Page 75 of You, Me, and Lucky Number 13

His eyes flutter open, and damn if he doesn’t try to smile. “Hey, boss lady,” he croaks. “Guess I zigged when I should’ve zagged, huh?”

“You idiot,” I say, but there’s no heat in it. Just relief that he’s alive and talking. “What the hell happened out there?”

His face darkens, and for a moment, I see a flash of the old Cole. The one who used to race with fire in his veins. “Chad.” He spits out the name like it’s poison, and he’s not wrong. “Bastard rammed me into the wall. Guess he figured if he couldn’t beat me fair and square, he’d take me out of the race altogether.”

White-hot rage floods through me, momentarily drowning out the fear and worry. Chad. That low-life, scum-sucking, son of a?—

“I’m gonna kill him,” I growl, already plotting ways to make Chad’s life a living hell. I really should have run him over. “I’m gonna rip off his arms and beat him with them. I’m gonna?—”

“Lola,” Cole’s voice, weak as it is, cuts through my murderous thoughts. “It’s not worth it.He’snot worth it.”

I deflate, the anger draining out of me as quickly as it came. I sink into the chair beside his bed, my hand finding his. “Youare worth it. But I guess you’re right… I don’t look that great in prison orange. I’m not sure my brother could get me out of a murder charge,” I admit grudgingly. “But God, Cole… when I heard… I thought…”

“Hey,” he says softly, squeezing my hand. “I’m okay. Well, mostly okay. Nothing a few weeks of your tender loving care won’t fix.”

I snort, but I can feel the tears pricking at my eyes. “Tender loving care? You’ve got the wrong girl, Lawson. I’m more likely to smother you with a pillow than nurse you back to health.”

He chuckles, then winces. “Cracked ribs,” he explains at my worried look. “Doc says I’ll be out of commission for a while.”

“Good,” I say firmly. “Because you’re not getting behind the wheel of anything faster than a mobility scooter until I say so. Got it?”

He grins that cocky, infuriating, heart-stopping smile that made me fall for him in the first place. “Sure thing, boss lady. Have you seen how fast those can go?” he says. “But you know what this means, right?”

I raise an eyebrow. “That I get to drive your car and you can’t stop me?”

“That, too,” he concedes. “But more importantly… it means you’re gonna have to stick around to keep an eye on me. Make sure I don’t do anything stupid.”

I feel my heart skip a beat. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? “Well,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t kill yourself tripping over your own feet. Might as well be me.”

His eyes soften, and he tugs me closer. “I love you, Lola,” he says quietly. “Have for a long time. Probably always will.”

And just like that, all the walls come crumbling down. I lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to his battered lips. “I love you, too, you reckless idiot,” I murmur. “Now get some rest. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

As I settle back in the chair, our hands still intertwined, I make a silent vow. Chad might’ve won this round, but the war? The war is far from over. And this time, I’m not just fighting for myself. I’m fighting for us.

As I sit there, watching Cole drift off to sleep, his face relaxed despite the bruises, I feel a storm brewing inside me. Love, worry, and rage swirl together like nitro in my veins, threatening to explode.

I grab my phone and call my brother. If anyone can help me get justice—and maybe a little revenge—it’s him. Who am I kidding? I don’t think he’d be okay with the revenge part.

“Lola?” Brian’s gruff voice answers on the second ring. “How’s Cole?”

“Alive,” I say, my voice tight. “No thanks to Chad.”

There’s a pause, then a low whistle. “So, it’s true. That son of a bitch actually did it.”

“You knew?” I hiss, anger flaring up again.

“Heard rumors,” Brian says quickly. “Nothing concrete. You know how the racing world is, kiddo. Gossip spreads faster than an oil leak. Plus, I can’t do anything based on rumors.”

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Getting mad at Brian won’t help Cole. “We need to do something, Brian. We can’t let Chad get away with this.”

“What do you have in mind?” There’s a note of caution in his voice, but also curiosity.

I glance at Cole, peacefully sleeping, and feel my resolve harden. “First, we need proof. Security footage, witness statements, whatever we can get our hands on. Then we take it to the racing board. Get Chad suspended, at the very least.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Brian asks, though I suspect he already knows the answer.

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across my face. “Then we get creative. I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve from my days as the town troublemaker.”

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