m good.”
The servers and bussers had left about fifteen minutes earlier, so it would be up to Nico and Silver to lock up. Another nice thing about working for a Mom and Pop was the more chill way everything was approached. At least the places where Silver had always worked.
The lights in the dining area had already been turned off, so Silver flipped the switches on the panel for the kitchen and hallway to the back door. He set the alarm then shoved his body against the rail of the heavy barrier, emerging into the warmth of the late spring air.
Silver came to an abrupt stop at the sight of the dude with the Lamborghini from the night before, Nico crashing into Silver’s back.
“Damn, bro. You forget something?” Nico peeked around Silver then moved to his side. “¡No manches! (No way!) Check it out. Homey’s got the luxury wheels.”
Silver snorted. “Yeah. Doesn’t he though.”
What a pretentious prick.
The guy—Donovan?—was inexplicably parked in the lot, leaning against an electric blue Corvette. If Silver was correct in guessing, and he was damn sure that he was, it was a sixty-three and cherry. Maybe the guy thought that since the Miura hadn’t worked, maybe this one would. What the asshole didn’t understand was that he wasn’t impressed. He’d not only seen—but been intimately acquainted through his tools—with more wet dream performance cars than Mr. Money Bags could possibly imagine.
“Goodnight, Nico.”
“The fuck?” Nico hadn’t stopped gaping at the car. “Aren’t you gonna go take a look at least?”
“Oh, I’ll take a look. Right after I give this dick a lecture about playing with fire.”
“Huh?” Nico wrinkled his nose at him. “You know this guy?”
“Not in the way you think I do.” Nico had known his orientation for years. His friend had been the one by his side for support when Silver had come out to his surprisingly accepting, staunchly Catholic parents. “Just some fuckwad who assumes I can be bought.”
Nico snorted. “Fuck man, I’ll be gay for pay if it comes with that ride.”
Silver smacked his friend’s arm. “Don’t be an ass. I’ll catch you later, I gotta go put this pinche culero (fucking idiot) in his place.”
“Could you do that after I drool all over his car?”
Silver glanced at Donovan, who still leaned against the car with his arms crossed and a smug, yet suggestive, leer plastered on his lips.
“Not tonight. I don’t want to encourage him.”
“Ay wey… (oh man…)” Nico sighed. “Fine. But you owe me. I get to be the first one to ride with you in whatever that Morgan thing is, once you get it finished.”
“Deal. See you tomorrow.”
As Nico shuffled away in an exaggerated attempt to convey his disappointment, Silver strolled over to Donovan. He noted the slight rise of Donovan’s eyebrows as he drew closer which made him want to take the man over his knee and give him a good spanking for his bratty attitude. Silver frowned.
No, I don’t.
The last thing he needed was to tame some deluded asshat with a superiority complex the size of the Grand Canyon. Someday, when he could afford his own boy, Silver would find a man with a good heart, someone with compassion who ached to please so he could be rewarded with Silver’s love and care. Not someone who thought he