Page 15 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Izzy

After visiting with my dad, my mind is a whirlwind of emotions.

I’m angry, sad, confused. You name it, I’m going through it.

He’s still in a coma and the doctors don’t know when he will come out of it.

The accident did damage to his brain and after they brought him out of the medically induced one, he didn’t wake up.

His brain waves are strong, his heart is strong, but his mind just doesn’t want to come back yet.

They moved him to his own private room and James was with him when we left.

Xavier pulls his Dodge Charger into the pits of the racetrack and my mind fills with memories of our past. I get out of Xavier’s car and the smell of the track invades my nose. I missed this part of my life while I was in L.A.

I walk the track and something awakens inside of me, settling in my bones. The dirt under my feet crunches its familiar tune, the sounds of race cars vibrate in my ears, and the smell of performance fuel invades my senses.

I remember racing this track, fighting for my title, and making a name for myself.

I remember the adrenaline flowing through my veins as I brought my car to top speed.

The thrill of drifting around each turn, knowing one false move, one slight break in concentration could spell disaster.

Xavier hasn’t left my side the whole time I walked the track.

We walk in comfortable silence in step with each other.

I reach turn four and look at the white wall.

There are blue and black marks on it from my dad’s car slamming into it.

Scorch marks from the fire lick one section of it and I run my hands along the spot.

I still haven’t seen my dad’s car yet and if this indicates what it looks like, my dad was lucky it didn’t kill him.

Xavier walks up behind me, my senses tingle from the nearness of his body, as his arms come around my waist.

“I felt so helpless as I watched Austin hit the wall. I was the first one over here,” Xavier whispers.

He swallows hard and I turn in his arms. Pain and anger flashes across his face. I rest my hand over his heart where the tattoo is.

“X, you did all you could. Don’t blame yourself,” I tell him.

He releases a shaky breath his sapphire eyes hold so many raw emotions.

“I know, but I still wish there was something more I could do. I wish I had seen this coming and stopped it.” He closes his eyes from the onslaught of memories.

He opens them back up and I can see the pain cross his face.

“When I reached the car, Austin grabbed my hand. He mumbled something before he passed out and I couldn’t make out what he was trying to say.

I saw the fire start in the back, so I ran to get the extinguisher.

The EMT and fire rescue made it over, got him out of the car, and loaded him onto the stretcher by the time the fire was out.

I never felt so helpless in my entire life, B.

" Tears are in his eyes and I wiped one away with my thumb. My dad’s accident is affecting him.

“We will figure this out, Xavier,” I whisper.

He kisses me gently and a throat clears behind us, interrupting our kiss. I jump at the sound and turn to see a man in a navy blue uniform standing behind us. Before I can get a good look, Xavier turns around, shielding me. His body is tense and stiff under my hands.

“Miss. Jones?" The man asks, looking around Xavier. I step out from behind him.

“Yes."

“I’m Officer Iverson. I’m sorry I didn't answer when you called. I’ve been busy with the forensic team investigating the crash." His deep southern accent sounds sincere.

I take in Officer Iverson’s features. He’s tall and muscular, his blonde hair is short in a military high and tight and his light brown eyes look me over. He crosses his arms over his chest making his muscles bulge under his uniform, his feet are shoulder-width apart.

“I have some questions for you if you don’t mind.” He looks at Xavier dismissing him.

Xavier lets out a snort. “I’m not going anywhere."

“This doesn’t concern you.” Officer Iverson shoots back.

“Actually, it does,” Xavier says, his voice low and deadly. I know it’s time to step in.

“Anything you have to say or ask, you can do it with both of us,” I tell Officer Iverson.

He looks pissed off. “Very well. Miss. Jones, when was the last time you saw your dad, Austin?”

“He flew out to Cali last month to visit me for a few days," I answer.

“Did he seem agitated or frustrated during your visit?" Officer Iverson asks. I shake my head.

“No. Everything was fine. He had a lot of phone calls but that isn't anything new. He is a busy man with sponsors trying to get him to race for them.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary? No one threatening him? He didn't talk about anyone new in his life?”

“No, nothing. What the hell is going on?” I ask.

Officer Iverson hesitates to answer my question and my short temper is flaring.

“What the fuck are you trying to get at, Officer ?" I glare at him. Xavier can sense my anger and he holds me against him, trying to calm me down. He turns to Iverson.

Xavier’s voice is low and deadly when he addresses Officer Iverson.

“I suggest you tell us what's going on quickly.

You're acting like she doesn't know her dad. I can tell you personally they talked and video-chatted every fucking day since she left. She knows her dad. I have been with him almost every time they talked. We were all close, so spit it the fuck out.”

Officer Iverson raises an eyebrow at Xavier and I know what's coming next. I raise my hands in front of me to stop this cop from saying anything about our past.

“Before you even think about it,” I fume at Iverson, “Xavier has nothing to do with this. We grew up together, he looks up to my dad and he would never hurt him."

Xavier's face turns hard as he stares at Iverson. His gaze turns into a deadly glare. I have to diffuse this before Xavier does something stupid and winds up in jail. I turn, facing Xavier and gently touch his face, bringing his eyes to meet mine.

“Xavier,” I breathe, “Let it go. If he can't help us, we will figure out who tried to kill my dad on our own."

His eyes search mine and his body relaxes. The deadly glare he gave Officer Iverson disappears and he gets what I’m trying to say to him, without actually saying it. He would not hurt my dad.

“Yeah, I agree,” Xavier glares one last time at Iverson. “Try looking somewhere else. Neither I nor my family would do something like this."

“I figured you wouldn't, but I still have to ask. It's part of my job.”

He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a card. He scribbles on the back of it and hands it to me. “If you think of anything, anything at all, my personal cell number is on the back." I take the card and look it over.

“Thanks.” I dismiss him.

Officer Iverson turns and walks away. I look up at Xavier and his jaw is tense again. I can see a vein in his neck throb from grinding his teeth together.

“I don't like that prick,” Xavier spits out.

“He’s just trying to do his job." I respond tugging on Xavier's hand, “C'mon I want to do something. Is your car still here?"

Confusion crosses Xavier’s face as he slowly answers me, “Yeah, why?"

“Where is it?" I ask.

“Where I always park it." A smile spreads across my face and I take off running toward his race car. Xavier is right behind me as we reach it.

I run my fingers down the metallic green paint job. The racing logo I designed for him while we were together, etched across the hood and doors. It’s a red flame with a black outline surrounded by white heat. Sweeney Racing, written in gold with old English writing inside the flame.

I designed this one specifically for Xavier.

When we are together, we explode in a heat of passion and the flame represents how he makes my heart and body feel, like it’s on fire, burning up. The white around it is the innocence of our love for each other. I turn to see Xavier watching me with hooded eyes.

“You kept this?" I asked him.

“Yeah, I did. It was something I was never going to let go of. I didn’t fight for you. l let you leave without a fight, and this is the only way I could be close to you."

I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his neck. I pull his head down to mine and kiss him with such passion, like the flame in my drawing, my body on fire. I break the kiss, breathing heavily.

“I love you, X,” I whisper, my breath fanning across his lips. Xavier stares into my eyes.

“I love you, B,” he whispers back.

“Now the reason I wanted to come over here. I need a helmet,” I state.

There’s a glint in Xavier’s eyes as he walks over and unlocks the side box of his trailer. He bends down and pulls a black bag out of it. He walks over to me and hands me the bag. I open it and gasp in surprise, my eyes flying to his.

“My helmet! Oh my god. You kept this?" I run my hands over the smooth green paint. Tears come to my eyes as memories come flooding back.