***
"There you are. Almost late." Axel glanced up and smiled. "Hand me that wrench over there. The one wrapped up in my rag."
I walked over to the table and grabbed the tool for him. "Almost isn't late." I handed it down to him and slipped my hands into my pockets. "I slept with the cop last night."
"What?" Axel pushed up from the position he was in on the floor. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?"
"Maybe." I reached up and brushed my fingers by my lips. "There's something about her, Axel."
"Yeah, she's a good girl. Men like us always hope to find a good girl to settle down with." He popped me with the rag. "Don't be stupid, Jon. You know as well as I do that you would never work with a good woman. You're a whore and you'll never give up Candace King fully."
"Sure I will." I turned and walked toward an old Chevy truck we'd been working on for a week or more. "I wouldn't have fucked her the last time I saw her if I had already met Danielle."
"Sounds like love." Ellie popped up from the other side of the truck, half-scaring me to death.
"Shit, El." I smiled and reached out to tug on one of her pigtails. She was too cute for her own good.
"Love?" Axel walked up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "No way. He just met this broad two days ago."
"Three." I pulled away from him and started tinkering with the truck. "She's wrapped up with Tanner, man. So is Jason."
"What?" Axel moved around the front of the truck and put himself in my line of sight.
Ellie moved in beside him. "Not Tanner King again, right?"
"The one and only." I shrugged and stood at the sound of a familiar voice.
"Where's my ride, guys? Anyone home?"
"Nathaniel Hayes." I smiled and walked over, extending my hand. "It's been a while. You still frisking girls and busting potheads outside Kadia?"
He chuckled, his bright blue eyes filled with excitement. "Oh yeah. Your boy Caleb is working up there now too, but I'm sure you know that."
"Flex?" Axel moved up and offered his hand to Nate. "Hey, brother. Long time no see."
"I thought Flex said he had a new job as a bouncer." I smirked. "I had no clue it was at Kadia. Small fucking world."
"Or just a really slutty club with great drugs." Nate turned and pointed to the dark blue Mustang we had sitting in the corner. "She done?"
"Oh yeah. Just finished up the paint job last week." I turned and walked toward the car. "How did I miss seeing your name on the paperwork?"
"It's for my girlfriend. I had another guy drop it off because we've been so damn busy."
"What's the word on the street?" I reached down and brushed my hand over the hood of the car. It looked good. Damn good.
"Erik's put a hit out on Fredrick Carrington's daughter. You didn't hear that shit from me." He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair before glancing down at the car. "How about you guys? Anything new?"
"No. Tanner King is fucking with my personal space again, but what else is new. I'm going to have to put that fucker in the ground just to get some peace around here."
"Yep." He pulled out his wallet. "You should have done that shit forever ago."
"It's way overdue. I know." I glanced over my shoulder as Axel walked back toward us.
"Hey, Nate. You ever talk to old Mason Thomas?" Axel handed Nate the keys and an invoice.
A smile haunted Nate's lips. "He's married now. He's out of the game, man. No more racing for him."
"No, I knew he'd been married for a while, but I'd really like to get in touch with his guys. We'd love to work on some illegal soup-ups here at the shop. Any of his guys still street racing?" Axel glanced over at me.
I chuckled. "I thought you were just giving me grief about being a better person."
He rolled his eyes. "Not a chance. I like you guys how you are."
Nate took the keys. "I'll get one of them to stop by over here. I know he has a few friends from his original crew still racing. I don't think he's doing it though."
"That'll work." Axel stuck out his hand and Nate shook it. "Don't be a stranger man."
"Not at all." He turned back to me. "What's up with Hyde? Erik needs an outside job done in the next few weeks. You think he might-"
I held up my hand. "I don't get involved in that crazy shit Hyde does, and I don't want to know any-fucking-thing that Erik Bertinelli is involved in. I'm trying not to die anytime soon."
He nodded. "Fair enough."
"I'm interested in hearing how you're doing with your boss wanting to take out Fredrick. You're still working for him too, right? So... where's your loyalty at?" Fredrick Carrington owned the nightclub, Kadia, where Nate and Flex worked, but Nate was part of Erik's mafia syndicate.
"Tough times, man." He ran his fingers back through his hair again. "I'll always protect Erik." He glanced back toward where Axel was and back at me. "Just like you and Jeremiah will always stand beside each other."
"Unless the mafia comes, then it's all Axel at that point." I stuck my hand out. "Take care man."
"You too. I'll see you around. Let us know if you need help. I still owe you one." He pulled me into a quick hug and left as quickly as he showed up.
"Nate gone?"
I turned to face Axel. "Yeah. You alright?"
"Oh yeah. I don't claim any part of my family out in Cali, Jon. You know that. Those bastards are as sick as Tanner is."
"Yeah, but Tanner is fucking with us, and your kin has fucked with the Castalettas in Chicago and now the Bertinellis here in New York. Stupid if you ask me."
"I agree. Let's just keep my last name hidden, and everything should be fine. I don't want any part of what my cousin Adam is doing with his syndicate. I'd rather forget they all existed altogether."
"I know the feeling all too well." I got back to the truck I was working on and tried to ignore the feeling of trepidation filling my insides. We lived in a fucking powder keg.
Something was going to blow soon.
I just hoped it wasn't me or anyone I cared about.