There was no denying that Logan had been foolish to ever hang out with Cole. Maybe it was a case of Logan’s street smarts being found lacking for once. Or perhaps it was just Logan’s open-hearted nature that allowed a conniving snake like Cole into his life.
But there was no changing the past now.
The only thing that Logan could do was to attempt to control the future. And this was going to have to include taking part in the drag race that Cole was so insistent on Logan losing.
Logan hated having to involve himself with Cole for a single second longer than he had to, but Logan felt like he had no choice in the matter.
Such was his strength of feeling of wanting to do this all alone, Logan had even kept both Leo and Eddie out of proceedings as much as possible. Logan knew that either one of them would have let him crash at their place, but he felt determined to keep his friends totally disconnected from it all.
After all, if Cole was willing to implicate Stella, then there was nothing to say that he wouldn’t try to do the same with Leo and Eddie.
That said, both Leo and Eddie were keen to offer their moral support as and where they could…
Logan, remember – you can call on me any time day or night. You know I’m always up late anyway, so don’t worry. I’m here for you bro, and I know Eddie is too. Anything you need, just ask. We’ve got your back, brother. Leo.
Seconded. This Cole asshole has messed with the wrong guy, it’s only a matter of time before he realizes that. But just promise us you’ll think before you take any drastic steps. You’ve got a good life with Stella, you need to think of that. Love you, bro. Be safe. Eddie.
Logan smiled and sent a big heart emoji in response. Logan didn’t feel like getting into a long conversation, butappreciated his friends so much. Having both Eddie and Leo back in his life was a good feeling, and Logan hoped that once this situation was all over with, he would be able to get back on track with seeing his friends regularly.
Of course, the same feeling applied to Stella too. Logan only hoped that Stella would understand why he had to go into dark mode to sort through the problem. The truth was that Logan had never fully explained how he lost his brother, Jackson.
Logan had always planned on telling Stella the full story, but somehow he was never able to push through the pain of dredging up all of his old memories. In that moment, Logan decided that once this was all over, he would find Stella and tell her exactly what happened to Jackson.
In the meantime, the symbolism of the drag race wasn’t lost on Logan.
When Logan’s older brother had died in a fatal road accident, it wasn’t simply a case of one driver being distracted, or even a DUI. No, Jackson had been racing. It wasn’t an official, organized street drag race like Logan took part in. It was a far looser event, the type of race that gave the drag racing community a bad name.
For Jackson to die in this way was a tragedy, and it pained Logan to think about it even now. Worse, Logan had always lived with a sense of guilt that he had got into drag racing too. Fortunately for Logan, his skill had led him into the far more organized and relatively safer high-end street racing scene.
For Logan to enter into a drag race as a result of being blackmailed left a sour taste in his mouth. Jackson loved thethrill, the speed, and the sensation of true competition. The same was all true for Logan.
So for Logan to have to enter a race under duress, and then lose on purpose on top of that… it felt heartbreakingly awful.
Logan was truly conflicted.
There has to be another way.
But Cole has me where he wants me.
I just can’t see a way out…
The cacophony of engines revving and sound systems blaring brought the adrenalin up several notches for Logan.
It was late in the evening, and the only light came from the streetlights that flickered down the long strip of road where the race would take place.
It was race time.
But before the event could get under way, Logan was eyeing up his muscle car. Cole had apparently sent it for a full repair, although the paint job was clearly rushed and looked nothing like the pristine standard that Logan was used to.
Logan was in no position to complain though. He was at the race to do as he was told and get the whole sorry experience all over with. The fact that his beloved car looked under par shouldn’t have mattered.
Except, of course, it did…
‘Urgh. This fucking sucks,’ Logan muttered as he took a final walk-around his car, checking the tires and looking for any signs of poor bodywork.
‘Sorry man, I know this is tough,’ Mario said, a look of sympathy on his face. ‘Cole has come onto the scene and really screwed things up for a lot of people. I’m sorry he got to you too.’
Logan nodded. He didn’t want to talk about Cole, preferring to keep his mind as clear as he could ahead of the race. Mario was a good guy, the type of wholesome racer dude who loved nothing more than fast cars, cold beers, and girls who could take a spanking like a champ.
