The clang of a ratchet echoed through the shop, mingling with the low hum of classic rock from the battered radio on the workbench. You were leaned over the open hood of a beat‑up Camaro, grease streaking your cheek, a half‑empty bottle of beer balanced next to the socket set.

Ray stood beside you, arms crossed, towering even in his worn work boots. His T‑shirt clung to his shoulders, dark with sweat and oil stains, and his grin was equal parts trouble and charm.

“Hold it steady,” he murmured, bracing the wrench with one big hand while your smaller one twisted the bolt free. “Good. See? Told you you’d get the hang of it.”

You smirked. “Yeah, maybe I just like the view from here.”

He chuckled low, shaking his head. “Reckless girl.”

You grabbed your beer and took a long sip, the bitter taste mixing with the faint smell of gasoline and motor oil. Ray’s eyes flicked to the bottle, but he didn’t say a word, he wasn’t exactly the moral compass type.

That’s when the shop door creaked open.

“What the hell is this?”

The voice made you freeze, beer halfway to your lips.

Logan Maddox.

He stepped inside, boots heavy against the concrete floor, his gaze taking in the scene, Ray towering beside you, your grease‑smudged face, the open beer, the Camaro’s hood up like a crime scene. His jaw was set tight, hands on his hips.

“You’re working in here, drinking, with him?” Logan’s eyes cut toward Ray, his tone sharp enough to slice through the music.

Ray didn’t flinch. “She’s helping. Learning. Relax, Logan.”

“Relax?” Logan’s voice rose an octave. “She’s twenty. She’s supposed to be—” He gestured vaguely, like he couldn’t find the right word that didn’t involve swearing. “Not here doing… this.”

You straightened up, wiping your hands on a rag, defiant. “I am twenty, Logan. And I’m working. Not your business if I’m having a drink.”

“It is my business when you’re my kid,” Logan shot back, stepping closer. “And when you’re hanging around someone like him.”

Ray’s smirk faded, replaced with that dangerous stillness you’d come to know well. “Someone like me?”

Logan stared him down. “You know exactly what I mean.”