Chapter 6
I found a job.
Barely.
A construction foreman named Mike.
He'd done time too. Twenty years ago.
He looked at my application. Looked at me.
"Prison?" he asked.
"Five years," I said. "Assault. Self-defense, but the jury didn't see it that way."
He nodded.
"Can you swing a hammer?"
"Harder than anyone you got."
"Show up at six tomorrow," he said. "Don't be late. And don't cause trouble."
I showed up at five-thirty.
I worked harder than anyone there.
Carried more. Sweated more. Asked for more.
By the end of the first week, Mike clapped me on the back.
"You're a hard worker, Ryan," he said. "I got more work for you. As long as you want it."
The money wasn't much. Not enough to cover everything.
But it was honest.
And it was mine.
Tyler heard about the job.
He showed up at the site one afternoon.
Tried to cause trouble. Told Mike I was dangerous. Told him I'd steal from him.
Mike just looked at him.
"This man works harder than three of you combined," he said. "And he shows up. Now get off my site before I call the police."
Tyler left. Furious.
May you like
But I knew he'd try something else.
He always did.
