Chapter 22 Gianna
Gianna
FOUR YEARS AGO
Life can flip in a fraction of a second.
My breath leaves my lungs quicker than I can take it in as Ryker and I rush back down the hill toward where we left Renny, Tyler and Monz.
I stumble on a few uneven tufts of grass, but hearing the screams get louder makes my legs pump harder.
We get closer to Renny’s and Jace’s car lights and see my brother wrestling someone on the ground in a blind fury.
As the two thrash around, it takes me a second to realise the other guy is Erik.
Then Erik flips and pins Jace down with his left elbow. ‘Cute masks,’ Erik says, right before ripping the silver skull from Jace’s face. Then Erik thrusts his right fist an inch away from Jace’s nose.
‘You already fucked up my hand,’ Erik snarls. ‘May as well make it worthwhile.’
Erik rears back, ready to land a hit on my brother, but Ryker rushes into the huddle and rips Erik away, sending him skidding across the dirt.
There’s a mad glint in Ryker’s eyes that makes my blood run cold.
My insides twist seeing blood drip from my brother’s nose and his busted lip.
Renny and Tyler are off to the left, fighting their own assailants.
Monique’s on the side of the scramble, looking on with wide eyes. When I reach her, she grips my arms.
‘Oh, thank god you’re okay,’ Monique cries. ‘What do we do?’
‘I don’t know,’ I say, taking in the tussle though it’s all a blur of limbs colliding in the headlights of the cars. ‘How did this happen?’
‘They just came over the hill …’ she pants. ‘It happened so fast … How can we stop them?’
I’m at a loss.
Then I see the Mustang, and it gives me an idea. ‘Go get X,’ I tell her, ‘in case this doesn’t work.’
She nods a few times before dashing off toward the crowd. I rush over to the Mustang and sink into the front seat. A mixture of relief and fear floods my system when I see the key in the ignition. I give it a twist. The rumble of the motor amplifies all my senses.
Breathe. Feel the car.
I shift into gear and, just like Ryker taught me, I hit the accelerator.
The car lurches toward the ECU boys, who retreat instantly.
I slam on the brakes just before I hit anyone.
They yell, all of them looking at me. I rev the car hard, letting them know I won’t back down if I’m pushed.
They take heed of my warning and start to retreat.
‘We’ll be back!’ Erik glares at Ryker, cradling his right wrist, before they all dart off into the night.
I cut the engine. Monique appears with X as I step out. My shoulders relax, relief pouring through me now that it’s over.
‘That fucker Erik nabbed my necklace.’ Jace grips at the neckline of his shirt – his chain with the silver bar reading Bullitt is gone.
Renny pulls out a pocket knife that’s jammed in the Mustang’s rear tyre. ‘That other asshole had this against my neck. I think he was about to press down before you saved me, little G. Can’t say the same for the tyre though.’
The tyre loses air rapidly, slumping into the ground.
X rubs the back of his neck. ‘I hate to make it worse, but you’ve still got to race in the next one, Jace. Or you forfeit.’
‘Give me a sec to change the tyre.’
X shakes his head. ‘The other racers are lined up now. We can’t wait.’
Jace’s jaw drops. ‘Are you fucking with me? We just got jumped!’
Ryker grabs his keys from his back pocket, tossing them to Jace. ‘Take my bike. You wanted to give the R1 its first win.’
Jace catches the keys and stares at them for what feels like eternity, then he lets out a string of curses before his eyes land on Ryker.
‘What kind of fucking friend are you, huh?’ He charges toward Ryker and shoves him hard in his chest. ‘Your bike? Take your bike?! Where the fuck were you when we needed you?’
Ryker straightens, his chest heaving as he wipes blood from his bottom lip with the back of his hand. He glances at me and Jace’s fiery eyes follow his gaze.
I see Jace snap, a flare in his eyes before he turns back to his best friend. ‘I told you not to bring her here! I told you I didn’t want her to see any of this shit, that I didn’t want her involved.’
My face drops as Jace charges. I race forward and place my hands on his trembling chest. ‘No, Jace. Please!’
He pushes me away, sending me careening off to the side. I watch helplessly as he lands a blow across Ryker’s face. Ryker doesn’t fight back, taking hit after hit while the gruesome sounds of squelching tissue fill the air.
‘Jace, please!’ I cry, reaching for his arm. ‘Stop!’
He pushes me aside again before landing another punch that connects with Ryker’s nose.
Blood spurts across his face. He groans, barely straightened up before Jace throws another right hook across his face, then to his ribs.
Ryker stumbles back, falling to the ground.
Jace is on top of him, gripping Ryker’s shirt and raising his other fist to slam it down.
Tyler and Renny are both watching with shock across their own bruised faces.
‘Tyler, help!’ I beg.
He springs into action and pulls Jace away. Ryker’s beautiful face is bloodied, bruised and already swelling. Renny stands between the two while Tyler gets a grip on Jace’s arms.
Jace’s face is bright red, radiating the heat of his anger as he thrashes in Tyler’s hold.
‘That’s enough, mano,’ Renny shouts.
‘You fucking piece of shit!’ Jace points at Ryker, ignoring Renny as he fights against Tyler’s grip.
Ryker turns, spitting out blood behind him. ‘I’m not going to hurt her.’
‘She’s my fucking sister!’ Jace screams, ripping himself free from Tyler’s hold.
Clenching his fists, he stalks back toward Ryker. Renny stretches his arms out, separating them both.
‘She’s my baby sister!’ Jace booms. ‘I promised Pa I’d look out for her.’
‘I look out for her too! We all do!’ Ryker argues, earning a flash of understanding from Jace, but it quickly disappears.
‘She shouldn’t be here!’
My heart hurts as I take in Jace, radiating so much fury, but it aches even more when I look at Ryker.
His shoulders slump, bloodied hands clenching and releasing at his side.
He locks eyes with me, and the longer the moment stretches on, the more I wish things could be different.
He breaks the eye contact, looking down at his feet, completely defeated.
Beside him, X glances down to the waiting racers before looking at Jace. ‘Sorry, man, I get you’ve had a shit night, but you’re either in or out of this one. What’s it gonna be?’
Without breaking his gaze from Ryker, Jace says, ‘I’m in.’ Then he turns to me. ‘Go home before I get back.’
My vision blurs and tears spill over, rolling down my face as I watch my brother head down the hill with X. They barely make it to the track side before the crowd ambushes them, wanting to give X money and wanting selfies with Jace.
Tyler nudges Monique. ‘You and Gianna really should head home.’
Monique tugs at my arm with trembling hands. ‘Come on, Gia. Let them sort it out. They’re probably just running off the testosterone from the racing and the fight with Erik. They’ll sleep it off and be best friends again tomorrow. Don’t worry.’
She gives a sad smile. I fold my arms across my aching chest, letting her guide me down the hill and through the crowd. I bump into the shoulders of a few people as they rush to be on the sidelines of the next race.
We’re almost at her car when I catch sight of Ryker’s R1.
How can it be that just hours ago I was having the time of my life on that bike for the first time and now I’m here?
Then that scumbag Erik pops up from behind it, with my brother’s mask resting on top of his head.
He laughs with his friends before running off toward his Aston Martin.
There’s something in his hand – it looks like a tool of some sort, but I can’t be sure.
I squint, trying to blink away the tears to see clearly, but Monique pulls me again and I stumble.
When I look back, there’s no sign of Erik or his car.
Everything passes by in a blur, the faint jingle of Monique’s keys mixing with a piercing ringing in my ears.
‘It’s okay, babe,’ she soothes. ‘We can stay at mine. I’ll make hot cocoa.’
Chills break out over my body. I pull Ryker’s jacket in tight, hoping I can return to that warm, safe hug. Monique unlocks her car and opens the door for me. The soft upholstery barely grazes my skin when the threatening rumble of a motorbike fills the air.
I know that sound. It’s the sound I’ve heard leave my house a thousand times.
A sound that’s woken me countless mornings.
Only, there’s something different. There’s a high-pitched metallic ping at the end of each gear change, instead of its usual throaty growl.
I edge toward the sidelines until I can see the R1 charge down the straight.
Each second feels like a lifetime as I watch the bike leave a trail of black smoke behind it. Something’s not right.
And in the distance there’s an oncoming vehicle. An Aston Martin. With other racers flanking him, Jace can’t swerve out of the way. But he doesn’t slow down. He doesn’t stop either.