Hard to Break

“Qui

“Just … I’ll call you back okay?”

“Qui

“I’ll call you—”

My sentence is cut off when my father comes charging out of the bathroom, stark naked. I scream and spin around, horrified. “Jesus fuck!”

“Qui

I hang up quickly and drop the phone, calling out, “Jace?”

“Sorry, Qui

“Qui

Anger bubbles in my chest, but I keep my back to him and my mouth closed.

“Come on, Robbo.” Jace tries for calm. “Get yourself dressed and go sleep it off.”

“Fuck you, Jace,” Dad barks and I flinch.

This is something I’ve noticed has been happening more and more lately. Dad is getting angrier, more short-tempered. This worries me.

“Relax,” Jace warns. “It’s time for bed.”

“You don’t tell me when I go to bed,” Dad slurs. “Who the hell do you think you are? Bring it on, boy.”

“Dad,” I yell, finally losing my hold on the anger bubbling up. “Get dressed and get into bed. I can’t take this anymore. If you’re going to act like a child, that’s how we’re going to treat you.”

“Qui

My shoulders slump and tears burn under my eyelids. “Just,” I whisper, “go to sleep.”

There’s shuffling sounds, and a moment later a door closes. I slowly turn to see I’m alone in the room again. I glance down at the mess only half cleaned on the floor and the phone beside it that is flashing with another phone call. Tazen. Fuck. I reach down and snatch it up, pressing it to my ear.

“Tazen.”

“What the hell, Qui

He’s … what?

“No, you can’t come over,” I cry.

“I fucking can. You were screaming. Are you hurt? Fuck, angel, are you hurt?”

He’s … worried for me. My heart swells.

“I’m okay,” I say softly. “It was just … a friend stayed the night and he was drunk. It’s a long story but I’m fine, don’t come over.”

Tazen is silent a minute. “You’re lying to me.”

I close my eyes. “I’m your employee, Tazen. You’ve made that horribly clear. I’m no more. What happens here is none of your concern. You rang about a file, it’s under new builds in the second filing cabinet. I’ll see you Monday.”

“Angel,” he starts, but I click the phone off.

I drop my head and let one silent tear run down my cheek.

*   *   *

By Monday morning, I’m ready for work again. My weekend was slow after Dad’s drunken meltdown, and I spent most of it making sure it didn’t happen again. Jace came over to check on me a few times and Le

But I’m tired.

So damned tired.

I get into the garage before Tazen and the guys, so I get some serious invoicing done. By the time nine rolls around, I’m on top of most of the work for the day. This work is boring the hell out of me, and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to keep on top of it when all I want to do is go out into that garage. Maybe Jace is right, maybe I need to let it go and get another job.

“Hey.”

I turn to see Tazen standing in the doorway to the office.

“Ah, hey.”

He tilts his head to the side and studies me. “How was your weekend?”

I stand. “Fine. I have done all the work for the day already. I think I’m going to take the rest of the day to look for work. I’m not cut out for this.”

Tazen’s eyes narrow. “I thought you would do anything not to have to leave this place?”

I cross my arms. “Yes, Tazen, you’re right but it’s clear you’re never going to give me even a slight chance to work as a mechanic so I’ll find someone who will. Now, unless there is something else you need me to do, I’m going to head out.”

He studies me for a long, long moment before he finally speaks. “You want a job in the garage?”

“Is that a stupid question?” I mutter.

He smirks at me.

“Answer my question, angel.”

“Yes, Tazen, I want a job in the garage.”

“Fine,” he says, crossing his arms. “It turns out I might have some work for you there. But there are conditions.”

I roll my eyes to the ceiling, then back, muttering, “Of course there are.”

“You don’t touch my builds.”

I blink. “So you want me to do what then?”

“We have a fuck load that come back in for services, replacement bits, things like that. You can help out on those, it’s basic work but it’ll give you great experience. You’ll have free range with all that, but no one touches my builds except my trained men.”

Gosh, I hate him sometimes.

But he knows I’ll accept, because even doing basics on the cars that come back in is an amazing chance. It’s also a chance to prove just what I can do to Tazen arrogant Watts.

“Fine,” I say casually.

“You work the same hours, and you take orders from me like the other guys. You’re not ru

“Fine,” I say again.

“Good.” He steps out of the way. “Let’s see how well you really handle this man’s environment, because I can tell you now, my guys won’t be happy about having a woman on the team.”

“Your guys can suck it.” I smile coldly. “Now, can I start?”

He waves a hand again. “Let’s see what you’ve got, angel.”

Challenge accepted.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

He isn’t kidding.

The guys don’t say it out loud, but it’s clear that I’m not an accepted part of their boys’ club. They treat me like I’m invisible and only give me the easiest jobs. I keep my shit together and do my job efficiently. That is, at least, until their little pranks. “This isn’t fu

I stare down at my coveralls and inwardly screech. The men thought it would be fu

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw that my leopard-print bra was poking through the two messily cut holes. I turned and stared at my ass, and my cheeks flushed. I’m wearing a G-string, because I hadn’t done the washing and it was all I had left. My butt cheeks are poking out the holes cut there. I was so angry I stormed into Tazen’s office, not even caring if anyone got a glimpse of my ass.

“How is this fu

He stops laughing. Then his eyes grow a little more serious. Clearly he can see this has upset me.

“Listen, Qui

He’s being serious. He laughed at first, but now his eyes are sca

“No, I’ve got this.”

He nods and hands me a roll of duct tape. “Now patch up those holes and get back out there. Show them they can’t faze you.”

I take the tape from his hand. He grins.

“But before you do,” he says, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Turn around one more time so I can enjoy the view.”