Page 69 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Nolan

It's been two months since I've officially been initiated into the Corridore Rosso gang.

I've had to do some shady shit to be wearing this red bandana, but the power that comes with it is like nothing I've ever experienced.

I'm hooked, and I can't let go. The demon I've fought with every day is slowly taking over and he wants blood.

Switch and I are walking down the street, towards a bar called "The Rosso.

" It's where my mother has been bar tending and working under Switch's father Marcus Angelo.

She doesn't care that I've been involved with these guys if I keep providing her money for her drugs.

It's a warm spring day, but the light breeze blowing off Hudson Bay sends a shiver down my spine.

Switch opens the heavy wooden door to the bar and it takes my eyes a second to adjust to the dim lighting inside.

My mother is standing behind the bar, wearing a pair of short shorts and a black tank top that hangs off her slim frame.

She's looking worse each time I see her.

Her stringy brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail and her cheeks are sunken in.

She's serving Marcus a beer, who's sitting at the end of the bar and he looks up when we come inside.

He nods his head at Switch and they go into the back room of the bar, out of sight. I take a seat at one of the scared round tables, near the door. My mother comes over and sets a Coke down in front of me.

"Looks like you can use this," she says and walks away.

I take a long pull, the cold liquid burning its way down my throat, looking around the bar.

Shit, she's mixed some Jack in this Coke.

There are just a few people in here watching me out of the corner of their eyes.

They won't look at me directly, which is fine with me.

Suppressing a cough from the strong mixture, I keep one eye on the door and stay aware of my surroundings.

Leaving the drink my mother brought me alone, I play with the straw, waiting for Switch and Marcus to appear from the backroom.

They do most of their business back there.

We just got done collecting money from our dealers and walked out with over fifty grand in cash.

I had to use my fists only once when the asshole thought he could short change us.

He'll be eating from a straw for a little while.

I flex my hands and stare at the scars created by beating the shit out of people. Is this what my life has come to?

Switch appears from the backroom. He has a pissed off expression on his face and I immediately stand up. My head is spinning and my stomach is woozy from the drink. I never drink and my mother knows this. I need to keep my wits about me around these guys.

"Let's go now," Switch barks at me. Fuck, he's pissed about something.

We walk out of the bar and into the sunlight. The brightness is overwhelming, and I shield my eyes until they can adjust, stumbling a little on the cracked sidewalk.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" Switch growls.

"Nothing. What's going on?" I answer.

"Bullshit. Don't fucking lie to me, Nolan. You can't walk a straight line."

"My mother served me a drink. Fucking shit, I don't drink. I'll be fine in a minute." I stumble again as we walk down the sidewalk.

"How many times do I have to tell you, don't take things from that woman?

She's fucked up your ability to do your fucking job and we have another one.

" He stops right in front of me and I almost slam into him.

"Don't fuck this one up. Marcus needs this money and if you fuck it up, you'll be sorry.

" The deadly look in his black eyes sobers me up immediately.

"Got it. I won't fuck it up." I answer, keeping my eyes locked on his. He must be satisfied with what he sees because he turns and walks away. I scramble to keep up. "What's the job?"

"You're going to go and collect twenty grand from this junkie named Tony. He's owed Marcus for a long time and we finally found out where he's been hiding. You do this job and I'll take you back to The Circle. You fuck it up, and you'll face me."

A shudder runs through my body at his parting words.

My back is still healing from the last time I had to face him.

I had a simple job to boost cars, but the cops were there and I had to abandon them.

I didn't walk for a few days after Switch gave me a beatdown of my life.

One I never want to experience again. The bruises and wounds are still evident on my back.

"C'mon, we have a small window to deal with this asshole," Switch says, jogging across the street.

Taxi horns are blaring at his disregard for the walking signal.

I quickly follow and a grey sports car almost hits me.

The man driving it blares his horn and slams on his brakes.

I pound my fist on the hood of his car, causing a dent.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The man says, climbing out of his car.

"Someone you don't want to fuck with," I growl, glaring at him.

My body is shaking with rage. After a cold, hard, savage stare down with this guy, he finally gets back into his car.

I'm still standing in front of him as he revs the engine.

The demon inside wants to come out and play and a smirk crosses my lips.

This motherfucker thinks he's a badass behind the wheel of his shiny car, but I will teach him a lesson.

I keep my hands spread out on the hood and lean forward, not breaking eye contact.

I watch his juggler move up and down at a frantic pace, sweat beads on his brow and his breathing turns erratic.

Switch grabs me by the arm and my head whips to the side. He holds his hand up in surrender when he sees how far gone I am. I've lost all control to the evil living inside of me right now.

"C'mon man, save it for Tony," Switch says. I cock my head to the side, watching and waiting. A smirk still on my lips. "Let's go. He's not worth it. Let's go get our money. Keep him out to play, but let's do this job."

"I'll do this job, but I want in The Circle tonight.

" My voice is low and deadly. Switch backs away from me slowly, his hands are still up in surrender. I follow, watching and waiting. I’m the predator, stalking towards my prey with black hair and black eyes.

Everything he's done to me in the past few months is in the front of my mind and I want nothing more than to shed his blood with my fists.

My body vibrates with tension as Switch guides me to the sidewalk.

"You got it. Circle, tonight. You need to get in there and I have the perfect fighter." Switch agrees.

"Set it up, now," I demand through gritted teeth.

My eyes follow his movements, my body still vibrating with rage.

I could easily end him right here, right now and I'd finally be free of him, but I can't. If I do, Marcus will kill my mother.

He's already warned me if I do anything, she's dead.

She might not give a fuck about me, but she is my mom and I have to get her out and far away first before I make my move.

He slowly pulls his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and sends a text.

He looks up at me and nods his head when his phone chirps in his hand.

"There, done. Now can we go?" He asks and shows me his message.

The demon is satisfied for now and I'm able to pull him back and take control again.

I hate it when that happens. I hate losing all control.

I need to figure out a way to channel it and use it to my advantage.

The more I fight it, the more I lose control.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and release it.

"Let's go," I agree.

We walk down the sidewalk in hurried strides and jog down into the subway station.

A train is barreling through causing the wind to ruffle my hair.

It screeches to a stop and we get on, taking a seat in the hard, plastic chairs.

The locals give us a wide berth and keep their eyes down as the train shoots off into the darkness.

Leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees, I flex and unflex my fists, waiting impatiently for our stop.

I can't fuck this job up. I need to get into The Circle tonight to keep the blood lust thrumming through my veins in check.

"We're here," Switch says, snapping me out of my mind.

We get off the train and make our way up the stairs, into the bright sunlight.

The anger and rage are back, thrumming through my veins, watching Switch.

I need to do something, anything to get away from him.

The longer I'm in his clutches, the worse the evil wants to take over.

Walking up to a rundown house on the outskirts of the city, Switch glances back at me.

"Ready?" he asks.

"Ready," I respond.

He jumps up onto the rickety old porch and kicks the door in.

It swings wide and bounces off the wall, making the man inside jump up off the couch.

He's about six-foot-tall with dirty blonde hair that hasn't seen a shower in a few weeks.

His clothes are dirty and falling off his skinny frame.

His dull green eyes are wide with shock when we come barreling in.

Switch narrows his eyes on the guy and approaches him quickly.

"Where's my money?" he asks.

"What money?" The junkie's playing dumb. His eyes dart to the kitchen.

"The fifty g's you owe me, Tony. I suggest you pay up now or my man here will have some fun."