Page 70 of Ice Mechanic

“Are you just gonna let him talk to you like that?” Rebel hisses as we drag her around the bend.

“Arguing won’t change a Kinsey’s mind,” I remind her, my gut churning. “Only beating them fair and square.”

“Wehaveto make the garage a success,” Rebel says, her eyes brimming with angry tears.

“We will,” I promise her, my hands shaking slightly. “We will.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

CHANCE

A stackof computer monitors blink to life in front of me. I fall into the office chair and it makes a loud creak. Leaning forward, I scrape my thumb over the monitor showing the arena’s front entrance.

“Hm.” I rub my thumb and index finger together, noting the dust coating both. “Does Max not have security at the arena?”

My phone buzzes with a text.

Derek: I sent the girls over like you wanted. They should be arriving by now.

Right on time, a van drives into the parking lot. Tall, beautiful girls dressed in tights and crop tops pile out of a van.

Checking my phone for the time, I balk.

Where’s Bobby?

I send a frantic text to the Zamboni driver, but there’s no response.

Plucking out my fidget spinner, I give it a whirl. If Bobby’s late and we miss this window, the crux of my plan falls apart.

“Come on, come on,” I whisper, as if I can wirelessly communicate my wishes.

I open my eyes and see movement on the monitor. Scrambling forward, I tap into the video feed of the street. A giant bus rolls into the camera’s line of sight.

My shoulders sag in relief.

Bobby’s arrived.

The cheer team is still moving up and down from their truck to the arena, carrying their pompoms and camera equipment. My gaze naturally flicks over the girls, but it’s with nothing more than respectful appreciation. Ever since I met April, my interest in other women saw a significant dip.

Thankfully, the WWW have not yet been bewitched by a curly-haired female mechanic like I have.

My teammates dismount the bus and notice the girls. Gunner and Renthrow don’t slow their stride as they head inside the arena, but Theilan and Watson do a double take. The girls smile at them. They smile back and wander over to make small talk.

My phone rings.

I answer, eyes on the feed.

“Chance,” Bobby talks in a nervous rush, “phase one is complete. I got the four of them here. What do I do now?”

“I already put the sign on the locker door. Gunner and Renthrow should notice it right away.” As I speak, the guys are turning the bend and approaching the locker room.

I tap the speaker icon, set my phone on the dusty surface of the desk and click to the security feed with a full view of the hallway.

Gunner is stalking ahead with a scowl. Rain or shine, he always looks like someone cut him off in traffic. For someone whose family owns the whole town, you’d think the guy would be a lot less grumpy.

Renthrow stomps beside him and throws a Hello Kitty gym bag over his shoulder. His muscles bulge like he’s training fora bodybuilding competition, so the cartoon-themed bag looks extremely out of place as it flaps against his back.

---