Chapter Six
C lassic rock plays through the sound system just loud enough to be heard over the sound of impact guns and lifts moving cars into the air. For most the sounds would be overwhelming, maybe even jarring, but to me they are soothing. Something about the shop chaos relaxes me.
The sound of a tool falling onto the shop floor makes me cringe.
“Motherfucker! Who took the work order for this piece of shit?” Gunner yells. He walks over to his bench and grabs a rag, pressing it to his bleeding knuckles.
“You good over there?” Bear asks without looking up from the bike he’s working on.
“Pretty sure you did,” Jagger tells him.
“Need a Band-Aid for your boo boo?” I can’t help adding.
“Fuck off, all of you,” Gunner says as he tosses his rag back onto his bench.
“Aren’t there rules about leaving your blood all over the place? You could have a disease or something,” I quip.
He ignores me as he stomps toward the door.
“I’m going to lunch,” he says over his shoulder.
“Come back with a better attitude!” I tell him, making him give me the bird over his shoulder.
He’s just so easy to rile up sometimes, I can’t help it.
“Goddamn, he’s in rare form today,” Bear says.
Fox nods. “I wonder what crawled up his ass and died.”
“Man needs to get laid, that will fix him right up,” Jagger quips, making my stomach swoop.
I thought I was immune to shoptalk before I started here, then I quickly realized I was wrong. Usually, the shit that comes out of their mouths doesn’t bother me, but for some reason, them talking about Gunner needing to get his dick wet makes me slightly nauseous.
It’s because you don’t like him.
Shaking my head, I finish writing out the work order on the oil change I just completed and walk over to the office.
“Thanks Sloane,” Smoke mumbles without looking up from the paperwork in front of him.
“You really need to hire someone.”
“I’m trying, trust me, I’m trying. Everyone I’ve interviewed either knows nothing about cars or they know nothing about cars and hit on me,” he grunts.
“Aw, it must be so hard being attractive to some,” I tease.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Shouldn’t you be working and making me money?”
“Yes, sir.” I salute him, making him chuckle.
Mission accomplished.
I head back into the garage and find myself bypassing my bench straight to his. I pick up the work order and read what’s wrong before walking over to the car.
“What are you doing, kid?” Bear asks.
I ignore him and pick up the tool that Gunner dropped.
“Don’t think about it, Sloane. It will only piss him off more,” Fox says.
Ignoring them, I crawl under the hood and take a look. As soon as I see it, I know. He was struggling to get his hand into a tight-ass space to loosen a bolt.
The brute should have just asked for help.
Sighing, I work my way into the hole and get to work. With the bolt removed, I move and undo the others that I think he might have a hard time getting to with his big-ass hands.
“You lookin’ to get your ass spanked, Sloane? Because he’s going to want to turn you over his knee for workin’ on his job,” Bear says from beside me.
I turn my head and eye the big man. “I’d like to see him try.”
“Do you even realize you’re playing with fire?” Jagger asks.
“I’m doing no such thing, and if I were, I have a fire extinguisher ready to go.” I point over to the wall where one is mounted. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal, I’m just doing a couple of things, so maybe when he comes back we won’t have to listen to him bitch and moan. Really, I’m doing all of us a favor.”
Bear shakes his head and chuckles softly. “Give him hell, kid. Give him hell.”
I watch as he walks away before getting back to work, going further into the job than I planned. When I’m done, I hop down and set the tool back onto the floor, just how I found it.
The guys around me laugh, shaking their heads.
“What? I put it back how I found it, how will he know?” I quip.
“You got a set of balls on you, girl,” Fox says.
“Actually, I have a vagina, and we all know those are tougher than balls.” I smile brightly as the guys whoop and holler.
I walk back over to my bench and grab the keys for the car I had been working on and move it out of my bay, exchanging it for another one. With the new car in place, I sigh as I read the work order.
Another oil change.
Same thing, day after day, rinse and repeat.
It was nice doing something a little different for a minute, even if I didn’t finish the actual project. Maybe, just maybe, he will trust me to do any other job soon.
I get to work and fall into the motions of changing the oil, so used to doing it that I could probably do the job with my eyes closed.
I could always try, it would spice things up.
I hear the shop door open and take a deep breath as the tension ticks up in the shop. Everyone knows a ticking time bomb is about to blow. I pull myself out from under the car and stand, wiping off my hands.
“Who touched my fuckin’ car?” Gunner billows.
All the guys drop their eyes to the floor, making me roll mine.
Little bitches. All of ’em.
Who knew a bunch of big bad bikers could be called to heel by one prickly bastard?
Gunner looks around with his hands on his hips. Slowly, I raise my hand and smirk as my heart races.
Don’t let him see your fear.
His eyes narrow on me.
“You.”
“Me.”
His jaw clenches. “Outside, now.”
He stomps by me, and I fall into step behind him.
“I’ll plan you a beautiful funeral,” Jagger says solemnly. “Only the best for our little Sloane.”
“Asshole,” I mutter under my breath as I follow my executioner outside.
Rage and attraction bubble just under my skin. I don’t know if I want to paddle her ass red or kiss her fucking senseless.
She was able to get the bolts loose on a job I had been trying to get off for hours in the time it took me to eat lunch and calm down. Everyone knows not to fuck with what I’m working on. Yet, for some reason she thought it would be a good idea to take over and do it for me when I wasn’t looking.
Little pain in my ass.
Trouble. She is fucking trouble.
It doesn’t help that every night after work I have been giving her a ride home. I should be taking a cage, but instead, she’s been on my bike. It’s doing things to my head. I’m only grateful it seems her neighbor is willing to give her a ride to work each morning. I don’t think I could handle two rides a day.
Pushing the door open in front of me, I don’t bother to hold it open for her as I step outside, the sun glaring down on me.
Jesus Christ, it’s hot out here.
I round on her, crossing my arms. I don’t miss the way her eyes drop to my forearms before they fly up to my face.
Interesting.
“What in the hell did you think you were doing working on that car when I didn’t give you permission to? I specifically told you to work on the oil changes, correct?”
Her delicate little shoulder lifts up.
She shrugs.
She fucking shrugs, making my eye twitch.
“You really do need to see a doctor about that. I think you have a serious problem.”
It’s the little bit of humor I hear in her voice that does me in.
“Sloane…” I growl out her name.
“I’m just saying you should take your health more seriously. You’re old and shit. You should probably have a will if you don’t already.”
“You drive me fucking insane, you know that?”
“It’s a talent.” She smiles sweetly.
“Sloane, get back on topic before I make you.”
I narrow my eyes at her when she’s about to let out a sassy retort, silently telling her not to test me.
She sighs. “What? It’s not a big deal. I thought I’d help you out since you were clearly struggling. I just loosened some bolts for you, is all.”
“We both know you did more than loosen some goddamn bolts. Now tell me why you did it.”
“Because you clearly weren’t having any luck. Now if you’re done whining like a little bitch, I’d like to get back to work.”
“I swear to God I should turn you over my knee and spank some sense into you,” I mutter.
“You wouldn’t be the first to threaten to do that, and I’m sure you wouldn’t be the last.”
Ice settles in my veins, and I narrow my eyes. “Who?”
Confusion fills her face. “Who what?”
“Who threatened to spank you?”
She waves her hand through the air between us. “That’s not important.”
Not important.
Not important, my ass. I need to know who so I can set them straight. No one can put a finger on her.
She belongs to me.
No, not me. The club.
“Are we done now?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“No, we aren’t done. Don’t ever touch my shit again.”
She shakes her head slowly. “Yeah, I’m not going to promise that. Besides, who knows? There might come a time where you need my help and you’ll ask me to touch your things.”
I grunt, clenching my jaw.
Why does my mind immediately go to things that she could touch that I might enjoy a little too much?
Fuck, the guys are right. I need to get laid. I’m losing it.
“Just say thank you so we can get back to work.” She sighs.
“Thank you.” Sloane rears back as if I’ve hit her. “What the fuck?”
“Huh?”
“Why did you do that?” I ask, pointing at her face.
“You said thank you,” she says slowly.
I nod. “I know, you told me to.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t expect you to actually say it.” She frowns as she shifts her weight from foot to foot. “Are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever? Do you need to go home? Should I call an ambulance?”
“I’m fine, why?”
“Because you’re making things weird…”
“Because I said thank you?”
Relief fills her face. “Exactly, you get it.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You’re exhausting.”
“Again, not the first person to say that to me. Now answer my questions. Are you good? Should I get Smoke?”
“I’m fine, Sloane, but we should probably talk about the company you keep,” I mutter, my mind going back to whoever might have wanted to spank her before me.
“Nah, hard pass,” she says, shaking her head as she points over her shoulder. “So if we’re good, I’m just going to get back to work.”
“Go.” I nod toward the door.
Sloane spins on her heel and hustles back into the garage.
Sighing, I rub my hands over my face.
That goddamn girl.
And that’s exactly what she is, a goddamn nineteen-year-old girl.
My anger starts to deflate.
I’ll never admit it out loud, but it’s kind of hot that she was able to do the job that quickly and correctly. I don’t know which is more attractive, the fact that she knows her way around a motor or the constant lip she gives me.
She gets your dick harder than anyone has managed in a while.
Grunting, I push that thought out of my head.
Nothing, and I mean nothing will ever happen between her and me.
She’s just a coworker. One who needs her mouth stuffed with a cock to keep her quiet but it won’t be mine.
I growl, hating that my thoughts went there. This girl got me tripping. I need to figure my life out and soon.
“You good?” Smoke asks as he pokes his head out.
“Yeah, still on my lunch break.”
Of course one of the guys tattled. They all like Sloane. Look after her like a little sister. It annoys the hell out of me.
Smoke nods and heads back inside.
As I head back toward the shop, I remind myself that she’s just a kid, barely an adult who’s just a coworker. Nothing less, nothing more.
She hates me. Even if she didn’t, I’m eleven years older than her. There is no way that could work.
When I step back inside, everyone looks my way but her. She’s too busy trying to look as if she’s busy with another oil change.
“You in a better mood?” Bear asks.
“Get back to work.” I sigh as I step back up to my bench.
“I take that as a no,” he mutters as he walks away.
Even when I tell myself not to, my eyes drift toward her, and I can’t help but wonder, where did she learn to do all of this and why do I care?