Page 26 of Broken Wheels

“But why him?”

“That’s the long story part. See, my folks are… well, not broke, exactly, but they don’t have a lot of money. My grandma was the one who was loaded. But then something caused a rift between her and my parents—well, my dad, really. He had definite opinions on a lot of minorities—not complimentary opinions—and when Grandma chastised him, he defended those opinions. He thought he was better than those people. And the rift never healed.”

Dix gazed at him. “Wow. You are nothing like your dad, are you?”

Doc’s face lit up. “That’s possibly the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He snuggled back under the covers, pulling them up to his chin like a shield. “Grandma knew what I was doing with the hacking.” He smiled. “She said it made her feel like a spy to hear about the places I’d busted into.” Doc let out a sigh. “Grandma got me.” He chuckled. “She knew where I was sending the money—to animal shelters across the country—and she approved. I guess that’s why I always felt so close to her. She made me show her how hacking worked by going into her bank and withdrawing money from her account. When I showed her how easy it was, she insisted I send that money to a shelter.” His shoulders slumped, and he seemed to shrink in on himself. “Her death ripped out a big chunk of my life.” His eyes glistened in the dimness. Then Doc cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how my parents first met Christopher, and I’m only guessing at why they wanted us to get together. Maybe they figured that way I’d have money, and that they might even get some of it.” Another shrug. “I just don’t know. Suddenly they were pushing him at me. They pleaded with me to go out on a date with him, and finally I said I would. I drove, because I didn’t want to be stuck anywhere with him.”

Dix was starting to get a really bad feeling about this.

“Doc, you don’t have to tell me about it if you’d rather not.” Or maybe Dix wasn’t ready to hear it.

Doc’s smile seemed dimmer somehow. “It’s fine. We went out to dinner, and he took me to this overpriced seafood restaurant. This was back before I stopped eating meat.”

“Was it a good date?”

He huffed. “The food was okay. What sticks in my mind is the server. She was a really nice young woman, and Christopher was a dick to her. He made her run for the stupidest of things. Like he said he wanted soy sauce. She went and got it, brought it back to the table, and that jerk never touched the bottle.” His face tightened. “To say I was pissed was an understatement. So mad, in fact, that I.... Well, I might have found out her name. And then I might have done a little digging.” Doc’s eyes twinkled. “She was the recipient of five thousand dollars from Christopher’s bank in recompense for his attitude.”

Pride swelled in Dix’s chest. Doc was one of the best people he’d ever met. “You’re a good guy, Doc.”

Doc flushed. “Anyway, after we’d finished dinner, I was more than ready to go home, but Christopher told me there was something I had to see. He gave me all these convoluted directions and by the time he said to stop the car, I was pretty lost.” Doc swallowed. “Then he pounced. He had his hands all over me. He grabbed at my crotch, and all the while he was trying to stuff his tongue down my throat.”

Yeah, it was a real good thing Chrissy had left, because the way Dix was feeling right then? He would have killed him.

“I punched him in the windpipe, and he started retching. I was so angry and flustered, I got out of the car and started walking. I had no idea where the hell we were, but I kept right on going. It took me most of the night to figure out where I was. I wanted to call home, but I was angry with my parents because they’d practically forced me to go out with him.”

“What did you do?”

Doc sighed. “I found myself in a park not far from home. I sat on a bench, going over that whole sorry episode in my head. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. By the time dawn arrived, I knew what I was going to do. I went home and told my parents in no uncertain terms that I would never see him again.”

Dix froze. “Now wait just one minute. You went on one date with this bozo?”

Doc nodded.

“So you and Christopher never….” Dixon waggled his hands. “You know.” It was overstepping the line to ask such a personal question, but he couldn’t help himself.

Doc’s eyes widened. “What? No! I was disgusted by his mouth on mine. No way would I let him put anything else in me.” His cheeks flushed. Then Doc sighed once more. “Okay. I’m going to come right out and admit something embarrassing to you. I… I’ve never done any of….” He waggled his hands the same way Dix had done a moment ago. “That.”

Dix stared at him for a moment. “With anyone?” He was having a hard time coming to terms with the idea of his crush being a virgin.

Doc shook his head. “Never had the interest.”

And that right there was a fucking crime.

Doc tilted his head. “Can we change the subject?”

“Sure, but there’s something I have to say here. One date does not make this guy an ex. What it does make him, however, is a piece of shit who tried to molest you, and if I’d known this before I met him, I guarantee he would have ended up regretting what he did to you.”

Doc gave an amused smile. “You’d have done something to him?”

“Happily.”

Doc widened his eyes. “Now that’s what my parents should have said, but no. I told them several times about what he’d done, and do you know what they did? They made excuses for him. ‘Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand? Maybe he just likes you that much.’ I tell you, it made me look at them differently.” He grunted. “I swear, they had my life all mapped out for me. Never mind my degree, or the fact I had a job. They thought we should get married, and I’d be the stay-at-home parent for our kids.”

“After one lousy date?” Dix gaped. “Sorry, but your folks sound kinda delusional. And why should you give up everything?”

“They said it would be easier for me to quit than it would be for Christopher, because his daddy owned a company and he was grooming Christopher to take over.” Doc’s face grew mottled. “I can’t tell you how angry that made me. Almost as angry as I am right now to learn they’re still in touch with him. Anyway, when I turned twenty-one, I was called into a lawyer’s office. I figured it was going to be something to do with my hacking, since I’d gotten the government off my back, but no. Turned out Grandma had left me a bequest that kicked in on my birthday, and I’d inherited the bulk of her estate.” He paused. “One point one billion dollars.”

Dix nearly choked on air. “What?”