Chapter 10
Eve
The roar of the engine fills the silence following Roman’s second annoying question of the night. It’s not that they’ve been invasive, per se, but they’ve got the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.
Does he know more than he should?
Why does he already feel so comfortable asking me these things?
Did I read him wrong?
I pride myself on being able to read people, it’s a skill all lawyers must have, especially when dealing with society’s most lethal criminals. You have to know when someone is lying to you because their lies could be the ones that get you killed.
And I have too much to accomplish before that day comes.
Wylder reaches over the center console and grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly in his in silent support.
When they came out to the garage, both he and Roman were tense and refusing to even glance at each other. Nothing’s changed in the last twenty minutes, either, making me glad we’re almost to the track.
Roman clears his throat from the backseat, leaning his head forward just enough for me to see the outline of annoyance lining his features. “Are you just going to ignore me, Little Moth?”
I narrow my eyes in confusion and shoot a look over at Wylder. “Little Moth? Where the hell did that come from?”
Roman’s breath fans against the back of my neck as he chuckles into my ear, the dual sensations sending a sharp shiver down my spine. “Answer my question and I’ll answer yours, Little Moth.”
Moving my head away from where his breath still hits my neck, I turn the wheel and pull into the long dirt driveway that will take us to the track.
Mud splashes up and makes small dinging sounds as it hits the outside of the car, the bright lights working to combat the dark shadows cast by the tall Colorado trees.
I’ve raced at more tracks than I can count and won most races I’ve participated in, but this track is my favorite. It’s set up on a friend’s clear acreage in the Rocky Mountains, meaning lots of mud and lots of danger.
Roman’s going to shit himself.
I pull into a spot away from the temporary lights the property owner has set up and put the car into park, immediately turning around to level Roman with a glare.
My voice is pure venom as I decide to acknowledge Roman’s earlier question. “What does it matter to you where I got the car?”
He sits back in the seat; arms crossed over his chest as he smirks at me. He looks at me like he knows something, like he knows too much. “It’s just odd a woman like you would not only know about and participate in illegal street races, but do it with an old Maserati.”
I nibble on my bottom lip, watching his face for a hint of anything other than genuine curiosity. Problem is, I can already tell he’s a better liar than I am, so I don’t know if what is showing on his face is truth or just a front. Just like he’ll never know with me.
“The car belonged to Abel’s father. When he left, I kept the car.”
His head tilts to the side. “Left?”
Curious. Too curious.
I turn and open the driver’s side door, stepping out and taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. I love it out here.
Wylder’s voice comes through the still open door, “I told you not to bring him up.”
“And I told you – “
I slam the door closed before I can hear the rest of Roman’s rebuttal. I don’t care to hear it.
“There you are! I was wondering if you’d ever show!” My head pops up just in time to see Viv’s arms wrap around me, squeezing me with more force than you’d think she would have in her wiry frame. “How’s it going?”
“As could be expected.”
She pulls away with a knowing look in her eyes before they swing over to the car at the sound of slamming doors. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Can neither one of you stay away from my girl?”
I roll my eyes and backhand her on the arm, but that doesn’t slow Viv down one bit.
She walks over to Wylder and envelops him in a hug, whispering something in his ear just as she did me.
I see him shake his head before darting his eyes over to where Roman stares at the two of them with an odd look in his eyes.
Wylder gently pushes Viv back and walks over to Roman, “What the hell is your problem now, asshole?”
I can’t tell if Roman is brave or stupid, because he smiles. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. First, you get pissed because I say I’m interested in Eve and now, you’re hugging up on her bestie like you do her on the side. Have you no shame, soldier boy?”
Wylder shakes his head a few times and I see his jaw lock down just a second before the first swing comes. Viv jumps out of the way with a shout as blood splatters onto the black paint of the Maserati.
Roman turns his head back to Wylder, his busted lip leaking blood off his chin as he laughs. “Thank God, I was getting bored.”
Roman rushes toward Wylder, faking a move to the left before lunging over to the right and slamming his fist into Wylder’s jaw. Wyld stumbles back a few steps before righting himself and going back to Roman for seconds.
Viv joins me a few feet away, “Don’t you two have court on Monday?”
I groan and rub at my temples. “Fuck. Yes, we do.”
Shaking my head, I walk over to the two men still fighting in front of my car, now covered in mud and blood.
I wait for an opening and reach down, grabbing them both by the hair right at the nape of their neck and pulling them away from each other.
“Enough! Roman, quit antagonizing Wylder. He’s Vivianne’s friend, too, and trust me, she’s got her hands full. ”
“Hear, hear!” Viv’s sarcastic support sounds from the sidelines.
I continue, “Wylder, Roman is just getting used to how things are around here. Give him time and play nice. I can’t have his face messed up for court.”
I let them both go, smiling softly to myself as they both reach up to rub at where I had a handle on their hair.
Roman is the first to stand, leaning over to place a quick kiss on my cheek. “That was hot, Little Moth.”
Wylder follows him up and rolls his eyes. “Let’s go find a good place to watch, it’s about to start.” He turns toward Viv, “I assume you let Markus know we were here?”
She nods, “As soon as I saw you pull in. He’s in the booth waiting for you.”
Wylder walks over, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to him for a single, bruising kiss. “No fear, no worth.”
I smile into his lips, sliding my tongue in his mouth just long enough to flick his own. “No fear, no worth.”
I watch as he makes his way over to the betting booth with Roman hot on his heels, his head swinging from side to side as he takes everything in. Viv joins me at my side, watching the two men make their way through the crowd.
“Wylder’s gotten a bit more…public? Territorial? I don’t know the word for it, but it was hot.”
I shrug, “I think having Roman around has given him a scare. Roman’s clearly interested and even though I don’t think I could ever be with someone like him ever again…there’s something magnetic there.”
Viv looks over at me, her boots giving her an extra few inches on me when we’re normally the same height. “What are you going to do about it?”
I let out a sigh and turn around, getting into the car. “I’m going to do what I have to do and maybe have a little fun in the meantime.”
She shuts the door behind me as I crank up the vehicle, the immediate purr of the engine bringing me a sense of peace only this car can. My body knows I’m about to get a shot of adrenaline so strong I’ll be riding high for days.
“Just be careful, Evie. You know this isn’t a normal case, and what happened at that club was not how things were supposed to go down.”
I hear Markus, the owner of the track and one of our closest friends, announce that the race is about to start, giving me an out to a conversation I am not ready to have yet. “Time to drive.”