Page 56 of Until Ireland

“Are you working a full day?” Hunter asked absentmindedly as he went back to keying part numbers into the computer.

“No,” I confessed, not wanting to clue my brother in on the other errand I planned to do later. I hadn’t even told Mack. “I’ve got to order some parts for the Aston that we missed from our initial assessment. Plus, I need to buy a new ignition and wiring harness for the Triumph.”

Hunter’s brow furrowed. “Ire, the car is gone. We’re not going to get it back. I know you were excited to work on it, but once the police are done with it, it’ll be sent back to the owner.” Hunter’s tone was pissing me off. I wasn’t a two-year-old who didn’t know how things like this played out. “Wait, what do you mean you need to buy a new ignition and wiring harness for the Triumph?”

Oops, had I forgotten to tell him?

“Mack knows the owner of the Aston, and he stated to Mack when the car was released from impound, he wanted us to finish the repairs.” I tapped on the counter with my knuckles. “I think…I mean, I hope getting the car back to finish will help take the spotlight off the shop.”

“Ire...” He narrowed his eyes.

“Ugh, fine. Mack and his friends went on a little hunting expedition and found my bike.” I shrugged.

Hunter cocked his head and grinned at her. “Damn. I’m glad you retrieved it, little sis.”

Me too.

“You’re right,” he continued. “Getting the car back in here will show we’re a reputable shop. You’ll see, we’ll have more work than we can handle soon.” With a wave of his hand, my brother sent me off.

I fluttered around my bay, writing up orders and getting the information into the computer once Hunter was done. I slipped the paperwork into the copy of Aston’s file. The original had gone to Cobi. He’d promised they’d get it back to me, but I’d made a spare just in case. Once I was finished puttering around, killing time mostly, I headed out.

Since my car was noticeable and I needed to get into and out of Nashville without being detected, I took one of the two cars we provided for our customers when they required a vehicle while we worked on theirs. They were nothing special, which would keep me inconspicuous.

After a quick stop at my favorite coffee joint, I made the drive to Nashville. If I was lucky, I’d hit the warehouse at lunchtime. Hopefully, the guys who worked there kept the same schedule they had over a year ago. It would make it easier for me to get in and out without being detected and back home before anyone noticed I was gone.

Hours later,I pulled into the parking lot of my shop, hopped on caffeine, and feeling pretty damn confident. Everything had gone to plan. It’d helped that Edgar was still a stupid ass. The fucker did nothing to secure the building housing the expensive boosted cars. No, that wasn’t completely true. He used aRingdoorbell. However, if a person didn’t go through the front door, he’d never be alerted.

I’d fit through one of the small open windows near the rear of the building, allowing me to be able to get in and out of Lux’s warehouse without being seen. It reminded me of the scene in the firstFast and Furiousmovie when Brian broke into the warehouse to check out Hector’s cars. Although unlike Brian, I didn’t do my B&E under the cover of night. Any minute any one of Edgar’s mechanics could’ve come back and spotted me in here, but I’d swallowed down the trepidation and panic and did what I came to do, bust Edgar. Somehow, I made it out undetected.

All the evidence I was going to use sat on my phone. I’d pulled over a half hour outside of Nashville and sent everything to my encrypted email as a backup.

I was badass like that.

I really wasn’t, but it made me feel better to pretend it was the truth. Because the reality was, I’d been scared shitless.

Only Hunter’s bay was open when I returned, which meant he was still working. I’d closed mine when I left. Landon’s was shut, but he had a car up on the lift. He couldn’t care less if the big metal door was open or not while he was in the pit.

After I parked the borrowed shop car, I returned the keys to the hook behind the desk and went off to find Hunter. He wasn’t at his bay, and neither was Landon. A quick look at the clock told me one of them might have gone for a food or drink run. It wasn’t normal for them to leave the door unlocked though or the big metal doors open.

“Hey,” Hunter said as he came down the hallway that housed the small kitchen, storage area, and bathroom. “Everything go okay?”

“Oh yeah,” I said, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “Look.” I pulled my phone from my back pocket, unlocked it, and accessed the photos I took before handing it to my brother.

Using his index finger, he flipped through the pictures I’d taken a couple of hours ago.

“Ireland, tell me this isn’t what I think it is?” Hunter kept his focus on my phone.

Thanks to the adrenaline, I was full of nervous energy. “What do you think it is?”

“Evidence of boosted cars from fuckin’ Lux’s warehouse,” he snarled.

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”

Hunter snarled, “Jesus Christ, Ireland!”

“What?”

Hunter shook his head and let out a deep sigh before he pinned me with his gaze. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I opened my mouth to reply, but he continued on his rampage. “How could you be so fucking stupid, so impulsive to risk your life for this?”

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