Avery (The Phoenix Club Girl Diaries #3) - Addison Jane Page 0,29

was.

Damn.

It was going to be a long night.

SHOTGUN

“You think it’ll be done soon?”

Crush cleaned off his hands on a dirty rag, his lips pursed. “Babe, it needs new tires, an oil change, and a bunch of other shit. I’m getting there, but I’m only one person.”

Avery’s shoulders slumped, and she nodded. “I know, sorry,” she apologized, forcing a smile. “It’s fine.”

Avery’s chaotic soul liked its freedom. Not that she constantly had to have the ability to make a run for it, but she liked to do what she wanted when she wanted. It kept her from feeling like she was trapped. And with her car out of action for a little while, I could tell she was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.

I shook my head, walking over to where they were chatting. “If we take the tires off and change the oil and filter, will that help?” I asked Crush, who instantly sucked in a deep breath. He was under a lot of pressure, given he was one of the best mechanics around when it came to highly modified streetcars. We had a consistent flow of them through our small garage.

Tyler—or Kid—had begun learning how to help, but he still had a long way to go. So the rest of us tried to help out where possible, none of us being experts, but just knowing the fucking basics.

“Yeah, brother,” Crush agreed, nodding. “You do it, I’ll put the new tires on, and at least then it should be good to drive until I get to the other little things.”

Avery turned and looked up at me with a wide smile. “Thank you!” She beamed, which only made me laugh.

I tapped her on the ass and pointed at the clubhouse. “Go put some old clothes on,” I ordered, enjoying the instant confusion on her face. “You think I was going to do it on my own? No, baby, you’re about to learn.”

“Umm…” She leaned back and raised her eyebrow. “Not to sound as though I’m against women empowerment and all that, but what exactly is the benefit to living in a clubhouse full of engine-loving men if I have to learn to change my own oil?”

“And there I thought you were Miss Independent,” I taunted with a smirk.

“I am.”

“So, you can throw a punch and break someone’s nose, but God forbid you get a little grease on you?” The way her lips pursed together and she narrowed her eyes at me let me know precisely how impressed she was at my teasing.

“That’s my offer. I help you do it, or you wait until Crush has time, in what?” I paused, looking over at my brother, who was highly amused by my bargaining. “Maybe three to five years by the look of his schedule?”

“You’re a jerk,” she deadpanned, folding her arms across her chest.

“Go change,” I ordered, smacking her hard on the ass and making her jump.

“I swear…”

“What’s that, baby?”

She quickly zipped her lips and strutted off toward the clubhouse, a red handprint peeking out of the bottom of her shorts making me grin.

“I’m going to clean up,” Avery announced, looking down at her arms and hands.

I didn’t think there was a single part of her that was clean, every inch of skin covered in black smears and smudges from either the oil or the tires, and God fucking knows what else.

“I’ll come hel—”

“Hey, man, can you help me with these?” Crush questioned before I could escape the garage with Avery. The wink she gave me over her shoulder as she strutted out was something I was going to make her regret later.

In the best way possible.

With fresh new tires on the rims, I helped Crush put them back on the car, tightening each bolt by hand. “So, when you gonna make it official with her?” Crush enquired after tire number two. “You guys flirt like horny teenagers and fuck like them, too.”

I snorted out a laugh, thinking that was fucking ridiculous, but then remembering how I’d wiped a streak of grease down her nose only moments before, simply because the idea of getting her in the shower and helping wash her down had my dick straining.

“You planning on sticking your dick in her?”

His eyebrows shot up. “No fucking way.”

“Then does it really matter whether she’s wearing my patch or not?”

It did.

I wanted her in my fucking colors.

My name across her back.

But when it came to that point, I wouldn’t be taking no for a fucking answer, and I needed to know