Page 44 of Lust

Chapter 27 Part 2

IVORY

“You sure about this?” Gabe looked at me, like he was prepared for me to change my mind. But I wasn’t going to do it. I nodded my head.

“I can’t do the crowds right now Gabe. Men always hit on me. I can’t take that..” I wasn’t fully lying. Men always hit on me at the track, and a part of me was terrified of going back to that.

Gabe, nodded his head. “If this is what you really want Ivy, I’ll respect it.” He had a grim smile on his face and I turned to leave, only for him to stop me. “Tell me that this has nothing to do with him?” He knew and I knew, who he was talking about and the answer was. It had everything to do with Kace.

My eyes drop for a moment and then I looked Gabe back in the eyes. “It has nothing to do with Kace." and I lied right to my brother’s face.

He nodded his head, and let me leave. And thus I leave the racetrack training sheds for the last time.

Heading to my car, I hear a bike approaching and I go stiff. Knowing it’s his bike. My eyes are locked on my car door. I hear it getting closer. I don’t want to. But I can’t stop myself from looking up just as he rounds the corner. And my eyes lock with his jet black sunglasses. And I froze, my hand on the door.

He’s in a t-shirt and shorts, showing his tattooed skin.

As he slows down, I can’t read his reaction he is just staring back at me. My eyes swell with tears because I loved him. And he didn’t love me as much back, or trust me enough not to hurt him.

My mind goes back in time, to the feel of his touch, the feeling that fills me when I’m with him. I blink and he keeps riding past, and I see his head turned back to glance at me, before he looks back at the road, and keeps travelling in the opposite direction of me.

And so I learn what it feels like to have an outlaw burn your heart and ride away. I look back, giving Gabe a wave who was watching me and I got in the car. I clench the steering wheel, not wanting to put the car in drive, and close this chapter of my life. Its physically painful as I put the car in drive. And my hands shake. Until I swallow sharply and I know that a large part of me will always be at this track, with my brother but a massive part of me, would be in my old apartment with Kace.

And now?

The only piece of me I was taking with me was a shell.

So I pulled onto the road and headed for the exit. Watching my past get smaller in the rearview mirror.

28

Ivory

Three Months Later

Running an elite garage wasn’t easy. I employed the best staff and mechanics. While I was the lead mechanic, I couldn’t do all the jobs. As much as I wanted to. Because every job that left my garage, had my name on it—and I didn’t want to be associated with poor workmanship. Lucky enough the mechanics took my reputation seriously and knew their jobs depended on good quality work.

“Ivory?” A knock on my office door, made me snap my head up from the payroll. While my brother told me to outsource it, I hadn’t and was still doing it manually.

“Yeah Amanda?” I looked at my receptionist.

She had a frown on her face. “I’ve got an unhappy customer here, and they are demanding to talk to the owner.”

My eyes widened. We hadn’t had one unhappy customer yet.

I got up from the chair ready to work out the problem. Walking out of the office and down the stairs heading for the front desk.

“Thank Amanda I’ll handle it from here.” I say to her before pushing the door open and freezing.

Gabe looks me in the eyes, with a big grin on his face. “Guess who won the title.”

I grin. “I’m guessing by the trophy my big brother.” And I walk towards him, wrapping my arms around him. I immediately am reminded how large and muscular my brother is “I’m so proud of you. Told you, you didn’t need me.”

He pulls back. “Don’t lie we both know it was your car that got me there. Speaking of which,” he waved his hand at the garage. “You’ve built an empire while I’ve been travelling.”

Gabe left for the races that weekend I had left him at the tracks. I hadn’t seen him or really heard from him while he was competing.

“Yeah.” I smile and nod my head. “It’s a passion project.”

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