Chapter 58
FIFTY-EIGHT
Skylar and I train and push ourselves harder than ever before. We know why we lost last time, but neither of us want to let it happen again. We had our little pity party, but then we got straight back into it like Noah said. We know Amanda and Orson’s games now, and we won’t hold back.
Leaning against my car, I pull my sunglasses down while we take a break. Skylar leans into his, watching me, his demeanor serious for once.
“I didn’t like losing,” he declares.
“Neither did I,” I reply.
“I’ve never lost before. It’s a strange feeling, but all we can do is try harder, so next time, I’m not pulling back, no matter what Noah orders. I won’t ask you to do the same,” he says.
“I won’t either.” His eyes widen. “I’m winning, no matter what it takes and no matter what Noah says.
He’s protective and wouldn’t risk us, but it’s my life to risk.
I knew it the moment I sat in my first car.
I won’t be stupid, but I’m not giving up or backing down.
Not this time. We’re going to win.” I reach out, and Skylar grins as he claps his hand to mine and tugs me into a hug.
“To winning.”
“Let’s show them who we are.” I grin as I pull away.
His smile is downright wicked as he steps back. “They don’t have a clue what’s coming for them.”
I meet Skylar’s eyes for the last time, and we both nod. Noah gave us a pep talk before today’s race. He wants us to play it safe again. Conan does too, who is watching from the stands.
They don’t know about my and Skylar’s deal and determination.
“Okay, remember, be safe. We can regain rankings,” Noah lectures as we wait for the race to begin. “You hear me?”
“We hear you,” I reply, my gloved hand tightening on the wheel as the lights start flashing.
Taking a deep breath, I feel adrenaline fill me.
One heartbeat to the next, then we are off.
Skylar and I fall into line. Blizzard is behind us, and Nos is in front of us.
We let them stay like that for the first lap, as they try to put distance between us, but we are on them, and during the second lap, I signal Skylar and he chuckles.
“What are you doing?” Noah asks as we speed up and start swerving around them.
“Sorry, old man, we have our own plan,” I respond as I yank the wheel.
“Dammit, Mackie! Skylar, stop him!”
“Sorry, I’m with him on this. You can punish us later.” Skylar laughs, making us grin. “After we win.”
We get around them, and then we put our feet down, creating some distance between us, or at least trying to.
Glancing in the mirror, I see Blizzard trying to do the same, but Orson is blocking them something fierce, until he takes it too far and one of Blizzard’s cars has to swerve to avoid hitting him.
It’s on a bend, though, and the car slips from the track, the driver unable to recover.
In one second, one blink, it becomes airborne, flipping off the track into the sand and crashing into the barrier.
“Crash! Crash!” Noah yells.
I’m already turning the wheel, uncaring about winning.
Others race past me, but I stop my car on the side and run toward Blizzard’s crashed vehicle.
Memories of Sky’s accident fill my head, and then he’s at my side.
The car is smoking and on its side, but we manage to get the door open and the driver out.
By the time we are safe, the race is over. We’ll retain our positions, but we didn’t win. Winning wouldn’t mean anything, however, if it cost a life to obtain.
Clearly, that’s not something Orson believes in.
He’ll kill us to get that title. What am I willing to do?