Chapter 32
LENNON
Jackson smiles. “Are you surprised, princess?”
“What about Dillan?” I ask.
He throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, trust me, he’d love to get into your pants, but any guy who meets you would probably say the same. He’s as harmless as he said he was. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
I swallow hard and he clocks the movement.
“I can’t believe you thought it was him. I thought you were smarter than that.”
He’s practically got me caged in between my car and his body. There’s no path to escape that I can see.
“Why? You were my friend. London’s too.” It’s all I can think of to say, and I need to know the answer.
He brushes the back of his hand over my cheek gently. Almost lovingly.
“She was never supposed to die, and I’m sorry she did. You weren’t supposed to either for that matter. I wanted to scare you enough to make you give up racing. I’m tired of living in your shadow, Lennon,” he says with no trace of humor or the boy I’ve known since I was young.
“What do you mean? We’re both top racers at Tyler Motorsports.”
“It’s cute you think that. You’re the top racer here, at least in Lincoln Tyler’s eyes.
There was a time I thought we could become the perfect racing powerhouse.
A couple. Those first few dates for us went great and things looked promising.
But then he stepped up and ruined everything.
He shot his shot with you, and you fell for it.
And I knew eventually, your dad would give his blessing, and it would be you and Dash known as the racing powerhouse couple…
even on opposite teams. You brushed me to the side like you never knew me,” he says calmly while pushing my bangs back enough to see the scar he caused.
“I told you I was scared of ruining our friendship and I was. And you said a few dates wouldn’t change anything, so I went along with it.” My lip trembles. “But from where I’m standing, it changed everything.”
He traces my lips with his finger.
“You’re right, princess. It did change everything.
I got a taste of the sun being that close to you.
And then you took it away as quickly as you gave it.
You left me in the shadows. I waited for you to be done with Dash, but no matter how many times I tried to sabotage you, it never kept you down for long.
You went right back. I got tired of waiting and took matters into my own hands.
If I couldn’t have you as mine, my next choice was to remove you from the racing world so I could shine on my own,” he says while twisting my hair around his finger.
“And by remove me, you intended to physically disable me?” I ask in disbelief.
“Like I said, princess, I tried to scare you away at first. But when it didn’t work, yes, the plan was to injure you just enough to ruin your racing career but not kill you…or anyone else.”
A tear slips down my face and he wipes it away.
“Come on now, Lennon. It’s not fair for you to cry. You know I hate to see your tears, but it won’t change this. It’s too late for that. Everything’s in motion now and the next move is completely up to you,” he says gently like he’s talking to his lover.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? I can’t let you walk out of here. So you have two options. One, you can pretend I didn’t cause the accident and become the powerhouse couple we should’ve been,” he says as he smells my hair still wrapped around his finger.
“Or two, you can accept your regrettable fate and join your sister. I mean, her gravestone already has your name on it.”
“And if I refuse to choose either option?” I ask.
“Then, I’ll choose for you,” he says as he produces a knife I hadn’t seen before.
I need to buy time to get out of this.
“How do you expect me to start a relationship with you when you killed my sister and you just threatened to do the same to me?”
“Because it’s the only way to stay alive, princess. And I promise you, I can make you feel better than he ever did. Dash or Hendrix,” he says gritting his teeth.
“And the will to live is strong in you. You really are like a Valkyrie as much as it repulses me to use his nickname for you. You have a fight in you, a spirit I’ll enjoy bending.
You might not be able to love me, but you’ll love what my body can do to yours,” he says as he closes in and nibbles on my neck before sucking the tender skin there.
Chills run down my body and it makes me angry. I know I can’t help the way my body responds, but I’d rather die than let him use me this way.
He pushes me back against the car with the weight of his body and kisses my lips. I can feel his hard length against my leg, and even though Jackson is hot by all women’s standards, it makes me want to gag. He’s turned on by this…by this form of torture he’s created just for me.
When he pulls back, he asks, “What’ll it be, princess?”
“Jackson, please—”
He cuts me off with a finger pressed to my lips. “You decide now. There’s no walking out of here without an answer,” he says.
I pull his face toward mine and kiss him before pushing him back against the wall. I’m still holding my keys in my other hand. Once I’m sure he’s let his guard down, I pull back and start to swing at him, but he’s faster and grabs my wrist while grinning.
Then, he pulls my left arm behind me and twists it up so far it makes a sickening popping sound, and I know he’s either pulled my arm out of its socket or he’s broken my shoulder again. The pain makes me sway on my feet, and as soon as he lets me go, I fall to the ground.
He’s on me in an instant but this time I manage to connect my car-key-clenched fist with his balls.
He falls over and screams in agony while I try to push myself up using just my right hand.
I run quickly to my race car and slide in before flipping on my switches to get it started while praying it does.
This has to be one thing he didn’t plan for or count on.
I can’t move my left arm, so driving this car will be near impossible, but I’ve got no other choice.
Thankfully, she roars to life just as Jackson gains his footing. The garage doors are closed, but this car has enough power to blast through them if I want to. And I do.
I shift into gear and spin out taking off and barrel straight through the metal door with ease. I pull onto the track, desperate to put space between us so I can call for help, but my vision threatens to disappear as the pain in my shoulder grows stronger.
I’m almost to the other end of the track, furthest from the building when I see headlights bearing down on me. He didn’t get his race car, he’s in his personal car which happens to be a modified, but street legal Celica.
I’m in no shape to drive, much less race. But this is going to be a race where if I win, I get what’s left of my life back, and if I lose, well…
I do my best to shift gears with my right hand while holding the steering wheel steady with my knee. It’s the only thing I can do since my left arm is useless.
As we make the first lap, Jackson is getting closer. But the moment we make the last turn on the first lap, I see what looks like Dash’s truck heading toward us at full speed. What the hell is he doing? He’s going to get killed!
I do the only thing I can and pull my emergency brake and crank on the wheel and then brace for impact as Jackson careens toward me.
I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer that Dash won’t get hurt because of me. This is the last piece of me I have left to give…and I’m giving my all to him.
I smile as I picture his face and then my car is clipped, and everything starts spinning again.