I see it break loose, and I place the hammer down. I take the rotor and pull it off. Once again, I stand and walk over to the wall, looking for a metal wire brush. After finding one, I grab it and walk over to the brakes and rotors. Right next to the brakes and rotors, I see a piece of paper that says these are for the Mustang.
After making my way over toward the car, I place the brakes and rotors on the ground. I start to brush where the rotor had been, trying to remove some of the rust before I place the new rotor on. If you keep the majority of the old rust on, it can meld to the new rotor and make it hard to shift. It can be annoying to take off, but it is important for later, and it will make the job easier.
I grab the brake cleaner and spray the rust. Next, I pick up the cloth beside me and apply brake cleaner to it, rubbing the new rotor on it, getting all the oil off.
Then, I place the new rotor on and attach a lug nut to make sure it stays in place while I add the caliper bracket. Rotors like to fall out of place when they are new, so placing a lug nut helps hold them. Quickly, I add some medium-strength thread locker onto the bolts so when there is vibration, the bolts don’t get loose. I screw the bolts into the caliper bracket and take the torque wrench and tighten them.
My next job is to add some lubricant where the brake pads will sit, so it’s not metal against metal. I get the brake pads and place them in their spot. Taking the caliper, I slide it into position. Then I grab the bolts and put them into the caliper. With the torque, I tighten the bolts, making sure they are tight. I remove the lug nut from the rotor, and pick up the new tire that is sitting against the car.
Grabbing the tire, I hoist it off the ground and place it on the car before I grab the lug nuts and put them in. I hand-tighten them before I torque the lug nuts. After working in a garage for so long, I learned that you never want the lug nuts to be loose or else your tires will come off when you drive, and that wouldn’t be good.
I stand up and turn around, looking at the president. He is standing with a shocked expression, but quickly covers it up when he notices me looking at him. I make my way toward the other side of the car, getting ready to look at the other brakes and rotors.
“You don’t have to do those. Let’s go back to my office to discuss everything,” the president offers.
I follow him back to his office. I don’t sit on the chair because I am filthy, and it looks brand-new.
He sits in his chair and looks up at me. He motions toward the chair, and I shake my head. I point to my clothes, now covered in oil stains, not wanting to get any stains on his chairs.His chairs look so well taken care of, and I don’t want to ruin that. The president lets out a breath and looks me in the eyes.
“Welcome to the Hell’s Reapers garage, Brooke, you’ve got the job. You start tomorrow at eight,” the president says.
2
BROOKE
Istare in shock. Sure, I am excited that he is giving me an opportunity to work here, but I am also skeptical. I thought it would take a little more to prove I can do the job. It was hard to get my first job because mechanics is such a male-dominated field. Women have more to prove if they want to make it into this field. I always feel like I have to prove myself because of my size and gender, but I am a good mechanic. My old job thought I was, too, but when the accident happened, I had to stop working. They wanted to keep me, but I had to take a step back and recover from everything.
“Now, to formally introduce myself, since we will be seeing a lot more of each other. I am the president of the club. You can call me Pres, President, or my club name is Gunner. I don’t want any disrespect to me or anyone in this club, and no drama while working,” Gunner explains.
I nod in understanding. It’s interesting that they all have a club name.
“You can wear whatever you want to work. We will pay you every week, and you will earn twenty-five dollars an hour. Your shift is eight in the morning until five or six, depending on whatneeds to be done. You might get let off early some days, but we are normally pretty packed,” Pres says. “That sound good?”
I nod. Twenty-five dollars an hour isn’t bad. I am also thankful that we get paid every week because I only have twenty dollars to my name.
“If any of the guys give you trouble, you come to me. They can be nosy and rowdy sometimes. We really need another mechanic, and you have proven yourself today. I don’t want them to scare you off,” he tells me. “But remember that someone will be watching you when you work. Just until I feel like you are okay and not a threat.”
I hope they just keep to themselves and won’t bother me. I don’t really have the desire to interact with any of them. They all could be trouble, and I don’t want any of that. Right now, I just want peace in my life.
“You are free to leave. Just remember, eight in the morning tomorrow,” he dismisses me politely.
I nod and head toward the door. I walk through the house and out to the parking lot. There are a lot more bikers here, who are all staring at me. I keep my head high as I walk past them. I am super excited to have gotten the job, but their stares make me uneasy. I just need to get out of here fast and figure out what I am going to do for the rest of the night.
I can either buy new clothes and sleep outside, or I can wear what I wore today and get a hotel room. It’s a tough decision because I want to make an impression, but I also want a bed to sleep on tonight.
After passing a couple of clothing stores, I make up my mind. I am going to buy some new clothes and sleep outside. I don’t want them to question why I’m wearing the same clothes every day. I can go into a store and use their bathroom to clean up a little. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do until I can get a place to stay.
There’s a thrift store down the street, and I walk toward it. I can find some clothes that will cover things up pretty cheaply there. I may even have some money left over to get something to eat after.
When I walk into the thrift store, all the workers stare at me. I quickly walk toward the jeans and pick out a pair, then go to the long-sleeved shirts. I pick out a black shirt and some gloves before I make my way toward the register.
“That will be fifteen dollars,” the cashier says cheerily.
After I pay, I pick up my bag and walk out of the store. Even though I really want to eat dinner, I know that I am going to need breakfast for my long day tomorrow. I want to be able to last all day and not make a bad impression. It’s important for me to show the president that I am not a threat and that I am worthy of this job.
Feeling happy to have some new clothes, I walk around the town to try to find an alleyway to sleep in. I didn’t want to pick a park that is out in the open and get mugged or beaten up. Once I find a suitable alley, I sit on the ground and attempt to make myself comfortable. I know I won’t be getting a lot of sleep, but it’s better than nothing. I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes.
“And where doyou think you are going?” Jared says, stalking toward me.
