“I said no. You’re not getting rid of it. That bitch destroyed a masterpiece, and I’m not going to let it go to waste. Let me have it. If you’re just going to dump it, then at least let me have it.”
He studies me, then shakes his head and shrugs. “Fine, whatever.”
“Good. Oh, and if that new car is for her to destroy, I’m not helping you build it. I’d rather gnaw my own arm off than to see that disrespectful cow get behind another one of your cars.”
His eyes widen and Sheyenne lunges forward, but Murray catches her again, pulling her back.
“Let me teach her a lesson, Murray,” she screeches. “Stupid bitch, let me rip her hair out.”
I open my mouth to reply but Tazen clamps a hand over it and says in a low voice, “Be very careful, Quinn. There’s a lot you don’t know, things that can get you hurt. If I could tell you, I would, but you need to trust me okay? She’s bad news. Just simmer down, okay?”
“I know enough to have followed you here, where you’re involved in some pretty stupid stuff. If you want to risk your career to please that spoiled brat, you go right ahead.”
I turn and walk towards the crowd. I look back over my shoulder before I reach it. “Oh, have the car delivered for me. Will you?”
Then I blend in with the people.
Shit just got real.
* * *
“Stop, Quinn.”
I keep walking towards my car, parked in the darkness. Tazen is following me. Of course he is. I’m ignoring him.
“Jesus, stop, will you?”
I’m just about at my car when he takes hold of my hand and spins me around. I lose my balance and slam into his chest. It takes me a moment to gather my footing, but when I do, I push him backwards and shoot him a menacing glare.
“What the fuck did you follow me here for?”
I cross my arms. “I knew you were up to something, I wanted to see what.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Considering I’m your employee, I’d say it is. Oh, and there’s the fact that you’ve fucked me.”
“Fucked plenty of women.”
Ouch.
I flinch and anger bubbles in my chest.
“You know what?” I say. “Fuck you. I’m done with you. You’ve done nothing but play games with me from the start.”
“Me?” He snorts. “I think you’re the fucking game player.”
“Whatever,” I say, opening my car door. “I’m done.”
“No, you’re not. We’re going to talk.”
He takes hold of my arm, but I spin around and shove him backwards. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m finished with you and your psycho girlfriend.”
“She isn’t my girlfriend,” he growls.
“No, you just make her car after car, so she can trash them. I thought you cared more about your work than that.”
“Listen, Sheyenne is…”
“A spoiled brat who you all keep making excuses for.”
He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. “She’s not right in the head, Quinn.”
“No shit.”
“I’m being serious,” he yells. “She’s nuts and it’s getting worse. We don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she’s having massive episodes where she just loses it. She’s taking it out on her cars, on her friends and what little family she has left. She was my girlfriend for a while, and I noticed it was happening. When she tried to run me over after a fight one night, I knew it was spiraling out of control.”
I shake my head. I feel sorry for her, if that’s the case, I do. But them spoiling her is not helping anyone. All it’s doing is teaching her to be a bigger bitch. If they wanted to help her, they’d take her to a doctor.
“And you think that’s enough of an excuse for me to forgive you for treating me like shit and then handing her car after car?”
“I shut down on you in front of her, so she wouldn’t explode at you. I was protecting you. And as for the car, racing helps her but…” He trails off.
I knew it, there’s something else.
“What?” I prompt.
“Look, she is a loose cannon, and she knows I used to do things I shouldn’t have. If she exposes me, I could lose everything. Do you understand me? I can lose every single thing I’ve worked for.”
“You’re not making any sense,” I mutter.
He sighs. “Look … there’s a reason I know a lot about this illegal racing. I’ve done things, Quinn. I’ve sold cars to people I shouldn’t sell cars to, I’ve taken deals to build illegally, and worse, I’ve raced illegally. If that comes out … I risk losing it all. Sheyenne knows everything there is to know, and with Murray like a dog on her heels, it isn’t easy to flick her off.”
Ding ding ding. There it is.
“Maybe that’s true, but Jesus, Tazen, she is treating your work like shit. Surely there’s a way you can get around it, without losing your career. Does she have solid evidence?”
“You don’t get it, Quinn, and I don’t expect you to but Sheyenne has the means to destroy me if she wants to—I am pulling back, I am refusing builds, but she’s bringing in the threats hard and fast. I need the time to figure out how to sort her out, without risking my life’s work.”
“I get that, and it’s your business Tazen, but standing back and letting her treat you like shit and destroy so much beauty … do you really have to stand back and let her do that? I thought you cared about your builds more than that, but I guess I was wrong.”
“Jesus,” he grunts. “You’re in a mood.”
“No,” I say, leaning close. “I’m just sick and tired of you.”
“Yet here you are,” he spits.
“Whatever.” I jerk my door open again, but he slams a hand on it and presses my body against the car. He drops his head to my ear and I can’t help the shiver that runs through me.
“Maybe,” he says, “you’re jealous.”
“Dream on,” I mumble.
“Most girls wouldn’t take such an interest.”
“Yeah, well, most girls are probably okay with being fucked and treated like shit. I am not.”
“I told you, I was protecting you.”
“I can protect myself. Now get off me.”
He presses his hips into my ass and I can feel how hard he is. Right against my ass. I close my eyes, wanting to beat him senseless.
“I can tell you with a hundred percent certainty, that I have no interest in Sheyenne.”
“And that’s meant to make me feel better?”
He grinds against me and his hand goes down to cup my breast. “Will it make you feel better if I tell you that I’m cutting ties with her?”
It actually would, but I don’t say that.
“Why would that make me feel better? You’ve made it clear I’m not enough for you.”
He stills and then rasps, “Baby.”
“Don’t you baby me,” I fire back in a breathy tone. “You fucked me and then treated me badly, Tazen.”
“I didn’t mean for it to hurt, angel.”