Page 88 of Racing Dirty Trilogy Box Set

Two other men approach us, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

I recognize one of them from back when I used to run with Switch, but his name slips my mind.

He was a lower rank and not worth my time.

He’s always been jealous of my progress in the gang and has been itching to take me down.

He’s wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans with a red bandana wrapped around his dark hair.

His green eyes are boring into me, waiting for the command to attack.

The second man is wearing the same thing, but he has blonde hair and blue eyes.

He looks unsure of what they’re going to do.

Sick of waiting for them to make their move, I cross my arms over my chest and lean up against the building. “Is there something you want?” I ask, goading Switch.

“I want what you took all those years ago,” Switch answers.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I got out and left you high and dry. The only thing I took was my life back.”

“No, you took something that belongs to me. I want it back,” Switch demands.

He looks at the two guys and nods his head.

They slowly approach me and green eyes is excited.

I can’t take them all down right now. I need to get inside to Izzy and Xavier.

I hold my hands up in surrender when the two guys stand in front of me. I’m not going to put up a fight.

They yank my arms down and zip-tie my hands behind my back.

One pats me down for weapons and the other hangs onto my hands.

Switch is enjoying watching me submit, but the difference between this time and last is that I’m doing this willingly now.

He doesn’t know that he’s too conceited to see the difference and that will be his destruction.

Barefoot and tied up, we walk down the alley in the opposite direction I entered.

A black SUV is waiting for us and I’m shoved inside.

They throw a black sack over my head and the driver takes off, throwing me back into the seat.

The base of the music is vibrating my back as they crank it up loud, muddling my senses.

My shoulders stretch from my weight pulling on them and I shift slightly to relieve the pressure.

I can’t see anything as we take turn after turn and ride for what feels like hours.

With my sense scrambled between the loud music, the crazy driving, and the sack over my head, I have no idea where we are when we finally stop.

Strong hands yank on my arms and pull me out of the SUV.

I try listening to the noises around me, but my ears are still ringing from the music and I can’t hear anything, only feel.

My feet are cold on the concrete as I’m led down a set of steps.

I can feel the dank air penetrate my skin the further we walk, and the temperature drops a few degrees.

Someone clips the zip ties and hooks heavy chains around my wrists.

The weight of the chains is familiar as they pull them until my hands are above my head, my feet barely touching the ground.

They remove the black sack from my head and I blink several times, trying to adjust to the harsh spotlight shining down on me.

I detect a shadow in the corner of the basement watching and waiting.

I can’t see who it is, but the humming of electricity running in the ceiling above my head brings back memories that set me free.

Memories of the last time they had me here.

This isn’t where I wanted to go, or where I wanted to be.

Hours upon hours of torture Switch, Wrath, and Marcus inflicted upon me for nothing.

My body has shut down, but my mind is still going.

I’m plotting the way I will perpetrate the same torture to them.

They won’t have a quick and painless death.

No. I will make them suffer at my hands every minute of every day they do this to me.

Switch and Wrath will wish they never laid a hand or a whip on me.

Once I regain consciousness for the sixth time, they uncuff me from the beams and I fall to the cold concrete with a thud, unable to stop myself.

My arms and legs are numb from being suspended for so long and my body is bruised from the beatings they delivered repeatedly.

Some of my ribs are cracked and my face feels like it’s on fire.

Switch grabs me by my armpits and hoists me up with the help of two other men I don’t recognize.

He plops me down in a cold, metal chair and paces back and forth.

The two men walk out of the room and leave us alone.

“Well, Nolan, I see you’ve learned a few things while you were away,” he scoffs.

I laugh, unable to stop myself. I’ve lost my damn mind.

The movement brings pain to my already beaten body, but I can’t help it.

They have no idea what I’ve taught myself after the last time they inflicted this type of torture and it almost cost me my life.

“What do you want Switch?” I ask between bouts of laughter.

“I want to know what the fuck you did to my gang, you ass fuck,” he growls.

“What I did to your fucked up little family? I didn’t do anything, you sick fuck.” I snap. Switch backhands me across the face and my mouth fills with blood. I spit the copper out onto Switch's shoes and meet his black eyes. “Go ahead, give me your worst.”

His nostrils flare and his eyes narrow in my direction. He turns on his heels and stomps out of the room. The heavy metal door slams behind him, locking me in the dingy and dirty basement, alone. Fatigue overtakes me, and I fall asleep bound in the metal chair.

“When I came too, they stuck a needle in my arm and the drug they injected shut my mind down and I had no control over my body. I was under their command for a limited time. With my massive body weight, the drug didn’t last as long as they expected and I played it off.

I acted like I was still under their full control, so Switch and Wrath took me to The Circle.

I think they wanted to make me fight again, but then I saw you,” I look up at Ashley and grab her hand.

“My angel in a dark world. The drug was still in my system, but I had a reason to fight again. I had control of the hate and rage burning through my veins. You all know the rest.”

“I knew something was wrong when I saw you,” Ashley responds. Tears trickle down her cheeks and her eyes are red from crying. “I wanted to bring you back.”

“You did, Ash, you did,” I whisper as I rest my forehead against hers, breathing her scent in. Her arms wrap around my neck and she hangs onto me tightly. Ashton shifts next to me and stands up, pacing the living room. His phone rings and he answers it.

“Iverson here,” he says into the phone. “What do you mean? When?” He stops pacing and stands right in front of me. “Yes, he’s right here.” He hands me the phone. “Marks wants to talk to you.”

I remove the phone from Ashton’s outstretched hand with unsteady fingers and put it up to my ear. “Marks, what’s going on?”

“Boss, thank God you’re OK. Listen, they just left the building with Izzy. I don’t know where they’re taking her, but Xavier is there alone. Now’s our chance to get him out.”

“We’re on our way,” I answer and hang up the phone. I find Ace standing in the doorway. “I need a couple of fast cars. Can you help?”

“In the garage,” Ace responds.

“Come on, let’s lock and load. Xavier is alone right now. They took Izzy somewhere and now’s our chance to get at least one of them back.”

We all stand quickly and run to the garage attached to Ace’s brownstone.

He flips on a switch and the fluorescent lights come alive, shining on the three cars he has stored in here.

All the hoods are up like on a showroom floor.

One is a shiny purple Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with a 6.

2-liter super charge V-8 engine. The second car is a sleek grey Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 super snake with a 5.

4-liter V-8 engine. Ashley squeals like a little girl when she spots this car.

Her body is throbbing with excitement. I know what car she wants to take.

The third car is a dark blue Dodge Viper GTS with a 6. 2-liter V-8 engine.

“Ace, I’m speechless,” I finally say, salivating over these magnificent beasts.

He grins and runs a finger down the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. “This one is my baby. Be gentle with her.”

“Aren’t you coming with us?” I ask.

He raises a dark eyebrow and gives me a duh look. “Of course.”

“Nolan,” Ashton says from behind me. “We need weapons.”

“I got that covered too,” Ace says and walks to the back wall.

He hits a switch and the fake wall drops, revealing an arsenal of weapons.

“Take what you need.” He grabs two black Smith and Wesson .

40 caliber guns. He cocks one back and chambers a round, tucking it into the waistband of his jeans.

He hands the other one to me and I do the same.

Ashley is staring at all the guns and ammo and picks up a 9 mil.

She cocks it back and straps it to her thigh, giving me a wink.

I pick out a sleek .45 caliber and chamber a round. I strap that one to my other hip. Once we’ve all picked our weapons, Ace hits a switch again and the wall rises, hiding his weapons.

“We’re locked and loaded, let’s roll,” I say with a cocky attitude.

Finally able to do something other than play on the defense against these ass fuckers, I’m ready.

Ready to get Xavier back and find out where they took Izzy.

I’m ready to end this for the last time.

If we shed a little blood, it doesn’t matter anymore.

I’m done being their sheep, being herded by their command.