Chapter 15
"A new gift?" Dustin repeated, his eyes instantly flashing with teenage suspicion.
He didn't move from the sofa. Kerry just smiled, knowing exactly how to play him. "What, are you afraid?"
Twelve-year-old boys were physically incapable of backing down from a direct challenge. Dustin tossed his iPad onto the cushions and stood up. "Which eye of yours sees me being afraid?"
Despite his tough talk, as Dustin approached the box, he was silently bracing himself for a jump-scare. He pulled the ribbon, lifted the lid, and prepared for the worst.
There was no horror. No gore. Instead, sitting inside the box were... two impossibly small, absurdly adorable teacup puppies. One was snow white, the other pitch black.
Kerry watched him stare at them. "I saw how many pets you have. Figured you might like them."
The words I don't like them were already on the tip of Dustin’s tongue, but his brain short-circuited and his mouth blurted out, "What is this, a bribe?" He deliberately hardened his face, refusing to let her see that he was actually thrilled.
Kerry kept her tone light and conversational. "Please. I didn't stuff an envelope with cash. Bribing you is a stretch. You showed me your pets; I brought you some. It’s just basic courtesy."
"I don't just take things from people," Dustin huffed proudly. "It's not like I can't afford them myself."
Right as he spoke, the tiny white puppy stood up on its hind legs, desperately trying to claw its way up the side of the box to 'escape.' Realizing its legs were too short, the little dog looked around, spotted its black sibling, and shamelessly stepped right on the black puppy’s head to get a boost.
Dustin immediately reached in and scooped the white puppy off its sibling. The white dog stubbornly tried to scramble back up, while the black dog just lay there, totally resigned to being a stepping stone.
Kerry could tell Dustin was hooked. She smoothly played the sympathy card. "I know you can afford them. But animals aren't just gifts, they're lives. Even if you don't appreciate my gesture, have some pity on them. They were living bottom-tier lives at that pet shop. Think about how happy they’ll be living with you."
Going from a cage to a billionaire's mansion, Kerry added silently. These dogs just won the canine lottery.
Dustin knew she was manipulating him, but it was a manipulation he actually liked. He held the tiny dog in his palm, staying quiet for a moment before feigning indifference. "Fine. I guess I'll do you a favor and keep them. How much were they? I'll pay you back."
"Don't," Kerry replied seriously. "If your family finds out, they'll think I’m trying to run a side hustle selling you dogs."
Dustin didn't argue. He was already completely distracted by the puppies. The two of them fell into a surprisingly easy rhythm. Kerry casually wove her lesson plan into a conversation about biology and pet care, and Dustin actually engaged.
For the first time, it felt like they had called a truce.
A while later, Bill knocked on the door and called for Dustin. The boy took the dogs and left the room. When he returned a few minutes later, he placed the puppies on the sofa and looked directly at Kerry.
"You want to peacefully coexist, right?" Dustin asked.
Kerry couldn't read his sudden shift in tone, but she nodded. "I do."
"Do me a favor," Dustin said, his eyes gleaming with a dark, inherited cunning. "Do this, and I'll accept you as my tutor. I won't cause you any more trouble."
A temptation wrapped in a trap. Kerry kept her smile perfectly in place. "What kind of favor?"
"There's a woman downstairs. I don't like her. Help me get rid of her."
"What woman?"
"A woman who constantly pesters the guy who pays your salary," Dustin replied bluntly.
Clif's stalker? Kerry’s internal alarm bells went off. Are you kidding me? Who do I look like?
"Dustin, I can't help you with that," Kerry said smoothly. "I’m just an outsider."
"Whether you're an outsider or not depends entirely on whether I decide to keep you as my tutor," Dustin threatened softly.
Kerry was genuinely speechless. This kid is a demon. She took a breath, trying to talk him off the ledge. "Dustin, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just—"
"Dustin?" a woman’s voice called out from the hallway.
Dustin paused, then raised his voice. "Come in."
The fact that the little tyrant actually used a polite tone told Kerry everything she needed to know about the woman’s status. The door pushed open, and an incredibly elegant, beautiful woman walked in. She wasn't dripping in gaudy brands; her luxury was quiet, her makeup flawless, her aura screaming old money.
The woman clearly hadn't expected someone else to be in Dustin's private room. When she locked eyes with Kerry, her perfect smile visibly tightened.
Kerry immediately stood up and offered a polite nod. The woman returned a bare minimum acknowledgment before looking at the boy. "I didn't realize you had a guest."
"She's my tutor," Dustin replied, petting one of the puppies.
"Oh? When was this decided? I heard they were having a terrible time finding someone for you."
Kerry subtly began inching toward the door, desperate to escape the crossfire.
Just as she reached the threshold, Dustin’s voice drifted through the room, loaded with malicious intent. "I don't really have a say in my tutors. As long as he likes her, that's all that matters."
Kerry froze mid-step. She could practically feel the woman's eyes snap toward her like laser-guided missiles.
Dustin wasn't done throwing gas on the fire. "Ms. Jones treats me very well. I'm very satisfied. I suppose that's why he worked so hard to convince me to accept her."
I am going to strangle this child, Kerry thought, suffocating under the weight of the woman's sudden, freezing glare.
"I just got back to the city," Darby Tucker said, forcing her attention back to Dustin, though her voice was noticeably colder. "I brought you some gifts. I won't interrupt your lesson. I'll come see you another day."
"He's not home," Dustin said. "You can just call him."
"His phone is off. He must be busy."
"He has two phones," Dustin said without missing a beat. "You probably aren't calling his private number." Dustin suddenly turned to Kerry, his eyes gleaming. "Ms. Jones, could you make a call? Just tell him Aunt Tucker is here."
Kerry opened her mouth to say she didn't have his number, but the demonic child beat her to it.
"He told me you have his private line," Dustin lied flawlessly. "Be a dear and tell him to come home for Aunt Tucker."
Kerry stared at the boy. Checkmate. He had spun a web of implication so thick that even Kerry was starting to wonder if she was secretly sleeping with Clif Condon.
