Page 27 of Seeking Vengeance
Drug-free, consensual adult playtime was definitely not Benny’s style.
She wasn’t ready to give up on Angels though. Someone might know someone. There was no reason why she couldn’t work both angles as long as she was careful. And, she reasoned, just as much information was exchanged in a garage as in a bar. It might get her closer to her goal. Yes, it was risky, but she’d never expected it to be easy. And unless Charlene regained consciousness, the garage was her best backup option.
“Okay,” she breathed, still not entirely convinced she was making the right decision. “I’ll talk to him, see what he’s offering.”
Nick embraced her so hard that it almost made it worth it. “You won’t be sorry, Nicki, I swear it.” He grinned. “We are going to show this town just what a couple of bastards are capable of.”
* * *
“Here’s the deal,”Sean said, seated in his office. He didn’t normally open the place up on Sundays, but he’d made an exception when he received Nick’s call that Nicki had agreed. “I’ll give you a trial period. One week. You do well, and the position’s yours.”
She turned those pale, silvery eyes on him. He felt the force of them right down into his chest. Liquid diamonds—that was what they looked like, moving and swirling with currents of energy all their own.
“Part-time days,” she said, blinking once.
“It’s a full-time position.”
“I can do more in four hours than most men can in eight.” There was no arrogance in her tone; she simply spoke the truth.
If her skill was anything like her attitude, he didn’t doubt it. He also knew that she had accepted Jason’s offer to tend at Angels at night, so he understood at least one of the reasons behind her request. It wasn’t ideal, but he could work with it.
He appeared to consider her offer, studying her intently. He gave her credit. She never once broke eye contact, meeting his gaze head-on. No one dared do that besides his brothers—and certainly never a female. It made him hard as hell. Christ, he wanted to pound his chest and mount her like a fucking animal.
Finally, he nodded, compartmentalizing those thoughts for the time being. “All right. One week, four hours a day, Monday through Saturday. You start tomorrow.”
Nicki blinked. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to go for it. “You’re serious?”
Sean nodded. “Don’t expect any special treatment though. You pull your own weight.”
She smiled. The effect was startling. “Fair enough.”
* * *
Over the next week,Nicki took more than her fair share of abuse from the guys. Sean was tempted to intervene several times, but he forced himself to simply observe. He had to know she could handle herself.
And handle herself she did. She ignored most of their taunts and comments but was just as prone to give as good as she got. It became clear right off the bat that she didn’t take shit from anyone. And not once, Sean was pleased to see, did she appeal to him or her brother for help. Several times, in fact, he had seen her planting a well-placed index finger in her brother’s chest, telling him to back off and let her handle things on her own. That didn’t sit well with Nick, but surprisingly, he listened.
As a mechanic, she was invaluable. Often, she had to only listen to a vehicle for a few minutes to zero in on a problem, and she had an impressive knowledge base when it came to some of the higher-performing models. Over the course of the week, she had grudgingly earned some respect from the others even if they weren’t keen on admitting it.
It was nearly the end of the first week when it happened. Sean had asked the guys to come in a little early to get their thoughts on her. When Nicki pulled in a good half hour before her shift was supposed to start, she plowed right into the back of Sean’s Shelby.
* * *
The damageto the muscle car was minimal—she’d been all but stopped when the front tire of her bike made contact with the bumper—but Nicki had never been more embarrassed in her life. While the others gaped in shock, Nick hung his head. Sean glared at her but said nothing as she sputtered apologies and promised to fix everything.
The reason for the accident, unfortunately, was all too obvious. Sean had been talking to the others, his form-fitting thermal shirt molding to his back, his arms extended upward, showcasing his magnificent physique as he grasped the lift above. Nicki had been so distracted by the sight of his finely chiseled back and arms—not to mention, the perfect fit of those well-worn jeans around his narrow hips and powerful legs—that she neglected to fully engage the brakes in time.
The situation only got worse later that morning when a couple of the guys shed their coveralls and struck poses in and around the bays with snickers and taunts. Nicki made a point not to look at any of them. When she glanced at Sean, who had wisely remained in the office all morning, he only shook his head.
Nicki strongly believed the old adage that turnabout was fair play. So, she left and returned in high heels, skintight leather pants, and a push-up cami that sat several inches above her waistline to showcase the spiral tat and the cascading, glittering navel ring.
“That’s enough,” Sean said, grabbing her by her upper arm and escorting her into his office shortly thereafter. Three cars had been damaged and one of his guys had to go to the emergency room for a crushed hand after Dave inadvertently closed the hood of an SUV on it.
He angrily tossed her a set of coveralls. “For Christ’s sake, put these on. You made your point. Better yet, take the rest of the day off.”
Fuck that.
Anger filled her eyes as she yanked the coveralls over her legs and slid her arms into the sleeves. “You didn’t tell any ofthemto go home early,” she bit out through clenched teeth, tilting her head toward the work area.
