That’s when the guy who had pointed her to Gary’s office when she first arrived rushed over and got between them. “Dude. Chill out.”

Gary snarled around the guy’s body, “Fucking bitch.”

“That’s Ms. Fucking Bitch to you.” PJ was surprised she didn’t stutter the words because she wanted to shake.

The mechanic who’d gotten between them opened the door for her. “I’m sorry about that. Are you all right? Let me walk you to your truck.”

She wasn’t. She needed to be away from there when it came so she could pull over out of their view.

“Please, just leave me alone. I need you to back up and let me do this.”

She didn’t even look his way as she found her keys and hit the alarm to unlock her truck.

“I’d say he didn’t mean it, but he’s an asshole. I’m sorry that happened to you.” He said it from a distance, giving her the space she’d asked for.

She opened her door and finally looked at him. “Thanks for getting in between us.”

“Listen. If you decide to press charges, my name is Pete. The cops can talk to me. I saw most of it.” He ducked his head and went back inside, and she managed to get three freeway off-ramps away before she had to pull into a strip mall parking lot and let the shaking take over.

Duke crouched next to the spot Asa measured the gap where the doorframe on the old Ford had been bent. “Got a second?”

Asa frowned but nodded. They headed to grab some coffee. “What’s going on?”

“You know how that guy called here asking for information about PJ?”

It happened from time to time. They got calls asking who did the upholstery, paint, whatever. Usually they shared the details. Their world ran on word of mouth, so if you referred someone one time, the next year someone referred your business.

“No. I mean, I know it happens, but not all the particulars. Is this about the place she was supposed to go this morning? She got up at five to be down there in time.” He wasn’t panicked. Yet. If it had been urgent Duke would have spit it out already.

“That same guy, the client. He called and told me what happened when she was there.”

Asa’s mind went very still. He knew he wasn’t going to like what Duke was about to say.

“She called him about three hours ago and told him she wasn’t going to be able to work with that shop anymore, but if he wanted her to do the paint work outside of that, or through another shop, to let her know. He said she was very calm but it was weird. Then he got to the shop and one of the mechanics told him what happened.”

Duke relayed what he’d heard Gary Weston, the owner of the shop, had said and done to PJ. In full view of his employees and customers. And that the mechanic had to get between Asa’s woman and a guy Asa remembered as nearly as big as he was. Someone was going to be very, very sorry.

“The fuck? For what?”

“I don’t know, man. Joe, the client, he felt awful. Said he tried to call her cell after he found out what happened, but she has it on voicemail. She was so nice he wanted to be sure she was all right.”

Asa saw red as he paced, pulling his phone from his pocket. Her number went straight to voicemail, so he texted her, but she didn’t reply.

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

Duke just looked at him for long moments before deciding to take pity on Asa. “Because she likes to do things herself. Because she’s upset and she knows if she comes to you like that you’ll be even more keen to kick Weston’s ass.”

“I warned her she wasn’t ready for what I was. Guess she’ll have to deal with it.” She was his. His in an old-school way. To protect and cherish and take care of.

“I’m going to give you some advice. I know you haven’t asked for it, but you need it anyway.” Duke leaned back, settling in for what Asa thought of as a dude lecture.

But he always had something thoughtful to say, so Asa tried to rein in his impatience at not hearing from PJ yet and focus on Duke. “What?”

“It’s a good thing you’ve saved my ass a dozen times, or I’d kick yours for being such a shithead. You two have something major and it’s good for you. It’s like she puts you in a more Zen place or what have you. She’s serious about cars and this is important to her. If she sees your response as interference, you’re going to do some damage.”

“Are you telling me I can’t punch that asshole Gary?”

Duke laughed, but it wasn’t his good-natured dude laugh. This one was darker. This one was the laugh of the guy who brawled and raced just as hard as Asa. Once he got riled, Duke was wicked dangerous.

“Hell no, I’m not saying that. You should absolutely punch him in his face. But separate it from PJ’s Custom Designs and Twisted Steel versus his shop. Make it about Asa and Gary.”

Asa paused, pushing a breath out and then dragging one in. His control went back into place, but when it came to PJ there seemed to be a whole new set of rules. Entirely new ways to seriously dig on this woman who was quickly taking up a very integral part of his life.

PJ sat in her truck for a bit before she went inside Twisted Steel. What happened back at the shop down south was upsetting and all, but she had to keep moving or she would dwell. She knew herself well enough to understand that. Luckily she had work to do to keep busy.

Asa had texted her several times and had left a few voicemails. She’d needed the drive back up to Seattle and then a milkshake before she’d sent him a text saying she was on her way back to the shop and that she was fine.