Be All, End All

Darynn had been working with the team for more than two months when she decided it was time to move. The rent on her trailer pad was monthly, and she was getting damn tired of driving back and forth when she could just be walking around to the back of the garage.

“Dom, can I talk to you?”

Low and Dom had been bent over the small monitor of the office’s computer. They both stood when she spoke from the doorway.

“Uh, yeah. Low, go ahead and get the parts we ordered, and the stuff off that list. I’ll look at this later.”

Low nodded and came at her. Darynn quickly moved out of the way and he passed her with barely a nod. Despite the passing of time Low had yet to open up to her, but then she hadn’t really seen him exchange more than a few words with anyone but Dom.

“What’re you buggin’ me for today?” Dom asked as he perched his ass on the edge of the desk.

Darynn couldn’t explain her nervousness. Maybe he’d changed his mind about the offer. Or maybe it was just the shadowy warmth of the small office making her feel like she was *too* close to him.

She edged along the wall to a four-drawer file cabinet and leaned an elbow on its top. “Well, I was gonna ask you about my car.”

He crossed his arms and waited.

“Do you know anyone who’d be interested in buying it?”

“You want to sell your Mazda?” His arms unfolded and braced on the edge next to his hips, his expression becoming more intense.

Darynn had to force her eyes from following his every movement. What the hell was wrong with her?

“No, not the Mazda, the Probe. I was thinking about buying a truck. Some big thing that I could put a lift under.” She shrugged. “I’ve just always wanted a truck with Bigfoot size tires on it. I got the money to start working on it.”

He gave her a slow smile, “Bigfoot isn’t legal.”

She rolled her eyes, “Well, not *really* that big, but I saw some really nice Super Swampers, forty-four inches, that I couldn’t seem to fit on the Probe.”

“That’d be a hell of a mod. Step-side Probe, huh?”

Darynn grinned at the mental picture. “With the hydraulics it could really get to bouncing.”

“You wantin’ to put hydraulics on your truck?”

“Not really. I just want to get something to go get dirty in. I was always one of those people that wanted to either go fast on the road or just off of it, nothing in between.”

“Muddin’ with you would be scary.”

Brows raised she tried to act as if she’d taken offense, “You think I can’t drive?”

“I think you better invest in five-point harnesses. You got more balls than you should.”

Darynn nearly puffed with pride at the almost compliment. He hadn’t said her driving was good, just impressive, even if it was on the scary side.

“Well, anyway. Keep an eye out for me.”

He nodded. “That all?”

She chewed her lip for a second. “No. Um, if the offer is still open I was wondering if I could move my trailer.”

That crinkle of a frown formed in his forehead, “You still living without water?”

She was, but she’d also been buying it. Both bottled water for to drink and having a guy come out and fill the RV’s reservoir. “It’s not that big’a deal. But the drive is starting to be a hassle. So if it’s still okay…”

“Yeah, it’s still okay. More than. You shoulda said something before, Darynn.”

She shrugged, “Like I said, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I’ll help you hook up when you roll in. Not sure what kind of shape those hook-ups are in.” He stood and moved to the small window looking out at the back lot.

“What about cost? Is there a separate bill?”

He turned at her question, his eyes meeting hers for just a heartbeat before lowering. “Why don’t you just move into the house? Bring your RV, but just park it.”

Darynn couldn’t have been more shocked or uncomfortable. Had he just invited her to live with him? Even if on a platonic level it was a huge thing. Vince lived there too, and Greg and Leon often crashed there, but it was a guy’s house. She’d seen chicks come and go, staying for parties or for days, but in the end it was still just the guys.

“No.” She was shaking her head, aghast at the idea of living in a house with two or more men, men she found attractive, men who found her attractive. Her pact to not sleep with them would surely be tested to the limit, and she did not want to be thought of as the Toretto whore. It was already bad enough, only one girl on a team of six. “No,” she repeated, still shaking her head.

She wrung her hands in front of her, side-stepping towards the door. “In fact, just forget it. The rent isn’t that much. I’ll be okay. It’s only a few miles anyway. I don’t want to—“

A thick arm across the doorway cut off her escape and had her back stepping in the opposite direction. Dom could make any person feel small, and right now he was inches away and staring down at her.

“Stop.”

Of course she did. Mouth and movement ceased.

“I was just thinkin’ it would be easier for you,” his voice lower now. “I’ll figure up the extra electric and water. Forget the other.”

She nodded, meeting his gaze as little as possible. She hated this intimacy, being this close to him. He was incredible and her resolve was very weak, especially when she was alone with him like this. Her mind was continuously playing out scenarios of her throwing herself at him. She was already more than hot for him without him going and being nice.

Thankfully he moved away, but not before leaning in closer. Darynn nearly flinched away as he came closer in the pretense of pushing his bulk off the door. For just a heartbeat there was only an inch or two separating their faces and she hadn’t been able to control her intake of breath. Then he was moving to the desk, his slow saunter giving her a few seconds to recuperate.

Ass perched on the desk again he gave her his attention. “We’ll get you set up tonight, a’ight?”

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Another thing.”

His look was expectant, but she could see the thinning of his lips. Wearing him out was she?

“I have some stuff in storage. Tools, equipment, that sorta thing. Some of it’s kind of memorable and should probably stay in storage, but the other stuff could be helpful. No more fighting over the three-quarter inch.”

“Where is this?”

“Uh, I rented one of those pods. They’ll deliver cross-country. So if you…”

“What’s in it?”

She shrugged, pouting her lip as she tried to think, “A little of everything. I tried to take the things I thought other garages might not have. Tire changer and balancer, air compressor and air tools, welder, blast cabinet, spray wash cabinet, and smaller stuff, bench, creepers, oil drain. Oh, and I took the frame machine.”

He had a little half smile on his face as he looked at her. “Are you for real? A mechanic with her own expensive hardware? A body frame? A blast cabinet? That’s like fifteen thousand right there.”

“There’s more than twenty sunk in the tool chest.”

Silence stretched out between them until Dom finally spoke again, “Where’d you get all this equipment and why don’t you have your own shop?”

Darynn shrugged, having no intention of giving him the details. “I did. I sold it, but I figured I could at least take the good stuff. And I wasn’t about to leave my tools.”

He huffed a breath, “Yeah, and yeah. I’ll pay for the shipping and storage for whatever’s left. Then forget the electric and water. Using your equipment more than covers utilities.”

She shrugged again, pleased that they’d settled so easily. In all fairness she could charge him to use the equipment, which was all relatively new and most of it was expensive. She probably had seventy-five G’s in that one twenty-four-foot container.

They’d finished their business so she returned to the exhaust system she’d been replacing.

Either the sun setting or Dom’s word ended each day. Today was a Dom day. He clued them in by starting to shut up the office and turn off the bigger equipment. By the time he was ready to shut off the lights and close the doors they were all washed up and waiting for him.

“That Supra almost done, Gregg?”

Gregg had been playing with a new booboo, a gash on his knuckle. “Uh, yeah. We just need those tires. The brakes and rims are done.”

“Bring in a new one tomorrow?”

“You want three going?” Leon asked. Usually each pair only had two cars going, one waiting for parts or paint or something else. To keep busy they’d just start a new project.

“Yeah, I’ll be in the shop tomorrow.” As a warning or a reward, Dom didn’t get to work in the garage every day. Darynn had noticed that he seemed more stressed on the days that he wasn’t able to.

They spread out and said their goodbyes as they split up into pairs or headed out alone. Darynn always parked along the street next to the house so it didn’t seem that big of a deal to be walking with Dom and Vince. But when she stepped off the curb to go around to the driver’s side and V headed up the walk, Dom just stood at her passenger side.

“Yes?” she asked across the car.

“I’m helpin’ you.”

“Helping me?” she asked slowly. “Oh, the moving thing.” She shrugged, trying to play it down. For her own good, not wanting to be alone with him for any amount of time. She’d fully intended to move by herself. “It can wait till after you take a shower and stuff.”

“We’re just gonna stink again after we’re done. Let’s go.” He didn’t wait for her to agree or give her a choice, climbing into the passenger seat.

Darynn didn’t move for probably thirty seconds. Pep talk, anyone? *This is your boss,* she reminded herself. *And Brian has some sort of interest in him. Forming any relationship with him would just complicate everything. Just leave it as it is and there won’t be the angst to deal with!*

It didn’t help in the least. She could feel her pulse and breath coming quicker. Damn, she really needed to get some time *away* from these guys.