Page 16 of Fatal Collision
“Bugatti Chiron.”
“Yes,that.And my brother is driving a Chevrolet Camaro.”
“Don’t judge the car before you know what’s under the hood.”
“It’s from the 90s,” I all but shout, and Kane almost smiles. Almost. However, his attention gets distracted by a girl walking past in frayed cut-offs with her ass cheeks hanging out.
I’m taken aback by Kane’s reaction to her at first, but then I realize what’s going on, and I begin to object loudly. This can’t be happening. I need to get out of this car now.
Unfortunately, it’s already too late. The woman drops the bandana, and the blood drains from my face. I’ve never raced or experienced one. Chris was always the protective older brother and wouldn’t let me in the car when he competed.
Kane slams on the gas, and my stomach lurches as the car tears forward. The acceleration punches through my gut, flipping it inside out like a sudden roller coaster drop. I can’t decide if I’m terrified or alive in a way I’ve never been before. Maybe both.
To his credit, Chris keeps up at first. Or so I think, until it becomes obvious that Kane is toying with him. I try to look past Kane to see where Chris is, but every upshift forces me back into the seat all over again.
“Impressed yet?” Kane asks, eyeing his opponent, who’s quickly growing smaller in the rearview mirror. He snaps the paddle, and the Chiron slams into the next gear.
“You’re still a prick,” I reply, my heart pounding in my throat as we race across the finish line to the deafening roar of cheering crowds.
This isn’t good. My brother lost all that money… money we desperately need to pay the bills. Another wad of cash we can’t afford to lose. God, it infuriates me how reckless he is sometimes… how he seems unable to think about anything other than quick fixes, as if a race would stroke more than his wounded ego. He’s too much like our dad that way, always taking risks and asking for forgiveness later.
“Oh my god.” I drag my hands down my face.Chris…There’s no way news about my being there tonight won’t get back to him.
“What’s wrong?” Kane asks, though he doesn’t sound very concerned.
“My brother is gonna find out I was in the car with you tonight.”
I don’t want to be so dramatic as to say that my whole life is ruined. However, in hindsight, I should have stayed the fuck home. Lesson learned, or whatever. If this gets back to Chris, the people at college, or anyone in the Falls for that matter, I’ll be in deep shit.
I’m intheKane Ravencourt’s car right now.
Shit.
“No one is going to find out,” he says after a while, his voice low and tense.
I lower my hands to look at him. The dashboard provides the only light in the car for now. Kane keeps his focus on the road.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll take care of it,” comes his cryptic answer.
“You’ll take care of it? How? What the hell does that mean, Kane?”
“Would it be so bad?” he asks, ignoring my question.
My lips purse in confusion. This guy gives me whiplash. “Would what be so bad?”
“If your brother found out you’re in the car with me?”
A disbelieving laugh spills from my lips just as he turns his head to look at me.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
He’s joking, right? Of course, it would be bad. Everyone knows not to socialize outside of our tax bracket.
“You just beat him in the race,” I point out, as if that’s not bad enough. “He’ll kill you if he finds out I was with you tonight.”
There’s that smug little smirk again, gracing his lips as he slowly turns his attention back to the road. I’m about to say something, but the words die on my tongue when I look out the windshield, only to realize we’re not at the racing circuit anymore.
