I folded my arms over my chest, putting up a barrier between us but I held my ground. “I wanted a clean race. You crossed the line.”
“I bet on you, man,” a guy in a wifebeater and basketball shorts said, shoving Tyler’s shoulder. “You said you were a sure thing. I’m out five hundred bucks.”
“Get the fuck away from me,” Tyler snarled.
The guy shoved Tyler to the ground, and they wrestled each other, rolling on the ground and taking punches. I edged away from the ruckus, searching for Z so I could collect my money and get out of here as two guys joined the fray and pulled them apart. Swiping the back of his hand over the blood dripping from his split lip, Tyler glared at me as if it was my fault he’d lost.
A small, wiry guy with shifty eyes wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I fucking love you right now. Just goes to show…when you bet on the wild card, it pays off.” He released me and fanned the cash in front of Tyler’s face, taunting him with his winnings.
Tyler got right in my face, his breath skating over my skin, his voice low. “You’re going to pay for this, Racer Girl.”
I heard the thinly veiled threat but chose to ignore it and him. The buzz from the race was starting to wear off and I just wanted to get out of here. My eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Z who had vanished. I tried to step around Tyler, but he blocked my way. “Move. Please.”
“Make me.”
I rolled my eyes. How old were we? Twelve?
I put my hands on his chest and shoved him, putting all my weight into it. Momentarily knocked off balance, he stumbled then righted himself as I darted past him. He grabbed my arm and hauled me back. My elbow connected with his ribs. I was about to get all Kill Bill on him when a guy pushed his way into the circle and crossed his arms over his wide chest. My eyes widened. What washedoing here?
“Kosta, my man. You come to bet or race?” the guy with shifty eyes asked.
Kosta?
His dirty-blond hair was longer than when I’d last seen him and scruff covered his firm jaw. He looked different. More badass. But his face was still the same as I remembered. Somewhere between pretty boy and rugged man. My gaze traveled from the black T-shirt molded to his muscular torso, down his black jean-clad legs to black military boots and then back to his face. Green eyes flashed with anger before they narrowed on me. I read the warning in them:Keep your mouth shut.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, his gaze focused on Tyler.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“The guy who’s going to make you sorry if you don’t get the fuck out of here in the next two seconds.”
“Dude, he ain’t joking,” the shifty-eyed guy said.
Tyler shoved past him, got in his car and slammed the door. Pussy. Seconds later, he took off, but I wasn’t paying attention to Tyler. I was watching the guy standing across from me.
He jerked his chin at me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
I collected my money from Z. Without bothering to count it, I stashed it in my back pocket and took one final look atKostabefore I returned to my car.
His eyes were on me as I pulled away. I didn’t need to look in my rearview mirror to confirm it. I just knew he was watching. My heart hammered against my ribs. From the adrenaline. From the race. From the run-in with Tyler. But mostly, from seeinghimagain.
* * *
Deacon
What the fuck was she thinking?I ran all ten fingers through my hair and let out a frustrated breath as I watched her taillights disappear into the night. If I had my badge, I’d shut down these races, but if I tried to do it now, it would raise suspicions. I couldn’t afford to do that, not with Eddie watching me. He had a gambling problem, among other things, so I wasn’t surprised to see him at an illegal street race. I was surprised to seeher, although I probably shouldn’t have been. She was a rebel and a lawbreaker. I’d figured that out the day I met her. Her father’s Porsche had been sporting stolen plates from North Carolina. When I had asked to see her license, she whipped out a fake one. A good fake. But still. Fake. I chuckled under my breath at the memory.
Eddie side-eyed me. “Chick’s smokin’ hot, ain’t she?”
She was fucking gorgeous. Reckless. Wild. Keira Shaughnessy was a perfect storm. I shrugged one shoulder, adopting a relaxed pose. The last thing I needed was for Eddie to get up in my business or catch on that I knew Keira. “She’s okay. Not my type.”
He raised his brows but refrained from commenting. I eyed the guys he was hanging out with as they called out to him. Thankfully, I didn’t recognize any of them. “Yo Eddie. We’re out of here. You coming?”
“You hanging out at the club tonight?” he asked me, ignoring the guys who were waiting for him.
“Just left.”
