Chapter 5
RILEY
Iwoke before the sun had fully crept through the high windows of the upstairs office. The pull-out couch was surprisingly comfortable, but I’d slept like crap anyway.
Sitting up and rubbing my face, I tried telling myself that my restlessness had nothing to do with the way Ryot had looked at me yesterday. Or the low rumble of his voice when he said my name.
Unlocking the door, I padded down the hallway to the nearest bathroom, grateful for the hot water. A quick shower helped wake me up, though my mind kept drifting back to him.
He’d introduced himself to me as Ryot, but I’d heard someone else call him Gauge. I couldn’t help but wonder what that was all about, but I figured I had plenty of time to learn since I was working for him.
I dressed in my usual black tank top, cargo pants, and work boots. No matter how much I scrubbed, there would be grease under my nails again by the end of the day. That was just how it was. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and allowed myself a moment of gratitude.
Despite still having a rough night, I’d actually felt safe enough to close my eyes for more than twenty minutes at a stretch.
The building was surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire.
Cameras covered the important angles. The doors were heavy and well-secured.
If I had to be on the run, this was probably the best place I could’ve ended up.
But now I had a job to do so I could prove I deserved to be here.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I spotted Ryot.
His broad shoulders stretched the seams of a dark shirt as he stood talking to a couple of mechanics near one of the dynos.
Even from across the busy garage, my stomach did a silly little flip that I immediately blamed on the bad night’s sleep.
Get it together, Mercer.
He looked up as if he could feel me watching, and those dark green eyes locked on mine. The corner of his mouth tipped up in the smallest acknowledgment before he excused himself from the conversation and headed straight for me.
“Morning. Ready to make it official?”
I nodded, trying to ignore how aware I was of him as he led me into a side office. He gave me plenty of physical space, but I could still feel the weight of his attention as I sat down and started filling out the employment paperwork.
After a few minutes, he glanced through the window overlooking the nearest bay. “Be right back. One of my brothers needs me. He brought in his old lady’s new ride for me to look over since she’s pregnant.”
He stepped out, leaving the door partially open.
I finished the last form, then twisted my head from side to side to stretch my neck.
Then the door opened, and a woman stepped inside. “Oh sorry. I didn’t realize someone was in here.”
“No reason you should have.” I offered her a cautious smile. “It’s my first day.”
“Ahh, gotcha.” She grinned. “I’m Blitz’s wife, Aubrey.”
“Nice to meet you.” My smile widened a little. “I’m Riley.”
She tilted her head toward the mini fridge. “I hope you don’t mind if I grab a bottle of water.”
“Please, go ahead. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to look in there, so I certainly won’t miss anything. Not that it’s even my place to say.” I gave her a tight smile, feeling more than a little self-conscious.
She snagged a cold water and gave me another friendly look. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll see you around. I hope you have a great first day.”
“Me too,” I mumbled as she turned to walk out. “I have a lot riding on Gau—this job.”
I let out a slow breath after she left, staring at the desk.
This place was already more complicated than I’d expected.
I needed to stay focused on the job Ryot had given me, not the man who was now my boss.
And I needed to stop fumbling over his name.
If I made a big deal waffling over calling him Ryot instead of Gauge, then it’d just draw more attention to it.
Ryot returned at the end of my mental pep talk to myself. “Paperwork done?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Where do you want me to start?”
Ryot didn’t waste time. “Come on. I’ll show you around the place.”
I fell into step beside him, trying not to stare at the way his broad shoulders moved under his shop shirt. The Pit was impressive. Rows of lifted cars and bikes gleamed under fluorescent lights, and my fingers itched to get on them almost as much as I wanted to trace my new boss’s tattoos.
Ryot stopped at a workstation and tapped the computer screen. “Inventory system. Scan the barcode when you pull a part. It updates automatically. No more guessing what we have in the back.”
This system would’ve made it much harder for Shawn to embezzle from his dad. “Way better than the dinosaur software at my old shop.”
“You’ll like the work order system. Everything’s digital. Customer notes, photos, specs—all in one place.” He pulled up a file and pointed. “See?”
“Nice,” I murmured, already itching to get my hands dirty. “You run a tight ship.”
“Gotta. The guys trust us with their lives on the track. Can’t afford mistakes.”
We moved through the bays as he pointed out the dedicated cleaning stations, massive roll-up doors for quick vehicle movement, and heavy shelving loaded with every performance part imaginable. The place was organized chaos done right.
Eventually, Ryot stepped back and crossed his arms. “You ready to dive in?”
“Born ready,” I shot back with a grin.
“Start with the brake job on the blue street bike in bay three. Then diagnostics on the silver drift car. Let me know if you need anything.”
I headed straight for the street bike, feeling Ryot’s eyes on me as I started, but I pushed the awareness aside and focused.
First, I double-checked the work order on the tablet, then lifted the bike onto the stand with practiced ease.
I removed the wheels and inspected the rotors and pads with a critical eye.
The pads were worn unevenly, exactly like I’d suspected from the way the customer described the pull in the notes.
I grabbed a fresh set from inventory, scanned the barcode, and got to work.
My hands moved on autopilot: torquing bolts to spec, bedding the new pads properly, checking the lines for any air or leaks. I worked fast but clean, the way my dad had taught me. When I was done, I spun the wheel by hand, listening for any drag or noise.
“Looks solid.”
I straightened, wiping my hands on a rag, and turned to find Ryot standing a few feet away. He’d been watching the whole time.
I lifted my chin, trying not to preen at his praise, which hit differently than when Tim told me I did a good job. “I cleaned the calipers while I was in there, too. Should stop the uneven wear on the new pads.”
He stepped closer, leaned down, and gave the assembly a quick once-over. Then he spun the wheel himself, listening. When he straightened, the approval in his dark green eyes was clear. “Good work. Most new guys would’ve rushed it and left the calipers dirty.”
“I hate doing a job twice. Figured I might as well do it right the first time.” I shrugged like his compliment was nothing. “And I’m only new here, not at doing the work.”
The corner of his mouth twitched—not quite a smile, but close enough for me to feel it. “Keep that attitude, and you’ll fit right in here.”
He lingered for another second, his gaze staying on me a beat longer than necessary, before he walked off to check on another bay.
I let out a slow breath and turned back to the bike, my heart beating harder than the job required.
Over the next couple of days, a pattern became impossible to ignore.
Ryot was never far. Whether I was deep in a diagnostic, organizing parts, or torquing down a suspension job, I’d look up, and he’d be there. Across the bay, at the next lift, or walking past. He wasn’t hovering exactly. He was just present.
I told myself he was evaluating the new girl. That was all. But it didn’t feel like simple supervision. It felt like something more intentional.
And then there were the other mechanics.
I was finishing up a brake job on a customer’s sport bike when one of the younger techs wandered over and leaned against the workbench a little too casually.
“You’re fast.” Jared flashed me an easy grin. “Where’d you learn to bleed brakes like that?”
Before I could answer, Ryot looked over, his eyes locking on Jared with quiet intensity.
Jared straightened immediately, suddenly remembering he had somewhere else to be. “Uh, I’ll go check on that order for the Hayabusa.”
The younger mechanic was gone before I could even say anything. And this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Every time another guy got a little too friendly, Ryot scared them off without even needing to do much more than look over.
It was ridiculous. And annoyingly attractive.
I watched as Ryot turned back to the engine he was working on, saying something low to one of the older mechanics. The man nodded and, without question, adjusted whatever Ryot had suggested.
No one argued with him, and he never raised his voice. But he was the center that held everything at The Pit together.
I shook my head and turned back to my own work, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through my chest. I couldn’t afford to let myself get comfortable. Or attached to the only man who’d gotten my motor running. No matter how tempting he was.
I didn’t realize how much time had passed until a plate suddenly appeared on the workbench beside me.
“Eat.”
I looked up from the carburetor I’d been rebuilding. A sandwich, chips, and a bottle of water sat on the bench next to me like they’d materialized out of nowhere.
I wiped my hands on a rag and arched a brow. “I didn’t ask for food.”
Ryot crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Good thing I wasn’t waiting for you to ask.”
He stood there like he had all the time in the world and had already decided I was going to eat whether I wanted to or not.
I stared at him, a confusing mix of annoyance and warmth blossoming in my chest. Bringing me food from the employee break room was a small thing, but it felt like he’d been paying close enough attention to notice I’d skipped lunch and then moved to take care of me.
I hated how much I liked it.
“Thanks,” I muttered, picking up the sandwich even as my stomach fluttered traitorously. I took a bite, mostly so he’d stop staring at me like that, and tried to ignore the way his mouth curved in quiet satisfaction before he walked away.
I couldn’t afford to lust after my boss. Not when I was only supposed to be here until my car was fixed and I figured out my next move.