“That’s awesome, what are they?”

“One is a race car, which we’re doing first. The second is … a race car … of sorts.”

Of sorts?

“So it’s not a race car?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, it is.”

“Okay, who is it for?”

He’s silent for a minute. “Just a local racer.”

Oh my god, he’s lying to me.

“Is that so?” I say.

“Yeah, that’s so. What’re you doing?”

“I’m, ah, waiting for my dad to come home.”

“Why, where is he?”

“He’s out with some friends,” I lie.

“Now who’s lying?”

Dammit.

I sigh. “I don’t know where he is.”

“Does he do that often?”

Only every night these days.

“No,” I lie again.

“Jesus, woman, at least try and tell the truth.”

I snort. “You should talk.”

He’s quiet a second. “Right, subject change. What else are you doing?”

I laugh. “Nothing.”

“You want me to come fuck you to pass time?”

My legs clench and I would really, really like that, but I can’t risk Tazen coming here and finding out just how bad my life is behind the scenes. “I’d love that, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to go to sleep. I have a boss that seriously likes to ride my ass. You should come and teach him a lesson.”

He’s grinning, I can tell, when he says, “That so?”

“Mmmhmm, he really is a bully.”

“Maybe you need to ask him to ride your ass in the more … natural way.”

I snort a laugh. “You’re the devil.”

He laughs too, low and husky. “I never denied it, angel. Go ahead and get some sleep, leaving me hanging and broken because you rejected me.”

I roll my eyes even though he can’t see it.

“I’d love to be fucked by you again, Tazen, but after that little comment I think I might just make you wait longer.”

“We’ll see just how long you can hold out.”

“Oh, we will.”

He chuckles. “All right, angel. I’ll let you go. Night.”

“Night, boss.”

I hang up the phone and fall asleep smiling.

It doesn’t last long. I’m woken to the sounds of my dad stumbling into the room. I rub my eyes over and over again, and when I manage to focus, I see him trip over the rug that’s fraying and torn on the edges. He lands with a thump and I sigh, swinging my legs off the couch. I walk over to him and lean down, scooping the bottle up. He’s passed out cold.

Only he could trip, fall down, and pass out without even a bother.

Too tired to move him, I pull the pillow off the couch and lift his head, placing it underneath. Then I cover him with a blanket, hide the alcohol, put a glass of water beside him and make my way to bed. I don’t even get changed. Instead I pull the covers back and fall face-first down onto the soft pillows.

I don’t move until the sun wakes me in the morning.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“They want it … brown?” I say, scrunching up my nose.

Tazen snorts and stares up at me from the clipboard he’s holding. “They want to be different, who am I to judge when they’re paying me so well?”

“Brown is an ugly color. Cars should be green, or blue, or red!”

He gives me a lazy half grin. “Business is business, angel. Now, call the painter and book in body work for two weeks. Also, get cracking on gathering everything we need for the engine.”

“It’s an impressive engine,” I admit.

“With over seven hundred horsepower, it should be.”

I sigh. “One day I’ll have that kind of power at my fingertips.”

Tazen flashes me a grin. “You already do.”

I throw a pen at him. “Animal.”

“Get going, no favors for the pretty girl. We have work to do.”

“Yes, boss.” I grin, turning and disappearing into the garage.

I make all the calls I need to, then I help Toby fix one of the cars that was brought back in with a busted radiator. I pass that onto Kellan to polish while I fit some sweet black and white tires to an old restored Mustang that’s a lot like mine. Tazen didn’t build it, but the guy that owns it refuses to take it to anyone else. He loves Tazen’s work.

“Quinn?” Rick calls just as I fit the last tire.

I stand, wiping the back of my hand across my forehead and look over to him. “What?”

“How busy are you?”

“That depends, Rick, what do you need me for?”

He jerks his head, indicating I need to come closer. I do this without too much fuss. When I reach him, I cross my arms and prompt him to go on.

“Well,” I say when he doesn’t speak. “I don’t have all day. As much as I’d love to chat and bond with you, we both have jobs to do.”

He gives me a bored expression.

“I’m so glad you’re thrilled with my presence,” I mutter.

“Just waitin’ for Tazen.”

Right.

I stand next to him, wondering why the hell we’re waiting for Tazen. He comes out a moment later with his phone pressed to his ear. He holds up a finger for us to wait, then disappears back inside. Rick steps a few paces forward and I actually lift my arms and smell underneath them. Nope, I don’t smell, he just apparently doesn’t like me. Rude. I walk over and stand by the wall, and because of my new position I can hear Tazen’s phone conversation.

“Give me a month, Murray, and it’s yours. We’re on it now.”

Murray. The man who came in and the two had that completely suspicious conversation. He’s ringing again, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out one of the cars we’re building is for him and whatever the hell he’s doing on the side.

“You tell her to fuckin’ wait,” Tazen grunts. “I don’t have the time for her shit.”

I tilt my head to the side and listen some more.

“I couldn’t give a fuck what’s going on with her car, she’s going to have to hang out and wait for me to build a new one. If she didn’t flog them so hard, they might actually last.”

She she she. I know they’re talking about this mysterious Sheyenne. I want to know who she is. I want to know what she does and why the hell she’s going through so many cars. The curiosity is definitely going to kill this cat.

“Fuck me, I’m busy Saturday night. Find someone else to look at it.”

Interesting.

“I don’t care if I fucking built it, Murray. I told you I’m done with all that shit, now, I’ll tell you again. Find someone else.”

He slams the phone down and I turn casually back and act as though I didn’t even know he was so close. He comes around the corner and I pretend not to see him as I sing softly to myself. He walks over and I turn slowly, smiling when I see him. “Hello, boss, Rick told me you needed me.”

His eyes flick around and I follow them to see Rick has obviously given up waiting. Tazen reaches me and puts a hand on the wall beside my head, leaning down. “Need you, baby, you have no fucking idea how much I need you right now. Stay behind half an hour tonight. I’m going to bend you over Trent’s old Mustang and fuck you so hard you’ll forget your own name.”