Page 16 of The Millionaire's Mechanic

He studied her face. Powell still had his doubts, but Rainer’s instincts said that she wasn’t involved. After a year or more of second-guessing himself, he was going to listen to his gut. Hell, Georgia’s innocence might be the only thing hewascertain about in this mess.

She had tried to help him, to warn him that he had a target on his back. She had been in the wrong place at the right time, and now she was hurt, her safety compromised. Rainer was responsible for her because of it.

One of the reasons Rainer kept getting written up in the trade mags was the way he treated people, the employees under him, and the professionals he did business with. Rainer demanded excellence and rewarded loyalty.

Even when his staff messed up—royally in one instance—he hadn’t fired them. As long as they made the effort to fix their mistakes, he dealt with them fairly. And he didn’t fire anyone without cause. He’d also never leave his people to hang for someone else’s mistakes. It was his fault the kidnappers had found out about Georgia. He wasn’t going to abandon her to deal with the consequences on her own.

She was his people now.

“Yes,” he told her, the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. “But don’t worry. I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”

Judging from her pale and clammy appearance, his words were little comfort. “If it’s the men I recorded in the bathroom, how did they find you?”

“I was followed from my office.”

Rainer had planned to make an offer for the Talbot since Georgia had first come by. Powell had found her social media accounts. She’d documented a fair number of previous restorations—and a few mods—of all types of vehicles.

Not that Rainer needed proof of her skill before making an offer for the Talbot. He would have taken it as it was. After seeing the quality of her work, though, he’d decided to hold off and give her a chance to make more progress on the classic car.

Part of him had also been waiting for the threat against him to materialize. But when weeks passed without anything happening, he grew complacent. So, he’d gone to see her. But the actual time and date of the visit had been unplanned.

Fortunately for him, his head of security had successfully argued against pulling his security detail. Though Rainer had chosen to drive himself around, a discreet sedan carrying two of the junior security guys had followed him.

Eager to reclaim his independence, Rainer didn’t allow them to enter buildings with him, not unless he had an engagement that would take longer than an hour.

Waters had noticed Rainer had a tail as soon as he left his office, but the car—a black Honda with tinted windows—was soon lost in traffic. Waters reported the incident, but he’d dismissed it when the car didn’t pop back up. When he got to Georgia’s, his people parked a little down the street, keeping the open garage door in sight.

They hadn’t expected the kidnappers to come back.

The black Honda had crept down the street at a normal speed before abruptly turning in Ephraim’s driveway. The gunshot had been a warning, something intended to scare Rainer into going quietly. His assailants hadn’t known his people were watching everything from down the street.

They also hadn’t counted on him fighting back.

Thanks to ‘the incident,’ Rainer had taken the steps to prepare himself for a physical confrontation after his buddy, Garrett, had talked him into investing in Auric, a private security firm.

The company had been founded by Elias Gardner, a friend of Garrett’s who had gone the military route. Elias had tapped his cousin, Ian Quinn, another former soldier, as his partner in the venture. When the former Army Ranger and Navy Seal decided they had wanted to expand their operation, Garrett had jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it, bringing Rainer on board at the same time.

They were supposed to be silent partners with minority stakes, but Rainer had been feeling insecure since the breach. That was why Garrett had suggested they both train with the new team their investment dollars had allowed Auric to field.

“You can surround yourself with bodyguards, but you aren’t going to feel secure until you learn to defend yourself,” his friend had pointed out.

Rainer had reluctantly agreed. Mason, the team leader, had whupped his butt. Big time. He made Rainer run army-grade obstacle courses, taught him weapons, and a variety of hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Mason also became a good friend in the process.

Thanks to that training, Rainer had been able to hold off the two men who came after him.

Today’s fight had been short and brutal. Once he’d pushed Georgia out of the way, Rainer rolled and sprang to his feet with a move that would have made Mason proud. He’d blocked the first man who’d gone to pin his arms, kicking up to push away the second. Spinning, he’d lunged for a wrench from the rack of tools. His hand found a crowbar instead. Rainer had used it to break one of the fucker’s arms.

But the kidnappers had a getaway driver in the Honda. The third man had seen Waters and his companion come barreling down the street. When he’d honked to warn them, the men had broken off their attack, making it to their vehicle before his people could stop them. Ephraim’s driveway had two huge black tire streaks left by the Honda as it pealed out.

There was a knock at the door. Powell opened it, signaling for Rainer to step out.

Murmuring his excuses to Georgia, he joined his head of security in the hall.

“Did you find the Honda?”

Powell shook his head.

Rainer growled. “Keep looking.”

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