The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 65-1

By six o’clock, I’ve rebuilt exactly one-half of one carburettor. Normally I’d have finished three full ones.

The first part of the repair takes twice as long because I fit a gasket back to front. The second because I spend five minutes looking for a spanner that’s been in my back pocket the entire time. And the third… well. The third is still sitting on my bench half-finished, because I catch myself staring into space instead of working.

I let out a slow breath and rub at my eyes with the heel of my hand.

“Everything alright?”

I look up.

Diesel is leaning against the next workbench, wiping grease from his hands with a rag.

“Fine.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Right.”

“I am.”

“Mmm.”

He doesn’t look convinced, and neither am I. The truth is, I’m exhausted, and not the sort of tired that a decent night’s sleep fixes. It’s the kind that settles behind my eyes and makes every thought feel just a little slower.

I barely slept last night. Despite the luxury of the hotel, every time I closed my eyes, my brain found another reason to wake me up again.

Locke. Willow. The possibility that I’d had a half-sister for my whole life without ever knowing it. And underneath all of that… the calendar of doom.

Two days. In two days I’ll be back in the oncology unit for another round of chemotherapy.

I’ve almost managed not to think about it. Almost. Until last night.

I tighten the last bolt into place and set the carburettor on the bench. It’s good enough. Definitely not my best work, but also not my worst.

Diesel wanders over, gives it a quick glance and nods approvingly. “See?”

“See what?” I ask.

“You’ve still got it, Princess Spark Plug.”

“I never lost it.”

“No.” He grins. “You just keep wandering off in your own head.”

I smile despite myself. “Apparently.”

1.3

Chapter 65+

“You leaving mow?”

“In a minute.”

He jerks his thumb towards the clubhouse. “Bar’s still open.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“You look like you need sugar.”

“I probably do.”

“And caffeine.”

“I’m trying not to admit that.”,

He laughs. “Well, admit it to the Coke fridge.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Claim

He heads back towards the workshop office, leaving me alone with the quiet clink of cooling metal. I peel off my coveralls and wash the grease from my hands before making my way across the parking lot to my

car.

The evening air is cooler than I’d expected, smelling faintly of rain and gasoline. It’s comforting and familiar and in a burst of sudden good spirits, I decide to drop by the bar after all.

The clubhouse is busier than I expected. A handful of members are scattered around the bar, talking over pool games and half-finished pints. The jukebox is playing something classic rock that Tucker insists is real music.”

I make a beeline for the drinks fridge, and grab a glass bottle, because Coke always tastes wrong out of plastic. I pop the cap loose before I’ve even shut the fridge door.

“Well, hey there. You’ve been hiding.”

I jump a bit at that familiar voice, then look over. Locke’s sitting at one end of the bar with his laptop open, a legal pad beside it covered in neat handwriting.

“I’ve been working.” I take a grateful slug of delicious sugar and chemicals and caffeine. “Well, kinda. It was a bit of a day. Maybe two days.”

He studies me for a second. “Yeah, I know.”

“You spying on me now?”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “I’d have picked a better hiding place.”

I snort. “Good point.”

He closes the laptop without taking his eyes off me. “Come here for a minute?”

Despite the wording, the tone tells me that it’s not an order, not even close. It’s an invitation.

I hesitate for the briefest moment before walking over. “What is it?”

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Chapter 65

Cla