“Yeah, I’ll remember that the next time we get rear ended because you decided to stop for bambi.” He snorted but kept smiling. “You got the receipt?”
Callie dug into her back pocket and pulled out a paper. “Right here.” She held it out to me, letting go the instant my fingerstouched the edge. “He tossed in a couple extra parts. Jarrad said you’d be okay with that.”
I scanned the receipt, signed it, and put it in my pocket. “Good run?”
“Yeah. Nice and clean.” Jarrad tipped his head toward Callie. “That means we didn’t run into any rivals or have any trouble.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Callie huffed a dry laugh and hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m going to grab a smoke.”
I took my time chatting with Jarrad. “No sign of the Hellhounds?”
“Not a one.” Jarrad took a step closer and dropped his voice. “She’s wound tight, man. Barely spoke at all the first hour. Loosened up a bit once I mentioned my boyfriend, but she kept looking at me like I’d try to jump her.”
Fuck. I slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for the heads up.”
“She’s something else, Hawk. Keep her around, yeah?”
I nodded. “I’d love to.” But it wasn’t entirely up to me.
Diesel made his way around the back perimeter, doing his nightly walk. He tipped his head in the direction Callie had gone, a clear warning in his face.
“Put those up for me?” I motioned at the supplies on the flatbed trailer and set off after Callie.
Her head snapped around when I rounded the corner. A cigarette dangled from her fingertips, the end unlit. She held a lighter in the other hand, her fingers trembling when she tried to hit the striker.
“Need a hand?”
“Not from you.” She stuck the cigarette between her lips, cupped her hand around the end, and drove her thumb down the striker. A flame billowed, accentuating the deep hollows of her eyes and the panic that flared with every breath.
Keys jingled in her pocket when she propped her booted foot on the wall behind her and took a long drag.
Her gaze darted left, toward her bike parked next to the bay doors.
She took another drag and pinched her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger. “I appreciate everything you’ve done by letting me in the club.”
I’d heard that exact line once before in my life, and it was before Colt bolted for the first time. “We need someone like you around.”
She snorted and rested her head against the wall.
I took it as a win that she closed her eyes when I stood so close. It wasn’t quite trust, but for those few seconds, it felt damn good to know she had enough faith in me that I didn’t require constant surveillance. “You have a room in the house if you want it.” I dug into my pocket and produced a key. “Meant to give you this yesterday. It’s the only copy, so don’t lose it.”
Her eyes flew wide open. It would require even more trust to believe me that no one had a copy of the key.
She’d either take me at my word, or she wouldn’t.
7
DIESEL
SEVEN YEARS AGO…
I figured Hawk would have a hell of a time convincing Callie to stay, but within an hour of him walking over to where she stood at the side of the garage, she headed inside with her shoulders squared and her jaw locked.
Following her wasn’t exactly in my job description. Noticing things was.
Staying out of the way and making sure people stayed safe gave me plenty to do.
I swung around to the back of the shop, entering through the narrow doorway that led straight into a corridor that took five steps to navigate until I entered the office.
