DAX
“Hell no, I am not sitting on this stool watching you work all morning,” I grumbled, when Sprocket presented me with my perch. “I’ll have you know that I’m very mechanical.”
Sprocket leaned against his workbench with his arms crossed watching me with those intelligent green eyes.
I’ve met a lot of people in my line of work and it was the ones with eyes like his that scared me the most. They seemed to be able to look into your soul and make you spill all your secrets.
Not this girl, I had too much at stake to let a handsome face with hands that could do the Lord's work get anything out of me.
“I’ll be the judge of that. Why don’t we start you out with being my tool runner and go from there,” Sprocket said pushing off from the bench and gesturing to the rows of tool drawers behind him. “Feel free to look through them and familiarize where things are.”
Rolling my eyes I pulled open the closest drawer and saw it filled with sockets of all sizes along with various wrench handles in different lengths.
I had to admit as I worked my way through the bench that he had an amazing collection of high end equipment.
Peeking over my shoulder I saw him standing at the hydraulic work table with the motorcycle he was working on unboxing parts.
“One might think with how many tools you have you might be compensating for something,” I smirked as I looked at the drawer with the impact wrenches in it hefting one up for show.
Sprocket set down the box and gave me a disapproving look. “Now Dax, I’m pretty sure you know that’s not true. You know exactly what I’m working with, or did my cock rubbing on you pert little ass slip your mind?”
The shock of hearing him talk so bluntly caught me off guard.
I could not seem to get a read on this guy.
One minute he is sweet and soft spoken than he pulls shit like this.
As he held my gaze he walked over to me and pulled me flush against his chest making sure to pin my pelvis to his.
In this position there was no way that I could miss the size of the equipment he was packing in his jeans.
“In case you needed a reminder,” Sprocket said, nipping at my earlobe before releasing me. “Now, if you could grab me a socket wrench with a half-inch socket that would be lovely.”
Gulping as he turned back to the bike I shook myself out of my lust filled stupor and grabbed what he asked for.
After that incident I decided that he was too dangerous to tease casually so I kept silent as I observed the comings and goings of the shop.
There were four other men that worked in the shop but none of them really interacted with us.
They seemed content to shit talk each other and leave Sprocket to his work.
Outside the garage I saw women chatting as they headed off in cars presumably to do shopping or whatever else off the compound lands.
Other members came and went on bikes or headed into the club house.
What surprised me the most was that everyone seemed very content to be here.
The women looked happy and none of them seemed worried about the rough looking men hanging around.
I didn’t see said men getting sloppy drunk by noon and harassing the women or causing fights like I’d always imagined.
For the most part this seemed like any other cul-de-sac that actually liked spending time with their neighbors.
“What do you say about taking a lunch break?” Sprocket said, pulling me out of my musings.
Glancing up at the clock I was shocked to see that it was indeed noon. “Sure, I’m always up for food.”
Sprocket grinned at that. “I’ll bet you are, word on the street is that food is your weakness.”
“There is nothing wrong with liking to eat. Try growing up unsure if you're going to get one meal let alone three in a day,” I growled, frowning at him.
“Hmm, so I’m guessing you didn’t have the white picket fence childhood,” Sprocket said, as he wiped off his hands on a rag.
I stiffened not really wanting to delve into my childhood, no one but Wes knew my whole story and that suited me just fine. “Let’s go with, I never had a chance to wear rose colored glasses.”
Sprocket watched me for a moment then turned to head out of the garage apparently assuming I was going to follow him. Groaning I stomped a foot and headed after him back to the house.
“Make sure you take your boots off or Eagle will beat your ass, and not in a fun way,” Sprocket warned.
“God if he and Wes ever met I think they might be best friends or kill each other,” I muttered kicking off my boots letting them fall where they will. “Wes can’t stand a messy house either, that’s why I have my own floor to be as messy as I please.”
“Wes… you mean your business partner Weston?” Sprocket asked as he pulled out what looked like items to make a sandwich from the fridge.
“Figured you guys would have known about him if you're any good at your research.” I said hopping up on a stool.
Sprocket paused in making his food to look up with me mischief in his eyes. “We found you didn’t we, I would say that alone speaks for our skills.”
“It was only a matter of time until someone would give me up if you paid enough or threatened them the right way. The downside of my job is you can’t trust anyone to watch your back.” I said shrugging my shoulders.
“Yet you trust Weston,” Sprocket said as a statement more than a question.
“Hmm, well he is different,” I said. “Weston is my family, he and I have been through hell and back. Much like I would guess you and the other four guys.”
“Aren't we lucky people to find something like that in our lives,” Sprocket said, taking his plate and sitting down at the counter next to me.
I couldn’t help but grin at the fact that this asshole was making a statement when he didn’t make me a sandwich. Both Eagle and Picasso had made me all of the meals since I had been here, but Sprocket was not planning on catering to me.
Hopping off my stool I wandered over and made my sandwich.
Making sure to stuff it full with as much meat and cheese I could, with one leaf of lettuce knowing Wes would have yelled if I didn’t eat enough vegetables.
Slathering the bread with mayo I put it all together and cut it corner to corner.
Spying a bag of BBQ chips I dumped some on my plate and pulled open the fridge to grab a drink.
Grabbing a can of Mountain Dew I took my meal back to my seat pleased with myself.
“I think you forgot something Princess,” Sprocket said with a grin on his face, eyes full of humor.
I frowned looking down at the feast in front of me then back to him. “What?”
“That last person always cleans up,” Sprocket instructed.
“How do we know, I’m the last person? The other guys could come back and want to make a sandwich.” I said, to justify my actions.
Sprocket just shook his head. “They are off the property today until later. I got a text an hour or so that they ran into a little trouble so I get to hang with you until Tilly is free.”
“Fine I’ll put it all away when I’m done,” I huffed.
Sprocket grabbed my plate and slid it away from me.
“Nope not gonna work. If you wait too long in this heat you could make the meat or the cheese go bad.” Before I could control my face my lower lip popped out in a pout as he blocked me from my meal.
“The longer you take pouting the longer it will be before you get to eat.”
I growled at him as I went back to the kitchen and started to put things away. “If you touch one chip on my plate I’m going to stab you with a rusty fork.”
Sprocket’s eyebrows shot up at my words. “My that is a very specific threat. I have to know, do you have a rusty fork hidden somewhere on you?” He asked as he poked at a chip on the top of my pile.
I grabbed the knife I used for the mayo and threw it at Sprocket letting it hit the wooden countertop right next to his hand. “Fresh out of rusty forks at the moment but I do have plenty of knives around.”
Sprocket didn’t even blink as he removed the knife from the counter and gave me an impressed look. “That’s quite and arm on you, not many people could get a butter knife to stick in such thick wood.”
What the hell would it take to freak this guy out? Doesn’t he realize that I could have killed him? Or at least really stabbed him with that knife?
Trying not to show how much he threw me off my game I put the last of the food away and came back to my seat. Sprocket slid my plate over and I dove in ignoring his chuckles as I glared at him.
“Hello,” a female voice called out from the front door.
Sprocket stood and opened the door letting in a woman who gave him a wide smile which he returned. For some reason I couldn’t even begin to explain I did not like this woman looking at Sprocket like that.
“Tilly, welcome. Thank you for looking out for Dax today. It seems that they lost all her belongings at the airport so I scrounged up what I could.” Sprocket said, lying through his teeth to this woman.
Tilly was beautiful. Tall with thick long brunette hair that had that effortless wave girls killed for.
Her slim body was accented by her tight ripped jeans and t-shirt that said ‘real women ride’ was cut into a crop top.
Turning, she finally took me in with warm brown eyes that seemed friendly at first glance.
“Oh God please don’t tell me that they have been forcing you to wear shit like that?” Tilly said with a wrinkled nose and wide eyes.
Okay I kind of like her after that.
“Not the worst I’ve had to make due with,” I said shrugging my shoulders.
“Come on babes we will get you sorted out and tomorrow I’ll go out and get you some real clothes.” Tilly said, waving me over.
I grabbed my plate since I wasn’t done with my food and hopped off the stool.
“Dax… leave the plate here,” Sprocket said, frowning down at me.
Looking at my half eaten meal then back at him I. “Nope,” I said, popping the P. “I’m gonna take it with me, don’t worry I’ll bring it back.”