by Amelia Wilde
“Seth!” I whisper-shriek.
“God dammit, Zelda!” He barks, pulling me out of the bathroom. “What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?”
“Yes!” I say, shaking all over. “I thought you were Reggie. Or Wade!”
“Come on—we don’t have time.” He starts out of the bedroom, but I’m hesitant to follow him.
“Why are you here?”
He lunges back and grabs my arm, dragging me behind him as he runs into the living room of the empty suite and heads for the door.
“I called you three times yesterday!” He opens the door a crack and peeks out only a moment before flinging it wide and charging us both through it.
We’re running for the elevator as he continues. “When you didn’t answer, I decided to come here and investigate.”
“W-why?” I’m trying to catch my breath.
“You owe me five thousand dollars,” he barks, hitting the button for the lobby. “I’m not letting you skip town without paying.”
“Oh my god.” I collapse against the walls of the elevator, my insides flooding with a mixture of relief and panic. “But… how did you find me?”
He’s digging in his backpack. “I was on my way to your room when I spotted that French guy from Miami. Put these on.” He shoves a pair of Toms at me, and I slip my feet into them. “He was coming out of the room where I found you. Did that motherfucker beat you up?”
I turn and let out a hissing sound when I see myself in the mirrored wall. My cheek is bluish-purple, my lip is split, and my teeth and knuckles are covered in blood.
“It was his partner,” I say, carefully touching my cheek. “Wade Paxton.”
“We’ll have to stop in the lobby bathroom—”
“NO!” I shout, my panic growing fiercer. “We’ve got to get to the track!”
“Are you crazy? It’s a fucking mob out there. We’ll never make it to the track. We’ve got to get to the airport.”
“You don’t understand, Seth! We’ve got to stop that race!”
“If the cops see you looking like this, they’ll arrest us.”
That makes me think… The police could help us faster than anyone. They could stop the race! But Wade threatened to kill Ava if I did anything.
“Where’s Ava?”
“My guess is she’s at the race—most likely in the royal box based on the company she’s been keeping.”
“Give me your phone!” We’re at the lobby, and the elevator doors open. A crowd of people fills the space, and the buzzing noise of the engines is louder than ever. I can barely hear myself think.
“The course runs right in front of the hotel,” he shouts. “It’s the famous hairpin curve.”
He takes my hand, leading me to the back entrance. We’re facing the ocean, and the noises are like zippers going high to low as car after car goes from full speed to near stopping as they negotiate the 180-degree turn.
“Your phone!” I shout. “Give me your phone!”
“Those guys will kill you, Zee. We’ve got to get out of the country.”
“Ava’s in danger! GIVE ME YOUR PHONE!”
Finally, he shoves the device in my hand, and I dial her number. I’m pacing, trembling all over as it rings and rings. “Answer the phone, Ava!” I shout.
Pressing the end button, I immediately try again. Same result. “Dammit, Ava!” Then I realize.
Switching to text, I quickly type: It’s me, Zee! Answer the phone! I need you to hurry! Rowan’s in danger! 911! 911!
Immediately the phone rings in my hand. “Ava!” I cry.
“Zee!” Her voice is frantic. “Where are you? What’s happening?”
“Stop talking and listen to me. Where are you?”
“I got your text, and since I was alone, I decided to walk around the streets. I ran into Felicity, and she has a pit pass. Only I didn’t want to bother Rowan—”
“That’s good! Can you get in touch with him?”
“I don’t think so. He’s in the race. I missed his call last night—”
“Ava, listen to me! You have to get to him. It’s life or death!”
“What’s happening, Zee?” Her voice is tight. “What’s going on?”
Blinking hard, I scrub my forehead, thinking. I need my damn phone! “Is Felicity there? Ask her if she has Cal’s number!”
Her phone moves away, and I hear her speaking to Felicity. “Five five four, eight two seven seven.”
“I’ll call you right back.” Hitting end, my fingers shake as I enter the digits for Cal’s phone. Again, it rings and rings, and I immediately end the call, knowing I’ve got to text him.
Again, I send the same 911 message I sent to Ava, but this time the phone doesn’t ring back immediately. “Come on, Cal… Come on!” I’m pacing, shaking the phone. Seth is watching me, frowning and rubbing his chin.
“What’s going on, Zee?” His voice calmer. “Let me help you.”
I send the same text to Cal again, and as I hit send, I tell him. “Reggie—the French guy—brought us here to do a con on the crown prince. Only the con was on us. He used us to get him back in the country so he could do his own deal. They’ve sabotaged Rowan’s car…” My voice cracks, and I feel the tears coming. “They’re trying to kill him!”
As I’m saying the words, the phone vibrates in my hand. I do a little shriek as I press the green button. “Cal!” I cry, covering my face with my hand.
“Zee, where are you? I was worried—”
“Is Rowan okay? Can you get to him?”
“He’s on the track…”
“You’ve got to stop the race, Cal! You’ve got to get Rowan out of that car!”
“What?” I hear the disbelief in his tone, and I almost lose it. “He’s in the lead, Zee. He’s going to win it!”
“He’s going to die!” I’m screaming. “Reggie’s working with Wade Paxton! They sabotaged Rowan’s car! You’ve got to get him out of it!”
“Zelda… I checked the car myself. It’s all good.”
“You’ve got to believe me, Cal! They’re going to blame you for it!”
Silence fills the line. The noise of the cars is louder than ever, and with every rip of an engine, my heart shudders.
“Please, Cal,” I say, my voice breaking. “Just trust me!’
“Let me see what I can do.”
The line goes dead, and I collapse to a sitting position on the back steps of the hotel. My face is in my hands, and I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Glancing up, I see Seth returning from the water. I vaguely remember him walking away while I talked to Cal. Now he’s back, carrying a damp tee.
“I might be able to get us to the track.”
Blinking up, my eyes go round. “How?”
He hands me the wet shirt. “Clean your face. I’ll call Lara Westingroot.”
“The lady from the yacht?” I frown. “Why would she help us?”
“Not us, me.” He gives me a wink. “How do you think I even got on that yacht?”
“I never thought about it.” Seth has always had a knack for getting into any venue he wanted. Anyway, that night on the yacht had taken so many unexpected turns.
Seth chuckles. “Let’s just say she barks like a baby seal when she comes.”
My nose wrinkles. “Too much information.” I hand his phone back, and he starts dialing, motioning for me to follow him.
24
Running
Rowan
A bead of sweat rolls from my temple down the side of my face. My arms are exhausted, and that fucking right wheel is pulling again. I’m not as far ahead of Fayed as I need to be to make a pit stop. He’ll retake the lead, and we’ve only four laps to go. Everything is focused on these final laps. One mistake could cost me the race.
“Ro, we have an issue,” Cal is in my helmet. “It’s possible your car has been sabotaged. I need you to bring it in.”
“What? NO!” I can’t come off the track at this point. “You checked it yo
urself!”
“I don’t know how. It’s possibly what’s causing the cornering problem.”
I feel a jerk to the right as I’m flying down the straight, and a quick look in my mirror shows Fayed right behind me. “I’m almost finished. I can make it.”
Downshifting quickly, I hit the brakes as we take a tight corner. The wheel jerks in my hands and I hear a ping. No, I think straightening out of the turn and slamming the throttle down. We shoot into the straight, the tunnel looming just ahead. Plunge into blackness; blinding white on the other side. The stands pass so fast, they’re a blur of color, and all I can think is I’m there. I’m hitting the top speeds. I’ve completed seventy-four laps, and I’m not quitting now. Victory is in my grasp.
Flying through the starting line, I don’t hesitate. I pass the pit starting the seventy-fifth lap. Cal’s in my ear again.
“Ro! I need you to bring it in NOW!”
Reaching up, my hand hovers over my headpiece. I don’t turn it off, but I don’t respond either. I’m coming up on the first of nineteen corners. Another downshift, another slam on the brakes, another groan from the front chassis. Only three more laps.
My speed drops from four hundred kilometers per hour all the way down to forty through the hairpin. One more curve, and I feel a slip in control. I feel the frame starting to give.
“Rowan?” The voice in my head now is not Cal’s. My chest tightens when I hear her. I’ve been dreaming about her all night. “Ro, it’s Ava. Please come in. Please.”
“Where are you?” I say, easing off the accelerator as I take the next curve. Again the wheel vibrates hard.
“I’m in the pit. Felicity gave me her pass.”
Shit. I’m on the straight, and the pedal is to the floor. My speed tops out at two ninety-three then plunge into darkness. The wheel shakes again. The car jerks to the right, and I’m dangerously close to the wall. Blinding white light hits me as I try to correct. My muscles flex as I fight with the steering column. I’m off the track, my speed goes all the way down.
Fuck! Shifting, I guide the car back onto the lanes. I’m one curve away from the pit, and I know I have to bring it in. I have to do it for Ava.
Fayed’s coming out of the tunnel as I pull back onto the asphalt. He flies past, and my chest tightens. We have to move at lightening speed if I’m going to catch him again.
I’m around the curve and pulling into the pit, the crew surrounds me in a swarm. Tires off, they check the chassis. Cal’s right with them, and I see the moment his face pales.
His head drops against his forearm, then he looks up at me. “The front arm is completely severed.”
I’m out of the cockpit in seconds, running to see what he’s seeing. He points to the damaged suspension. “Looks like it was bashed with a club. It’s been a time bomb waiting to go off. You could’ve been killed.”
“It’s over.” My shoulders fall, and I scrub my fingers over my brow. “FUCK!” I shout, slamming my helmet into the cockpit. Fists on my forehead, I blink out at the cars roaring past. Only two laps to go…
Cal walks around to where I’m standing, his brow lined. “This happened after qualifying. Who had access to the parc fermé?”
We both look to the crew. One person is missing. “Heinrick’s guy?”
“Impossible. Heinrick wouldn’t send someone to hurt you.”
“Maybe he didn’t know.” I’m still looking toward the crew when I spot the one person able to bring me back, green eyes full of worry—Ava.
Leaving Cal beside the car, I cross the space. She’s out of the gated area and running to me, her navy sleeveless dress moves in the breeze.
When we meet, I rest my forehead against hers, sliding my palms down her cheeks, to the sides of her neck. Her hand goes into the back of my damp hair; the other touches my cheek, and our eyes close as we breathe each other’s air. My insides unclench.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d been hurt.”
The fury in my chest eases. Lifting my chin, I kiss her forehead before looking into her beautiful eyes. I’m ready to ask her now, right this moment, but we only have this moment before the mob of reporters surrounds us.
“Your royal highness!” one yells. “Why did you pull out of the race when you were winning?”
Two more shout, “We’ve heard rumors of possible tampering with your vehicle!”
“Is it too soon to suggest a possible assassination attempt?”
I hear over the noise Fayed won the race, and my lips press into a frown. Touching Cal on the shoulder, I lean into his ear. “I’m passing this baton to you.”
He nods, and my hand is on Ava’s lower back. I hope to guide her through the confusion, through the restricted area beneath stands, and to my waiting limo. My plans for the beautiful woman at my side can continue at Occitan.
“Oh, wait! It’s Zelda!” Ava takes off, out of my grasp into the crowd.
“Ava, stop!” I’m calling after her, but I know if I enter the fray, I’ll be mobbed.
I call to her again, when I hear a sharp noise. It’s popping like firecrackers, or the noise of a car backfiring.
Ava’s face changes a moment. She looks confused… just before she drops like a stone.
“AVA!” My voice is a roar as I run to where she’s fallen.
My brain registers it was a gunshot, and all of it—losing the race, the damaged car, the mob of bystanders, everything disappears in the face of losing Ava.
I’m throwing bodies aside as the crowd disperses around me. People are screaming and falling to the ground, or running from where my beautiful Ava lies on in a heap, her eyes closed.
Zelda
“NOOO!!!!” I scream as I see Ava’s green eyes change from joy to horror. She falls so fast. She’s on the ground like a rag doll, and people scatter in all directions away from her like oil fleeing a drop of water.
As I run to her, I notice another figure in a red jumpsuit also running in my direction. It’s Rowan. We meet at my sister, and he has her in his arms before I can breathe.
“Follow me!” he shouts, heading toward the stands.
I’m right behind him, but I’m looking everywhere over my shoulder. I know who did this, and I’m afraid it’s not over. They could be anywhere, aiming for us right this second.
“Run, Rowan! Run!” I shout. “Faster!”
We’re through the metal door into the restricted area beneath the stands, and I push the doors closed behind us.
“Paramedics are here.” He’s at a red phone, dialing zero, but I see his fingers tremble. “The best emergency response crews in the country are on hand in case of an accident.”
I’m at Ava’s side, holding her hand. “Hang on, Ava-bug!” My voice breaks. My throat hurts and tears blur my eyes. She’s ghastly pale, and blood soaks the navy dress she’s wearing. “Don’t die on me, Ava-bug! Please… Please, Ava-bug…”
My whole body is shaking. I’m searching all over for where they hit her when I’m shoved out of the way, and paramedics surround my sister.
Rowan is at my side, and I look up to see his jaw clenched. His eyes are wild, and I know it’s taking all his power to stay back and let them work.
Plastic bags and tubes are drawn out and run to her body. I grip his arm as they move her onto a hard plastic stretcher.
“She’s losing blood,” a woman says, shoving a card at me. “We’re taking her to Memorial East.”
As fast as they appeared, they’re rushing her out the door, into an ambulance and speeding away.
“NO!” I scream, running after them.
“Zelda! This way!” Rowan runs in the direction of a side door, and I’m right behind him.
Hajib has the car waiting, and we’re in it, driving as quickly as possible after the ambulance.
It feels like hours pass before a female doctor with short brown hair comes out to tell us what’s happening.
“Majesté,” she does a little bow to
Rowan. “Bonjour.”
“Comment est-elle?” he says quickly.
“La dame est bien—”
“English, please!” I practically shriek, startling them both.
“Pardon!” The doctor says in a thick French accent. “I did not realize…”
“Will she be okay?” I plead.
The woman continues almost too quickly for me to follow through her accent. “She lost a lot of blood, so she’s very weak. The bullet passed cleanly through her upper arm just missing her brachial artery. I stitched up the wound, and we’re monitoring her vitals. She’s very lucky it did not hit her heart.”
My head goes light, and I’m sure I’ll faint. Rowan catches me, helping me to a nearby chair. Bodyguards have cordoned off the area, so it’s only the three of us in the waiting room. The doctor tells Rowan something I don’t understand and disappears down the hall.
Overhead a television blasts in French. I read the subtitles explaining how the entire country is on high alert following two suspected assassination attempts on the crown prince at today’s race.
Police have set up a tip line. The words tighten my chest.
Police are searching for anyone who knows anything about this attack. If you saw anything or know who might be behind this, call…
My mind is racing. I know who’s behind this, and they know I know. How long before they track me down? I’m the only witness outside their group who can testify against them, who can expose them all.
“Cal is with the men examining the car,” Rowan says, misinterpreting my dark expression. “Otherwise, he’d be here with you.”
Cal… Another pain in my heart. I won’t see him again…
“He’s okay?” I ask.
“He just sent me a text. He couldn’t reach your phone.”
“My phone was… taken.”
We don’t speak for several moments as the television continues in French. A nurse approaches us and does a slight bow. Her voice is also accented.