Page 50 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Izzy

I open my mouth to talk, but no words form.

I’m in shock. I’ve seen this guy, standing in front of me, in L.A.

I recognize him from college. Memories flood my mind of each time I’d see him around.

He’d be watching and waiting for me outside my dorm room, after classes, even when I went on a few dates.

He was always there. I brushed him off as someone who was harmless.

He never talked to me, he just sat in different spots on campus and I thought he was just another student. I don’t even know his name.

I take in his brown shaggy hair, blue eyes, and tall, skinny frame. He doesn’t have as much muscle as Xavier. He looks like he’s lost weight since the last time I saw him in L.A.

I was heading into my dorm and he was sitting on the bench just outside of the building. When I looked in his direction, he turned his head, like he wasn’t waiting for me or anything.

He approaches me and bends down so he is at eye level with me in the chair. “I guess you shouldn’t have dismissed me so easily, Izabella,” he says, running a finger down my cheek.

I yank my head away in disgust. A gut reaction to someone touching me I don’t want to touch me. It turns out to be a wrong move.

He narrows his eyes and pins me with a deadly glare.

I prepare myself for the worst. He throws his hand back and smacks the right side of my face with an open palm.

There’s a sting and then a burn on the side of my face as my head whips to the side.

When I move my head back, tears are forming in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

Fuck that hurt.

My eyes meet his as he closes them and takes a deep breath.

“I don’t want to hurt you Izabella,” he hisses.

His voice takes on a harder edge this time when he opens his eyes.

“Sometimes you piss me the fuck off though and need to be reminded that I’m in charge.

I will tell you what to do. Like letting that asshole touch you.

I thought I made myself clear to him, but he doesn’t fucking learn. Now you have to pay for his mistakes."

He stands up to his full height, towering over me, trying to intimidate me. My face still stings from his slap.

If I had my hands free, I’d nail him in the balls then kick him in his face. I’m so fucking pissed from his slap. My adrenaline kicks in and my fight or flight instincts are taking over. I need to find a way out of these ropes tying me to the chair.

I move my fingers back and forth, trying to loosen the knots, while I watch Marie and the guy walk into the kitchen arguing.

Marie is all hyped up, her crazy is really showing. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but it doesn’t sound like Marie’s happy. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself, but I really need to know how he knows me and why he is doing this.

I know why Marie is, but I don’t know why he is. I feel the rope loosen a little and stop when their argument suddenly stops and they both turn to me.

Marie looks furious and a little crazier than before if that’s even possible. She drags her eyes away from me and focuses on him.

“Craig, why don’t you tell her who you are? She isn’t going to live long enough. Might as well get the truth out.” Marie spits at him. Craig’s nostrils are flaring furiously at Marie.

“Oh, she’ll live. She will wish she was dead, but she’ll live.

She needs to pay for her sins." Craig stalks from the kitchen and stands in front of me. Marie’s standing behind me.

“Izabella, Izabella, Izabella,” he taunts.

His hands rub my calf muscles and vomit works its way up my throat.

He works his way up to my thighs and stops.

“I must confess,” Craig says. He takes one hand and touches my face again.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing myself to not flinch.

My head suddenly yanked back hard, hands are in my hair.

Tears spring to my eyes, it feels like some of my hair just ripped out from the roots.

I open my eyes and stare right into Marie’s cold, deadly eyes.

“Look at him when he’s talking to you bitch,” she sneers at me.

I nod my head the best I can and she lets go, pushing my head forward hard. I almost knock into Craig’s face, but Marie still has my hair and she pulls it hard before I make contact.

“Why are you doing this?" I ask Craig.

He stares off into space and the anticipation is driving me nuts.

“Craig,” I whisper, trying not to piss him off again. His eyes snap to mine and a smile forms on his face.

“Say it again,” he says and closes his eyes. I take a deep breath to stop myself from getting sick.

“Craig, why are you doing this?" I ask again.

Craig takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. The look he gives me turns my blood cold. His eyes are wild, and his breathing is shallow.

“I’ve been waiting two years for you to say my name.

To hear it roll off your tongue. I’ve been watching you, waiting for it to be my time.

I was sent out to L.A. to watch you as a debt being paid to Calabrese.

Marie wanted to know where you were at all times and what Marie wants her daddy gives her.

Then I’d see the way you’d look at me now and then and I knew, I just knew you wanted to be with me.

I knew you were too shy to approach me and confess your feelings for me.

I understand, I really do. My heart would beat hard in my chest and my hands would get all sweaty when you came near me. ”

My tired brain is working overtime at his confession.

He leans so close his rancid breath floats across my nose and I hold back a gag.

His eyes turn hard when he watches my reaction.

He flings his hand back, balling his fist, and hits me again on the left side of my face, almost knocking me over in the chair.

There’s another hard yank on my hair and I can’t stop the tears this time.

The sting from his fist takes me a few minutes to get my bearings back.

My left ear is ringing and my vision is blurry.

I shake my head to clear it, which causes me pain.

“Now, as I was saying Izabella,” he says softly.

“One of your friends went to visit her dad and told him about Marie’s indiscretions with your boyfriend.

She asked Calabrese to send me out there to watch over you and make sure you don’t come back.

Every Friday night I’d watch you from a distance on the beach, soaking in the last rays of the sun, letting the waves hit your feet.

It’s at that time I knew we were kindred spirits, destined to be together.

Calabrese made me come back and that’s when Marie came up with the plan to kill your dad.

Of course, I took the opportunity. When you came back here after I sabotaged your dad’s car, I was excited.

We would finally be together. I’d be the white knight coming to you in your time of need.

When I saw you with Xavier at the track, I lost it.

I knew there was one way to get you to be mine.

First, I called him and warned him. That didn’t work, so I paid both of you a visit. "

I’m so confused and it’s not from the blows I took to the head. It’s what Craig’s telling me. He’s just as psychotic as Marie. Why would she want me to stay away, then have Craig sabotage my dad’s car trying to kill him when they knew I’d come back? I need to ask him.

“If Marie wanted me to stay away, why would you try killing my dad? She must have known I’d come back if anything happened to him."

Marie pipes in, “I had him sabotage your dad’s car so I could get you here and kill you.

I wasn’t allowed to leave the state, but I knew I needed you here so I could get to Xavier.

He’s my lover and I’ve missed his touch and big dick for the last five years.

" She walks in front of me and squats down, so we’re eye level.

I pin her with a deadly glare. “He remembers everything from that night, Marie. He never touched you willingly. You drugged him.”

“Details.” She shrugs her shoulders. “That doesn’t matter, what we have is special and once you’re gone, he’ll be mine again. His heart will be so broken, that I’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”

My stomach turns, and bile rises into my throat, burning it. I swallow hard to keep it down. Marie wants me dead and Craig wants me for himself. I thought Mia has a crazy side. These two make her look like a saint.

I drag my eyes to Craig. “You’re the one who broke into my house?" I ask him. Craig nods his head, watching my reaction.

“Yes. When that asshole dropped you off, I knew I had to get you away from him. I didn’t count on him coming back there so quickly.

I wanted to make it look like someone broke into your house and it was a robbery gone wrong.

I figured I could get you to come with me, then you’d see we were perfect for each other.

When that didn’t work, I had to step up my game.

I smashed his car in and warned him to stay away from you.

That you were mine." Craig’s hard glare pins Marie to her spot.

“Marie was supposed to keep Xavier distracted while I took you away, but she didn’t hold up her end of the deal.

I would get you and she’d get him. It was a perfect plan. "

Marie finally breaks free from Craig’s glare and steps up right into his face, rage consuming her voice.

“I fucking tried asshole. Every time he wasn’t with her, he was with that dick or that fucking pig.

He was never alone. The dick knew who I was, and the pig would figure it out.

So don’t fucking tell me I didn’t hold up my fucking end.

You had the easy part but couldn’t hold up your fucking end.

You just had to get her and get out. That’s fucking it.

But you took your fucking time and it gave Xavier time to get back there. "

Marie’s eyes gloss over and she gets a crazy gleam in them. I work on the ropes again. If I can get them off, I can get my gun. I need to keep them fighting.

“Craig,” I yell. They stop arguing with each other and turn their attention my way.

“What?” he snaps. I stop working on the ropes and look him in the eyes.

“If you wanted me, why would you tamper with my car tonight and possibly kill me?" I ask him.

Craig glares at Marie. “I didn’t tamper with your car. I want you, not you dead. I was in police custody until a few hours ago.” His face turns a shade of red, and the vein in his forehead throbs as he starts putting the pieces together.

I try to keep my smirk hidden but fail miserably. I need to keep pushing the subject. He needs to direct his anger at Marie for a minute, so I can loosen the ropes more.

“Someone fucked with my car tonight. They loosened the lug nuts on my driver side tire. Do you know what that can do? Do you know if I was an inexperienced driver, I would have hit the wall and possibly died?"

“You fucked with her car!" He roars at Marie, and the vein in his neck starts throbbing.

Marie shies away, not the badass she portrays herself to be. “I just fucked with her paint job," Marie says in a small voice.

I stop what I’m doing and speak. “Oh, so you didn’t fuck with my lug nuts to make me lose control during my heat or feature and possibly crash and die?"

Marie’s eyes grow wide as she backs away from Craig. “No,” she whispers while shaking her head vigorously. She’s lying, and I know it.

“You’re a liar.” I spit out. The ropes are loose enough for me to slip my hand out and get my gun. She spins around and glares at me.

“This is all your fucking fault, you bitch. If you just stayed away, none of this would be happening." Marie screams.

“Do you hear yourself? You wanted me to stay away, then you wanted me to come back. Do you even know what you want Marie because you sure in the fuck are confusing me?” Marie calmly pulls her gun out of the back of her jeans and raises it. She points it at my head with steady hands.

“Before you kill me, Marie, let me make sure I have this straight." I turn my head to Craig standing in front of me. “Craig, you think we’re soul mates destined to be together. Is that right?"

“Yes, you and I belong together,” he grits out. His jaw is tight, murder is in his eyes at Marie pointing the gun at my head. I turn my head to Marie but stare at the barrel of the gun instead. I swallow hard.

“Marie, you want me dead so you can pick up the pieces of Xavier’s heart when he is crushed. All from an obsession, you’ve had for him for the last five years."

“Yes,” Marie answers.

“Got it. So, how can you two work together if Craig wants me alive and you want me dead?" I ask them both, waiting for an answer.

Marie clicks the safety off on the gun with a steady hand. Her mind is made up. She’s going to kill me. I turn my head back and squeeze my eyes shut.

“Bitch, I don’t give a fuck what he wants anymore. I’m the one with the gun and I’m in control. Say goodbye.” Her deadly voice penetrates my ears.

This is it, this is my final race. I’m crossing the finish line with the checkered flag waving, only this time I’m not winning. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, waiting for it to end.