Page 103 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

The second guy brings up his rifle and points it at the first guy, “Then say goodbye you little fuckhead. Wrath and Switch don’t want someone in their gang that won’t kill for them.

” Not even hesitating, I sneak up behind the second guy and snap his neck before he even realizes what’s going on.

He collapses to the ground with a thud. I leer at the first guy who holds his hands up in the air, shaking so hard, his teeth are chattering.

“Don’t…,” he stutters. “Please don’t hurt me. I never wanted to be here, but they made me,” he pleads.

I approach him silently and watch his eyes widen with fear. He’s just a kid, can’t be any older than sixteen. Tilting my head to the side, I assess his stance. He’s shaking, scared out of his mind. In that split second, I let him go.

“Stay still and don’t move,” my voice is low and deadly as I remove his AK 47 and pat him down, finding no other weapons. “Marks, one friendly coming out. He’s wearing a green hoodie and blue jeans. No weapons on him.”

“Copy that. Send him out the back. Ramirez is waiting,” Marks responds. I grab the kid by the hoodie and make him walk in front of me toward the kitchen. Ashton steps out of the shadows, making the kid jump and shake even more.

“I got him,” Ashton says and moves the kid through the kitchen and out of sight.

Ashley moves next to me and squeezes my arm before we go into the next room.

There’s a set of stairs to the left and the dining room directly in front of us.

We do a quick sweep of the dining room and come up empty-handed.

Quietly making our way up the stairs, I’m in the lead and Ashley is right behind me, hanging onto my belt with one hand and her nine mil in the other.

We keep our backs against the wall until we round the corner at the top of the stairs.

Three closed doors line the left side of the hallway and I open the first door.

The room is empty except for a twin-size bed and a dresser.

We move onto the next two rooms and find the same thing, empty.

“Where the fuck are they?” I question, pacing the hallway. “Marks, Harris, Ramirez, did they sneak past us and get away?”

“Negative boss. No one’s come out,” Harris responds.

Replaying the layout of the house in my head, I flash through the images.

There’s two stories, lights on in every room except the basement and the attic.

There is no door to the attic here. Shining my light above my head I see a pull cord by the stairs.

They wouldn’t be stupid enough to go up there, would they?

A thump above my head has me moving fast toward the pull cord.

I yank it down and a ladder falls with it.

Climbing up quickly, I keep my head low and aim my gun and the beam of my flashlight into the small space.

Hearing a whimper from the corner of the attic, I climb up the rest of the way and shine the beam around, landing on a little boy huddled in the corner.

He’s shaking, scared out of his mind. Ashley walks past me quickly and reaches the little boy first while I’m paralyzed to my spot on the floor.

I can’t make one foot move in front of the other.

She’s whispering to the little boy and soothing him.

I didn’t believe it until now. I thought it was a ploy from Wrath until he peers up at me with matching brown eyes and shaggy brown hair.

His clothes and face are filthy, and he’s frightened.

“I got him,” Ashton says from behind me. He picks the little boy up and takes him quickly down the stairs. Still glued to my spot, Ashley approaches me.

“He looks just like you,” she confirms. “He told me they had him up here for a few days and he thinks they might be in the basement. He said they sometimes take him down there when they want to teach him a lesson in being a good boy.” There’s a hitch in her voice.

I finally drag my eyes from the corner he was huddled in, to Ashley.

She’s furious with a glint in her eyes. “Let’s finish this. ”

We quickly make our way down the stairs and into the living room.

Neither of us says a word when we cross the kitchen toward the basement door.

It’s heavy with several locks unlocked. I open the door and it creaks on the hinges.

Shining my flashlight down the wooden stairs, we make our way down together.

Memories flash through my mind when we reach the bottom.

The pain and torture they inflicted upon me a few days ago in this very spot.

This is where they took me and tried to beat me into submission.

I can sense the evil lurking under my skin, ready to take over and turn savage.

Metal beams and chains shine on my flashlight.

“Well, well, well. You finally decided to join us,” Wrath sneers from the shadows in the dark corner. I shine my flashlight on her face. The face of a woman I thought I once loved stares back at me with big hazel eyes and her blonde hair is up in a ponytail. “Where’s the little bitch?”

“Right here,” Ashley says and steps out behind me. “This is going to be fun taking you down.” She cracks her neck on her shoulders, stepping closer to Wrath.

“Not as much fun as what I’m going to have with you, once I kill him,” Switch responds from another corner.

He steps out of the shadows and has a gun pointed right at my chest. Fury pumps through my veins and the treacherous side I’ve kept restrained is thrashing against my chest trying to take over. An evil sneer crosses my lips.

“What’s the matter Switch? Can’t take me on one on one? Are you that much of a pussy?” I provoke.

His eyes narrow and he sets his gun down next to Wrath.

“Oh, let’s do this fucker. I’ve wanted you dead for a long time.

” He removes his shirt and his dark skin shines in my flashlight.

He has his hands taped and his eyes appraise Ashley.

That makes my blood boil. That’s my woman he’s looking at.

“She looks even hotter in person, I’ll find out if she’s just as hot with me pounding between her legs, making her scream my name. ”

“You will never touch me,” Ashley counters next to me.

There’s no sign of fear in her voice or on her face.

She’s channeling her own fury and neither of these two knows who they’re up against. She shifts her attention from Switch to Wrath, who’s grinding her teeth and has fire in her eyes.

“What’s the matter, Wrath? Are you pissed he wants me and not you anymore? ” Ashley taunts her.

“Slut!” Wrath screams and charges full speed. Ashley sidesteps her advance and swings her fist to the back of Wrath’s head, sending her into the corner of the basement.

I turn my attention back to Switch who’s inching toward his gun. “Bad idea,” I growl and charge him. He spins at the last second and elbows me between the shoulder blades. That pisses me off and the devil shatters free from the chains I have him bound in.

With a sneer on my lips and fire racing through my veins, I attack again.

I swing my fist and connect with the side of his face.

Bones crunch under my knuckles and the sound is like music to my ears.

Switch’s eyes widen in surprise when he gains his bearing and looks at my expression.

My muscles are bulging when I swing again, this time connecting with his nose.

Blood flies everywhere and I keep attacking.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, I continue to strike Switch, until he’s a bloody heap on the floor, not moving.

Straddling his limp body, I lean down so we’re face to face, my breathing erratic, sweat dripping down my face and my adrenaline surging forth pushing me further.

“This is for everything you’ve ever put me through,” I sneer and grab Switch's head with my hands. He locks eyes with me and all the fight has left them. “This is for Izzy and Xavier,” I twist his head in my hands and hear a crack. He turns limp under me and I stand up from his lifeless body. Remorse fills me, but I push it away. I’ll deal with it later.

I hear a grunt from the corner of the basement and I turn to see Ashley has Wrath in a scissor hold, squeezing Wrath’s neck with her thighs.

She’s slapping and clawing at Ashley’s legs, but Ashley isn’t letting go.

Wrath’s face is turning blue and her hazel eyes plead for me to help.

Years ago, I would have helped her, but after what she did and the scars she created, I nod to Ashley and she drains the life from Wrath’s body.

Breathing hard, Ashley shoves Wrath’s body off her and stands up on shaky legs.

“Are you ok?” Ashley asks with a tremble in her voice.

“Yes, we need to find Marcus,” I respond, I know I need to go to her, but I can’t right now.

I’m not in control and I’m afraid if I do, I’ll hurt her.

I look around the basement, the chains clink together above my head and I remember everything they did.

Soft hands are upon my back, soothing me.

I turn around and Ashley’s honey eyes are locked on me, watching and waiting.

Taking a deep breath, I pull her into my arms and my lips descend upon hers, taking everything she’s offering.

She opens her lips, welcoming my probing tongue.

“Boss, you down here?” Footsteps pound down the wooden stairs, but I keep my lips locked onto Ashley, shutting out all sound. It’s just the two of us and she’s grounding me in this world, not letting me fall. I pull away from our kiss and bury my nose in her hair, breathing hard and hold her.

“Thank you,” I whisper in her hair. Her fingernails brush my neck and send a shiver down my spine.

“Anytime,” she whispers back.

“Boss, we have an issue,” Harris says from the bottom of the stairs.

“What is it?”

“Marcus and Shaun aren’t here. We’ve searched this whole house, and they are nowhere to be found.”

“Call Ace to see if he knows where they are. Maybe he found them already.”

Ashley runs her fingers down my face, wiping away some of the blood from Switch. “How are you holding up?”

Looking around the basement, I can finally take it all in without revenge and pain. “It’s going to take a while to reach the right mindset and put the past in the past, but as long as you’re with me, I will be all right.”

“Always, Nolan. I will always be wherever you are.” A smile graces her lips.

Even while taking lives tonight, she’s smiling at me, lighting up my entire world.

I hold her soft body against mine and everything clicks into place.

All the pain and torture I endured in my life, my mother leaving me to these animals, my father’s hard fists, Switch’s mental pain, Wrath’s ability to twist my mind, it all disappears, and a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. They can’t hurt me anymore.

“Let’s go home,” Ashley states.

“That’s the best plan I’ve heard. Harris, can you guys clean up down here?”

“You got it, Boss.”

Ashley walks up the wooden stairs first and I follow behind, not letting go of her hand.

At the top of the stairs, I turn around, looking into the dank basement.

I push every painful memory away. Every scream, every taunt, every slash, and blood spilled stays down in that basement and will never affect my state of mind again.

When one door closes, another one opens and when we go outside into the sun kissing the horizon, I see the other door opening. He’s laying his head against Ashton’s chest, sleeping. As I stare into his peaceful, chubby face, all of my sins wash away bringing on a new chapter in our lives.