Page 114 of Wanted
And with that, Liv got into the car. He kissed the hot rod keychain Knox had given him so many years ago, and was off with a roar of the engine.
With his heart in his throat, Knox followed him on foot.
Chapter 37
Liv
The asphalt trembled withthe buzz of several powerful engines, and Liv was already high on fumes of gas as he looked ahead, his attention focused on the task before him. Working at the compound for the past weeks had been a blessing. Every curve, every bump was etched in his memory. He’d driven the track many times, often at night, after work or early in the morning, all to make each movement automatic so he could dedicate his conscious thoughts to wild cards—the other drivers.
He’d seen some of them train for the competition, so he had a decent idea about their capabilities and was in fact convinced of being the most skilled of them. Blizzard was the exception, of course, but Liv had never faced him. While his near-celebrity status and reputation painted the picture of a tough opponent, this guy was only here for fun and clout. Liv was participating to save Knox. For their future. And he would not back down just because Blizzard was a racing whizz with more experience than him.
The one thing that did worry him was the slippery surface, because he’d only had a few days to practice dealing with it. But he’d promised Knox that he’d come back to him, and he would. Even if it cost him the winnings.
The electronic clock attached to a lamppost close to the starting line counted down the last minute before the start of the competition, and while he ought to focus on the road and plan his every move, his gaze drifted to the audience, searching for the familiar shades of green and blue. Knox was at the very front, with Frank standing behind him like a wall to stop others from pushing him forward. Shane, Ros, and Ezra were there too, and they all waved at him when Knox pointed at Liv’s car.
Good. Regardless of how things would go, this would be a terrifying ten minutes for Knox, and the fact that even Frank, who’d been so against Liv taking part in this competition, ended up coming made his heart swell.
It would be all right.
A blonde bombshell dressed in a tiny black dress and nothing else, stepped onto the asphalt with two flags in her hands. Each of her exhales released a cloud of vapor as she neared the middle of the track while the countdown reached its teens.
Nineteen seconds.
Eighteen.
Seventeen.
Taking a deep inhale, Liv met Knox’s gaze, and when he was certain his boyfriend could see him well, he patted his chest to remind him why he was doing this.
The old Liv might have raced for pride or to show off, but there were more important things in his life now. Things truly worth fighting for.
Knox’s features twitched, as if he were holding back emotion, but it was time to mentally retreat behind the wheel.
Tension settled over the cars like fog, but Liv paid them no mind. Not right now, when the starting position could change so fucking much about the result.
When the countdown reached zero, Liv grabbed the stick and moved it, both feet ready for a speedy transition between gears. In that moment, nothing existed but the woman holding up the flags, and by the time ants crawled up his back, she rapidly bent forward, signaling the start of the race.
Engines roared, and the world around Liv turned into a blur as he shot forward, moving the stick at the slightest hint of wheezing under the hood.
Gear two. Three. Four.
He let out a roar when a golden Nissan attempted to overtake him and stepped harder on the gas while switching to the fifth gear. Shooting forward, he cut in front of the guy and blocked him as the track narrowed, forcing the vehicles into forming two rows. The former landing strip was the longest stretch of straight road ahead, and it might decide the outcome, so Liv allowed himself to take a glimpse at the three cars within sight.
Blizzard’s silver blue machine was already taking the lead, dashing forward as if it used rocket fuel, but the other two cars, whose drivers appeared to have reflexes to match Liv’s were no less dangerous. He scowled at the sight of the green Honda. Hewouldleave the homophobic bastard in the dirt and salt used to treat the track.
But as the first bend emerged from the flurry of dirt sprayed from under Blizzard’s wheels, something had to give, and Liv hit the brake, easing into the change of direction despite his heart beating furiously, urging him to go harder, to take the risk that might come with high rewards.
Holding onto the wheel, he froze when Blizzard ignored all common sense and dashed on at full speed. Merciless physics made his car’s rear wheels lose grip, but just as Liv thought he’dsee the beautiful vehicle roll, it made half a spin before braving the bend and emerging victorious, with yet more ground gained over the other competitors.
Fuck. How dangerous. Reckless. A thwart to Liv’s plans. Yet, damn, was that shit impressive!
With a mad laugh on his lips, Liv stepped on the gas and sped forward, joined by the green Honda and Trixie, a hangaround who raced in a Barbie pink car. They might be good, but they didn’t have that edge of desperation which would allow Liv to win this. He just needed to lose all the others and catch up with the king himself.
Seconds seemed to last minutes as Liv went into the next bend the way Blizzard had. It was a gamble, especially in this weather, but as gravity pulled him toward the edge, he shifted gears and twisted the steering wheel in time to regain control.
He dashed ahead again, brain full of scattered thoughts about everything from handling the spot where the track led over an old byroad featuring a steep incline and a sudden dip that made him feel like he was on a rollercoaster even when driving at normal speed. His mind quieted, focused on the goal that made all this risk worth it.
One time, Knox’s lips had gone blue, and with his mom being in no state to drive, Liv had stepped in and taken him to the ER at full speed. It had been his first week after getting his license, and he had scratched a car in the parking lot, but he’d driven off before anyone noticed. And Knox? He was fine the next day, but in that moment Liv still decided to become the best driver he could, in case he needed to dash to the hospital again.
