Knocked Up(6)

Engines roared on either side of him, but he tuned them out. The way the bikes sounded never mattered. It was the driver that mattered.

He glanced at the other riders’ faces, searching for some sign of weakness, some hint of tension. Their jaws were set, and each of them was staring out in front of them, looking at Suzette and waiting for the flag to drop.

That was, everyone except for Eli Walker.

Eli was staring right back at him—and if Luke didn’t know better, he might have thought he winked.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

Don’t let him get in your head. That’s exactly what he wants.

He breathed deep through his nose and focused in on Suzette, then gripped his handlebars tighter and revved his engine.

It would all start in 3…2…1…

Suzette slashed the flag through the air and Luke raced past her, letting the wind whip his face as he zoomed along the dirt path.

On either side, he could see a few guys keeping pace with him in his periphery, but none of them had managed to outstrip him yet. Vaguely, he was aware of the crowd, heard the girls who screamed his name as he went past once, then twice.

It was exactly as easy as he’d hoped it would be. He could practically feel the money in his hands, could taste the new life waiting for him. Freedom. The big city. His own fucking shop. He was poised to have it all.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red.

Eli.

The crazy bastard was going to try to pass him around the corner. He crept up but Luke didn’t let his aggression shake him. He kept steady pressure on the gas, knowing he would pour it on once they hit the straightaway. When the path smoothed again, though, Eli shot out in front so quickly that Luke let out a muttered curse.

Clearly, his opponent had gotten some upgrades since they’d last raced, and seemingly from a much better mechanic than himself. Eli didn’t have the skill to get his bike going that fast. As least not for more than a short burst.

Gritting his teeth, Luke revved his engine and laid it on. They zoomed past Suzette again and Luke knew it was now or never.

The final lap. He had to make up the distance he'd lost somehow, and quick.

For the next minute, he inched closer and closer until they were nearly neck and neck. Luke leaned forward in his seat, willing himself to go faster, to push harder, and then—

Eli jerked to his right and Luke swerved instinctively.

The world ricocheted around him as his bike skidded out of his control and then he felt it—something hard and jagged under his tire. Without warning, he was airborne, still gripping his handlebars as hard as he could.

Then, like concrete meeting water, his body thudded onto the ground and his bike followed suit, clanking on top of him and hitting him so hard in the groin that he doubled up, heedless of the way the world spun and swirled around him.

He’d knocked his head on something, but the searing pain in his groin was too extreme to pay attention to anything else.

He let out a string of violent curses as he craned his neck just in time to see Eli fly past the finish line. Faintly, he was aware of the chattering of the crowd and the sea of faces crowding in around him as he lay motionless on the ground.

“Should we call a hospital?” someone asked, but then he heard Rex shush them.

“Luke, are you okay?” Rex was close. So close that it seemed like there were two of him. Or maybe three. It was hard to tell from this angle.

Luke muttered that he was alright, but Rex shook his head.

“I’m gonna call an ambulance.”

“No!” Luke bellowed, and winced as his head throbbed. “Fuck that. You know you’ll get hit hard for violating your parole. Just get me a beer, some ice for my balls, and a soft place to sit,” he murmured, rolling up to a sitting position. He could tell by the concern on his brother’s face that he wasn’t convinced, so Luke grabbed his arm hard. “Mom and Dad don’t need anymore shit from you. Just let it be, you got it? I’ll be fine.”

He was thinking that was probably true, long-term, at least. His nuts were still aching, but his blurred vision had cleared and his noggin felt mostly intact. In fact, besides the overwhelming urge to nap, he’d suffered worse crashes, that was for sure.

Rex flexed his jaw and then finally nodded. “Look, we can handle this, people,” he said to the gathering crowd. “Do we have a nurse or a med student here?”

If there was an answer, Luke didn’t hear it. He was too busy thinking about that prick Eli and what he was going to do to him once he was back on his feet. And he couldn’t quite bring himself to look around at his bike yet.

He felt a tug on his arm and opened his eyes to find himself staring into the hazel eyes of Suzette’s pretty brunette friend.