Rebel on the Run (16 page)

“Anytime.” Nola’s mom repeated the offer this time. “Like…in a few hours. Come back this afternoon if Bryce still needs a kick in the pants.”

Tom chuckled. Kaelyn hadn’t gotten the door closed entirely when he swooped in and seemed to be doing one hell of a job kissing Ms. Wilhelmina “Willie” Brown silly.

Chapter Nine

Kaelyn stacked invoices in a wire basket she’d dug out from a bin behind Eli’s desk, then used an old, stained cloth to dust the surface, now that she could see the whole thing. She perched on the chair behind it to admire her work. She liked sitting in the big leather monstrosity that was part of the head mechanic’s workspace. It looked like it’d come out of a fast car.

Probably had.

She taped a label to the bin then started organizing the already paid portion of the paperwork into folders she’d created by vendor. How they’d gotten anything accomplished in this sty left her baffled. Their skills under the hood must have been superb to compensate for the messy business side of things.

Alanso sauntered in from the garage, probably looking for his husband. Or his wife. Or maybe both. “
Joder, chica
.”

Spanish wasn’t a requirement to understand what he meant when he froze and winged a glance from the bare desktop to her then to the filing cabinets. As she looked around her, she hardly recognized the office from its previous clutter to this afternoon’s tidiness.

“Um. Is it too much? Did I go overboard again?” She nibbled her lower lip as she considered what the place had looked like earlier this morning when Eli had rummaged around for a piece of paper. In need of something to do, she’d volunteered to search in his place. It’d taken her hours to unearth the receipt for a part he needed to exchange. So she’d gone ahead and started rearranging. The change was drastic, but she’d had a lot of nervous energy to work off.

“It’s awesome. If Bryce doesn’t keep you, the rest of us will.” He winced when she didn’t laugh. “If Mustang was here, she’d have smacked me for that, I think. I didn’t mean it like your face tells me it sounded. He’s not
loco
enough to let you go,
chica
. Don’t trouble yourself with that.”

How could she not let him off the hook when he tried so hard to reassure her? Kaelyn grinned. “I know what you meant. Anyway, I don’t care what Bryce thinks. I’m just hoping this is helpful. I like to straighten stuff up. I’d be glad to work the front desk while I’m here. You know, take appointments, log shipments, do the billing, check people out…stuff like that. Help however I can. I’m not looking for a handout.”

“First with the fancy cooking, and now this…” He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “You’re going to be a huge help around the shop. I’ve felt worthless in my life before, Kae. You’re not. Not at all. Each of us came here with nothing. You’re no different than any of us. Just need some time to land on your feet. You’re doing a good job of it already. Cut Rebel some slack, huh? My guess is he’s afraid you’ll see working as a step down. He doesn’t have the greatest impression of rich people. I sort of understand why now. Not that I think he’s right when it comes to you or anything.”

“What?” She sniffled as she stood. Could that be true?

“I can speak for myself, Al.” Bryce must have been listening at the door for a bit. She hadn’t heard it open. He stepped inside and softened his rebuke by buffing the mechanic’s bald head before dropping his hand on Alanso’s shoulder, where tattoos hugged his bulging muscles on either side of a white sleeveless shirt that tucked into his unzipped coveralls. “But you’re not wrong. Mind if I take it from here.”

“Go ahead,
cabron
.” Alanso shook his head. “I was screwing that to hell. I’m glad Cobra, Sally and me are out of those woods. Less talking, more fucking, that’s the way to clear up this
mierda
.” He mumbled to himself in Spanish as he wandered out into the garage and left them alone to work out their issues.

“Sorry, Kaelyn.” Bryce grimaced.

“For what? Barging in here, your friend’s crassness or for trying to put me up on a pedestal?” She couldn’t help her bitter almost-shout.

“That last part.” He shrugged. “You’re going to have to get used to the guys and their dirty mouths, sorry. I don’t think I can train them any better than I can Buster McHightops, who pissed in Nova’s boot again this morning. And frankly, nothing is off limits to the Hot Rods or to you. So I’ll damn well show up whenever I like, often if you’re around.”

He paused, though not long enough to give her an opening to speak.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t think about things from your perspective. I’ve held a grudge for a long time. Against my dad. And yours. For the way they use the power of their money, their positions. I forget sometimes that not everything from that life is…”

“All show, no soul?” She understood completely, and hated that he’d lumped her in with the rest even for a moment.

“Shit. I’d never think of you that way.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “More like I felt for the first time in a long time like I, and what I have, wasn’t good enough. It pissed me off. And I was afraid.”

“Of what?” She tipped her head as she read the genuine concern in his eyes.

“That I don’t deserve you. That I can’t keep you the way you’re accustomed to living.” He sighed.

“First off, you can’t
keep
me at all.” She had to get this straight right now or she’d leave in the car they’d repaired earlier and never look in the rearview mirror, no matter how much of her heart she left behind. “I’m my own woman now. I won’t belong to anyone else.”

“What if you take me instead?” He sauntered closer, perfuming the air around her with the scent of man and motor oil.

“Then I’d be the richest girl in the state.” Kaelyn smiled.

“I’m yours. If you still want me. Dumbass moments and everything.”

She went into his open arms and rested her cheek on his chest, right over the flaming patch that held his name embroidered on it.

He squeezed her tight.

“This is what I want, Bryce.” She hugged him back, reveling in his solid embrace. “You’re all I need. You, a place where I can be myself, take what I need and contribute meaningfully to the people who…”

“Who what, lady?” He stroked her hair from root to tips, which landed barely above her ass.

“Who will be my new family,” she whispered. “I feel it already, Bryce. I could belong here.”

“Damn straight.” He lifted her up and she locked her legs behind his back so they were eye to eye, then lips to lips.

Their kiss escalated until the thick length of his cock rubbed her mound and she moaned into his mouth.

“Hold that thought.” He looked around, kind of guiltily. Did he care if the rest of the Hot Rods caught him making out during shop hours? “I came in here to ask if you wanted to do something with me.”

“There are zillions of naughty things I want to do with you. But I get that’s not what you mean.” One more stolen kiss would have to hold her. It wasn’t like him to act like this. Now that his past was in the open, he didn’t seem to have any secrets from his garagemates. “What’s going on?”

He nuzzled her neck, close enough to whisper.

“Kaige is going to pop the question to Nola tonight. He’s got some elaborate thing set up. When we went out at lunch, it was to help him pick out a ring. The Powertools crew is even coming. They’re on their way now. I can’t wait for you to meet them. Would you help me with my part? I have to pull off some dumb dance and lip synch. Plus, I thought….”

“Yes?” Her heart melted as she watched his cute factor shoot through the roof.

“I’d like you to be part of it. With the rest of us.” He cleared his throat. “If I haven’t totally fucked things up with you, I think you should be there. Celebrating the future with us. I want you to be one of the gang.”

And that was the best pledge she’d ever heard.

“Of course. I’d love to.” She sighed. “But Bryce, are you going to keep me locked away somewhere? If that’s what you expect of me, to be arm candy and wait all day for you to come home and fuck me… I can’t do that. I’m not that woman anymore. Promise me, you won’t do that to me.”

“Son of a bitch.” He let her down gently then smacked his fist into the filing cabinet she’d finished sorting through so recently. “Is that what you think?”

“Isn’t that what you said? That you didn’t want me dirtying my hands?” She stood akimbo, daring him to deny it.

“Yeah. Damn. I guess I did, but I didn’t mean it like you’re thinking. I want you to have the life you’re used to. The standards you’re accustomed to.”

“Bryce, think about what you’re saying. I’d willingly trade a life of luxury for one of love.” She watched her words sink in. “Isn’t that what you’ve done yourself? I don’t want fancy things or to waste my time on idle pursuits. The only thing that’s important to me is you. Us. Maybe the Hot Rods, if they’ll have me too.”

He rushed to her and swung her in circles. Thankfully the desk had been cleaned off or he would have scattered months of paperwork in a hurricane twisting around them. “I’m so sorry, Kaelyn. I didn’t mean to underestimate you. I swear. I only wanted to give you what you need to be happy.”

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Every day until you believe me. I already have everything I need. As long as I have you.” She stared up at him. “Don’t stifle me, please. Like with Holden last night, the freedom you gave me… It means everything. I thought you understood.”

“I do now. I won’t take that away from you. And after Cobra sees what you’ve done in here, I’m pretty sure he’s not going to let you off office duty for the next fifty years. Sorry for your luck.” He grinned then rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“Okay. Why don’t we go upstairs and figure out what to do so that your part of Kaige’s proposal kicks ass?” She wondered if they might fit in some make-up sex too.

“
Our
part, lady,” he corrected her.

When he hauled her into his arms, shouted that he was taking a break as he marched them out of the open bay, then leapt up the stairs three at a time, she figured they were finally on the same page. No one seemed surprised by their departure. In fact, she thought she saw Sally clapping and bouncing from her perch on Tom’s front stairs, where she was chatting with Ms. Brown.

Later that evening, they stood in the twilight, hand in hand.

Bryce had parked his white Rebel AMC, complete with blue and red stripes, in the lot around a bend in the road. After a quick make-out session in the backseat of his car, they’d traipsed to their mark, a few trees behind Nola and a few trees in front of Mike—the Powertools crew’s foreman—and his wife, Kate. They had their adorable little girl, Abby, with them as well. After they were finished here, Kaelyn intended to play with the toddler and her equally adorable buddy, Nathan, who belonged to another of the couples.

The nine friends who’d joined the Hot Rods’ scheme made Kaelyn feel like she’d inherited a whole network of people in a single day. They accepted her as part of Bryce. Not questioning their bond, which had reformed in an instant. Suddenly she felt wealthy beyond measure.

Crisp air proclaimed the coming fall. Scarlet leaves rained around the dirt road they stood on the side of, waiting for their cue. Buster McHightops sat near their feet, looking preposterous yet dapper in a doggie tux. A top hat with slits for his ears perched at a jaunty angle, completing the look.

Kaelyn took stock of Bryce in a nice pair of jeans, the first ones she’d seen him wear that didn’t have tears or a prominent grease stain. A navy plaid button-down shirt only enhanced his rugged beauty. She scanned him from head to toe before licking her lips.

“If you do that again, they’re going to find me nailing you to that tree over there when they come by. Which should be any minute now.” He wrenched his stare from her to peer down the lane.

“It’s been a looooong time since last night.” She loved that she could make him yearn the same way she did.

“You should have let me return the favor earlier.” Bryce crossed his arms, putting her off-balance at the sight of his strong forearms beneath the unbuttoned and rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.

She licked her lips again as she remembered how he’d tasted and how full her mouth had been of his heat and hardness when she’d seduced him into letting her try her hand—or mouth, she supposed—at a killer blowjob. At least she figured she’d done a pretty bang-up job for her first try. It hadn’t taken long before he’d begged her for release. Assuming control, reducing him to the bundle of neediness she’d been the night before had reaffirmed her decision, and granted her power she’d never experienced.

The mixture had been potent enough to make her feel drunk on it.

And she couldn’t wait to do it again.

“As much as I love that deviant look in your eyes, it’s show time. Here they come.” Bryce took her hand and seemed to be counting under his breath.

“Relax, Bryce. You were always a great dancer.” She remembered how watching him or swirling around the ballroom in his arms was the only fun part of the tedious events they’d attended.

“It’s been years since I waltzed.” He shook his head. “Are you sure this is the way to go?”

“It’s going to be perfect. Look, they’re starting!” she shout-whispered, though Kaige and Nola were too far away to hear.

Kaige’s Chevy Nova came crawling into view. The windows were rolled down and Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” spilled from the vehicle. As Kaige inched along the lane, people began to jump out from the hedges on the side and sing lyrics to Nola, who had her hands in front of her face and appeared to be laughing or crying—or both.

Each new verse was delivered by someone important to her. First Eli, Alanso and Sally. Her mother and Tom danced across the road while singing in perfect tune. Then her sister threw petals in the air as she continued the song. After each group was featured, they joined the parade of singing, cheering friends making their way down the lane in an ever-growing procession.

Kaelyn found herself holding back tears of her own as Bryce whisked her into his arms and they twirled along to the music with Buster yipping at their heels.