Page 130 of Broken Pieces
“Didn’t hear you come in.”
He strolls over to the bench, grabs his shitty black coffee from the corner where he hides that old-ass thermos.
Rainer leans back, watching me with that half-grin that says he knows too much.
“Got a new kid on trial,” Rainer says, casual as ever.
I arch a brow. “Yeah?”
“Mason. Nineteen, maybe twenty. Couple priors. Petty shit. Foster kid.” He shrugs.
My gaze drags to the far side of the shop.
There he is.
Crouched low, hands dunked in a tray of degreaser, scrubbing parts with practiced ease. Dark hair buzzed on the sides. Ink snaked down both forearms. Shoulders broad. Frame solid. He’s got the build of a guy who’s taken hits and thrown harder ones back.
I know the kind. I used to be the kind. I guess I still am.
His hands are busy, but his eyes tell the real story. He’s not focused on the tray in front of him. He’s clocking the exits, the tools, the layout. Me.
Every glance is calculated. Measured. Sizing up the shop and the people in it. Working out who are the threats and who aren’t.
I know that look. Used to wear it every day.
Still do, when it counts.
And right now, I’m the threat he hasn’t figured out yet.
Good. Keeps things interesting.
The stairs creak, cutting through the quiet hum of the shop.
Light footsteps.
Skylar, bag slung low on her shoulder, jeans painted on, hair a little messy from the morning rush.
She steps into the workshop, and everything slows.
My throat goes dry. My pulse forgets what steady means.
She’s herself again—the girl who could cut you open with a look and make you thank her for it.
Her eyes find mine.
Every time they do, it’s a punch straight to the ribs.
She smiles. That smile that strips the air from my lungs and reminds me how fucked up about her I really am.
I nod, pretending I’m not burning from the inside out. Pretending my cock isn’t half-hard from a single fucking look. But my body’s already betrayed me. It’s wired. Buzzing. Begging.
She moves past the workbench, throws Rainer a quiet “Morning.”
He starts to reply, but I don’t hear him. Because that’s when I fucking see it.
Mason.
The moment she appears, he looks at her.
