Page 78 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Nolan

I’ve lost all control. I can’t move, I can’t speak, I can barely breathe while the evil lurking inside is pounding away at my body, demanding to break free when Ashley grabs my phone.

I try to stop her from seeing what Switch sent, but I can’t.

I can’t do a fucking thing when I’m subdued in this catatonic state.

I watch her face the moment her world turns upside down, powerless to stop it.

Her eyes connect with mine and the concern for me overshadows the fear etched into her beautiful features.

Her brother, the one that went missing for years, was the one who took Redline. He did it so fast and in the shadows that if we didn’t run these programs, we would have missed everything. He wasn’t alone.

Ashton replays the video and we wait anxiously.

The hands that pushed me belonged to a woman dressed in a ball cap, black hoodie, and black jeans.

Pieces of blonde hair are falling out of the ball cap and she turns her face toward the cameras on purpose.

Bruises and blood mark her face, a face I’ve known for years.

She mouths something toward the camera, and bolts out of the tunnel right behind Austin, dragging Redline away.

“Replay the last scene,” Ashley growls.

Ashton quickly backs up the video feed and hits play.

We watch her push me from behind and turn towards the camera.

In the background, I see myself slipping from Ashley’s hold and Ashton yanking me back as we tumble into Ashley.

My heart is beating hard against my chest and my fist my hands at my sides.

My ears are ringing from the rage brewing below the surface.

Gentle hands are caressing my shoulders, helping me subdue the demon ready to break free and wreak havoc on anyone crossing my path.

“There,” Ashley sobs, pointing at the screen. “Right there. Look at her face and hands. She’s cuffed and beaten. Oh my God, no! What have they done to you, Izzy?”

Ashley’s tears tumble down her cheeks and sobs quietly while comforting me.

She’s close to losing it. I close my eyes and try to channel all the rage and hate back inside.

I’m not ready to unleash just yet. I need to control this before I can do anything else. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

“Ash,” I whisper. She shifts her eyes toward me, they’re swollen with tears.

“We’ll get them back. She didn’t have a choice, we can see that.

Let’s focus on what we can do and not what has already happened.

You’re exhausted, I’m emotionally drained and Rush will be here in a couple of hours.

Let’s try to get some sleep and start fresh when he gets here.

Ashton, call Christian and tell him to stay with Mia tonight.

If we put off him coming over, we can keep him out of this. ”

“On it,” Ashton responds pulling out his phone.

I take Ashley’s hand and tug her toward the bedroom, “Come on, let’s reset and rest.” She follows, her feet barely keeping up with my slow pace. She enters the room in front of me, her shoulders are shaking and she’s trying to hold in her sobs.

I close the door and approach her from behind.

She’s standing in the center of the room, trying to compose herself.

I rub her back in a soothing motion. Kissing the side of Ashley’s neck, I raise her hoodie and shirt over her head and toss them on the ground.

Her warm, delicate skin is trembling under my hands.

I remove my shirt, so we’re skin against skin.

The contact soothes her inner turmoil and we stand here for several minutes, not moving, not saying a word.

I’m holding her together and she’s keeping me sane.

We’re made for each other, one’s yin to the other’s yang, and the more we suffer these heartbreaking moments, the more I realize we need each other.

Splaying my hands across her stomach, I lean down and nuzzle the side of Ashley’s neck, inhaling her strawberry essence. Her quiet sobs have subsided for now and I know it’s because of my touch.

“Let’s get some sleep and figure out where to go from here in the morning. They’re making her do their bidding. That alone tells me Switch is scared.”

She shifts in my arms and rests her head on my chest. “Why would Austin be involved?” Her voice is muffled and vibrating against my heart.

“That’s what we’ll find out in the morning,” I answer. I pull Ashley’s head from my chest and gently kiss her on her lips. Forehead against forehead I whisper, “We will figure this out. Remember it’s what I do.” She gives me a small smile and nods her head at my famous line.

“I know, and I trust you, Nolan, impeccably.” Tears spring to her eyes again and she wipes them away.

We remove the rest of our clothes and lay down on the bed.

Ashley snuggles against my chest. Her breathing evens out in just a matter of moments, she’s sound asleep. I close my eyes and follow along.

There’s a faint rumble coming through the walls of the bedroom that startle me awake.

I listen and hear it again, followed by hushed whispers and a male voice.

My muscles tense and I’m on high alert. Someone’s in the apartment, sneaking around.

I slowly remove Ashley from my chest and quietly get up from the bed.

The mattress creaks under my weight and I freeze.

Listening intently, whoever is in the other room stops moving, I can hear heavy breathing right outside the bedroom door.

I quickly stand up, grab my nine-millimeter off the nightstand, and tiptoe to the door.

With my hand on the knob, I take a deep breath and throw the door open, holding my gun up, eye level with the intruder.

My finger ready to squeeze the hairpin trigger.

“Holy shit fucker! Put that thing away,” Rush responds, holding his hands up in the air. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see his face.

“Rush, I almost killed you. Why are you sneaking around?” I ask. Ashley stirs on the bed behind me. I lower my nine-mil and step out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

“I was going to take a shower and shit before you guys got up. Ashton told me it was fine if I didn’t wake you up.

My plane landed about forty-five minutes ago and I came straight here.

” His black eyes meet mine. He’s just as worried as I am with all the bullshit going around. “How’s she doing?” he asks.

“She’s OK. It was pretty rough on her watching Izzy on the cameras, but she’ll be fine once we get into action. I’m setting up a fight tonight in The Circle and need you there for support. It’s good to see you again, fucker.”

“It’s good to see you too. L.A. hasn’t been the same without you there.

” He slaps me on the back and walks past. “I’m getting in the shower, we’ll discuss what’s going down tonight after I get out.

” I grin, and relief flows through my body.

We have another ally with us, ready to fight and take Switch down.

Opening the bedroom door, I walk to the bed and kneel, gently shaking Ashley awake.

She stirs under my hands, not opening her eyes.

She’s awake, but she doesn’t want to get up yet.

I know how to fix this. Something we both need after last night.

I lean down and nibble on the side of her neck, my hands tracing down her chest and cupping her full breast. She arches her back under my touch and releases a moan that has my body responding. Need roaring through my veins.

I carefully climb onto the bed and pin her down with my body, my dick responding as she widens her legs and makes room for my bulky frame.

Her eyes are still closed, but she’s smiling.

I kiss a path from the bottom of her ear, down her neck, and toward her breast. She groans and lifts her hips, her fingernails digging into my back pulling me closer.

“I need this,” she pants. Sitting up I remove my boxers and strip her panties down her slender, sun-kissed legs. “Come here,” she groans out.

I kiss my way up her body. Ashley grabs my face and kisses me hard.

Our tongues tangle together in a song and dance tempo, I’m seeking and she’s offering.

Slowly I inch inside her and a gasp rips from her throat.

Our bodies are bonded together as one. One love, one beat, one soul.

She’s panting against my lips, arching her back.

Rolling over I pull her with me so she’s straddling me. “Ride me,” I grunt. Ashley sits up, and it’s the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen. Sweat is beading on her forehead as she rocks her hips back and forth. Fire races through my spine while she rocks faster and faster, chasing her own release.

“Shit, I’m going to come,” I groan. She moves faster, a whimper escaping her throat.

My fingers dig into her hips and I can’t hold back any longer.

My name rips from Ashley’s throat as she finds her release, panting hard.

I follow into the bliss, her name rips from my throat and spots don my vision.

She collapses on top of me, our bodies slick with sweat.

I caress her back with long strokes and she shudders under my touch.

“We need to get up and get shit around for tonight,” I mumble, thoroughly satisfied and content.

“What’s going to happen?”

“I’m going in The Circle and I would like you there with me. Watch my back. Rush will be there as well.” I trace shapes on her back as I talk.

“What about Ashton and the rest of your team?”

“Ashton and the rest of my team will set up a perimeter around the apartment building Switch has Izzy and Xavier in. If I know Switch, he’ll catch wind at the last minute I’m in The Circle and will leave them alone. If that happens, Ashton and the rest of my team will extract them.”

“All right let’s get moving then. We have a lot of planning to do before tonight,” Ashley responds. There’s a catch in her voice, something is bothering her.

“What is it, Ash?” I ask.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t tell me nothing, I know better than that.”

She hesitates before answering, “Why did they want Redline and what’s going to happen to Austin?

He’s still my brother and there has to be a reason why he’s here.

Over the past few months, he hasn’t acted out or anything.

He fit right in with the rest of us, this doesn’t make any sense.

” She sits up and climbs off me, pacing the small bedroom.

“I’ll have Ashton dig into his past and see if Switch has something on him that forced him to come along.

If not, I can’t guarantee his safety.” I stand up and stop directly in front of her, grabbing her shoulders.

This will break her heart, but I don’t want secrets between us.

“If he’s betrayed you, here on his own free will and has been playing you this whole time, I will take him down, no hesitation. ”

“It’s part of the game, I know. I hope that’s not the case.” She walks into the attached bathroom and shuts the door. Something’s got to give. I knock on the door, “Ash, I promise we’ll explore all options before we do anything.” Resting my head on the door, I wait for her to answer.

She turns the shower on before answering, “I know, Nolan, I just wish it wasn’t like this.”

“Me too, Ash, me too.” I walk across the room and put on my blue jeans and a black T-shirt.

I strap my nine-mil to my side and walk out the door into the living room.

Ashton is sitting on the couch with the laptop doing a search.

He’s staring out the window into the bright sunny day, lost in his own thoughts.

Entering the kitchen, I start a pot of coffee and drum my fingers on the counter.

Thinking back to all the events that have developed, I’m absorbed in my own head.

The note, Izzy and Xavier missing, the phone call from Switch, arriving in New York City, going to The Circle alone, the girl, Ashley showing up, my demon fighting to be freed, all of it.

It all repeats in my head over and over and it’s driving me crazy.

There’s something we’re missing, some piece of the puzzle we’re not seeing.

“Hey man, you good?” Rush asks, snapping me out of my mind.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just trying to figure all of this out.

Why, after all these years, come after me now?

It’s not like I took anything important with me when I left.

” I wrack my knuckles on the counter, trying to put the pieces together.

Ashton, Rush, and Ashley are standing around me now, watching and waiting for me to say something else.

“When I left, there was nothing of importance I took with me. I just don’t get it.

” Pacing the tiny kitchen and the three pairs of eyes on me is making me feel trapped, caged in like an animal.

I’ve got to get out of here. I need to get out of here.

I yank open the apartment door and head toward the stairs leading up to the rooftop.

I need some air and open space. My ears are ringing and my heart is beating hard against my chest. The demon is begging to break free and wreak havoc on everything and everyone around me.

I don’t want to fight it, I want to set it free and destroy everything around me.

It might be the only way to save Izzy and Xavier.

I won’t be the same after this, none of us will be.