Page 87 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Nolan

A heavy thump jolts me awake and I stand up quickly. Looking around the unfamiliar room, I blink a few times trying to figure out where I am. Moonlight is filtering in through a slit in the dark curtains and memories of the last couple of hours come flooding back in full swing.

I see Ashley curled up on the king-sized bed and relief fills my body that she’s OK, she’s right here.

A whimper escapes her lips and she throws her arm over on my side of the bed, seeking me out.

Her eyelids flutter open and she sits up.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Ashley stands up and walks over to me in the middle of the room.

She wraps her arms around my waist and holds onto me tight.

“What are you doing up already?” She asks. Her voice vibrates against my bare chest.

“I heard a thump downstairs and it woke me up,” I answer.

“Well, since we’re up, let’s talk to Rush and Ashton and come up with a plan. I have a feeling if we wait any longer, something bad will happen to Izzy, Xavier, Redline, and Austin.” Ashley’s still holding out hope for her brother. I pray it doesn’t come back and bite us in the ass.

I pull her head away from my chest and stare into her honey-brown eyes.

I lean in and kiss her passionately. The last couple of days pour from my lips to hers and she whimpers.

I tighten my grip around her waist and hold her against me.

I never want to lose this feeling, her body flush against mine, the passion I feel from the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. I don’t ever want to lose this.

I pull away from her soft lips and let her go.

I grab a clean shirt, hoodie, and jeans from the dresser and put them on.

Ashley does the same and we go downstairs, hand in hand.

Ace, Ashton, and Rush are sitting in the living room.

They’re all drinking beer in the quiet room and the tension between the three of them is thick.

Rush’s head snaps up in our direction and a smirk appears on his face when he sees the two of us.

Ashton swings his head in our direction and gives us a brief nod.

Ace doesn’t say a word either as we sit on the couch.

Ashton is the first to speak, “Nolan, I hate to do this to you right now, but I need to know what happened and where you were when they took you.” Ashley’s body tenses next to me and her grip on my hand tightens.

“It’s inevitable. I need to know so we can put together a plan with the rest of our team.

They need to get involved at this point.

We can’t do this alone, Nolan. They took you in broad daylight.

There’s got to be more than Switch and Wrath involved. ”

“There is,” Ace says, quietly. All of us look in his direction, but he keeps his eyes locked on me. “You know who’s all involved, and we need all the help we can get.”

“Who is it, Nolan?” Ashley asks me.

“Back when I was associated with the Corridore Rosso’s, they were looking to expand their reach down the east coast. I stopped them at every turn and they never knew.

After I left, I kept tabs on Switch and his father Marcus Angelo.

Marcus has connections all over the U.S.

I didn’t realize back then how deep his reach went. ” I hesitate to continue.

“Where did it lead, Nolan?” Ashley asks. I close my eyes and gather the strength I need to tell her the next part. It’s going to spin her entire world upside down and she’s going to lose it.

“What I’m going to tell you, I need you to believe I had no idea until they took me.

I overheard Switch and Marcus talking when they assumed I was unconscious after they tortured me.

Marcus was gloating about having the furthest reach in all the gangs.

That reach,” I take a deep breath before continuing.

“He has pull with the Tres Seis Gang. More specifically, Diablo.”

Rush stands up quickly, “What! No fucking way. That can’t be. How did we not know about this Ash?” He starts pacing back and forth across the living room. “That’s impossible. Tell him that’s impossible.”

Ashley is very still, not saying a word.

Her hand holding mine grows slack, and she’s staring off in the distance, lost in a memory and I can’t help her.

Rush stalks toward us, his tall frame hovering over her small one, there’s a fire in his dark eyes and his nostrils are flaring.

His aggressive stance has the hair on the back of my neck standing on end and my heart beats hard against my chest. If he doesn’t back off, I won’t be able to control myself.

I step forward in front of Ashley, a menacing glare focused on him.

“Rush, I will only tell you this once,” I respond in a low and deadly voice.

“Back the fuck away before I lose my shit and you’ll regret it. ”

Rush’s dark eyes grow wide and he steps back.

Ashley tightens her grip on my hand and squeezes it.

I turn around and look at her. She has tears trailing down her cheeks and I wipe them away with the pads of my thumbs.

“I thought this was over. I thought we could get out and do our business.” Her voice cracks on the last part.

“I guess not. We’re not here for this. We’re here for you,” she adds, her honey-colored eyes boring into mine.

“Forget about what’s going on out there.

My crew will deal with it. We need to focus on here and you, not across the country.

If Diablo is a threat, we will handle it when the time is right.

” She shifts her body so she’s looking at Rush.

“Call Quickshift and have him keep an eye on Diablo. There’s nothing we can do right now.

If you ever come at me like that again, you will regret it. ”

“I’m sorry Ashley. It won’t happen again. I’ll call him right now,” Rush responds pulling out his phone and sending a text to Quickshift.

“Nolan,” Ashley says quietly. “We need to know what happened while they had you. I’ve seen the marks, now we need the story and why. Why did they bring you there?”

I sit down on the couch next to Ashton and rest my head in my hands.

“I don’t know why they took me to The Circle.

Maybe they thought they beat me into submission like Switch has done in the past. I’m stronger than I used to be and could fight them.

I played the part, but they couldn’t touch my mind.

It’s not going to be pretty or fun, I’ll guarantee you that. ”

Ashley perches her ass on the edge of the couch, next to me and rests her hand on my shoulder, offering comfort. “We can handle it. We just need to know so we can help you.”

“When I went down the hallway, that little boy was running around the corner and down the stairwell. I could hear his little feet slapping against the concrete. I don’t know what it is about him that draws me to him, but it does.

He looks so familiar. I ran through the lobby and onto the street.

I looked in both directions, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

It’s like he’s a figment of my imagination.

Like he doesn’t really exist, and my mind keeps on having him pop up.

Anyway, I was turning to go back into the building when a blonde ponytail caught my attention turning down the alley.

I ran over to the ally entrance and there was no one there.

I walked down toward the dumpsters, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my gut was telling me to turn around, but if he was down there being hurt or worse, I’d never forgive myself.

I reached the first dumpster when I sensed someone behind me.

I turned around and Wrath was standing there. ”

The sun is shining brightly, high in the sky, warming up The City.

Once I reached a dumpster to my left, the hair on the back of my neck is standing on end and I sense someone behind me.

I turn around and Wrath is standing there, an evil smirk on her face.

She crosses her arms over a red hoodie she’s wearing, and she has a red bandana wrapped around her left jean covered leg.

She’s sporting fresh bruises on her scarred knuckles and her long blonde hair is pulled up in a high ponytail.

There are scars on her face, one above her left eyebrow and another across her chin.

Her hips are slightly wider, and she could be a beautiful woman, but the hate on her face right now is making her ugly.

Her hazel eyes are pinning me to the spot, trying to take control of my mind, like she could when we were kids.

I’m not a kid and she can’t control me anymore.

Once she realizes I’m not falling for her tricks, the smirk disappears, and she speaks.

“Mayhem, what a pleasant surprise. I’ve noticed you’ve seen my sister around.

” Wrath sneers, licking her lips. I don’t bother to answer her.

She knows what she’s been trying to do and it’s not worth my time.

I don’t take my eyes off her, but my other senses are on high alert.

Familiar footsteps approach me from behind, coming at me fast. I don’t dare take my eyes off Wrath.

I slowly move so my back is against the building and I can see everything around me without moving.

Switch appears and stands next to Wrath.

The same hate-filled smirk is on his face.

“I’ll take it from here, Wrath. Go back to the apartment and check on our guests,” Switch commands.

He’s talking about Izzy and Xavier and my heart beats hard in my chest. Hate and rage flow to the surface and my hands begin to shake.

I look between the two of them and see the hesitation in her eyes, but she doesn’t dare go against his demands.

Spinning on her heels, Wrath huffs out a mumble under her breath and walks away.