Page 66 of Full Throttle

Shaking my head, I shut off the car and unfolded myself out of it.

“Get a grip,” I told myself as I let myself into the house, not bothering to grab my shit from the car. I flicked on the lights from room to room as I weaved through the moving boxes, ignoring the jingle coming from the other side of the house.

Once I was in the back, I made a left turn, going down the small hallway and up two steps. There, I unlocked the door and pushed in.

Kavi’s voice taunted inside me as I tried to keep the panic at bay, going to the large desk that faced the wall. With a few clicks on the keyboard, the first computer screen came to life, then the next and the next. Once all seven computers were live, I moved quickly, typing in the passwords to all the programs.

Taking a step back, I breathed heavily through my nose as my eyes scanned over the screens, landing on the main one in the center of the wall.

It was a grid of the city.

My eyes focused on the blinking yellow dot.

My clover.

I’d never lose her again.

Chapter Fourteen

Nikki

March. St. Louis.

I hadn’t talked to Cain in over a month and a half.

I hadn’t thought about Cain in over two weeks.

I hadn’t pictured his face in my mind in over fourteen days.

I’d cried all the tears I needed to cry over him. I had none left.

For the first time in my life, I felt free of him.

No one spoke about the history between us. Either they were too scared to bring it up, or they just didn’t care. I hoped the latter. Our history didn’t matter anymore—it was over. Done.

Today was “opening day” at Oasis.

For the first time in over three months, races were starting again. The text invites had been sent out, and everyone was gearing up for the night. I’d been here most of the day with Dontell and some of the other Oasis mechanics, working on my Mazda Rx-7.

Last month, Leon and Jer surprised me by giving her a new paint job. My baby was now yellow, with black pinstripes flowing down the sides from each headlight—it brought me to tears. They called me a baby.

“You ready?” D asked, coming to stand beside me as I studied my car. He’d let me park her in the showroom section when I was done tweaking her.

“For the meeting, or the race?” I asked him.

“Both.”

I leaned back against the round meeting table, hooking my thumbs in my belt loops. “I’m ready for the update James and Casey have. I’m ready to get back behind the wheel.”

I hadn’t driven since that night.

Over the last few weeks, I’d been shopping around for an apartment while still living in Sullie’s loft.

New flash: the big man didn’t like that.

He told me I could stay there forever, that I was a quiet tenant. However, it was time for me to finally start my next chapter in St. Louis—on my own. I felt good about it.

“You sure you’re ready?” D asked, coming around to my front. “You don’t have to. No one is making you race tonight.”

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