Free Shifting Gears by Audra North Page A

looking like a rabid dog, ready to tear into anyone who crossed his path.
    Uh oh.
    Before she could tell him to stop, that she had this under control, he roared, “Get out! Get the fuck out of my building! You’re fired!”
    Fogerty had stood up and was bristling back. “Fuck you, Grady! You can’t fire me,” he sneered. “You’re a third-rate crew chief who nearly ran this company into the ground. You think anyone’s going to care what you and some slut—”
    But Fogerty’s words were cut off when Grady closed the distance between them with a shout, jumping onto the desk and bringing his right fist into Fogerty’s stomach.
    The smarmy crew chief doubled over, retching, while Grady stood up on the desk and stared down at him, chest heaving. Even from where she stood, looking up at Grady, Annabelle could see that his arms were tense and ready, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a snarl. He turned to her and jerked his chin up.
    â€œYou okay?”
    She tried not to think that his testosterone-pumped posture was sexy. He’d defended her, and a part of her was swooning over it.
    But another part of her was pissed as hell.
    All that anger, all that bravery she’d been ready to unleash on Fogerty found a new target.
    â€œWhy did you do that?” she demanded, making Grady blink in confusion. But before he could answer, she heard footsteps running down the hallway just before Ranger and Bit—the most senior mechanic—pushed into the room.
    Ranger took in the scene—Fogerty still slumped over the desk, Grady standing over him like a hunter with his felled deer—and shouted, “What the hell is going on here?”
    â€œFogerty insulted Annabelle. I was defending her honor.” Grady hopped off the desk and came to stand near Ranger, watching as Fogerty sat up, clutching his stomach.
    Defending my honor? Annabelle stiffened. She didn’t need anyone to defend her. She wasn’t that dependent—she couldn’t be.
    â€œOh, and he’s fired,” Grady added.
    Ranger nodded. “Fine by me. Your methods are a little unconventional, but I can’t fault your approach.”
    â€œFuck you both,” Fogerty groaned.
    At that, Ranger and Grady actually grinned.
    Men.
    Annabelle could feel the anger growing, fast and intense. She’d been gunning for a fight for the past two days, ever since she’d come home after getting the job here and told her mother, who hadn’t protested at all like Annabelle had expected. All the arguments she’d prepared for why working in a garage was the right place for her had gone unused, and it had left her feeling tense and nervous instead of relieved.
    She wanted to scream at Grady for taking over like he had, but while it was one thing to push back on Fogerty, unleashing her anger on Grady in front of all these people was something else entirely. Annabelle Murray might not be a pushover anymore, but she wasn’t completely classless either.
    So instead, she turned on her heel and left the room without another word, leaving the guys to deal with Fogerty and whatever came next. She’d only taken a few steps down the hall, though, when Grady came barreling after her.
    â€œAnnabelle. Wait.”
    No more orders. No more obedience.
    She knew she wasn’t thinking rationally, but she was too keyed up right now. She needed to get away and be alone for a bit to clear her head, before she said—or did—something she’d regret.
    â€œ Annabelle. ” Grady repeated. She could hear his frustration growing in his voice.
    She ignored him and kept walking. Just in front of his office door, he passed her and stood in front of her, blocking her way. He was angry again, too, holding that same hulking posture she’d seen back in Fogerty’s office.
    It made her want to tackle him. To wrestle him to the floor and show him that she wasn’t as weak and dependent