Chapter 9
TYRE
Ileaned against the warm hood of my SUV, my arms crossed and gaze locked on the doors of Cecily’s training facility. The ocean breeze cooled my skin, and the smell of brine and the salty tang in the air normally just reminded me that this town was home.
But I barely noticed any of that. I was too busy watching for the flash of fiery hair and those beautiful brown eyes I’d been waiting to see since I dropped her off this morning.
She had lessons booked at the clubhouse, and I still had work I could be doing, so I’d texted her earlier to let her know I’d pick her up and take her with me to the compound.
Cecily stepped out of the doors, her bag slung casually over her shoulder, and I straightened instantly, my pulse kicking into gear like an engine firing to life.
She moved with unconscious grace, her toned muscles shifting smoothly beneath her lightweight clothes.
Her hair was still damp from the pool, slicked into a braid that fell over one shoulder, and my imagination went instantly to the way her wet skin would feel pressed under mine.
Heat tightened low in my belly, a pulse of fierce possessiveness thrumming beneath my skin. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to stride across the lot, haul her into my arms, and taste those pretty lips again before she even had a chance to say hello.
Instead, I forced myself to hold my ground and let her come to me. And she did, her steps light but deliberate, her brown eyes brightening when they locked onto mine, a faint smile curving her mouth as she approached.
Her gaze swept over me quickly, her cheeks coloring just slightly, as though remembering how intimately I’d touched her the past two nights. I wasn’t sure how the fuck I’d managed to let her walk into her parents’ house each night. I deserved a damn medal for my restraint.
“Hey.” She came to a stop just in front of me, the scent of chlorine still faintly drifting from her skin. Her gaze drifted briefly down my body before returning to my face. “Been waiting long?”
“All day,” I drawled, smirking faintly. “But only about five minutes here.”
She laughed softly, her eyes sparkling in a way that tightened something deep in my chest. “Good to know I wasn’t late.”
My mouth quirked into a half-smile as I reached out, sliding my palm along her lower back to guide her gently toward the passenger side of my SUV. Her body heat seeped into my hand, her skin warm even through the thin fabric of her shirt, sending another pulse of desire skittering along my nerves.
We were silent as I helped her into the SUV. Then I shut the door before rounding the vehicle to climb in behind the wheel. The quiet between us wasn’t uncomfortable. It was charged with anticipation and the unspoken need that crackled between us. But at the same time, it was somehow easy.
When we reached the clubhouse, I didn’t even pretend I wasn’t marking my territory as I walked Cecily through the front doors. Brothers and old ladies glanced our way, a few knowing smiles slipping free when they saw my hand resting possessively on her waist, guiding her firmly to the lounge.
Jana was already there, her smile widening warmly as she caught sight of Cecily.
Nitro and Jana’s little girl, Nella, waved both her chubby little arms enthusiastically from her mother’s lap, her bright laughter echoing across the space.
Jana passed Nella to Savannah and moved swiftly toward Cecily, pulling her into an easy hug.
“How was training?” Jana asked, pulling back to scan Cecily’s face. “You look tired. Must’ve gone well.”
Cecily laughed softly, shooting a glance my way before returning her attention to Jana. “It was good. Feels like things are clicking again.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jana nudged Cecily lightly with her shoulder. “You ready for lessons today? The kids are already bouncing off the walls, asking when Miss Cecily will be here.”
Cecily’s answering laugh made warmth spread through my chest even from where I stood just a few steps away. “I’m ready. Just need to change first.”
I leaned down, capturing her gaze as I cupped her cheek gently in my palm, forcing her to look up at me.
“Be good,” I murmured, my voice low and intimate as I brushed my thumb along the line of her jaw.
Her breath hitched, cheeks flushing a beautiful shade of pink as I leaned closer and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. Her mouth parted instinctively beneath mine, soft and yielding.
When I finally lifted my head, her eyes were hazy and her lips were slightly swollen. I had to force myself to step away before I dragged her somewhere more private and made it clear exactly how much I wanted her.
“I’ll be back when you’re done,” I promised, reluctantly turning toward my office, my boots echoing heavily against the clubhouse floor as I walked away.
Jax was already there when I stepped inside, leaning against my desk with a tablet balanced in his hand. His head lifted as I entered, his expression focused. “Ready to get into it?”
“Yeah.” I sank onto my chair and pulled up the race files from earlier. “Let’s start with one of the regular racers who hasn’t been showing up. Someone solid we can dig into deep instead of wasting time on a hundred different angles.”
Jax nodded, taking the chair opposite me, tablet still in hand. “Good call. I was thinking the same. Lenny would probably be my first choice. Well liked, so he’s in contact with a lot of other racers. Missed the last three races where we’ve tagged the discrepancies.”
“Lenny, it is.”
We worked in silence, combing through files, financial records, race histories, payout logs, and betting slips.
Jax also dug through call histories, online chatter—anything digital that we could get our hands on.
We moved methodically, looking for any thread that would unravel the mystery behind the subtle dips in the betting pools, the missing regulars, and the ghost races we’d caught wind of.
Thirty minutes in, I leaned forward, my pulse kicking up when I saw the pattern emerging in front of me.
The regular racer we’d picked was one of the best. He was reliable, known for big bets and bigger payouts.
Except the deposits in his bank accounts were suspiciously timed—large cash deposits made the morning after the races he’d missed.
I glanced up at Jax and found him already watching me with a knowing eye. “You find something too?”
“Found a trail,” I confirmed without preamble. “Big cash deposits hitting his account. Same timing as the races he skipped out on.”
“Fits perfectly with what I have.” Jax nodded.
“I dug into another driver’s texts, found mention of Lenny.
Seems Lenny invited him to a more lucrative ‘off-book’ race.
Lucky for me he shared the pertinent information with the driver he was texting.
Followed the thread, and now I have details on how to find the drop. ”
I raised a brow, rather than asking.
Jax smirked. “Course I found it. Exact coordinates, date, and time for their next ghost race. Four nights from now.”
My jaw tightened with grim satisfaction. We weren’t guessing anymore. “Perfect. I’ll tell Kane.”
I fired off a quick text, and within seconds, Kane responded, directing us to meet in his office. When we walked in, Kane was sitting behind his large wood desk, Edge was just beside him, his arms folded across his chest.
They were facing toward the seating area in the corner, and whatever Kane had been saying was cut short as he looked over at us. My eyes darted to the couch, and I flicked my chin up in greeting when I spotted Racer, a friend and enforcer from an allied club, the Iron Rogues.
Racer stood and met me halfway across the room, clasping my hand firmly, a smirk tugging his mouth upward. His blond hair was tousled, his green eyes glinting with wry amusement. “Heard you’ve been busy chasing a woman.”
I snorted, shaking my head. “Shut the fuck up.”
Racer laughed, the sound deep and easy as Jax asked, “Emily and the boys doing good?”
“Real good.” His expression softened just slightly as the mention of his family. “Left ’em with the old ladies. Heard something about the pool…and a pretty swim instructor?”
Edge chuckled, leaning back against the bookshelf behind him. “You can give him shit later, brother. Let’s get business done first.”
Racer turned back to Kane and Edge, settling into one of the chairs near the desk. Kane leaned forward. “We’ve already filled Racer in on what’s going on with the ghost races. Edge, lay out the new plan.”
“We brought in Racer to be the scout once you find a race. He’s not Redline Kings and has a reputation for showing up at underground races unannounced and smoking cocky drivers for fun. He’ll blend into that world better than any one of us right now. He can gather intel without drawing suspicion.”
“Smart move, Prez,” I murmured.
Jax nodded.
“Racer and Midnight will go in first,” he continued, referring to another Iron Rogue and nodding toward Racer.
“Having Midnight along makes it less obvious than if he shows up alone, and the Redline Kings will be close enough to respond if necessary. Racer’s primary job is to observe, identify who’s running this, and figure out their endgame. ”
Racer smiled with a nod. “Always up for making idiots eat dust, count me in.”
“You’ve got good timing,” I informed them. “Jax and I just nailed down the next race.”
Kane glanced at me. “When?”
“Four nights.”
Kane leaned back with satisfaction. “Good.”
Edge nodded, his lips curved up and his eyes a little wild. “Let’s get what we need so we can shut this shit down. I have some fancy new toys in the armory to test out.”
Edge wasn’t just our VP, he was also our arms specialist. He was fucking brilliant with weapons, knew them inside and out and could build stuff people would kill for. But he only created shit for the club.
“You finally finish that new scope?” I asked, curious about the next gen tech he’d been developing.