4

The morning air at the Iron Wolves compound didn't smell like freedom; it smelled like stale beer, wet pavement, and the looming threat of a fight.

I hadn't slept. Not that I expected to, given that I was tucked away in a spare room in Dax’s private wing, listening to the muffled sounds of a biker clubhouse settling into a restless silence. My conditions had been simple: I touch every engine I race, I choose my own parts, and no one absolutely no one calls me "sweetheart."

Dax had agreed with a look that suggested he found my defiance more entertaining than annoying. That look was still burned into my brain when I stepped into the main garage at 6:00 AM.

The Iron Wolves’ garage was a massive, corrugated metal cathedral dedicated to the gods of speed. Rows of Harleys, Indians, and a few custom builds stood in various states of undress. It was a mechanic’s dream, but as I walked in, the dream felt more like a firing squad.

Six men were already there. They stopped talking the moment the heels of my boots hit the concrete.

"You’re lost, aren't you?" a massive guy with a beard down to his chest Tank, the enforcer grunted. He was holding a torque wrench like a club. "Kitchen’s back in the main house, honey."

The "honey" hit me like a slap. I didn't flinch. I walked straight past him to the center bay where a dismantled Road Glide sat on a lift. I took a long, slow look at the engine.

"The timing is off by at least two degrees," I said, my voice projecting through the cavernous space. "The primary chain is dragging, and whoever worked on this fuel injector clearly learned their trade from a YouTube tutorial and a prayer."

The garage went silent. Tank’s face turned a shade of purple that matched his club tattoos. "Listen here, Chen. Just because the VP has a soft spot for your old man’s ghost doesn't mean you get to walk in here and "

"I don't care about soft spots," I interrupted, finally looking him in the eye. "I care about the fact that if you take this bike on a run, the engine is going to seize at seventy miles per hour and send you sliding under a semi-truck. But hey, it’s your funeral. I’m just here to make sure the bikes that actually matter the ones for the Championship don't fail because of incompetence."

"Incompetence?" A younger guy, Reaper, stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "We’ve been maintaining these bikes since before you could ride a bicycle."

"Then you’ve been doing it wrong for a long time," I snapped.

I walked over to a tool chest, grabbed a 10mm socket, and moved back to the Road Glide. Before Tank could stop me, I made three precise adjustments. I hit the starter. The engine roared to life, but this time, the idle was smooth, a perfect, rhythmic thrum that vibrated through the floorboards.

The bikers exchanged looks. The hostility was still there, but a thin layer of begrudging respect had started to coat it.

"She’s got a mouth on her," a voice drawled from the doorway.

Dax was leaning against the frame, a mug of black coffee in his hand. He looked like he’d been standing there for a while. He didn't look at his men; he looked at me. The sunlight from the open bay door caught the gold flecks in his dark eyes, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

"She’s also right," Dax said, stepping into the room. "The Road Glide has been running rough for a week. Tank, Reaper get the supplies for the North corridor run. Mia is the lead mechanic for the Championship bikes. Her word in this garage is mine. Any problems with that?"

Tank let out a huff of air, shoved his wrench into a drawer, and stomped out, followed by the others. Reaper lingered for a second, giving me a measuring look, before following.

Once they were gone, the garage felt too quiet. Too small.

"You enjoy that?" Dax asked, walking over to the lift. He set his coffee down on a workbench.

"Enjoying being hated? It's a Tuesday, Dax. I’m used to it." I wiped my hands on a grease rag, keeping my eyes on the bike. "Why didn't you tell them why I’m really here? That I’m Ghost Rider?"

"Because in this world, respect is earned through sweat, not reputation," Dax said. He moved closer, stepping into my personal space. The scent of him cedar and high-octane fuel wrapped around me. "And because if they knew you were the one who’s been taking their money at the tracks for three months, they’d do more than just call you names."

He reached out, his fingers brushing a smudge of grease off my cheek. His touch was light, but it felt like a brand. I should have pulled away. I should have snapped at him. Instead, I stood frozen, my heart racing faster than any engine I’d ever tuned.

"Don't," I whispered, though I didn't move.

"Don't what, Mia?" His voice was a low vibration. "Don't protect you? Don't notice that you're the only person in this town who isn't afraid to look me in the eye?"

"Don't pretend this is anything other than a business deal," I said, finally finding my voice and stepping back. "I’m here to win a race and clear my father’s name. I’m not here to be your project, or your conquest."

Dax’s expression shifted, the playful spark vanishing, replaced by something much darker and more intense. "You think this is a game to me? My father is a traitor. My brother is dead. And the people responsible are currently planning to put a bullet in your head the second you hit the track. This isn't a conquest, Mia. It’s a war."

He picked up his coffee and turned to leave.

"Start on the Ducati," he called over his shoulder. "We’re taking it to the private track at midnight. If you're going to race for the Wolves, I need to see if you're as fast as the legends say."

I watched him walk away, my grip tightening on the grease rag. I had six weeks to survive this clubhouse, six weeks to keep my heart under lock and key, and six weeks to prove that Ghost Rider didn't need an MC to win.

But as I looked at the massive Iron Wolves logo painted on the garage wall, I realized for the first time that the biggest danger might not be the Ravagers.

It might be the man who just walked out the door.

Would you like me to move to the midnight practice session at the private track, or should we focus on a moment where Mia finds a clue about the traitor while working in the garage?