Quarter Mile Hearts(53)
“Fucking ecstatic.” His lips crash onto mine and his hold tightens as our kiss deepens. A car horn sounds behind us, and Max pulls back, throwing the car into gear and continuing along the road. “I’ve been waiting four long fucking years to hear that.” He flashes me a wicked grin. “You’re not going anywhere now, Leigh Storm. I’m keeping you right here.” He winks at me, but I just smile. Once upon a time, those words might have scared the shit out of me or annoyed the hell out of me but not anymore. Max Morgan is slowly helping me make my mind up.
Chapter Seventeen
Max parks behind a long line of cars, a ways from the start line, and I think he’s preparing for a quick getaway when the race is over. It is a different crowd here tonight, and I don’t recognize anyone. Beth and Aaron certainly aren’t here.
My hand tightens around Max’s, and he throws me a questioning glance.
“Who are all these people?” I ask out the corner of my mouth.
“Out of towners. Sheriff Fred will be busy tonight.”
I feel slightly uneasy, and now I wish I hadn’t suggested this. Most of the people are older than me with the odd young gun thrown in. But there is a tension in the air and not the good kind. Max nods to a few people and then he spots his friend, Ryder, whose eyes widen when he sees us together. Max’s arm is wrapped protectively around my shoulders, and he reaches for Ryder’s hand to do a guy handshake thing.
“Ryder, you remember Leigh Storm?”
“Not seen you for years, although I never stop hearing about you,” he says with a laugh as he takes my hand. What the hell has Max been saying about me?
Ignoring him, Max looks around. “What’s kickin’ chicken?”
“You racing?” Ryder asks, looking at either of us for a response.
“Not tonight,” Max says with a shake of his head
“Excuse me?” Ryder’s eyes bug out.
“You heard me, dickhead. I didn’t even know there was a race. I was babysitting.”
With a shake of his head in dismay, he scoffs, “You’ve gone soft.”
“Fuck off. They’re my nieces, plus I live there; it’s the least I could do.”
“You racing, Leigh?” Ryder turns his attention to me.
“Not tonight.” Not ever, I omit.
“Not seen you race since that night you won Max shitloads of money. That was what? Five years ago?”
Max glares at him, silently telling him to shut up, and he does.
“So, who’s racing?”
“Kyle, Dillon, Zach, and the scary looking well-built guy.” Ryder rattles off the names.
“Tate,” Max supplies.
“Zach Anderson?” I ask.
“Yeah, that’s him. Pretty scary dude, too,” Ryder chips in. “Rumor has it he cheats. Will cause the odd accident when it calls for it.”
“Do you know him?” Max looks down at me.
“Not really. My dad knows his dad; they used to race against each other. Zach would come around the shop. He was older than me and went to a different school.”
“That sounds about right. He’s one mean mother-”
“Wait, you said Kyle’s racing?” I turn sharply to Max.
“Yeah, why?”
“What’s he driving?”
“His Camaro, why?”
“Is it still pulling to the left?”
“I guess, he never came in last week.”
“What?” The dread starts to rise in me as I scan the crowd for Kyle. I can see his black Camaro but not him.
“I heard he got lucky with some blonde he met at the movies,” Ryder beams, and I roll my eyes at him and his one-track mind.
“Max,” I groan.
“What? I didn’t tell him to take her home and fuck her.”
I growl at him. “We need to stop him.”
“You can’t stop him.”
“I have to try.”
“What are you going to do? This isn’t Aaron we’re talking about. You can’t bully him into doing what you want.”
But I’m away, weaving through the cars and spectators before he can finish speaking, making a beeline for Kyle’s Camaro.
“Kyle,” I shout, and his head bobs up, a grin spreading across his face.
“Leigh.” And then he sees Max, hot on my heels. “Look, sorry about the movies, Max said he would take care of you and-”
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t race,” I blurt out.
“What? Why not?” He looks back and forth between the two of us, frowning in confusion.
“You didn’t bring the car in. It’s still pulling, the steering is out of alignment, and if you take off at speed, it will be worse.”
“I’ve got this; it will be fine.”