Talking with my mum ruined the rest of my weekend. She wouldn’t answer her house phone after I got off the phone with Priscilla, and I knew better than to try her cell because she never has the fucking thing on.

Sunday, I finally reached her, and even then, the blasted woman didn’t want to tell me anything. It took me forty-five minutes to finally get it out of her that she paid the doctor a visit. I then had to pull answers out of her as if I was pulling individual hairs from her head.

She has high cholesterol, high blood pressure, is obese, and desperately needs to change her lifestyle choices; otherwise, her life expectancy decreases substantially. When I started to lay into her, she quickly got off the phone, claiming my dad needed her. But not before she yelled at me for being an arsehole to her. I can’t help my nature. I’m growly, and my voice is usually harsh.

Joanna Ryan knows this; she’s the one who had a hand in raising me, for fuck’s sake. By the time she finally forced me off the phone, Jax was awake and bugging me with millions of questions about the bike on our tiny patio. I convinced him to set us up for the day to play some video games.

Jax recruited Levi to bug the ever-living shit out of me when he came over to join us. But I turned the fucking table when Levi’s phone wouldn’t quit, and he refused to answer it. I started to rib him after I stole his phone and found numerous messages from several of his bed buddies.

By the end of the night, I still hadn’t heard a word from Paige. Beginning to worry, I sent a couple of messages to her only to have nothing come back. I fell asleep last night with a jittery, uneasy feeling I didn’t like at all.

The first thing I did when I woke this morning was check my phone for messages. While my alarm sounded through my room, I scrolled through everything to see if I had any word from Paige.

But there was nothing.

I got dressed for work, nothing.

I ate breakfast and got my lunch ready, still nothing.

I drove to work, checked my messages at each stoplight, and pulled into the car park with still nothing from her. I’m starting to wonder if Friday night and Saturday were all a part of my drunken delusions, but that wouldn’t explain the bike at my place. I’m far too engrossed with my phone that I practically run right into Candy when I step off the lift and onto my floor.

“Fuck.” Hissing, I quickly help her pick up the files she was carrying and mutter my apology. “I’ll be on my way.”

“No, wait, Axle.” Candy’s talons dig into my jacket and shirt, nearly piercing my flesh. “I wanted to talk to you.” She falls into step with me, scrambling to keep up with my longer strides. Normally, I dismiss the glances I get from my co-workers when they watch. They started to ignore me over the years, so only the new people watch me as I pass through the rows of cubicles. But something about today causes every single one of them to lift their heads as I pass with Candy in tow.

“Axle.” Candy pleads with me to slow, but I don’t. If she wants to talk to me, then she can keep up with me. “I’m so sorry, Axle.”

“What are you sorry for?” Besides the obvious—seducing me, letting me fuck her, and then keep me around just to make my life hell.

“I did everything in my power to convince him, but you know how Daddy gets–”

Everything in her power to what?

I stop walking, causing Candy to slam into my back and all typing and hushed conversations to cease. Slowly, I turn on my heels and look down at her.

Candy glances down at her ridiculously high heels nervously. “What’s going on, Candy?”

“Daddy, he decided to let a few more people go this week.” Her watery eyes look up at me. Why the hell would she cry for someone losing their job? She’s never cared about others before—

“And I’m one of them.” I look up, finding every single head snap back down like they aren’t watching the drama.

There is no drama. They won’t get any more from me.

“I’m sorry, Axle. Daddy felt he should do it today. You know before the week even starts.” She cringes, knowing that is an arsehole excuse.

“I see.” Rage builds inside, but I will contain it. I won’t set my desk ablaze or put Mr. Havre’s BMW up on cinderblocks. Instead, I calmly turn back around and head over to my desk to pack the small amount of personal shit I have there and get the fuck out of here before I do lose my shit.

I can hear Candy’s voice, but I can’t focus on a single word. My head is reeling.

What am I going to do now?

I haven’t tried to look for another job. I figured I would be kept around here, and if I tried to find another firm to work for, I would be blackballed. I can’t afford to keep my part of the rent if I don’t have a job. And I really doubt Havre and Bell will give me a good reference to find work elsewhere.

Hell, I can’t even afford to move back home. Not that I want to.

“Axle.” I step into the back arse corner of the floor where my former desk sits. I stagger to a stop, once more slamming Candy into my back. My little work area is barren.

Mind you, I am not one of those people who decorate their office space with a mess of trinkets and crap, but now nothing is there. The computer is gone and only a single, small box sits on my desk next to a jean clad, tattooed bad arse woman.

Paige swings her heavily booted leg, freely dangling them on the edge of the desk. I know for certain it won’t creak with her on it. In fact, she looks fucking fantastic sitting there. If Candy wasn’t behind me, I would fuck Paige right there. That would be a great way to end my employment here for good.

A wry grin spreads across my face as I take in her glory. Candy pokes her blond head around me and gasps when she sees Paige as she hops off my desk and crosses her arms.

“You know I didn’t care for the whole dog and pony show you pulled with him.” She’s speaking to Candy but looking at me. Paige’s chin jets toward me, indicating I’m the subject of her statement.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Don’t play stupid, blondie.” Paige takes a single step forward. “Axle is the smart one, and you’ve been using him for your benefit.” Another step is taken. “You’ve been using him for far too long, and I wasn’t going to let you use his frankly brilliant plan in your own vindictive ways.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Candy’s ploy at the innocent act makes me bark a laugh.

Both women focus on me. Coughing, I wave to Paige. “Please, continue.”

Paige ignores everything—my cough and Candy’s question—and only focuses on me. “Axle, I am here to offer you a job with Piston Motor Sports as our lead accountant.”

“What?” Candy’s shriek nearly drowns out my bark.

“After watching how you tried to take Axle’s hard work and great ideas for yourself, my brother and I decided to just take him from you. This company will not get a single dime from us.”

“You can’t be serious?”

Paige shrugs. “Face it, sweetheart, my brother may want to fuck you, but I get the final say so, and I say fuck. Off.” Her attention returns to me. “You want a better job? You got it.” She moves out of the way and signals me to grab my box. “Grab it and we’ll head out.”

You ever have one of those moments in life you just don’t know what the fuck just happened?

That’s where I am right now. First, I have a job, then I don’t, and now, I have a new one where I have already broken a rule.

I fucked one of the bosses.

I know I could be much happier with a job at Piston Motor Sports, I hope, but my dick would get lonely. I’ve had a taste of Paige and her powerful pussy; I don’t think I could give her up for some random pieces with her as my boss.

“Well?” I snap out of my issues, finding Paige impatiently watching me and Candy, whose face is turning a funky reddish-purple color. I look around the office, the cubicle, the fucking hole in the wall where I was shit on for years and don’t feel sad to be let go.

I feel free.

With two steps, I have my box in my hands and I’m turning back to the women. One pissed, the other amused.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“All right.” I don’t say good-bye to Candy when I pass her. I don’t give anyone a single glance as I follow Paige to the lifts and disappear from the floor I no longer have to come back to. We ride down in silence, my mind going at lightspeed as I try to catch up. I want to know what is going on; why hasn’t she answered my messages, why did she wait a week to hire me, why does she want to hire me?

“Your ears are smoking. Calm down.” The lift doors open, and I step out with her. “You know your shit, and you seem like a trustworthy guy. That’s why we picked you.” We step outside, and I quickly look for one of her vehicles but don’t see a single one. “Plus, I’m doing you a favor. This place is going downhill and quickly. Miss Fake Tits will be out of a job soon too.”

She takes off again, making her way to the car park and my truck. I unlock it quickly, and she hops into the passenger seat. I put my box in the back and hop in, starting it but waiting for directions.

“Hit I-80 and head out to Lake Point.” She buckles and sits back, dropping her shades to her face. Nodding, I put the truck into drive and take off. We are almost out of the city when I finally open my trap.

“Why?”

“Huh?” Her shades lift the slightest. “Why, what?”

“Why am I hired?”

“Oh.” The shades drop, and she falls back into her seat. “I told you, you know your shit.”

“That’s it?” I don’t believe this. Just because I look like I know my shit with numbers? That’s why she hired me?

“I need people I can trust around me. They’ve been jerking your dick too hard for too long from what I can see, yet you haven’t left. Why is that?” I don’t answer. “Because you are loyal, and I want that with my company. Loyalty means I can trust you with the money we bring in.”

Loyalty?

I was loyal to Havre and Bell?

Maybe I was. I thought it was because I didn’t think I had another choice. I chance a glance over at her while I continue to take us farther away from the city and in the opposite direction of her home. I can accept all this, and I could always just grandfather Paige in with my rule. What we have done is pre-existing before I came to work for her.

I follow her directions until we are in the foothills and heading to a massive complex in the open.

“Here we are.” She sits up and waves to the lone guard who is stepping out of the guard house. “Welcome to Piston Motor Sports, Oz.”

Driving into the complex, I feel my breath stolen from my body. My window is down and the sounds and smells of various racing vehicles infiltrate the cab of the truck. My adrenaline picks up, exciting me about the world I am now going to be a part of.

“Pull in over there.” She points at a small dirt parking lot in front of the building. When I park, we hop out. “Grab your box.” She takes off to the front of the building. It is a majestic silver and black building blooming in the middle of nowhere.

When the front doors open, the heat from outside is blasted away and we are greeted by a matching interior design. A lone woman mans the front desk, and her eyes are downcast as we pass.

“Hello, Miss Bartin.” Paige doesn’t reply as she moves past her and to the bank of lifts. “Welcome to Piston Motor Sports, Mr. Ryan.” She doesn’t attempt to look at me.

“This is the operations building, and we are still hiring staff. Drivers and riders will have their own offices for their staff and crew meetings. You will be up on the fourth floor; no one is up there yet.” She pushes the button for the correct floor, and we are lifted from the ground.

“Are you planning to hire other accountants to work with me?”

“Not sure yet. You will be getting an assistant, but I thought you could choose your own. And then later, you can help us find others we can trust.” The lift stops and the doors open. “This way to your office.”

The hallway is quiet, and I have a strange feeling I’m in The Shining as we make it to the end of the hallway and the double doors wait for me to open them.

“Go ahead and look around. I’ll give you a minute.”

“Okay.” Opening the doors, I step into a grandiose office. It is bigger than Mr. Havre’s back at the firm. There is a sitting section, lounges at one end, and an impressive desk at the other end.

I won’t have a problem sitting at the desk on the chair. It looks like it could fit a man twice my size. See-through shades cover a wall of windows. The room smells clean and fresh with a touch of fuel. I walk over to the windows and look down to see the rest of the building. It was hidden from the first look, but the part I’m in looks like a watch tower in the front while three different branches stem out from the ground floor. I can’t see the side of them very clearly—

“Those are the garages.” Paige’s ninja skills don’t take me off guard this time. My body can feel when she is near.

“Three?”

“Six.” She nods down at them. “The left one houses motocross and rally cars. The middle is for quads and snowmobiles. And the right is stock cars and dragsters. We are finding drivers and riders to join the team. Each garage specializes in the type of race machinery that will be in there. Our moto one is full and ready to go and so are a couple of others. Parker is supposed to be bringing in a dragster, but I haven’t heard any news yet.”

I stare at the garages, and then I look around the office—my office—again. They’ve amassed so much already; how it this possible? They live near Park City and drive all the way over here each day to work.

I turn back to the windows and Paige. “I think I’m going to truly enjoy working here.”

“I thought you would say that.”