Chapter 7 Lewis #2
I glance at her. I know exactly who that low blow was aimed at.
Though I can feel Lane’s eyes on me, I keep mine locked on Firebird.
“I’ll give Bright a call,” RJ muses. “This only happened today. We still have a shot at tracking it down.”
“Who’s Bright?” I ask.
“You don’t need to know.”
RJ doesn’t look up, so I don’t push it. I don’t care how he does it—all I care about is getting my Dodge back in one piece.
“Wait.” Amy’s voice rings out, and RJ pauses.
Slowly, we all look over at Firebird.
“No.” RJ frowns. “I know what you’re thinking, but let me handle this, Amy.”
“Wait,” she says again, staring him straight in the eye.
“Come on…” RJ shakes his head. “Let’s try keeping this low-key for now. Maybe it has nothing to do with that.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Just give me a minute before you wheel Bright in—just a minute to find out what’s coming up in the next few days. Draw their attention, and we’re screwed.”
“Sure you want to get involved?”
Don leans over to whisper in my ear. “What the hell is going on?”
“No fucking idea.”
Amy eyeballs us before turning back to RJ. “I’m sure.”
Fishing her phone out of her back pocket, she drifts off down to the back of the shop. She’s too far away for me to make out what she’s saying, but I can’t help watching her pace back and forth.
“What’s she doing?” I ask RJ.
“Just trust her.” He shrugs. “If anyone can dig up the dirt, it’s her.
” He sneaks a look at me. “I know about Worthington, by the way, and I know things are shitty between you two. But it looks like she still cares about helping you out—and believe me when I say that Amy’s help is pretty much priceless. ”
He shoots me a hard look, and I feel almost guilty for lashing out at her the other day.
“What is he even talking about?” Lane wants to know.
When I don’t answer, Adam goes in hard.
“What’s going on with Firebird, man?”
RJ at least has the decency to look apologetic. “Damn. I thought you’d told them.”
“Didn’t get around to it. And anyway—now’s not the time.”
I drain the last of my beer, and when I look back up, Amy is standing over me.
“Okay, so those two options you mentioned? It’s not Bright. Which means the car got stolen by an option two,” she says flatly.
“Well, that fucking sucks. What’d you find out?”
“There’s a meet coming up,” she replies. “Day after tomorrow. I kept the questions short and sweet—didn’t want to trigger them. But honestly, it’s too soon to be a coincidence.”
I’m starting to lose patience. “What do you mean, exactly? What meet—and what’s my car got to do with it?”
She turns to me, sighing.
“You guys head on home. RJ will call if we get anything.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. It’s my car—I’d like to stay in the loop, if that’s okay with you.”
“Think reputation, Conley.” She narrows her eyes. “You know?”
“I am so confused right now.” Don sighs. “But listen, we’re here to help. If you have a hunch, a location you’re thinking of… spill, man. There’s enough of us to go get Lewis’s car back. You can be straight with us—what happens in the shop stays in the shop.”
Amy shoots RJ a warning look. “Don’t get them mixed up in this, Ronald.”
“They already are.”
There’s an edge to his voice as he glances back and forth between the four of us, and in that moment, it dawns on me—there’s a darker side to RJ the mechanic.
He turns back to Amy, his lips narrowing. “First I’ve heard of a meet—I’m guessing it’s out of state, then?”
“Correct.”
“In a nearby state?”
“No.”
“Then forget about it.” RJ frowns. “I’m okay on home turf, but the big, bad world is a whole other story.”
Amy bristles. “I don’t need your help—it’s on my turf.”
“That asshole Emil thinks he can just come on in and make himself at home, huh?” RJ bangs a fist against the table. “Shit, I don’t like this, Amy. I don’t like the idea of you going back to New York at all.”
New York? The way the two of them are staring each other down, something definitely happened there.
“I’m sending Rixton,” RJ continues. “He kept a few contacts there.”
“No fucking way. You know damn well this is my territory. He’ll have his ass thrown out of town before he even steps a foot there. I’m not worried. And anyway,” she adds, “if things get sticky, I know what to do—so, let me go. I’ll check in, see what the situation is, and we’ll take it from there.”
None of this is making any sense, and there’s something about being stuck in the passenger seat that’s really, really grating on me.
“Where’s my fucking car, guys?” I yell. “In New Fucking York? Is that what you’re telling me? Cut the secret-code bullshit and level with me—if you know where my Dodge is, then you better start talking, Hitman. I’ll go there and get it myself!”
“How about you pipe down before I shove that beer bottle into your eye?” she snaps. “The only thing that’s stopped me so far is my empathy—and it’s wearing thin.”
She glares at me, and I step closer, glaring right back.
“Chill, Lewis.” My best friend squeezes my arm. “We get it—this is hard. But you need to take it easy.”
“It’s my Dodge, Adam. My baby.” I shake my head. “I’m going out of my mind here, and the way you two are acting is making me hella nervous.”
Amy cracks her knuckles, reaching for a soda. “I’ll have more to share on Friday, okay? In the meantime, you guys just do your thing and don’t say a word to anyone. No making waves—if you do, we don’t stand a chance.”
“I give up,” sighs Lane. “What exactly is going on, here?”
Amy and RJ exchange a knowing glance.
“I’ll get the Aston ready for you—you never know…”
“I’ll take the Pontiac.”
“Sold.”
The Aston?
A light bulb flickers on.
“Oh, no way,” I start slowly. “No fucking way. Don’t tell me my Dodge is going to a drag race!”
“Wow,” Amy drawls. “I’m impressed. You managed to say ‘drag race’ without shitting your pants.”
“Okay, so it seems like Lewis gets it now. But we’re still hella confused.” Don frowns.
Amy’s eyes widen as she turns to me. “You mean you didn’t tell them?”
“No.”
She looks genuinely shocked that I kept our Friday get-together off the radar.
“I think I’m starting to get it,” Don says softly.
Amy sighs. “I’ll let you bring the guys up to speed. I’m outta here.”
And with that, she turns and heads off without a word.
“I’ll keep you posted, kids.” RJ nods before disappearing into his office.
Silence falls as the four of us Campus Drivers just sit there, thinking.
Don pipes up first. “What’s going on, Lewis? What do you know that we don’t?”
I take a deep breath in. Now or never.
“Okay… So, I spent Friday night with Dwayne, which is when I found out that Firebird drag races for fun. Then I fired her.”
“For real?” Don’s mouth falls open. “Tonight makes a whole lot more sense now.”
“So, let’s take it from the top,” Lane muses. “She’s saying she thinks the Dodge was stolen by drag racers?”
“Oh my God, I’m gonna be sick.” I leap off my stool. “I need to talk to her. Now.”
I lunge for the door, slowing when I spot her at the far end of the hangar.
“Hitman!”
She doesn’t break her stride, so I pick up the pace until I catch up with her, blocking her path.
“Wherever it is you’re going… I’m going with you.”
“Right now, I’m going to pee. But sure—whatever turns you on.”
“I meant I’m going with you to find my car.”
“No.”
“I want to find the guy who did this.”
“And I want you to go home,” she hisses, elbowing me out of the way.
“I don’t care what you want. I’m coming to New York with you on Friday,” I insist, sidestepping in front of her again.
She folds her arms over her chest and lifts her chin defiantly, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.
“It’s not your scene, Lewis. And anyway—I don’t need your help. I know you hate the idea of trusting me, but that’s your only option. You don’t get to choose.”
“It’s my—”
“It’s your car.” She nods, her voice level. “I get that. I’m just trying to protect you and your reputation. That’s all.”
I blink. I don’t like how much that rattled me—or how steady she looks saying it.
I’m beyond mad at the clown who did this to me, but I force my jaw to unclench. I need to keep my cool with Firebird if I want her help.
“Don’t think you know me, Amy Hitman—because you don’t. At all. Just because I try to do things by the book doesn’t mean I’m not prepared to go nuclear if it means getting my Dodge back.”
Great job cooling off, Lewis.
“Plus, it’s a long drive to New York. We could take turns,” I add quickly.
“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“And that’s exactly my point—I don’t care.”
“It’s nothing like what you saw in Worthington on Friday—this is a whole other vibe,” she warns.
“So what?” I shrug. “If you’re saying that’s where my car is, then that’s where I’m going. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”
Her mouth twitches, and I can’t tell if she’s annoyed—or impressed.
“I’m leaving tomorrow night after our finals, though. You know what that means, right?” She studies me. “It means you’ll miss two days of basketball practice with zero guarantee you’re actually gonna find your car.”
“Got any other leads?”
“Nope.”
“Then we’re going.”
She looks at me steadily.
There’s a glint in her eye, something raw and big and powerful, and maybe it’s because I’m on edge tonight, but I could swear my heart just skipped a beat.