Page 37 of Hold

“Jake Donaghy, sir.”

Pat dismissed him easily, turning his rising ire on Liam. “Where did you pick him up? Since when do we give summer jobs to teenagers? I don’t have room for them. I need my apprentices doing these jobs, and you know it.”

“He needed a summer job. Duane and Javier have plenty of work. I could use the help.”

“If you need help, you askmefor a helper! You don’t go find your own!”

Pat was turning red, and Liam was sure his own cheeks were following suit. He’d wanted a quiet day today, a day to get Jake in and out and ready to go find his own job before Pat realized he was involved. Typical that Pat would choose today to check up on him.

“Where did you find him?” Pat said again. “One of your students? Sorry,” he added with a relish Liam hated him for, “ex-students?”

“Actually, yes.” No need to mention Thea, whom Pat had taken such a dislike to.

But Jake, choosing this exact moment to get pedantic, said, “You were never my teacher. And I didn’t get to varsity when you were coaching.”

Shit.“Yeah, Jake, I know, but—”

Pat suddenly turned his sharp blue gaze on Jake. “So what are you doing here?”

Jake swallowed. “Umm… like he said. He’s been coming to the house for study group. My mom must have told him—”

“Wait.” Pat put a hand up, almost in Jake’s face, cutting him off as he looked back at Liam. “This has to do with that Fielding woman, doesn’t it?”

Liam was now wound so tight, he could feel the wrench in his hand cutting into his palm. “You don’t have to talk about her like—”

“Goddammit!” Pat yelled.

“Jesus, Dad, the client—”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Pat shouted at full volume. “I see the whole goddamn thing now! Your spoiled little rich kid here was too lazy to get a job, so you thought you’d scare him straight by bringing him here and showing him the shittiest job we do!”

“No, Dad—”

“You’ve got no respect at all!” Pat came up close to him, jabbing his finger in Liam’s chest, spittle landing on his face. “No respect for me, no respect for the job that paid for your goddamn college and every stitch of clothing you ever had on your ungrateful back, no respect for the men you work with. I’m fucking sick of it!”

Liam opened his mouth, but Pat was in full flood. Pat had been pissed with him before and was known for yelling before he thought, but Liam had never seen him this angry.

Pat picked up the pipe they’d brought from the van and threw it at Liam, who only just caught it.

“Get out.” Pat went back to the street cleanout, picked up Liam’s bag, and swung it at him, letting go of it so that Liam had to drop the pipe to catch it with both hands. “Get the fuck off my jobsite. You’re fired, and so is your little friend. Put my van back, get in that stupid truck of yours, and get out.”

“You’ve always wanted this,” Liam answered, standing his ground. “You’ve wanted to say this since the first day I told you I didn’t want to be like you.” He could feel his own voice rising, his own control ebbing away. He fought to keep his voice even. “Your precious ego is still bruised, and instead of dealing with the son you got, you keep on wishing for the one you’ll never have.”

He took the tool bag in one hand, put the other on Jake’s shoulder so he spun around to face the van, and marched him away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the homeowner standing on her front doorstep, her mouth open.Great.

Pat either didn’t notice her or didn’t care. “A real son would respect his father!” he shouted after them. Liam closed his eyes momentarily, then opened Jake’s door. Jake got in in silence, and they peeled away from the curb, burning a little rubber on the way.

Liam had been driving for four minutes, his mind teeming, Jake still mute beside him, when he said, “Damn it,” and turned the van around.

“Where are we—?” Jake began, but apparently the look on Liam’s face silenced him again.

When they pulled back up to the house, Pat beside it, the ground around the cleanout plug now partly dug out, Jake looked nervously at Liam again. Liam didn’t look at him; he got out of the van and strode over to his father. He heard the door slam behind him, telling him Jake was following.

Pat looked up in surprise, then his eyes narrowed.

“You’re right,” Liam said.

Pat wasn’t expecting that. “What?”

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