Page 81 of Full Throttle

Foot on the gas, hand on the gear shift, my car shot forward, and my heart soared. I cut off the guy that was beside me as soon as I got ahead, shifting again. All of us—four racers in total—flew down the Oasis track before taking the exit that led into the city.

It was a mile stretch, and less than a minute later, the city drew closer and closer as we gained speed.

My heart pounded inside my chest as a black Mustang flew past me before making a left turn. My head cocked to the side as I shifted, turning the wheel. My car drifted slightly around the corner, and within the next second, I was beside the Mustang again, leaving the other drivers—one of them being the jerk—in the dust.

“Bumblebee, my ass,” I muttered, fingers tightening on the wheel.

This was another quarter mile stretch before the next turn. The city, already asleep, was a blur as I flew through it, going head-to-head with the Mustang. I looked over to find the driver hidden behind dark tinted windows and, for some reason, I couldn’t look away as fears wrapped around my neck.

My hands began to tremble as a cold sweat broke out across my forehead, my skin starting to burn as I heard fire crackling behind me.

When I looked ahead again, the street I was on disappeared, a hill in its place. On top of the hill was me, in Leon’s car, making the U-turn. I was half through before the bomb was set off. I jerked as I watched the car—with me inside—go into the air before crashing against the concrete upside down, leaving me trapped.

Panic set in, and I squeezed my eyes shut, spots dotting my vision as nausea took over.

No, no, no, no.

I felt my car slowing and heard the others whoosh by me as my hands tightened on the wheel and gear stick. Images of the crash slammed into me, over and over, relentless as the panic attack took over. My skin started burning, I could feel the heat of the flames on my skin as the memories haunted me. My ankle throbbed as I got sucked into the past.

Gasping for air, I opened my eyes and found that my car was doing a slow crawl by the curb as the dots slowly faded away. Blinking, I swallowed the needles in my throat and shifted into gear, pulling away from the curb.

I didn’t stay on course.

I didn’t even bother going back to Oasis.

I didn’t tell anyone.

I just drove until I could breathe again.

Time passed, the night stretching on, and finally, I pulled into a parking garage, heading for the top level. I parked in a spot that overlooked the city, the Arch in the distance as sounds of night traffic echoed in the air, and I put my head in my hands.

Then, I let it out.

All of it.

All I was left with was regret and shame.

I should’ve never fallen in love Cain.

I should’ve let him go.

Chapter Seventeen

Cain

Exhaling slowly through my nose, I watched her blinking dot on my screen, still very aware she was on the top floor of the parking garage across the street from me. She’d been there for the last three hours.

Earlier, I arrived at Oasis fully prepared to avoid Dominique as she wished, like I’d been doing since the snowstorm. The last thing I expected—wanted—was for her to be racing. That was the last thing she needed to be doing. I didn’t give a fuck how ready she thought she was.

I knew her.

I knew my clover.

She wasn’t ready to get behind the wheel.

The second the cars shot off the starting line, I knew she was going to get swept away in memories of the crash. Racing triggered it. I knew it would. I watched her on my phone, and when she stalled about halfway through, I left Oasis and headed for her, trailing behind her for the last two hours before she finally made her way to the parking garage.

I always had my eyes on her. There wasn’t a second that passed when I didn’t know where she was or who she was with. She may not want me in her life, but I would always watch over her.

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