Vicious Punks by Madeline Fay

Nicky

“She makes me want to murder her,” I grind out through my teeth with a hiss in the computer lab as I glare at the screen.

The nagging feeling of checking the school's cameras kept bugging me. I knew she would do something like this because she’s trouble. She won’t listen to a word I say without giving back sass and narrowing her beautiful eyes at me.

I watch Tillie look left and right before crouching down to book it across the parking lot with my sister right by her side. My sister! How the hell do they know each other already? I was hoping to keep Nicola away from Tillie, she’s only going to get my little sister into trouble. Just where do they think they are going without my permission?

“Brat,” I mutter harshly in Japanese under my breath and zoom in on the image just as she opens the passenger door to Nicola’s Jaguar.

Not on my watch. I’m going to have to teach Tillie a little lesson… My chair crashes to the ground as I suddenly stand up at what I see on the computer screen.

“Nandayo!” I yell in japanese at no one, causing the girl next to me to jump in her seat and quickly scoot away.

My hand grips the computer mouse so tightly that it cracks under the pressure as I try to pause the image of that guy sneaking into the backseat of Nicola's car. At least he has the grace to look scared because yeah, I’m going to toss his body into the school dumpster where he’ll melt over the weekend under the California sunshine.

Huffing under my breath and running my hand through my hair, I log off just before the nosy teacher tries to peak over my shoulder.

“Nicholas, please pick up your chair and return to your work or I’ll give you detention for disturbing the class,” Mr. Cass says in a haughty voice with a smirk.

“You do that. I’ll personally make sure that the school board and the parents find out just what you have hiding on your computer.” Sarcasm is thick in my voice and hearing him gulp nervously almost makes me smile. “It’s under the top picture file, is it not?” I tilt my head, staring down at him as he stutters.

No one talks down to me. Maybe I’ll send that file to the school board this weekend. I’m sure they’ll wonder why one of their teachers has pictures of female students' underwear on his computer. Fucking pervert. I’d bet my left nut that he would be a potential client of my father’s, and that just makes me take a step closer to him, wanting to snap his weak neck. I take a deep breath as I lean closer, down towards his short height, smelling his sweat, and enjoying the color drain from his pudgy face.

“I’d watch your back, Mr. Cass,” I whisper darkly, seeing out of the corner of my eye half the class leaning forward to hear what I’m saying.

It’s always like that. People turn away the moment I make eye contact but the moment that breaks, they try to draw closer because they can’t help themselves. We are all drawn to the dangerous side, the forbidden. I straighten to my full height and walk past him without another word.

I pull my phone out of my dress pants the moment I’m out of the classroom, away from the prying eyes. She picks up on the second ring, answering with a groan.

“Get out of the car now or he’s dead,” I threaten with a promise as I hold the phone with my shoulder to unbutton my cufflinks and roll my sleeves up my forearms in case it gets messy.

“Nicky!” Nicola whines out in a plea and then starts swearing at me which has me pulling the phone away from my ear until she calms down.

“I’m feeling generous, Nicola. Aren’t I letting Tillie stay in the car with you?” I say as calmly as I can once she stops yelling at me in Japanese.

“Evan is just going to hang out with us. Tillie… fucking! Cockmuncher! Tillie told me you're on babysitting duty anyways, I was going to head home with her and Evan,” Nicola grumbles out and her voice sounds distant as she mutters away from the phone.

“Just- don’t touch...Oh wow! Your Tattoo is gorgeous! What’s it say?”

I wonder what the hell is going on but it comes to me as I remember Tillie has a cursive script tattooed on the right side of her ribs that starts at the edge of her side boob. All her tattoos are covered by clothes, so why is she stripping in front of another man!

“Why the fuck is her shirt off?! He better not touch her!” I roar into the phone, completely losing it as jealousy eats at me.

I hang up as Nicola screams into the phone, pleading with me, but I’ve heard enough. I’m already angrily dialing someone who I know loves to get rid of bodies.

“Nicholas,” Tey answers smoothly in that raspy voice of his and I swear a shiver runs down my spine.

“Where are you? I’m. Going. To. Murder. Him,” I snarl and Tey chuckles huskily into the phone in amusement, but that won’t do. “He’s touching Tillie…” I nod my head in approval as Tey starts describing how he’s going to kill the fucker that’s touching our plaything.

“Then I’ll use a butter knife and take my time cutting off his legs, I’ll make him stay alive until I’m done. I’ll meet you at your car,” he growls, which surprises me because he’s usually laid back no matter what.

I’ve seen him slice a knife across another gang member without breaking a sweat, like he was having a cup of tea instead of painting with the dead guy’s blood on the walls. But with Tillie… we're in trouble. Tey attaches to things that aren’t good for him, and I’m worried he’s going to replace his unicorn with her.

“On my way. Be there in two,” I reply with a huff and hang up to jog out the front doors to reach the parking lot before classes let out for the day.

The fewer witnesses, the better.

Almost to my car, I spot Tey coming from the football field, no doubt from lighting a joint under the bleachers. He says that’s the quietest place to find a moment of peace. Swinging my driver side door open, I smoothly slide onto the leather seats and start the engine. It rumbles to life, making me close my eyes, and the need to escape for a while in a race has my hands twitching on the steering wheel. I’ll have to get away for a while, Lorenzo sent out a massive last minute hidden message text for anyone who wants to buy in tonight. There's a race at Santa Monica Pier where the crowd will be thick with bodies, the dark of night giving you a high that screams of danger. Jin won’t be in town for the weekend so I won’t have to watch Tillie while he’s in the house. She’ll be safe from his observing gaze and greedy hands. My sister will have someone to confide in, too, even if I don’t trust our little spy.

“Where is she? Who do we have to kill?” Tey says as soon as he hops in the car, taking out his unicorn to place it on the dashboard between us, like it’s joining our conversation.

Some might suggest he should be put in a mental hospital but I, well, find it adorable. He can look as crazy as he wants, it’s a sexy kind of crazy with that maddening grin of his that always brings out his dimples. He paralyzes me, I always feel like my breath is trapped in my chest when he’s near. Jin would rather have his son dead than one who likes men and women. I wish I could shut the voices out of my head, to be who I want to be. To grab the back of Tey’s neck and kiss his plump tempting lips so slowly, savouring every second, but I’m not there yet. Something always holds me back.

“They already left. That Evan kid was in the car with Tillie and Nicola. No one with a dick goes near my little sister. I’ll kill him.” My teeth grind together, already planning a way to get rid of Evan’s body for going near my sister and for even daring to take Tillie with him.

My property. She’s in the car with another male that I don’t approve of. I’m not jealous. It’s impossible.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Logan wants to go to the warehouse to check some merchandise before heading to the docks. I’ve got some time to hide a body, although I might have to change my clothes before heading out tonight. Blood is a pain to get out, even an on the go tide stick doesn’t work. What to do? What to do...” Tey nods his head and picks up his unicorn, placing it to his head like he’s intently listening. “Hmm, yes. I think you're right.” Tey grins wickedly and throws his arm across the space between us, his hand resting on the back of my neck.

“What is it?” I swallow roughly, holding back a groan as his finger presses on either side of my spine at my neck, staring me hard in the eyes.

“You're too tense. When was the last time you had a release?” he questions, biting his bottom lip as his blue eyes darken the longer he stares at me, he glances to my lips and slowly back to my gaze.

“Just this morning,” I rasp out, wondering why he keeps torturing me like this?

I’m only so strong before I break and say fuck it to everyone who tries to hold me back.

“What were you thinking about when you came?” His voice sounds hypnotizing, I can’t help but just blurt out the truth.

“You and Tillie. Taking her at the same time. Watching you take her slick pussy, sinking in deep as I told you to fuck her hard and good. Then when both of you were ready, I slid in right beside you so you and Tillie had no choice but to feel me.” My cock is straining against my slacks, trying to burst through at the mental image I stroked myself to this morning.

Tey looks down with a lopsided smile and leans closer, slowly, to give me plenty of time to pull away, but I don’t. I want this so bad, I can practically taste him. I can feel his hot breath between my shoulder and neck, stopping on that spot just above my collarbone. My grip on the steering wheel tightens, the sound of the leather shifting under my hands makes Tey’s eyes flicker there for a second before glancing back at me. He knows how my heart races whenever he’s close, his eyes always gaze at my neck where my pounding pulse betrays my wants and desires.

“I was talking about street racing, but this is much more interesting. Keep going.” He bites down on my skin, holding his teeth there to keep me still.

The cool metal of his lip ring skims my neck so lightly that I barely feel it, like a whisper of a ghost. It causes a pleasurable shiver to trail down my spine, making me crave more without saying a word. I tilt my head to the side with a quiet groan, unable to resist the slight pain of his teeth digging in and the pleasure of his lips pressing against the tender flesh.

The passenger door opens, but I don’t move as Tey bites down harder, breaking skin. I’m not worried though, I can smell engine grease and the woodsy cologne of the fucker interrupting my moment of intense pleasure.

“If you two fuckers are done fucking in public, we’ve got places to be,” Dalton grumbles and reaches in to grab the back of Tey’s shirt to drag him out.

“Calm your man tits, Dalt, we weren’t fucking… yet,” Tey says with an evil, seductive promise of what’s to come, but I need to pull myself together.

I can’t be caught by Jin, he always had eyes and ears everywhere. I’d be disowned or killed depending on his mood. It’s hard to say no to Tey though, he drives me closer and closer to that edge of just letting go. One of these days I won’t be able to hold back, no matter if it puts my life in danger.

“Where’s my little bitch?” Dalton asks, leaning in the opening of the door to glance in the backseat but gazes at me with a raised brow when he notices she isn’t here.

“She went to my house with Nicola… and the soon-to-be-dead kid, Evan,” I mumble to him, squeezing the steering wheel just thinking about him anywhere near her.

I don’t like this feeling. I don’t want it, she can take it back with her when she leaves or dies by my hands.

“Fuck me sideways. Tey, you still got that chainsaw?” Dalton questions him, his violet gaze turning wild like a storm unleashing on the skies.

“Enough,” Logan commands as he strolls casually up to his car on the other side of mine. “We have places to be that are more important. She’ll be fine. I think the brat can handle herself,” Logan says with his lips in a tight line and gives Dalton a meaningful look.

What are they hiding? And is that blood on the collar of Logan’s white shirt? The fuck? He never spills a drop on himself. What has he been up to since this morning? I lean over the passenger seat to see Tey’s gaze already staring with laser focus at the bloodstain. His eyes meet mine for a split second but I know that look. He’ll get the information out of Logan later.

“I’m going to stop at the storage unit, to make sure all the supplies are there. Dalton, I’ll call you after I’m done so you can report back to your pops at church. I’m racing later.” I flash a quick grin at Logan who looks pissed as fuck but he’ll get over it.

“Don’t get caught. Some of the cops at the precinct aren’t all on Franco's side at the moment, and I know for a fact they are talking to the FBI. Don’t fuck Tillie either.” He stares me down with that order but I just press my foot on the gas, letting it rumble loud enough to drown out his voice.

That’s what you get for tasting the goods without telling us. I’m not jealous he already had Tillie. Not at all.

I’ll keep telling myself that until I believe it.

* * *

“Five thousand,my friend, for buy in. All or nothing.” Lorenzo flashes his gold teeth at me as he passes a wad of thousands over to the girls in bikinis hanging off his arms.

I don’t trust him, he’s a part time dealer for the west side gang, Los Muerte, that even rivals Dom’s gang. They have no morals...a code to live by. They’d shoot their own members in the back without remorse. Lorenzo is sort of like the peacemaker between each gang in L.A. You want to send someone in to talk to a rival without blowing out anyones brains, you send him in. The guy knows how to talk and sneak his way out of any situation like a fucking worm. I’ll give him that at least. Plus, he can put on a race at the last minute and still have the street lined up on either side with people ready for a show, ready to party with the need for an adrenaline rush.

“Have I ever come empty handed?” I arch a brow at him and reach into my leather jacket for the money, knowing it’s all there as I hand it over.

He flips through the bills but stops when he notices me still standing there staring with my arms crossed. He passes the cash over to one of the girls at his side and places his hand on my shoulder, leaning closer with his gold teeth almost blinding me. I slowly look over to the right at the unwanted touch and he quickly snatches his grip away as if I burned him. Might as well, I don’t like to be touched.

“Listen, amigo, a new whip was bought in tonight. Didn’t even see the driver but…” He whistles under his breath and nods his head over to something behind me.

Looking over my shoulder to scan the competition, my gaze passes over a yellow Porsche Carrera GT, not the least bit worried. A cherry red Chevy Corvette, American muscle is a beauty but still not comparable to mine. The same Audi R8 V10 is parked near the end, the same frat guy that shows up at every race thinking he can beat me, but again… I’m unbeatable. My Nissan GTR could smoke any of these losers without even trying. Only the best comes out on the other side, I never lose. Cat-back exhaust, nitrous oxide, and a tuned chip gives my car the balls to race, but it’s the guy behind the wheel that makes it into first place, and that’s me. My gaze shifts near the end of the line, blinded for a second by the high beams shining directly at me until my eyes adjust.

I stand taller as my eyes travel over the completely blacked out Dodge Demon with electric purple lights under the body. Sleek and blending in with the night, the all wheel drive conversion with eight hundred and forty horse power without a doubt could leave everyone else in the dust, but not me.

“I haven’t lost a race before and I won’t be tonight, amigo.” I slap Lorenzo's shoulder a little too hard, staring him in the eyes until he looks away first and clears his throat.

“Ah, I’ll see you at the finish line my friend.” He throws his arms over the two hardly clothed women and walks away with them clinging to his side as he greets everyone he passes, like he’s welcoming them into his home.

Eyeing the sexy as hell car one more time, and knowing Logan is going to be pissed, I walk toward my white Nissan without saying a word to anyone. Women always try to get close to me, to rub their bodies against mine but the thought of their hands on me makes me bite back a sneer of disgust. Every damn time I’m here, usually Dalton can play distraction, but I’m on my own tonight.

“Need a prize at the end of the race, baby?” A female voice purrs at my side, her Latino accent thick and raspy as I reach for my door handle.

A hand slides down the leather jacket covering my right arm, skimming over the scars on my knuckles, and tries to play coy as she slides closer until she practically tries to crawl into my skin. The overpowering smell of her perfume makes my nose burn, making me bump into my car door as she follows me, thinking I want her. She grabs my hand and places it on her hip while smiling up at me, but I don’t even see her face anymore. I’m frozen, placed in a time that I’d rather not revisit because it’s the time I learned what life is really about. You aren’t living until you get your first taste of pain and there isn’t any going back after that.

“I’m disappointed. My own son, my own blood betrays me like this!” Jin paces in front of my kneeling position, as I stare down at the floor with my head bowed. I can only see from below his knees each time he passes by.

The shiny leather shoes show my reflection as he stops in front of me. The blank look on my face gives nothing away, but if I lift my head he’ll see the tears gathered at the corners, dying to escape. He places his hand on top of my hair, petting me as he clicks his tongue in disappointment.

“I thought I raised you in a house where you want for nothing, all your needs met, but I was wrong. You’ve been spoiled, given everything. I gave you a chance, Nicholas, to prove yourself, so you can one day take over. But you are no son of mine. Did you think you could help those useless cunts? Do you not think I have ears and eyes everywhere?” He grabs a fistful of hair at the top of my head and bends my neck back until I’m looking up at him.

His face is emotionless, a man of no thoughts, of no sympathy, no mercy. I’m starting to take after him in that respect. One day, it will all just shut off and even when I bleed, I won’t feel where it’s coming from.

“Did her pretty looks lure you in, thinking you could save her?” His lips curl back and he shakes my head until it feels like my brain is rattling around. “Answer me!” he shouts in my face and pushes me away in disgust.

Tears escape, leaking down my face as I sit there breathing hard on the floor with my head bowed and my shoulders hunched.

“She grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go,” I whisper, admitting as tears fall faster down my cheeks, splashing onto the floor that sounds oddly loud.

I snuck into the shipping container that I saw a handful of my father’s men leave, laughing as they slapped each other's backs and left the metal doors unlocked. I wasn’t allowed this far back into the docks. I alway had to listen to Jin talk about the family business at the warehouse at the front when he met with his clients, but hearing words is different from actually seeing it.

I knew something was different about my father, even at a young age. Money came in easily, endless amounts on hand. His meetings always involved men who had this gleam in their eyes when they stared at me. The way they smelled of greed and evil, it was an overpowering smell of cologne to hide their toxic stench. Men who hide aren’t real men, they just disguise themselves so we can’t see the real them.

I went into that dark container, knowing I’d find something that makes my own father just like those men. I leave the door open a crack to see and when my eyes adjust, I can’t move. Rows and rows of small cages, stacked on top of one another, filling the whole container all the way towards the back. A single aisle led between the cages and weak, dirty hands grip the metal locked doors. Some reach out in desperate hope between the bars, but not a word is spoken. I step further in, not believing my eyes as women and young girls stare back with dead eyes.

Something tugs at my sleeve, making me look slowly to my right, almost afraid of what I would find as I stand there shaking.

“Help me. Please,” a girl pleads through dry, cracked lips, hardly moving her mouth as if she’s too weak to talk.

She looks like she is in her mid to late teens, but it’s hard to tell with her face dirty and her hair tangled around her head. She can’t stand up, her body curled up in a ball, but her hand grips as if it’s using all the strength she has. I can’t move, frozen as I stare into her blue eyes that plead with me to save her.

“I can- can’t,” I whisper, trying to move away from her, to leave this place that I am sure makes hell look like paradise.

She quickly snags my hand, gripping with the rest of her strength and doesn’t say anything else as she stares at me. I stop shaking, my heart slows down to that one moment as we stare at each other. Knowing I can’t do anything, but I can hold her hand because she is scared and has given up on any hope of being saved. Maybe I can be her knight in shining armor? To help her escape before anyone notices. I can help them all, one at a time, until they can see the sun again, instead of the pitch black.

I scream as I’m suddenly ripped away, my eyes wide as they look into her blue eyes, seeing the color dim until it looks like she’s not really here anymore. Kicking and swinging my legs, I cry out the further I’m dragged away from her, until I’m thrown into the office of the warehouse and that’s how I start cracking at the seams. Learned that life is deceiving and hope doesn’t exist.

“She held your hand? Not even a taste of pussy and you're whipped just by a simple touch. You are weak, but I’m determined to make a man out of you, even if you die before that can happen. Hold out your hands,” Jin says and walks around his desk to a glass cabinet that displays canes.

He grabs a long, wooden cane and comes to stand over me without a word until I hold my hands up for him. The first wack out of the cane causes me to hiss under my breath, more tears start flowing, but after a while, as blood drips from my knuckles, the pain goes away until I am numb. I learn that I’ll never be a knight in shining armor because no one can be saved, a perfect bubble pops and brings back awareness.

The sound of a deep rumble brings me out of my memories and gives me a chance to bat her away from my hand. I straighten to my full height and curl my lip in a sneer that has her smile dropping fast. The noise of an engine roaring as someone presses on the gas while in park has me looking back at the Dodge Demon car, and I swear I feel whoever is behind the steering wheel staring right at me.

“If you want to live, you’ll leave now before I put a bullet in your head,” I calmly say to the woman who still tries to cling to me while I stare at the blacked out windshield, as if I could somehow see through it.

She gets the hint as I look back at her without blinking, spinning on her too tall heels to run away. I climb in behind the wheel, starting the engine that rumbles to life, causing the crowd to glance in my direction.

That’s right, hear me roar.

This is the only way I know how to use my voice, I’d rather sit back and observe than try to talk. When my car echoes like a clap of thunder as I rev her up, it can’t help but do all the talking. It says stay the fuck away and beware because I’m going to kick everyone’s ass without breaking a sweat.

Lorenzo swaggers to the center of the road as we line up on the white spray painted line one of his girls draws as she runs in her high heels in front of our bumpers. My palms slide over the steering wheel, feeling the car vibrate with life under me,and everything centers as it becomes clear. I’ll win because there aren’t any rules in street racing and I’m always fucking up the rules. I glance out of the corner of my eye at the Dodge Demon to my right, the person behind the wheel slides down the passenger side window just as Lorenzo pulls his gun out of the back of his pants. My eyes connect with a pair of familiar chocolate eyes and I feel the blood drain from my face.

“See you at the finish line, Nicholas. Winner takes all.” Tillie blows me a kiss and sets the launch mode with a smirk as she rolls the window back up.

I glance over the Dodge, wondering if she stole it as someone pounds on the hood of her car for good luck. The face of the stranger becomes clear as a headlight shines on her. My glare has my little sister shuffling away from the car as she grips Evan’s sleeve to drag him away too. Both of them are in fucking trouble, but not as much as Tillie. Before I have the chance to get out of the car to spank her ass in front of everyone for defying my rules, Lorenzo points his gun to the night sky and fires one shot. With a whoop that’s heard over the engines and squealing tires, she literally leaves me in the smoke as the tires burn rubber.

“Shit!” I grind out through my teeth and stomp on the gas to catch up before she ends up killing herself.

Following closely on the ass of the red Corvette that shifts side to side so I can’t pass on the long stretch of road, I upshift a gear and whip my steering wheel to the left to move around to the front of his car before an oncoming vehicle can crash into me. Even at night, Los Angeles stays awake, parties until dawn, and the streets are kept packed as they come and go. This is why these races are so dangerous and don't have rules. You can’t block off the streets, you move with the traffic even if it’s in another lane heading in the opposite direction. You can die just for this thrill, but that’s part of living.

Coming up on a sharp corner on Olympic Blvd heading into downtown, I curse and upshift again to catch up to Tillie, just as she’s about to turn. I don’t think she’s going to make it, the yellow Porsche is at the back of her bumper and the light is turning red… It's almost like watching in slow motion and not being able to stop it. She turns the corner sharply, the tires skid on the asphalt and she comes within inches of sideswiping a minivan as it crosses the street on their green light. At the last second, her tires find traction and she straightens out like a pro. She takes off like a bat out of hell with the Porsche hot on her ass, and frat guy not too far behind, even though his back bumper is hanging off from hitting a fire hydrant. For some reason, it’s easier to breathe, like I’ve been holding off the oxygen in my lungs, but seeing her execute that move injects me with a new buzz that’s addicting. It’s a challenge and I completely accept.

You want a race, baby? Then you got yourself a race.

Seeing no way around the corner without getting hit, I jerk the wheel and jump over the curb until I’m on the sidewalk with pedestrians jumping out of the way as water hits my windshield from the busted hydrant. I turn on the windshield wipers, almost hit a couple, and quickly look in the side mirror. The Corvette rolls and a truck crashes into him as he tries to squeeze in between cars. One down. Seeing an opening back on the street between two cars, I hop off the sidewalk grazing the underbody against the curb causing a shower of sparks. I bounce in my seat as my car settles back on the road. I’m aware of the abuse I’m putting these wheels through. A hundred and eighty grand for this thing? Petty cash anyways.

Up ahead, railroad lights start flashing and the gates start coming down, but Tillie and the Porsche go flying over the tracks just in time. Their front tires leave the asphalt for a split second before coming back down, her car jerks heavily to the right, but once again she straightens the wheel before she can lose control. Where the hell did she learn to drive like this?

The train blares, the light coming up faster the closer I get. With the Audi right next to me, everything else passes in a blur, but I can see the frightened gaze of the frat guy as he makes eye contact with me. I lay on the throttle and wonder just how much I am willing to risk to feel this alive.

Fucking everything.

The Audi pulls back, his tires squealing as he stomps on his brakes, but I just clench the wheel for dear life.

“Fuckkkkk!” I shout and start laughing, my heart racing a mile a minute.

Breaking through the crossing gate, I’m blinded by the single train light and catch air as my tires leave the tracks. My back bumper is centimeters away from the oncoming train but my foot never leaves the gas as I slam back down to the road. Swerving, I straighten the wheel and come up fast behind the Porsche. Lights of red, blue, and white flash behind me, their sirens are loud, but I can still hear their voices yelling over the PA.

“Pull over! Pull over now!” The officer shouts through his microphone.

It just causes me to grin over the irony of being chased by the cops, and an idea comes as I stare at the back of the Porsche, knowing how I’m going to get rid of them. Logan said no cops so I have to listen to him, don’t I? Shifting into sixth, I keep on the gas as I fast approach the back corner of the Porsche’s bumper. Slamming into him at the right angle, I whip my car to the left into oncoming traffic just as his car starts spinning out of control. He takes out two cop cars, causing them to flip. I weave between oncoming cars, ignoring the honking and flashing high beams. Seeing an opening, I swerve back into the right side of the road and come up right behind Tillie. That won’t do.

“Come on, come on!” My lip curls as I try to pull up right beside her, knowing we only have two more miles to the finish line.

Her window comes back down once I’m even with the Dodge Demon, and she’s laughing as she swerves around a car and comes right back next to me with ease. She’s crazy, but her face is glowing as she winks at me. She’s loving this.

I can relate and catch myself at the last second, just as I start to chuckle under my breath. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve lost my mind, too.

Neck and neck with her, our last turn is up ahead, then back towards the finish line. No rules, no Jin, no standing so tall that my spine feels like it’s going to crack in half. It’s just me, the streets…and this fucking girl that’s literally stealing my breath away with the power she’s radiating. I squint through my window shield, seeing a sign in bright orange.

Closed road.

Glancing left and right as we get closer and closer, I spot a construction site to the right ahead, and see the chained fence locked. Speeding up, I make eye contact with Tillie and jerk my head for her to follow me. She raises a brow at me in question but nods her head firmly.

Good girl.

Shifting down a gear, my car slows and I turn the wheel hard to the right to make it at the last second with Tillie right beside me. The lock on the chain fence breaks easily as we crash through and instantly we split up. She goes to the left, to avoid the metal frame of the building under construction, as I go right. I lose sight of her, not being able to see her in the dark, but see glimpses of the purple streaks of her car lights.

“Fuck. Shit. Fucking hell,” I curse on a growl as a line of orange cones get in my way.

I hit every single one of them to avoid all the metal pieces stacked on pallets around the site. Seeing an exit at the back that’s going to only fit one of our cars at a time, it’s either crashing into her or driving right up the pile of dirt to jump the fence. I’m sure as fuck not slowing down, so it’s going to have to be her. I hear her engine rev, speeding up, and see her race towards the exit with cement all over the roof of the car as she pops out of the other side.

“Not happening. Slow down. This is my race.” My heart starts pounding because she’s not slowing down but speeding up.

If I could take a picture of this moment, I would. She’s smiling without a care in the world, her hair whipping around her face as she sticks her head halfway out the window to yell, but I can’t hear her. I shift my gaze back towards the exit that’s fast approaching and glance back over to see her mouthing something at me.

“You lose.” She laughs with her head thrown back and speeds up until her car is lined right next to mine, so close that I can see her brown, wide eyes in the dark.

Glancing back and forth at her then at the exit in panic, it suddenly becomes crystal clear she’s not going to slow down. At the last second, I slam on my breaks and the car bumps against her tail end. Controlling the wheel, I jerk it left then right until it straightens but not without the side of my head smacking against my driver side window. She bolts through the gate and skids across the street as she turns, waving at me out the window as she takes off. Shifting gears in a white knuckle grip and stomping on the gas, I take off after her again with a sharp turn. I keep shifting until I’m right behind her, the purple light of the underbody lighting up the front of my white Nissan.

“Not today, Tillie. I own your ass,” I mutter out loud and place my thumb on the nitrous button, waiting for the right moment.

She blocks me by swerving the car left and right, keeping me behind her, but I see my opening just as I spot the crowd up ahead at the finish line. Pretending to go towards her right side, she swerves that way too, but at the last second I press the button and come out from behind her left side. My body presses into the seat as I grip the wheel to remain in control even at this speed. Cars on either side of the road line up with their headlights on, acting as a runway, and I can practically taste my victory. Only a few cars from the finish point, purple lights flash out of the corner of my eye and I watch in shock as Tillie passes by me. She passes a jumping Nicola on the finish point, who’s shaking Evan in excitement as she bounces around. By the time I’m slowing down and throwing the car into park, Tillie is getting out of the car. Nicola runs for her with Evan hot on her heels and hugs her while jumping around at the same time. I quickly get out of the car and slam the door, which draws the attention of Evan who was about to go in for a hug but thinks better about it as he sees my glare.

“That was fucking amazing, chica! It’s about time someone smoked his ass!” Lorenzo laughs and passes a smiling Tillie her winnings.

“It was nothing, pretty easy,” she replies back, grinning cheekily and tosses Evan the keys to the Dodge Demon. “She’s a beauty and a dream. Here, take the money. It needs some TLC.” She hands over the money still smiling, her chest heaving from all the excitement still.

So that’s whose car it is. I’m going to have to look into the nerd’s background because I didn’t know he came from money. I’m a little shocked she handed over the cash so easily, I know she could have used it.

I walk through the crowd surrounding her, ignoring them as they part like the red sea and I grab her wrist without saying a word. She draws up closer to my back, her breasts grazing my bicep as the crowd tries to squeeze in closer to talk to her. I squeeze her wrist and walk her around to the passenger side of my car, opening the door with a nod to get in.

“You're bleeding,” she says as she bites her bottom lip and reaches up to touch the cut on the side of my temple.

“Get in, Tillie.” I keep my face blank so she can’t get a read on my thoughts.

She sighs and gracefully gets into my Nissan, watching me the whole time as I walk around the hood and pause.

“She gets home safe or you die.” Evan freezes at the threat as I point at Nicola, and quickly nods until he looks like a bobble head.

I walk around the hood to the driver side and slide into the leather seat. I whip the car around, heading away from the pier towards home so we can have a few minutes alone without any prying eyes. She doesn’t say anything, but when I glance over at her, she’s smiling softly and has her hand out the window playing with the wind.

“Have you always been a sore loser?” she asks ten minutes later, not being able to take the silence anymore.

That’s it, she’s in for it now. I was going to wait but the brat clearly doesn’t understand who’s in charge here. Spotting a parking garage, I quickly turn and keep driving until we hit the fourth level without many cars parked there. Sliding into a parking spot, I kill the engine and sit there for a second before getting out of the car. Walking around to the hood, I cross my arms and stare at her through the window. She stares at me with her eyebrows scrunched in confusion until I see her shoulders sag in defeat just as she gets out.

“Is this where you kill me? I would have thought it would be somewhere more, I don’t know… quiet and dark.” She crosses her arms and leans her hip against the hood as she lifts her brow at me.

Never before has any woman got on my last nerves like she does. So much sass, but I have a solution to that.

“Come closer.” I curl my index finger at her, coaxing her closer.

“Why?” she asks slowly, dropping her hands to her sides as she sees the look on my face.

“I’m going to spank your ass until it’s red and you're less of a brat. Now get over here.” I point at my feet then make a swirling motion for her to turn around so I can have her bent over my knee.

It takes a lot for me to contain a smile of wicked delight as her mouth pops open and she looks from me to the hood in shock.

Why must she be so beautiful? It’s unfair really, but then again life is never fair.

Closer, brat, my palm is already twitching.