But close enough for tonight.
And if whatever had scared her decided to follow, it was going to learn exactly how bad of an idea that was.
5
RILEY
Iwoke before the sun had fully crept through the high windows of the upstairs office. The pull-out couch was surprisingly comfortable, but I’d slept like crap anyway.
Sitting up and rubbing my face, I tried telling myself that my restlessness had nothing to do with the way Ryot had looked at me yesterday. Or the low rumble of his voice when he said my name.
Unlocking the door, I padded down the hallway to the nearest bathroom, grateful for the hot water. A quick shower helped wake me up, though my mind kept drifting back to him.
He’d introduced himself to me as Ryot, but I’d heard someone else call him Gauge. I couldn’t help but wonder what that was all about, but I figured I had plenty of time to learn since I was working for him.
I dressed in my usual black tank top, cargo pants, and work boots. No matter how much I scrubbed, there would be grease under my nails again by the end of the day. That was just how it was. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and allowed myself a moment of gratitude.
Despite still having a rough night, I’d actually felt safe enough to close my eyes for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. The building was surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire. Cameras covered the important angles. The doors were heavy and well-secured. If I had to be on the run, this was probably the best place I could’ve ended up.
But now I had a job to do so I could prove I deserved to be here.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I spotted Ryot. His broad shoulders stretched the seams of a dark shirt as he stood talking to a couple of mechanics near one of the dynos. Even from across the busy garage, my stomach did a silly little flip that I immediately blamed on the bad night’s sleep.
Get it together, Mercer.
He looked up as if he could feel me watching, and those dark green eyes locked on mine. The corner of his mouth tipped up in the smallest acknowledgment before he excused himself from the conversation and headed straight for me.
“Morning. Ready to make it official?”
I nodded, trying to ignore how aware I was of him as he led me into a side office. He gave me plenty of physical space, but I could still feel the weight of his attention as I sat down and started filling out the employment paperwork.
After a few minutes, he glanced through the window overlooking the nearest bay. “Be right back. One of my brothers needs me. He brought in his old lady’s new ride for me to look over since she’s pregnant.”
He stepped out, leaving the door partially open.
I finished the last form, then twisted my head from side to side to stretch my neck.
Then the door opened, and a woman stepped inside. “Oh sorry. I didn’t realize someone was in here.”
“No reason you should have.” I offered her a cautious smile. “It’s my first day.”
“Ahh, gotcha.” She grinned. “I’m Blitz’s wife, Aubrey.”
“Nice to meet you.” My smile widened a little. “I’m Riley.”
She tilted her head toward the mini fridge. “I hope you don’t mind if I grab a bottle of water.”
“Please, go ahead. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to look in there, so I certainly won’t miss anything. Not that it’s even my place to say.” I gave her a tight smile, feeling more than a little self-conscious.
She snagged a cold water and gave me another friendly look. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll see you around. I hope you have a great first day.”
“Me too,” I mumbled as she turned to walk out. “I have a lot riding on Gau—this job.”
I let out a slow breath after she left, staring at the desk. This place was already more complicated than I’d expected. I needed to stay focused on the job Ryot had given me, not the man who was now my boss. And I needed to stop fumbling over his name. If I made a big deal waffling over calling him Ryot instead of Gauge, then it’d just draw more attention to it.
Ryot returned at the end of my mental pep talk to myself. “Paperwork done?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Where do you want me to start?”
