Page 42 of The Devil's Revelation
TWENTY-ONE
IZZY
I’ve landed in some dangerous situations before, but this one takes the cake.
I have a lead ball in my gut, and I don’t know if I’m getting sick or just dreading going in today. After my chat with Torque, I haven’t been able to shake him from my thoughts. Now I’m dragging and this is the last place I want to be. Especially when I walk in and see the guys standing around whispering.
I ignore them when they sneer at me. I don’t have the patience or time to deal with their bullshit today, so I walk to my bench, set up my stuff and get to work on the car that’s in my bay and the work order with it. Thankfully it’s only an oil change so it’s not going to take too long.
I completely ignore Tony and Ray when they come to stand beside me, not in the mood to deal with them. I can’t seem to shake something’s wrong, and it doesn’t sit well with me. I have to fight the urge to grab my phone and call Zeb to make sure he’s okay. Or for him to talk me out of this stupid anxiety.
“You think you’re too good to talk to us, huh, Mills?” Tony sneers at me, leaning against the car.
I glance at him quickly before turning my attention back to the job at hand. “Not like you ever want to talk to me any other time,” I say evenly. “What the hell’s so different?”
“Maybe we got the idea we should include you a bit more,” he says innocently.
I snort, unable to stop myself. “You want to include me right out the damn door,” I retort. I glance at Ray. “Something you need me to do?”
Ray eyes me for a moment. “Figured you’d be gone by now, but apparently you haven’t gotten the hint,” he replies casually. “Not sure if I respect you or if I should call you an idiot. This kind of job ain’t for no woman.”
I barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. Instead, I turn away to grab the air filter off the bench where it’s sitting. When I turn back, I level him with a cool stare. “I’m not here to debate the rights of women everywhere. I put in my time, got my license to do this job, and now I’m doing the work I’m told to do. So unless you have something work related for me to do, then I’m going to get back to work.”
Ray’s eyes narrow at me, and he looks like he wants to call me out and put me in my place, but he must think better of it because he turns and walks away. Leaving Tony, who eyes me with a light in his eyes that I can’t quite figure out. Still, I hold his gaze, keeping my face neutral. “Women need to remember their place, and I suggest you remember that when you’re working here,” he finally sneers. “You won’t amount to much of anything in this shop. Not while I’m here and top dog.”
Maybe it’s the small amount of sleep I’m running on, or maybe I’m finally reaching the end of my rope with these assholes. Instead of doing the smart thing and walking away, I give him a slow smirk and reply, “You want to compare dicks, Tony, then I can assure you that mine is bigger. Probably why you run through so many women, huh? Can’t handle that little dick energy you got going on?”
His eyes go hard, and his face goes dark red. His fists clench and I realize I may have pushed a little too hard. I don’t look away though. That was something I learned a long time ago in foster care. You never let your enemies see fear or weakness. You meet it head on and deal with the aftermath. “You fucking bitch,” he seethes, stepping towards me. “I should teach you a lesson.”
“Not with that tiny dick you’re not,” I retort. Apparently verbal diarrhea is a side effect of no sleep for me. Who knew?
His fist raises, and I brace for the blow.
“Tony, back the fuck off,” Sergio’s voice barks suddenly from the other side of the shop.
Tony freezes, but I can see he doesn’t want to listen. He wants to hit me, and from the sick pleasure in his eyes, it’s something he gets off on. “This isn’t over,” he hisses at me before he turns and stalks off to his own bay. Tools go flying and Charlie and Enzo eye him for a moment before glaring at me. I glare back, not giving a shit.
“Get this job out and grab the next one,” Sergio orders me, handing me a work order. “We got shit to get done today, and I don’t need you pissing off the guys while you’re at it. Shut your damn mouth like a good little woman and get your work done before I fire your ass.”
I take the work order silently, clenching my jaw at his words. Why the hell am I putting up with this shit? Why don’t I just quit and ask Torque for a job? Hell, I’d put up working with him over these assholes any day.
Instead of saying what I want, I turn back to work. By the time I finish and bring in the next car in, I’m still pissed but I’m calm enough to think straight and not make stupid, hasty decisions. These assholes are pushing me.
I remind myself I am not a quitter. Quitters don’t get far in life, and I’ve known that since I was young. You learn a lot in the system, and by the time I was a teenager, I did nothing halfway. If I wanted a good life, I had to work hard. If I wanted to stay in a good foster home, I worked hard to be good and keep my nose out of trouble. I didn’t drink, smoke, or party. I was home every night, studying or reading. I made sure that by the time I graduated high school I had scholarships to pay my way at the schools that I chose.
I surprised myself with the decision to go into mechanics, and up until the last few hours, I loved the job. Now, I feel like I’m never going to get ahead unless I make changes to how I’m viewed. All these men can suck a big fat dick if they think they’re going to push me out. If I have to stick it out and put up with this for a few more months, then I will. If not, I won’t prove to myself that I can handle this life.
I climb out of the car and lift the hoist. The work order says an oil change, rotate and balance the tires, and then take it for a test drive. All standard stuff, so it shouldn’t take too long. Thankfully the guys leave me alone while I work. Well, until Enzo comes strolling my way and eyes me as I finish draining the oil. “Why do you stay here?” he asks me abruptly. “We don’t want you here. So either you’re a masochist or a crazy bitch.”
“What is this, try to convince Izzy to leave day?” I snap, irritated all over again. I turn and glare at him. “You guys really think you’re the first to say this shit to me? That it’s anything new? I get it, I have tits and a vagina and that apparently makes me inferior. Still, I have a brain and two working hands that understand mechanics, and my vagina has nothing to do with it.”
He huffs out a breath. “You don’t belong here, and you know it.”
“Thanks, I’ll take that under advisement,” I reply, annoyed. “Anything else?”
“Don’t piss off Tony,” he says, and the look he gives me is more warning in the sense of caution than a threat. I give a curt nod and then he turns and walks back to his bay.
We all work in silence for a while, and by the time I finish the oil change I’m already ready for the day to be over. Tony constantly glares at me, and I can feel him plotting. I’m going to have to watch myself, because this guy isn’t about to let my insult at him go. He’ll make me pay, and it’s either going to be physical or with my job. Fuck, I should have kept my mouth shut.
