Page 40 of Nitro
Edge lifted his bottle in mock salute. “Careful, brother. Keep talking like that and we’ll start to think you’ve gone soft.”
I bared my teeth in a grin that wasn’t a grin. “Try me.”
They laughed, the kind of dark humor that comes from men who’d bleed for each other.
“Just you wait,” Axle murmured, not even bothering to try to hide his amusement at the idea of Edge being taken down by a woman.
Edge snickered and took a drink, then grunted, “Cold day in hell, brother.”
Laughter rumbled around the room, but Axle, Kane, and I shared a different smile. Edge’s time was coming. I wasn’t normally a superstitious guy, but I had a feeling he just jinxed himself.
More banter continued, and through it all, Jana’s hand slid over mine, entwining our fingers across her stomach.
Home. Family. Future.
All mine.
EPILOGUE
JANA
The roar of the crowd was a living thing. It pulsed in my veins, mingling with the engine’s vibration. My grip on the wheel was tight but steady. I’d taken this track in practice more times than I could count, but nothing compared to this moment—race day, the real deal, my first professional circuit.
Although I’d been a member of Redline Precision since Kane first made the offer, I hadn’t been able to race until after I had Nella. Being behind the wheel at high speeds was too dangerous while pregnant. The wait hadn’t even been that difficult, since Torin filled my life with so much happiness and family that I didn’t have time to miss racing too much.
But once I got back into the driver’s seat, I was more determined to win than ever. And this was my chance to make my mark.
I hit the corner of my final lap hard, tires shrieking, the acrid scent of burning rubber sharp in my nose. Every ounce of my focus narrowed to the line. Gas, brake, shift—muscle memory honed by years of proving myself on asphalt that never cared if I won.
The checkered flag came into view, waving in the floodlights. My heart surged up into my throat. I pushed harder, my car screaming beneath me, and then the finish line blurred under my tires. The grandstands erupted in a tidal wave of sound and flashing lights.
I’d done it.
I’d actually won my first pro race.
For a second, I sat there, helmet heavy and chest heaving. My eyes blurred as I pulled the car into victory lane. Then I cut the engine, and the sudden silence was deafening. My hands shook when I unclipped the harness.
The second I ripped off my helmet and climbed out, the roar of the crowd and the flashing cameras blurred into nothing. Because I saw Torin. He stood directly behind the barrier, towering and unshakable, with his black leather cut stretched across his broad shoulders. His dark eyes locked on me, pride blazing in them so fierce it nearly knocked me off my feet. But that wasn’t what undid me.
It was the sight of our daughter nestled snug against his chest in a tiny black baby carrier, sound asleep despite the chaos. A fistful of his cut was clutched in her little hand, as if she already knew exactly who kept her safe.
And Torin’s crooked grin lit me up more than the victory.
I barely remembered shoving through the crowd to reach him, the adrenaline still pounding in my ears. His arm hooked me in, pulling me tight against his chest, our daughter safe between us as he kissed me like the cameras weren’t pointed straight at us.
“Congrats, sweetheart,” he rasped against my lips.
Laughter and tears tangled in my throat as my fingers curled around his biceps. “I can’t believe it. I actually?—”
“You didn’t just win.” His thumb brushed away the tears sliding down my cheek. “You owned that track like you were born to do it.”
The pride in his voice meant more to me than my own.
“Hell of a finish.”
I twisted toward it and spotted Kane standing behind me with his arms folded over his chest. “Thanks.”
“You showed the world why I held your spot on Redline Precision.” He shook his head with a rueful laugh. “Not sure why anyone doubted me in the first place. Fucking idiots.”
