Page 92 of Furious
“I’m not going to say those three little words right now, Zara.” He bites out. “Not because I don’t feel them. I just… I want to be with you, but this? I don’t know if I can give you what you want.”
Chance comes to wrap one arm around my shoulders. “If you really loved her,” he says to his older brother. “You would at least try, Ares.”
“And do what?” Ares’s voice goes up a few decibels. “Join the three of you the next time someone’s feeling a little freaky? Have you even listened to yourself? But let’s say that for onesecond I was crazy enough to consider this. Let’s pretend that I didn’t want to cut both your balls off with a rusty butter knife when I saw you in there, tag teaming the woman I love. Have the two of you thought about this long term? Dad hit the roof when he thought you and I were both interested in Zara. When he assumed that she might want to date one of us. How would our parents react to this little arrangement?”
Worry swirls in my stomach. Ares isn’t wrong.
“I know they won’t be happy.” I admit. “But we’ll find a way to talk to them, eventually. Hopefully, they can see that no one is being hurt or betrayed. That what we have is based on love and respect.”
Ares’s eyes go from me, to Lev, to Chance.
“So this is it? You two are going to share Zara? And you expect me to agree to this and join in?”
Chance shrugs. “You don’t have to join into anything you aren’t comfortable with, brother. But yes. We all love Zara and if you calm down enough to give this some serious thought, like this we all get to be happy. No one will have to get their heart broken and watch his brother, his best friend, with the woman he loves. Like Zara said, everything is out in the open, like we’ve been doing so far. We all love Zara and we care about each other more than anyone else in the world. We can work on jealousy and on how to keep this relationship going in a way that makes us all happy. No one is being cheated on or lied to, don’t you see?”
Hope is a terrible thing. Because when it’s gone, it hurts like hell.
Ares’s eyes bore into me as if he could see deep into my soul. He gives Chance and Lev the same probing look. “Nice speech, little brother. It would be even nicer if any of it was true.”
Ares is right. I haven’t been completely honest with them.
Anxiety twists my insides and I struggle with the urge to squirm under that silver gaze. I’ve been looking for the right moment to come clean about the racing. About the fact that I’m JJ Smith and that I was racing that day in Bridgeport.
It’s possible that they won’t forgive me for keeping this secret from them, but I had my reasons. Coming clean is a risk I have to take. I want our relationship to be based on complete honesty and trust.
“Guys, Ares is right.” I force the words out of my mouth, willing my heart to slow its pace long enough to tell them everything. “There is something I’ve been wanting to tell you. I?—”
“I know I’m right.” Ares interrupts me, his gaze fixed on Chance and Lev. “So? You two have nothing to say?”
A look passes between Chance and Lev. It’s like some kind of silent communication between them. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen them do this.
My pulse skyrockets at the way Ares is challenging them. Does he know? Does he know about the secret races on campus?
No, it’s impossible. Ares is a cop. If he knew, he’d have had to tell the sheriff.
But if he isn’t talking about the races, what else could it be?
Whatever it is, I need to remember that I love them and they feel the same way about me. Like I haven’t been completely honest with them, I need to keep an open mind if there’s something else Chance and Lev have been keeping from me.
“We have no idea what you’re talking about, Ares.” Chance says. “We’d love to find out whatever it is that you think can make Zara choose you over us, but we have a hockey game to play tonight and we’re due at the arena very soon. This will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“Fine. Dig your own graves if you want. But when the shit hits the fun, don’t come looking for my help.” Ares gets into the unfamiliar car and drives off.
I follow Chance and Lev into the house.
We all use separate showers to clean up and for once I’m glad neither of them tries to join me.
I trust them enough not to be too worried about whatever Ares was implying before. If there’s something they aren’t telling me, I’m sure they have a good reason. Like they aren’t telling me about the races to protect me from breaking the law and from Cal.
My ex gave them no choice but to race. For as much as I love riding my dad’s old bike and racing, I know we can’t keep this up without being caught.
Cal is doing this for the money. I have no doubt about it. There’s only one way to get him to let Chance and Lev off the hook. Money.
Wren told me that the bets were uncapped. Anyone could bet an unlimited amount on their chosen bike.
As my “girlfriend,” she would only be allowed to bet on my victory to avoid me fixing the race and let someone else win.
My mind is made up. If I bet enough to bust the house in case of victory, I can demand that Cal lets my men go in lieu of paying me.
