REBEL, a New Adult Romance Novel (The Rebel Series) Read Online Free Page B

desperate.
    “Really?   Okay, then.   Anything else?   Tune-up maybe?   Engine sounds rough.”
    “Nah, that’s how Beetles sound.”
    He gives me a half grin that almost has me changing my mind about what type of guy I’m attracted to.
    “Is that so?” he asks.
    “Yeah.   So … listen … I have a confession.”
    “This oughta be good.”   He crosses his arms and leans back on a car behind him.   “I’m all ears.”
    “I’m looking for a job.   I can do just about anything, and you don’t have to pay me a lot.”
    “Can you do an engine rebuild?   We need a mechanic.”
    “Uh … no.   But I can learn?”   I know I sound weak as hell, but I’m serious.   I will fucking build an engine from scratch if I have to.   I’ll get grease under my nails and armpit stink all over this place.   I am so ready to work my ass off.
    He stands straight, letting his arms drop to his sides.   “You can come in and talk to Rebel, but don’t hold your breath.   He doesn’t hire people he doesn’t know.   And we need a mechanic with experience.”
    I frown as I follow him through the front door.   “How can he only hire people he knows?   Does he have that many friends?”
    “Rebel knows people,” is all he’ll say.
    I’m too distracted by the interior of the front office to ask any more of the questions that are swimming in my mind.   Talk about dirty.   Holy crap, this place should be condemned.   There are pizza boxes stacked up in all four corners of the room.   One of them is half-open and there are petrified crusts inside.   Dirt covers every square inch of all the surfaces I can see.   It’s impossible to tell what color the floor is supposed to be.   Is that carpet?   Or a thick layer of fuzzy dirt?
    My mystery host leads me through the office and into the main part of the building where several cars are in various states of repair.   It’s actually cleaner in here than it is in the office, which makes zero sense.   There’s one car jacked up on a high lift and a big guy working under it.   He’s got coveralls on, but they’re unzipped and the top half is hanging down by his legs, leaving his upper body bare.
    I nearly choke on my own drool.   Holy mother … please do not tell me this is Rebel, because if it is, I will not be able to talk to him.   Gorgeous does not even begin to cover what I’m looking at. Muscles? Yeah.   Everywhere.   Tattoos?   Check.   The one on his thick right arm looks like the Virgin Mary if my eyesight isn’t failing me.   Body fat?   None that I can see.
    I instantly begin to sweat from every pore on my body.   Not attractive at all.   Did I remember to put deodorant on today?   Ack!   I pray to any god who might be listening that she will have mercy on my sorry ass and hold off any pit-stink coming from my direction until after I’m gone from here.
    “Rebel, this is …”   My host turns to look at me.   “Sorry.   Didn’t get your name.”
    “Teagan.”   My voice sounds like a chipmunk, so I repeat myself, lowering it down.   “Teagan.   Cross.   Teagan Cross.   That’s my name.”
    “Cool.”   He looks back over at the man ignoring us under the car.   We’ve stopped just in front of the spot where the edge of the vehicle is almost above our heads.   I make sure to stay back a little, just in case the thing comes crashing down.   “This is Teagan, and she’s looking for a job.”
    “She a mechanic?” Rebel asks, turning the tool he has in his hand but not bothering to look over.
    “No. But she can fix rearview mirrors, apparently.”
    Shame turns my face beet red, but I open my mouth and vomit words on them anyway.   “I can check oil too.”
    “We need a mechanic,” Rebel says, still not looking at us.
    “Yeah. I told her that.”   The other guy turns around, probably expecting me to follow him, but I’m not giving up this easily.   I haven’t seen a single gold tooth yet, and if the only