23. EMMA
Chapter twenty-three
EMMA
A fter peeling wheels from the driveway, I zip through the city streets with Ace and Bear trailing behind me. I feel like I did the first time Pop let me drive this car. Accelerated, in my happy place, as I listen to music and my hand hangs out the window. God I feel good.
Looking in my rear view mirror I see Ace and Bear goofing off behind me, which causes me to shake my head with my smile. Fucking boys.
I am really loving this side of Ace and I hope we get to share more of our race car games together along with what a future could hold for us as maybe a family. Of course that would be expected of us, but we have not talked about it; I guess we really haven't had the time.
Feeling parched I get an idea, and make a sharp turn right, heading to quench my thirst. I laugh to myself, watching Ace and Bear almost miss the turn due to them not paying attention and then my phone rings.
And of course it's Ace, so I hit the button on my dash screen, and answer playfully. “Yessss…”
“Where are you going?”
“I need coffee.” I say with a laugh in my voice and he laughs through the phone. “You've got to be kidding me?”
“I'm not. It'll take a few minutes; we have time. ”
“It's not time I'm worried about, Baby Girl. We have not one but three illegal cars going to, let me guess, Dunkin?”
“You know it.”
“Fucking Christ, Emma.”
“It'll be fine.” I say with a little mischief in my tone, knowing, it might be fine. “Fine, I'll turn around.” I sigh.
“No, go on, get your coffee.”
“Would you like something?”
“No, Baby Girl, just order something quickly, please.”
“Since you said please, I will.”
I pull into the Dunkin parking lot, seeing the drive through is empty, I quickly pull up and order my coffee.
Then pull up to the window and shut my car off.
Handing the girl at the window some cash, I wait for my drink watching Ace and Bear backed into spots waiting for me, my eyes scan around, just keeping my wits about me.
And then I see them. The cops.
Oh shit, time to go.
Ace peels out of his parking spot and I quickly start my car, peeling out of the drive thru, getting behind Ace then Bear pulls out behind me.
Oh he's probably so mad at me now.
And my phone rings again and I prepare myself, then hit that button on my screen again. “I know.” He barks a laugh on the phone. “Take a sip of that coffee, Baby Girl, because we're about to lose them.”
I take a sip of my coffee, enjoying the hot rich flavors that fill my taste buds before swallowing it down, then playfully say. “Show me what you got, baby.”
He chuckles through the speakers in my car, pulling a smile from my face as I watch his car pull away from me. Slamming another gear, I pick up speed and follow him through the city streets with Bear trailing behind me and now 2 cops.
ACE
I knew her going and getting her coffee was a bad idea. We attracted too much attention with three illegal cars, but what the fuck ever.
As soon as we get out of these fucking city streets and back on the highway, we will lose them.
It feels good to play a little game with these fucking cops again.
It's been a long time since I've drove like this, constantly shifting gears, and my car fucking loving it.
When Bear brought her car home he brought our cars too, knowing we would need them.
Bear and I were the Kings in street racing, and no one could touch us.
That's a part of my life I have yet to share with Emma, but she'll see soon.
We finally get out on the highway and I watch Emma swing out from behind me like a fucking sling shot, picking up speed.
God I love this girl.
I slam another gear, and floor it. She comes up on a car in front of her and sling shots herself around that car too, only to pick up more speed. Bear right behind me and the cops; well, they're looking a little small with the distance between us now, as we speed down the highway.
The three of us weave in and out of cars down the highway, keeping a good steady high speed. And we finally lose the cops, not a soul in sight as we get closer to the mountain. Which takes the fun we just had and replaces it with darkness.
EMMA
My adrenaline that is already on higher levels, is now starting to skyrocket as I get closer to the starting line.
The sides of the road filled with cars and people. The sounds of car engines revving, the air filled with that burning tire, gasoline aroma, filling all my senses and damn does it feel good.
I notice Ace and Bear split up behind me, Ace going to my left and Bear to my right, and they disappear as I continue to drive to the start, seeing Zee and Zeke. Pressing my clutch in, I shift my car into neutral as I slow, coming to a stop at the line, before I shut my car off.
My door flies open before I can even get a chance to get my hand on the handle and Zee practically rips me from the car. “God is it good to see you.”
I laugh as he wraps his arms around me in a hug. “It's good to see you too, Zee. I've only been gone a few days though, jeez.”
“Yeah well, I'm worried about you.” He lets go and I step back, furrowing my brows looking up at him. “You don't need to worry about me Zee, I'm okay.” That's not entirely true, he knows me well, and he knows I'm lying but I can't tell him.
“Alright, you ready to race then?”
“You know it.”
“Let's do it then.” I shoot him a playful wink before he turns and walks away.
My eyes scan my surroundings, trying to pick out any unwelcome guests and my eyes land on Bear, in the shadows, watching me like a hawk, out of sight of the normal eye, but I see him.
I tear my eyes away from him, continuing my scan until they find Ace.
Also standing in the shadows, his possessive gaze he holds on me, pulls a smile from my lips, before shooting him a wink, I drop back down into my car, and start her up.
I look over at Zeke, who has rolled his passenger window down, holding his gaze on me. “Where's your friend Luca at?” I ask. I feel like being Sassy, and who fucking knows maybe I will get a little something.
“Oh don't you worry, he knows exactly where you are and you'll be seeing him soon, Princess.”
“Aww, how sweet. I hope he enjoys watching me kick your ass tonight.” I got what I needed to hear. Luca's in this city somewhere. “I think Luca will be the one kicking some ass tonight, Princess. Starting with that worthless Collins.”
I don’t react to his statement, if I do I will lead him on that Ace is here, so I smile with my words. “How about you and I just get to racing?”
“My pleasure, Princess.”
I roll my window up, and pull my gaze to my windshield, watching Zee walk in front of our cars.
With my foot holding the clutch in, I shift my car into first, and take in that long deep breath through my nose as my eyes flutter.
My right foot hovers over that gas pedal, ready to play.
Zee holds the flag up and my right foot feathers the gas pedal, bringing my rpms up.
The flag drops, and I dump the clutch and beauty leaves the starting line with a deafening scream.
Clutch in, I slam another gear, reaching the end of each gear I shift through them, gaining speed as I start up the mountain.
Zeke beside me, holding his position, fighting to get in front of me before the first turn, but I fucking fight, I push my car hard.
I lock my front brakes up, holding the nose of the car to the cliff side, dropping a gear as the ass end of my car swings around the turn, the sharpest turn, the hardest turn, and Zeke beside me.
He's not going to back down, he's ballsy tonight. His car hangs to the ledge of the cliff, his back tires falling into the dusty side of the road. I pull out of the turn, giving beauty back that gear she's begging for and I pull away from Zeke.
I hit the button on my screen, and call Ace, he needs to know what Zeke said...
It rings and rings. And rings. What the fuck!
He doesn't answer, so I try Bear. It rings and rings again. And no fucking answer.
FUCK!
And now I'm fucking furious; what the fuck is going on?
My heart pounds in my chest harder than it already was.
The furious rage mixes with my adrenaline.
And I slam another gear, a gear I don't play with on this part of the mountain, but I'm playing with the Devil, needing to end this race.
Beauty walks away from Zeke as I come to the next turn.
Waiting for the last minute before I drop that gear and rip tires around the turn, faster than I ever have been before.
My skin crawls with anticipation, the adrenaline, testing this gear. My arms work in tandem, working the wheel, then my right falls to the gear shifter, sliding through to the next gear, pulling my car around the turn to the next one.
I try calling Ace again and still no answer. Bear, still no answer.
WHAT THE FUCK!
Zeke is behind me about two car lengths between us now as I drive like I am running for my life, and in a way, right now, I feel like I am and I have to get off this mountain.
Reaching the top, I zip around the last turn, my rear tires playing in the dirt on the side of the road, with a straight drop off after that dirt. I swing my car around that turn and start down the mountain.
ACE
After Emma drove out of here. Luca's men flocked to the finish line to wait for her, Just what I thought was going to happen. But I want to see Luca, I know that fuck is here somewhere and I want him.
Bear pulls his car next to mine and we watch Luca's men mix with the crowd until one spots us.
“Fuck, Bear.” I hiss.
“I think they are looking for you, Ace. Not her.”
“I think you're right.” I do think he's right, they waited for Emma to leave.
A bullet flies past my head and both Bear and I duck behind our cars, pulling our guns out.
“Looks like we're having some fun tonight.” Bear gives me that crazed look in his eyes as he cocks his gun, a dangerous grin spreading across his face.
“Let's do it.” We stand, our guns raised and we start firing back.
Luca's men approaching us, the crowd scattering, getting into their cars, peeling wheels out of here, leaving Luca's men in plain view.
My shots are clean, hitting where I aim, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, hoping it's not Emma.
Ducking behind my car door I reload my gun with another clip, before standing again, covering Bear while he reloads.
I can hear the cars getting closer, Emma's getting closer and she has no idea what is going on.
More of Luca's men come from the shadows out numbering us by 30 against Bear and I. My men are on their way, I had them hang back initially to not draw attention.
“Ace, we have to move.”
“I'm not leaving until she gets off that mountain, Bear.” Knowing, they could trap her on that mountain, blocking the entrances, I won't leave her until she is off it.
He looks over at me and I hold my deadly stare on him, before he ducks as a bullet flies past his head.
“She better hurry the fuck up, we're running out of time.”
I know he's right but I won't leave her, and the way her car sounds, she's driving her hard and she's close.
EMMA
I hold my position down the mountain, hanging onto that gear I call the Devil. Zeke is still behind me, almost like he's not fighting anymore. Like he doesn't want to beat me, which worries me that something is about to happen, especially since Ace and Bear won't answer their phones.
But I want to get off this mountain before I am trapped.
Sliding around the last few turns before I get to the straight away and give Beauty everything she has been begging to release...
As I approach the finish line, bile rises in my throat with what my eyes are watching unfold as they widen. NO!