Chapter 16
The last thing Logan would ever have wanted would be to hurt Stella. So it had been with a heavy heart that Logan had decided to go it alone and try to solve the Cole Rodgers problem by himself.
The way Logan figured it, the less that Stella knew, the better.
And even if this meant keeping Stella totally in the dark, then that was just the way it had to be.
Of course, Logan knew that Stella was smart.
If Logan stuck around at Stella’s place, Logan was sure that Stella would work out what was going on and try to stop Logan – and this just wasn’t an option as far as Logan was concerned.
As Logan woke up in the small, single bed motel room, he felt his head throb. One too many beers in a nearby dive bar had seen to it that Logan wouldn’t be waking up feeling as fresh as a daisy that day. Far from it, in fact.
Logan had found the motel on the road that led out of Blue Rock, and it was the kind of place that Logan knew Stella would never frequent.
It may have been Logan’s pride kicking in, but even the thought of Stella finding him in such a low rent, frankly horrible motel was something that Logan couldn’t handle.
As Logan wandered out of the small, damp-ridden bathroom and into the motel bedroom, he stopped and looked at his surroundings. The walls were all an off-white color and had seen better days. The carpet underneath Logan’s feet was worn and lifeless too.
This place was fortunate to have been awarded the two-star rating it displayed in the reception lobby, that was for sure.
But Logan had little choice.
Logan didn’t have the money to splash out on one of the boutique hotels in Blue Rock. Even if he did have the money, Logan really didn’t want to risk being spotted by Stella.
Cole had Logan in a tough spot.
There was no denying that Logan had been foolish to ever hang out with Cole. Maybe it was a case of Logan’s street smarts being found lacking for once. Or perhaps it was just Logan’s open-hearted nature that allowed a conniving snake like Cole into his life.
But there was no changing the past now.
The only thing that Logan could do was to attempt to control the future. And this was going to have to include taking part in the drag race that Cole was so insistent on Logan losing.
Logan hated having to involve himself with Cole for a single second longer than he had to, but Logan felt like he had no choice in the matter.
Such was his strength of feeling of wanting to do this all alone, Logan had even kept both Leo and Eddie out of proceedings as much as possible. Logan knew that either one of them would have let him crash at their place, but he felt determined to keep his friends totally disconnected from it all.
After all, if Cole was willing to implicate Stella, then there was nothing to say that he wouldn’t try to do the same with Leo and Eddie.
That said, both Leo and Eddie were keen to offer their moral support as and where they could…
Logan, remember – you can call on me any time day or night. You know I’m always up late anyway, so don’t worry. I’m here for you bro, and I know Eddie is too. Anything you need, just ask. We’ve got your back, brother. Leo.
Seconded. This Cole asshole has messed with the wrong guy, it’s only a matter of time before he realizes that. But just promise us you’ll think before you take any drastic steps. You’ve got a good life with Stella, you need to think of that. Love you, bro. Be safe. Eddie.
Logan smiled and sent a big heart emoji in response.
Logan didn’t feel like getting into a long conversation, but appreciated his friends so much.
Having both Eddie and Leo back in his life was a good feeling, and Logan hoped that once this situation was all over with, he would be able to get back on track with seeing his friends regularly.
Of course, the same feeling applied to Stella too. Logan only hoped that Stella would understand why he had to go into dark mode to sort through the problem. The truth was that Logan had never fully explained how he lost his brother, Jackson.
Logan had always planned on telling Stella the full story, but somehow he was never able to push through the pain of dredging up all of his old memories. In that moment, Logan decided that once this was all over, he would find Stella and tell her exactly what happened to Jackson.
In the meantime, the symbolism of the drag race wasn’t lost on Logan.
When Logan’s older brother had died in a fatal road accident, it wasn’t simply a case of one driver being distracted, or even a DUI.
No, Jackson had been racing. It wasn’t an official, organized street drag race like Logan took part in.
It was a far looser event, the type of race that gave the drag racing community a bad name.
For Jackson to die in this way was a tragedy, and it pained Logan to think about it even now.
Worse, Logan had always lived with a sense of guilt that he had got into drag racing too.
Fortunately for Logan, his skill had led him into the far more organized and relatively safer high-end street racing scene.
For Logan to enter into a drag race as a result of being blackmailed left a sour taste in his mouth. Jackson loved the thrill, the speed, and the sensation of true competition. The same was all true for Logan.
So for Logan to have to enter a race under duress, and then lose on purpose on top of that… it felt heartbreakingly awful.
Logan was truly conflicted.
There has to be another way.
But Cole has me where he wants me.
I just can’t see a way out…
The cacophony of engines revving and sound systems blaring brought the adrenalin up several notches for Logan.
It was late in the evening, and the only light came from the streetlights that flickered down the long strip of road where the race would take place.
It was race time.
But before the event could get under way, Logan was eyeing up his muscle car. Cole had apparently sent it for a full repair, although the paint job was clearly rushed and looked nothing like the pristine standard that Logan was used to.
Logan was in no position to complain though. He was at the race to do as he was told and get the whole sorry experience all over with. The fact that his beloved car looked under par shouldn’t have mattered.
Except, of course, it did…
‘Urgh. This fucking sucks,’ Logan muttered as he took a final walk-around his car, checking the tires and looking for any signs of poor bodywork.
‘Sorry man, I know this is tough,’ Mario said, a look of sympathy on his face. ‘Cole has come onto the scene and really screwed things up for a lot of people. I’m sorry he got to you too.’
Logan nodded. He didn’t want to talk about Cole, preferring to keep his mind as clear as he could ahead of the race. Mario was a good guy, the type of wholesome racer dude who loved nothing more than fast cars, cold beers, and girls who could take a spanking like a champ.
Logan and Mario talked briefly about what was going on over on the East Coast street racing scene, and Logan couldn’t help but wonder whether a move to the East might be a solution for him once the race was over.
‘But what about Stella?’ Mario said, running his hand over his closely cropped black hair. ‘She would miss you. From what you’ve told me, she’s a keeper.’
‘I think she might have run out of patience with me,’ Logan said. ‘And if she has, I wouldn’t blame her either. Fuck. I’ve screwed it up again. Maybe I should never have gone to her place after the crash…’
Mario put his arm around Logan and the pair of them briefly embraced.
Logan appreciated Mario being there for him in a non-judgmental way.
A big part of the scene was how close and friendly everyone was.
That was also part of the reason as to why Cole was such an unwelcome presence – the truth was that the community would never have let Cole worm his way inside had they seen what a low-down, dishonest kind of guy he was.
But all thoughts of Jackson, Mario, Stella, and Cole had to be put out of Logan’s mind. It was time to race. With the crowd of enthusiastic and pumped-up onlookers raring for the action to begin, Logan made his way inside the car and slowly pulled up to the start line.
Before proceedings could get under way, Logan heard a rapping at his window. Turning, Logan saw that it was Cole – and he was indicating for Logan to lower the window.
‘Remember, don’t do anything crazy,’ Cole said, leaning in to whisper. ‘Lose, or I’ll make you and your girlfriend’s lives a living hell. Got it?’
Logan nodded solemnly and shut the window.
The sight of Cole walking away with a horrible smirk on his face was enough to push Logan to the edge and then beyond. Logan gripped the wheel of the car and revved his engine.
The race was moments away from beginning.
Logan looked across to the rival driver and nodded in respect.
The rival racer returned the compliment and nodded back at Logan.
The race countdown was about to start. It was a classic drag race. Full throttle in a straight line to one point, then turn, then back again. Winner takes all.
A cute young lady stepped out in front of the two cars wearing a tight t-shirt and a pair of cute pale blue shorts. The girl actually reminded Logan of Stella, and in the final seconds before the race countdown, Logan found himself as unsure as he had ever been.
What would Stella tell me to do?
She’s smart. She always has the answers.
But maybe I need to figure this one out for myself…
Logan revved the engine, put the car into gear, and held it just at biting point. He knew that Cole would only accept him losing the race, anything else would mean trouble. But on the other hand, Logan knew that he could never forgive himself unless he was true to himself.
THREE!
TWO!
ONE!
GO!
As Logan pulled away, he felt his mind go into the Zen state that it always did when he raced. Everything suddenly felt calm and clear. For many, racing at this speed would have induced an almighty panic, but for Logan it was different.
At the halfway stage, Logan’s rival was winning. Everything was going to Cole’s plan. All Logan had to do was keep a safe distance and all would be right. But Logan had never deliberately lost a race before, and he wasn’t about to go changing that now.
Using all his knowhow, Logan dragged himself back into the race and won a tight finish, right on the line. Logan felt elated. But as he clambered out of the car to shake his opponent’s hand, he was interrupted by a livid Cole…
‘You stupid sonofabitch! Your life is over!’ Cole screeched, his face red with rage and fury. ‘Do you have any idea how much money you’ve cost me?’
Logan shrugged. He simply didn’t care. Logan knew that if he was ever going to truly change and learn how to fight his demons, then he simply could not contemplate intentionally losing the race.
Cole continued to rant about losing his money by betting against Logan. And speaking of money…
‘This might come in handy,’ Eddie said, showing Logan his phone screen as he deposited a six-figure sum into Logan’s bank account. ‘I bet big on you winning. Don’t worry, I took a little cut myself too!’
‘But I said for you guys to stay away,’ Logan laughed, high fiving with Eddie and Leo.
‘Like we were ever going to listen to that,’ Leo said, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘We’re brothers. We stick together like true family. Oh, and Cole?’
‘What?’ Cole snapped, still angry and looking ready to throw some punches.
‘You don’t know me, but I know you,’ Leo said, his voice firm and meaning serious business. ‘Or I should say, my personal investigator knows you. We’ve got proof that you drugged Logan. And we’ve also got evidence that you’ve been selling drugs on the side too.’
With that, Cole turned and made a run for it. His black two-seater was just across the road and he made it there before either Logan or his friends could give chase.
‘He won’t escape the police for long,’ Leo said. ‘It’s an open and shut case. It’s over, man. You can have your life back. The cops will put Cole away for a long time.’
‘Speaking of cops…’ Eddie said, the sound of police sirens in the distance and rapidly getting closer. ‘Looks like this location has been compromised. Time to bounce.’
As the whole crowd dispersed, Eddie and Leo quickly made their way to Eddie’s black Tesla.
Logan meanwhile jumped back into his car and revved the engine.
It was time to find Stella and make everything right.
Logan didn’t know whether Stella would take him back after he disappeared with no explanation, but Logan knew that he would give it his best shot to convince Stella that he truly loved her, and that he had changed once and for all.
Logan may have just won the biggest street race of his life, but now it was time for Logan to get to Stella in triple-quick time and tell her exactly how important she truly was.
I’m a Daddy to my core.
But not just any old Daddy Dom.
I’m Stella Streep’s Forever Daddy - and it’s time I made that crystal clear to the babygirl so she never doubts me again…