Page 30 of Furious (The Six Six Six Rule #2)
But I don’t have any other choice. I can’t leave Dad’s old Ducati in the woods.
It would be just a matter of time before someone steals it or damages it.
Leaving it in the hangar under Cal’s watchful eyes isn’t a choice, either.
Not only because I don’t trust him not to tamper with it—and I don’t.
Mostly because I can’t be around him if I don’t want to be recognized.
It would be only a matter of time before I slipped and the whole ruse would be up.
I can’t watch over Chance and Lev if Cal knows I’m here. Besides, I missed riding and racing is the best way to do it. Nothing beats the sense of freedom when you’re on your bike going at two hundred miles per hour.
“Good luck, hottie. I hope you win.” Wren bats her eyelashes at me, playing her role of my “fake girlfriend” with a little too much dedication.
I shake my helmet clad head and smack her ass to get her to move away from the starting line.
When I asked for her help, she jumped at the opportunity.
I just passed my driving test, and Mom and Scott insisted that they’re going to buy me a car next week.
In the meantime, I was told I could use Mom’s car if I want to get around town without depending on my boyfriend, my stepbrothers or Heather for a ride.
That was kind of Mom, but her sedan wouldn’t be much help in carrying the Ducati to the race location.
I thought about riding it to the edge of town, but it was too risky. That area of Star Cove isn’t very populated, but it’s still within town limits, and that means there’s the very real risk of bumping into a police car.
The ideal solution would have been to call DJ, but he made it clear he couldn’t risk everything to help me race. So I called my best friend Wren, his sister, who was more than happy to come to Star Cove with her own truck to help me transport the bike to the old hangar.
I also needed Wren’s help to actually sign me up for the race.
I realized that I couldn’t keep sneaking into the starting line like I did last week.
It would only be a matter of time before someone would challenge me and find out who I am.
I’m under no illusion that sooner or later, I’ll have to come out of hiding, but I need to speak to Chance and Lev first. And before I do that, I want to find out the identity of Cal’s sponsors.
That’s why I asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend and sign me up resurrecting my old racing alter ego, JJ Smith.
To my relief, everything went without a hitch and Wren was able to pay the entry fee and sign me up without having to answer any questions.
It helps that Cal has put his brother in charge of keeping track of the bets and of racers’ registration.
To Dave, JJ Smith is just another name, but Cal might have asked questions if he remembered it from the race in Bridgeport.
I’m worried about Chance and Lev’s safety. I don’t trust my ex to play fair and being here gives me a front-row seat in case he does something wrong. But I would be lying if I said that it's the only reason why I’m racing.
Racing is in my blood. I was born to do it and I miss it. I know that if I had been a man, my dad would have taken me under his wing and I would be racing for his team right now. Motorcycle racing is still a predominantly male sport and Dad always considered my interest in it as a cute hobby.
I hope this changes soon. Women can be as fast, and even faster than men on two wheels. They just need the opportunity to prove it.
Angela steps in front of the starting line, just like she did last week.
“Racers, start your engines!” Last week she yelled it. This time she has a microphone. That isn’t the only sign that the race is getting bigger.
There are portable LED lights all over the makeshift track; tiki torches are scattered around the clearing that tonight holds twice the people who came to watch and place their bets last week.
The engine of my Ducati comes to life with its distinctive, throaty roar.
I throw a quick glance at either side of me.
There aren’t enough racers to require a pole position system yet, but that might come if Cal brings more bikes into the equation.
Right now, I have my ex-boyfriend on one side and Chance on the other.
“Ready on my three!” Angela announces, holding up the same neck scarf she had last week. “One, two, three!”
I shoot forward the second her scarf touches the asphalt of the old road. I don’t need to look around me to know that my reaction time was a fraction quicker than all my opponents.
Chance, however, has the most horse power in our lineup, and we’re nose to nose within seconds.
Lev and Cal are fighting each other for third place behind us as the road begins to narrow down.
We’re going so fast that we’re like one with our bikes. All our senses are primed for survival at two hundred miles per hour. The feel of the metal beneath us, the temperature of our bikes, the scent of gasoline in the air, the roaring sound of our engines are all that matters.
The speed is such that the scenery around us is nothing but a blur.
All I have eyes for is the road in front of me as I lean into the furious pace, letting my tires eat the road.
I spot the lights of the old gas station in the distance even before I see the LED signs ahead that mark the finish line.
Chance and I are still nose to nose, Lev is right behind me, a half length ahead of Cal.
Victory is in my grasp. I can almost taste it. I would want nothing more than to cross the finish line before anyone else, showing all these people what a girl can do.
But I don’t.
At the last second, I let Chance, Lev, and Cal pass me. Then ride past the finish line without stopping like they do. I ride past the gas station and around it, stopping at the back of it.
“Did you win?” Wren is waiting for me with her truck in the empty space behind the gas station’s shop.
The shop is closed at this time. The only thing that’s working is the two pumps at the front, but they’re unmanned.
“I came in fourth. Let’s go home, Wren. Mom and Scott should already be in bed, but it’s probably better if you drop me off on the road, right before our gate. I’ll walk the bike to the garage.”
She helps me load the Ducati in the back of her truck. “Are you sure? What if they’re up and they see you? Isn’t it better if I take it back to Shell Cove with me? I can come back with it next week.”
The offer is tempting, but I already feel bad about involving Wren tonight. I can’t risk her getting caught. She doesn’t have as much to lose as her brother, but she’s still breaking the law to help me.
“It’s a risk I’m gonna have to take, babe.” I say, climbing into the passenger seat. “If you got stopped with a motorcycle in the back of your truck, I would never be able to forgive myself. And DJ would kill me.”
“DJ is a fucking pussy.” Wren rolls her eyes. “I’m your ride or die and this is the most fun I’ve had since you got sent to boarding school, Zara.”
I love her loyalty, but I still feel bad. “You’re the best, but if they catch you, it isn’t just a fine. You’re going to get arrested.”
“At least that would be something interesting.” Wren snorts.
“I don’t expect you to understand, girl, but I peaked in high school.
Since I graduated, my life has had no direction and no excitement.
I’m working at a grocery store to save money to be able to afford some classes at Shell Cove Community College, for fuck’s sake.
DJ will hire me to do paperwork and book-keeping once his shop is up and running, but even like that, it will take years to get a degree.
If I don’t die of boredom first. Tonight is the most excitement I’ve had since we used to hang out together in Cal’s paddock at his team’s training track in Shell Cove. ”
I remember that. I used to hang out there to watch Cal and his team training. “I still don’t want you to get in trouble because of me, Wren.”
“Oh, come on,” she groans, pulling out of the gas station and onto the old coastal road that climbs all the way up Star Cove’s hills. “Who is going to help you take your bike to the race? I loved being JJ Smith’s girlfriend. I might have a crush on him.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I hadn’t thought as far as next week.
I need to find a good time to talk to Chance and Lev and tell them I know that Cal is blackmailing them into racing.
But I know that if I do, they won’t let me keep racing and I haven’t found out who’s behind Cal’s organization.
Besides, racing is too much fun, even if I can’t win. ”
“Why can’t you win?” Wren asks.
“It attracts too much attention. And if I win, I’ll have to collect the prize and if I have to speak, I’ll give away my identity.”
Wren slows down at the traffic lights before the intersection that leads to the base of the hill. “Let me keep helping you, babe. Together, we can figure this out. I’ll enroll you and then I’ll collect your winnings. You’re not asking me for a favor, I’m offering.”
“Ok, you can come to the race next week.” I sigh. “I’ll just keep my riding gear with me in case you have to meet me at the racetrack, so I’m gonna have time to change. Just be careful and don’t attract attention until you leave Star Cove’s city limits, ok?”
“You got it.” She says with an ear splitting grin. “I just have one question.”
She slows down a few hundred yards before the house.
“Shoot.” I say, getting ready to leave her truck.
“Why JJ Smith? Where did you get the name?”
I shrug, feeling a little ridiculous explaining it out loud. “Smith is Mom’s maiden name. And when I was younger, I followed Dad everywhere and wanted to be like him. Mom used to call me John Junior, when she still found it funny that I wanted to race motorcycles. So I shortened it to JJ.”
Wren smiles. “I like it. I always told you that if you had been a boy, I would have wanted to date you, right? I guess I at least get to date JJ.”
She’s such a goofball. “You’re the best fake girlfriend ever.” I tease.
“You can bet your ass I am. One day, I’ll make someone really happy. It’s just that I haven’t met the one yet.”
I pull her into a hug. “No one deserves it more than you, Wren.”
“Yeah, yeah. Not everyone is lucky enough to date her two hot stepbrothers and their equally hot best friend. Just saying.”
“Talking about Chance and Lev, I better hurry before they come home and catch us red-handed. I’d rather they found out from me that I’m JJ.”
She laughs. “Get out of my truck, then. And don’t get caught. Text me tomorrow, ok?”
The driveway and the house are dark and quiet when I sneak back inside. But it isn’t until I’m in the safety of my bedroom that I exhale the breath I’ve been holding all night long.