Page 96 of Crew Girl

Right. He needed Ryder to understand exactly what he thought about his offer. “You. Can’t. Buy. Me.”

Ryder’s jaw muscles started twitching and his hands balled into fists, but whatever he saw in Cam’s eyes forced him back a step. Then another. He made it to the edge of the workshop before he had the balls to speak again. “Everyone has a price, Dillinger.”

Then, like the creature of the night he clearly was, Ryder disappeared into the darkness.

His dad was on the phone when Cam headed to the office to see if he was ready to go. Whatever conversation he was having clearly wasn’t going well.

“No. No. Don’t say there’s nothing you can do because I know you could give me more time,” pleaded his dad. “I can get it, but I don’t have forty-eight thousand dollars sitting in my bank account to give you right now.”

Shit. Forty-eight thousand?

The guy talked for a bit. Cam slid off his coveralls watching his dad sprout more gray hairs.

“I’ve been banking with you guys for years,” his dad said. “Doesn’t that count for anything? Right. Nothing you can do. I heard you the first time.” He hung up the phone. Glared at it. “Jackasses.”

Cam flinched. His dad was not a swearer. He knew things were on a downward spiral but hadn’t realized how close the shop might be to hitting rock bottom.

He knocked on the doorframe, pulled a couple of coveralls from the laundry basket to bring home. “What’s going on, Dad?”

His dad blinked at him, readjusted his expression, but couldn’t keep the strain he was feeling hidden. “Nothing you need to worry about, son.”

They were past the point of pretending now. Ever since his dad had been forced to fire the other mechanics and add an invisible & Son to the business name.

“Forty-eight thousand dollars is going to take a while to put together,” he said, ignoring the flare of panic in his dad’s eyes. His gut was churning, so he knew the answer to the next question, but made himself ask it anyway. “Are we going to be okay?”

His dad gave Cam’s shoulder a couple of heavy claps. “All you need to worry about is that big race of yours tomorrow.”

Yeah, right. Like he could just forget about all of his dad’s hard work, and his, going up in flames. Or, more accurately, being repossessed by the bank.

“I want to help, Dad.”

“Just leave it, son.”

They stared at each other. Wide-eyed. His dad had never spoken to him like that before. Sharp. Angry. He must’ve seen the impact it had in Cam’s eyes because he softened, threw an arm around his shoulders, and steered them out the door. “Whatever happens with the bank, we’ll be okay. Let’s get you home now. Get you rested up so you can show that scout what you’re made of.”

TEAGAN

The early morning run had been a good call. Empty streets, a bright blue sky, and a crisp pace had helped burn some of the nerves about today’s indoor competition.

Teagan jogged up the steps to the back door, brain making a list of the things she’d need to bring with her. She stopped short when the person who should’ve been in the kitchen wasn’t.

“Coach Hayden?!” she gasped.

Coach Hayden froze, checked for other escape routes, couldn’t find one.

“Teagan! Hello.”

“What are you doing here? With your—” She threw her arm over her eyes. “With your shirt open?”

“I can explain—”

This was fifty shades of Not In My Backyard. She peeked to see if it was safe to look. Waited until he did up the top button. Which looked weird. But not as weird as finding him sneaking out of her house on a Saturday morning. She was going to be emotionally scarred for life.

He threw a panicked look up the stairs. The shower was running. He was going to have to man up and deal with this himself. “I think this is a conversation best had with your mom.”

She clocked the duffel bag hanging from his shoulder. “Did you stay over? With me in the house? Has this happened before?” The questions were flying out of her—but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answers.

“I should go,” he said in lieu of answering, wisely taking the long route around the kitchen island to get to the door.