The Mechanic: Brotherhood Protectors World

by Reina Torres

  “Hey, brother!”

  BANG.

  He hit the top of his head on the hood of the car and swore a blue streak.

  “Ooh,” she hissed, “that sounds like it hurts.”

  Yeah, well not as much as the aching hard-on in his pants, but his sister did not need to know that.

  He’d never live that one down.

  “Distracted?”

  When he heard her voice just over his shoulder he tensed up. “Don’t sneak up on me.”

  Her laughter grated on his nerves as she walked away a few steps.

  “Sneak up on you? I haven’t been able to do that in… forever.”

  Adam tried to avoid her curious gaze. “Yeah, well, this car is giving me fits.”

  “Oh,” she laughed again, “that’s another thing that hasn’t happened in forever. What’s got you- Oooooh!” She smacked him on the arm. “Oh wow.”

  Adam took a step away. “Leave it alone.”

  “As if.” She took a step closer. “So that kiss yesterday wasn’t a one-time thing?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Yes.”

  Silence turned his head and he found Annalise staring at him with narrowed eyes. “No, it’s not a one-time thing? Or yes, it was?”

  Adam pulled a deep breath into his lungs. “It was… and will be a one-time thing, so just leave it. Okay?”

  He didn’t see relief in her eyes. He saw a sharper look. Almost angry.

  “Why?”

  He held out his arms and shook his head. “Why not? She’s got enough on her plate and I’m not the kind of guy that would make her happy.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he continued before she could speak. “You’re the one who always tells me I’m too closed off. I won’t argue with that, because you’re right. I came back more messed up than people would think. I cover well, but you’ve seen it. You’ve certainly complained about it enough. And Blake’s been hurt. She’s been treated cruelly. I don’t know the details and I’m not going to pry.”

  “But you’re attracted to her.” Annalise wasn’t going to let it drop, but she did drop her tone knowing that Blake was around somewhere. “You want her.”

  “Why are you pushing this?”

  She crossed her arms and gave him a satisfied nod. “Because I like her. And I love you.”

  He was determined to ignore the conversation and hopefully push her in a different direction entirely. “You know she was in that kids show, right? Frontier-”

  “-Friends.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course, but… oh! You didn’t?”

  Adam sighed. “I don’t spend a lot of time watching kids shows.”

  “Ada watches it all the time.”

  He nodded. “Ada does. And I,” he reminded his sister, “watch her.”

  “MmmHmm,” her tone said she didn’t buy it.

  “What?”

  “Hey.”

  Both brother and sister turned at the same time and Adam was pretty sure his jaw dropped a good inch at the sight of Blake standing at the foot of the stairs. She was still wearing her jeans, but the shirt she was wearing… the logo of Masterson Garage never looked so good as when it was molded over her full breasts.

  Yeah, he was in deep trouble.

  “Hey, Blake.” Annalise started forward, bumping him with her elbow. “Thanks for saving me a trip up those stairs,” she groaned, “I get enough walking around the diner to last me a lifetime.”

  “I saw you walking across the street and came downstairs.”

  Adam had to pull his gaze away from the fit of his… her shirt. “You ready to do a little shopping?”

  “Ready.” Blake gave her back pocket a little pat and he stifled a groan. “I don’t know what kinds of clothes they’ll have here in Eagle Rock to fit me. I can barely find stuff in Los Angeles that doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing a tent or so tight I look like a stuffed sausage.”

  Sausage.

  Yeah, he was going to hell.

  Annalise took over where his voice and brain failed him. “You’d be surprised what we have here. Eagle Rock may be small, but we are mighty.” Walking over she fished into her purse and brought out a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses. “Here, even with your hair cut short and Adam’s old t-shirt on, we don’t want people to recognize you.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much.” Blake held the sunglasses in her hands, turning it over and again before putting it on. “I’m mostly invisible, but thanks for thinking of me.”

  Slipping her arm through Blake’s, Annalise gave her a wink. “Oh, we’re both thinking of you… a lot.”

  Adam couldn’t do much more than mumble his goodbye, and just before they turned around the corner of the building, Blake looked back and gave him a hesitant wave.

  He couldn’t manage to return the gesture in time.

  Letting out a breath, he bent over and set his hands on his knees. He may have told his sister that the kiss was a one-time thing, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to live up to it.

  He itched to touch her. To hold her.

  Blake Lennox was quickly becoming a physical need.

  And he was in deep.

  Annalise was almost hidden in the rack of Viola’s Vintage Fashions. All Blake could see was some of her hair and every once in a while the gold chain of her purse where it hung off the back of her shoulder. “You know…” her voice was muffled, but still audible, “you’ve got my brother tied up in knots.”

  Okay, that wasn’t what she expected to hear.

  “I’m sorry? What?”

  An arm emerged, holding out a fur-edged vest. “Yes? No?”

  Wrinkling her nose, Blake shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  “Yeah, didn’t think so.” Annalise shrugged and pull the vest back into the pile of fabric. “Seriously though, that kiss you two had going on when I walked up? Hot. H.A.W.T.” Annalise peaked out of the rack. “And as weird as it is saying that about my brother,” she shuddered, “you have him frazzled, but good.”

  “Frazzled.” Blake had to shake her head. “I think that’s sweet of you to say, but no. I don’t think so. He was probably just trying to comfort me.”

  Annalise stepped out of the rack and leveled a look at her that spoke volumes, but she didn’t stop there. “Comfort. You.” Her eyebrow arched almost into her bangs. “Seriously?”

  Blake felt like she was under a microscope. “He was just trying to-”

  “Crawl down your throat?”

  Her cheeks blazed with heat and she dropped her eyes to the floor. “That’s not what he was going.”

  “Hey,” Blake felt Annalise’s hands on her arms, “hey… I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Chalk it up to a little sister being a brat.”

  Blake lifted her gaze and mustered up a smile. “I’m sure you mean well. I just know that Adam… that he was just… acting. He wasn’t thinking.”

  The look on Annalise’s face was telling. “Are you trying to stick to the comfort thing? Because if you are, there’s this thing called a ‘hug.’ Adam knows what those are. Hugs are comfort.” Annalise dropped her hands down and reached into another rack, pulling out a blouse and holding the garment, hanger and all against Blake’s chest. “What my brother was doing was kissing you. You, Blake.”

  Nodding, she thrust the hanger against Blake and Blake lifted her hand to hold it against her chest. “He was tired?”

  “Sure,” Annalise laughed, “when he’s tired, he goes around kissing people.” She picked another blouse off the rack and put it in Blake’s hand. “Imagine what he was like as a Ranger. Kissing everyone when he was tired.” Laughing she moved onto another rack and Blake followed behind, trying to come up with an excuse.

  “I guess… that maybe…”

  “Here, try this on too.”

  Blake looked down at the garment in Annalise’s hand. “What’s that?”

  Wiggling it around, Annalise gave her a look. “It’s a skirt.”

  Reaching out, B
lake rubbed the flared hem with her fingers. “It’s a scarf.”

  Annalise looked down at the garment, her lips pursed. “So, it’s a little short. It would look amazing on you.”

  “I’m going to be staying in Adam’s apartment until we figure out how to fix things. Where would I wear something like this?”

  Narrowing her eyes, Annalise waggled her eyebrows at Blake. “In his apartment until he takes it off you.”

  Blake couldn’t help the laugh that burst from her lips, almost doubling her over. “If wishes were horses,” she shook her head at herself, “I mean… or rather, I didn’t mean.” She felt like her cheeks were on fire. “Annalise, I’m-”

  “Perfectly fine.” Annalise gave her arm a squeeze and moved on to the next rack. “Seriously. I’m trying to tell you that if you and my brother get together, for whatever reason, I’m cool with it. Personally, I think you guys would be great together. And my brother needs someone to crack open that shell of his.”

  Smiling, Blake could hear the honesty in Annalise’s voice. “He’s lucky to have you. And Ada.” Blake meant every word. “He’s so lucky to have family watching out for him.”

  Annalise tucked her arm through Blake’s and leaned in close to peck a kiss on her cheek. “We’re here for you, too.”

  Chapter 9

  The second half of the day seemed to go on forever. Blake kept the television off for most of it. Every time she turned it on all she had to deal with were more stories about her missing friend.

  Zoe wasn’t far from her mind at all. The nightmares she’d had the night before weren’t about herself. No, she’d learned to live with the memories of that.

  All she wanted was to know that Zoe was safe somewhere. Once she knew that, she would head back and stand beside her friend. In matters like this there really was a bit of safety in numbers.

  The timer on the oven gave out a crisp PING of sound, and the clock high on the wall told her it was over an hour after closing time at the shop downstairs.

  Part of her wanted to go downstairs, but she didn’t want to push her luck too much. It was one thing to hide out in a small town, quite another to do it in a town where Sadie was well known. Her hometown even.

  If folks knew Sadie, they might know her movies, and even with her short, almost pixie cut hair, Blake worried that someone might connect the dots. She’d already risked a lot by doing the little bit of shopping that she’d done.

  And maybe Adam was staying downstairs for a reason.

  He’d eaten by himself in the morning. When Annalise had brought her back, they dropped off a sandwich and coffee for him.

  That was the last she’d seen of him or heard from him.

  All that time just gave her the empty space to fill up, and she did, with worries and worst-case scenarios. The inside voice that had always taunted her took on a new tone. Zoe was in her head alongside Seth. And the words that ricocheted in her head were pounding against her skull by the time the door opened and Adam walked in.

  “Hey.”

  She could only stare back at him as the words in her head echoed over and over.

  Adam walked toward her with his gaze fixed on her. It was a look she didn’t understand. How could she when she was so confused about her own feelings?

  He reached out his hand to touch her and she flinched away.

  “Did something happen?”

  Did something happen? A pang of panic exploded in her chest, sending her pulse rate racing. Her eyes flickered from the hallway to the door, then to the windows on two walls. When she finally settled her gaze, it was on the small round table near the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Once those words were out, she was set in motion. She moved before Adam’s hand could reach her and then entered the kitchen, picking up a plate and silverware, and moved around him to the table.

  “I thought you’d be up earlier, but I guess you were busy.” The plate touched the table with a clatter and she mumbled an apology. “I hope you’re hungry, it’s been awhile since I cooked but you can’t go wrong with a pot roast and potatoes. Especially in Montana, right?”

  She moved around him again and picked up the two potholders she’d found earlier and lifted the pan in her hands. Scooting around him she managed to force a smile on her lips. “I probably could have put it on a plate, but I wasn’t sure how long you were going to be and I didn’t want it to get dry.”

  Thump. Down on the table.

  “Really, I’m not a big meat eater, but I remembered the last time I made a pot roast and I left it uncovered,” she dropped open the oven door and reached in for the other pot and dragged it out, “no amount of gravy would have saved that thi- oh, gravy!” Shaking her head, she started to move around him. “I forgot to make gravy, it’ll just take-”

  The pan was suddenly out of her hands.

  “Hey, that’s hot!”

  Adam set the glass container down on the table, seemingly unbothered by the heat that had been close to searing her fingertips through the potholders.

  “Did you burn yourself?” Dropping the potholders to the table top she reached out for his hands and gasped when he took hold of her hands instead. “Adam, don’t-”

  He pressed her hands against his chest, glad he left his coveralls downstairs in the shop out of habit. He certainly didn’t want to get her hands dirty.

  She tried to pull away and it killed him to keep hold of her hands, but there was something wrong.

  Something that was bothering her and he wanted to help. “Blake, hey.”

  Blake stopped pulling on her hands, but she turned her face away from him. He could still see the ruddy color high on her cheeks. It wasn’t a blush. She was really upset.

  “Let me help.”

  She held still for a moment and it felt like she was weighing her options.

  “I’m sorry, Adam.”

  He felt a tremor through her hands, but she didn’t pull away.

  “You walk in the door and I freak out. What a stupid way to say, ‘Welcome Home!’”

  Her eyes closed and her shoulders sagged just the littlest bit but he felt like the weight transferred to his shoulders.

  “Baby,” he set her palms flat against his chest and reached out, touching his hands gently against her cheeks.

  Her skin was so damn soft against his callused hands. So damn beautiful.

  “Baby, you don’t have to do anything for me.” He moved one hand, brushing his fingertips through the wavy curls that had fallen forward into her face. “You don’t have to make dinner. You don’t have to do anything at all. You’re a guest.”

  “Apparently, I’m your responsibility.” Her tone was tight, but he didn’t feel as if it was directed at him. “As if you don’t have enough on your plate. A full-time business on your shoulders, a sister and niece to watch out for. I should be helping you, with whatever you need. All I’m doing is taking up your time,” her gaze shifted across the apartment, “and a whole lot of space.”

  He repeated the gesture on the other side, baring her face to him. “You’re so hard on yourself, you know that?” Adam couldn’t help but smile at her. “I think you’d be the last person to inconvenience anyone. You’re not like that. But,” he let out a breath and moved a little bit closer to watch her expression carefully, “I know I can’t tell you just to trust me. You’ve had too many people, who you should have been able to trust, who abused that trust.”

  She nodded, her eyes watching him with rapt attention.

  “Having a friend missing and worrying about them would be enough to have me tied up in knots. Add this guy into the mix. Knowing that he hurt her like he hurt you. Just thinking about him with his hands on you,” his teeth ground together and the edges of his vision darkened, “what he did-”

  “He didn’t hurt me, at least not in the way you think.” She swallowed and he worried over her. Her voice sounded like it came through cracked dry mud. “He didn’t slap me or twist my arm. He just forced my eyes open to the real
ity around me. Of me.

  “He told me how the world saw me. He told me I was lucky that he was taking an interest in me. That if it wasn’t for him, I wasn’t going to matter.

  “He explained in excruciating detail why I needed his help, his protection. How lucky I was that he could stomach touching me because, if he didn’t...” Blake went still for a long moment, but she seemed to sway as if something was twisting inside of her. She dropped her chin to her chest.

  “Baby?”

  He smoothed his hands over her shoulders and down to her elbows, repeating the gesture.

  “Blake, baby, look at me.”

  When she lifted her chin, she kept her gaze off over his shoulder, but he saw that her eyes were awash in tears. He watched her fighting herself… or maybe her memories. “Can’t.” Her voice scratched in her throat. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be,” his tone was warm and comforting and that only made her cry even more. “You’ll never have to worry about him again. Not while I’m around.”

  “You can’t promise that.” She continued before he could argue. “And it’s not your battle. I got myself into this mess. I’m the one who wanted this career. I’m the one who let it happen. Everyone has heard the rumors, but I thought it wasn’t going to happen to me. I wasn’t pretty enough for someone to take notice.

  “And Seth said that’s why he helped me. That because of who I was, because of what I looked like, I wasn’t going to make it without his help.

  “But I’m done with this ridiculous dream, Adam. Once I get this taken care of, I’m done. I’m stubborn, but I’m not stupid.”

  She laughed and felt her own cheeks heat with shame. “I’ve made some hellishly stupid decisions in my time, Adam, but it was like standing on the beach with my toes at the waterline and the tide is coming in.

  “Every decision that I shouldn’t have made becomes a wave that washes over your toes. It’s not bad. It’s not really scary. I had my eyes on the horizon, focusing on the dream. I just didn’t see the sand eroding under my feet and the next time I looked down, I was up to my ankles in sand and the tide was pulling me under.” She felt the empty space in her chest ache with shame. “I did that to myself.”