Mustang Sally by Jayne Rylon Read Free Book Online

mechanics’ apartment above it.
    Tom. She gulped. What would he think of what she intended?
    Would he still love her like the daughter he’d never had?
    It was a lot to risk.
    Everything important.
    The stainless steel skeletal butterfly on her fob rattled against her car and house keys as she ascended the open-backed stairs at the rear of the industrial building. The two slivers of metal reminded her of all the stakes. Her home. Her car. Her Hot Rods, who’d given her the trinket, binding them together on the first Christmas she’d spent with them a decade ago.
    The badass butterfly had been her signature logo ever since, painted on each piece she created. That included her own Mustang and every other vehicle the Hot Rods obsessed over. Why did they mean so much to her if she didn’t matter a bit to them? Their sexy bodies and friendship had obviously warped her judgment.
    When she went to fit her key in the lock, the door at the top of the stairs swung open. Had they forgotten to pull it closed? A bunch of them had grown up on the streets or in places a hell of a lot less protected. Security wasn’t something they slacked off on despite the relative safety of Middletown.
    “Um, hello?” A shiver ran down her spine. Something wasn’t right. When a skitter of motion flickered through her unadjusted peripheral vision, she didn’t hesitate.
    Using the self-defense instruction Roman had often given her, she balled her fist and swung at the shadow rapidly encroaching on her. Her knuckles connected with flesh. Holy fuck.
    It hurt, but not enough to keep her from landing a second punch to someplace softer. Who the hell was in their house? In the dark? Had they hurt her Hot Rods?
    She’d rip them apart with her bare hands if they had.
    “ Oompf .” The grunt sounded somewhat familiar. But Sally wasn’t sure the person she’d decked was Eli until he hollered, “Guys! Turn the lights on.”
    Brightness flashed into existence, blinding Sally.
    “Welcome home!” a chorus of male voices shouted, mostly together.
    She nearly toppled onto her ass when fight or flight instincts propelled her headlong into the bizarre scene in front of her. Eli bent in half, clutching his abdomen with one hand and his face with the other. Alanso stood slightly behind him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
    After them, a mass of guys milled around with beers, ridiculous party hats, oversized balloons from the shop and an impressive assortment of snack cakes that looked like they might have come from the convenience section of the gas station.
    “Uh-oh.” She dropped her keys.
    Holden cracked up first. He adored mischief. This one might go down in the history books as the most awkward greeting of all time. “Well, he had it coming.”
    “Somebody hand me some paper towels.” Alanso rushed to Eli’s side. A trickle of blood spattered onto the floor.
    “I’m fine. It’s fine.” Eli tried to shake it off. He lifted his head and ignored any discomfort he might be in. Peeking at her from the slivers of his eyes not scrunched in pain, he said, “Hey, there.”
    “Oh my God.” Sally’s shoulders drooped. “I’m so sorry. I thought… It was dark. I didn’t think you were home. The door was unlocked.”
    “And you still came inside. By yourself?” Roman practically growled at her.
    “She can hold her own.” Eli surprised her by taking her side. He pressed the napkin, which Carver had offered, to his face and tipped his head back as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
    And just like that, Sally couldn’t handle any more. She didn’t give a fuck if they thought less of her. She’d always made a point of showing no weakness around the gang of mechanics. Or at least she’d tried. But tonight there was no stopping the flood of tears that swept over her.
    “Shh.” Alanso was there in an instant. He smelled nice, like grease and the cinnamon gum he liked. Breathing deep, she didn’t resist as he wrapped her in his stocky arms and