I directed my glare to Woody, who only seemed more infuriated with every word I spoke. My eyes shifted to Drew who was staring angrily at me, and Mack was looking at the ground with his mouth drawn in a tight line. Before anyone knew it was going to happen, Drew balled up his fist and slammed it into the side of Mack’s face causing him to stagger back a step. Then everyone was moving at once, Mack was charging at Drew, Woody’s fist was flying at Mack, Harley was shouting, and I was running down the stairs.
Without even thinking I threw myself into the middle of the brawl, Woody and Drew against Mack. It was hard to tell who had the upper hand; Mack was swaying, yet still standing, Woody was scrambling to get up off the ground, and Drew was hunched over holding his stomach but advancing forward. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my cheek followed by a bright flash of light, then everything went dark.
“Jonna.” I heard someone call my name from a distance. The voice echoed throughout my head, and I didn’t open my eyes, but I knew I was lying on the ground. My first thought was that it was an odd place for me to be taking a nap, but I must have been really tired. When I opened my eyes, the first person I saw was Mack, looking down at me with pure panic on his face.
“Jonna!” He pulled me to his chest and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank fuck,” he repeated over and over against the side of my head. My cheek began to throb, and I put a hand up to touch it. “You got hit, baby.”
“Shit, you okay?” I heard Woody say from above me.
“Fuck, we didn’t see you,” Drew said from behind me, and I could feel his warm hand on my shoulder.
“How are you feeling, hun? You passed out.” Harley smoothed my hair back as she stared at me with concern.
“I’m . . . okay,” I answered hesitantly. Everything felt normal, even though the back of my head hurt a little. Mack’s hand was gently rubbing the sore spot, and I realized I must have hit my head when I fell, but being held this tightly in his arms soothed the hurt.
“Here, let’s get you up.” Drew attempted to help me stand. I felt a rumble in Mack’s chest that would have sounded like a growl had he let the sound travel from his mouth, and for some reason Drew backed away. Mack lifted me in his arms and helped me up the stairs. I didn’t look behind me at my brothers or Harley. I didn’t care about anything other than getting inside and lying down.
Mack settled me on my bed while Harley came forward with an ice pack and a bottle of pain pills. She handed me two and I drank them down with the glass of water she offered, then placed the cold pack on my cheek. Mack sat down beside me and gently brushed my hair from my face.
“I’m calling you out, King,” Drew announced as he stormed through the door with Woody right behind him.
“You already have the number one spot, you dumb fuck. You can’t call out someone below you.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know you want the number one spot back. So, let’s settle it once and for all tomorrow night at The Spot.”
“I’m good with that. What’s the wager?” Mack asked in an even tone.
“The title, King of the Carolinas.”
“Nah, that name will never be yours to use, Fox.”
“Fine, if you win, then you walk away from her.” He nodded in my direction. “You decide what’s most important to you.”
“Drew . . .” I began to say.
“And if you win?” Mack interrupted.
“If I win, I’m taking that title.”
“Drew . . .” Harley started to speak.
“Deal.” Mack nodded sharply.
“Mack!” Harley and I shouted together and he looked down at me.
“Shh. It’s going to be okay. If your brother wants the title he better be ready to take it.” He continued to brush my curls away from my face. I heard angry murmuring between Harley and Drew, followed by the closing of the door.
“You are making deals over things that aren’t yours to control. I see who I want, when I want. All of that between you and Drew wasn’t necessary, Mack.”
“Hush, it was to me.” Then he stretched across the bed and pulled my back against his front. I lay there for a while feeling torn. I wanted him more than anything, but I knew I wouldn’t have him for long. No matter the outcome of the race.
Chapter Sixteen
“The nerve of those two,” I grumbled to Tayia as I waited on the sidelines. I woke up this morning feeling better, and my brain finally locked back into place. I was infuriated over the bet Mack and Drew had made. I wasn’t some piece of property they could trade whenever the mood struck. Luckily for Mack he was already gone when I opened my eyes, and Drew didn’t answer his phone, but I was sure he got my angry text messages.
I got where my brothers were coming from. Mack wasn’t the kind of guy most families would give their blessings. He was trouble in every sense of the word, and no one in their right mind should want to be associated with him. Except I didn’t think my mind had ever been right, so it figured that he would be the one to make it to the place deep within me nobody else had even gotten close.
“I know, but I guess this is something they have to do. It’s up to you what happens afterward.” Tayia squeezed my arm. “If you want to be with Mack, then do it. The outcome of the race doesn’t have to decide that.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is, Jonna. God, you have no idea how easy it is for you to choose to be with the one you want. All you have to do is make up your mind.”
If only she were right. I wanted to tell her about Detective Rollins and how Mack’s days of freedom were numbered. I was also certain that Woody would somehow tell Rollins about this race, and my eyes scanned the area. I knew Mack had guards placed in various locations to prevent cops from showing up, but I had no doubt that if Rollins wanted to be here, he would be.
Blake came up and handed Tayia the sweater he went to get from the car.
“How’s it looking?” I asked Blake nervously. He’d been down helping Drew prepare his car earlier.
“Good. The Viper is ready. Fox is feeling confident.” He shifted from one foot to the other and took a sip of his energy drink. His gaze was fixed straight ahead at the action in front of us. Both crews were moving around the cars while Mack and Drew were preparing to do their burnouts.
“Blake, I know you saw me with Mack. Why didn’t you tell Drew or Woody about it?” It had been a little over a week since that night, and I remember Drew saying that he’d heard rumors. If he’d heard the story came from Blake I was pretty sure he wouldn’t have considered that a rumor. Blake was silent just long enough for me to think that I wouldn’t get an answer.
“We all have secrets,” he said in a low voice. He shifted his eyes to Tayia and walked away. I furrowed my brow as I stared after him. When I looked over at Tayia, she was walking in the opposite direction.
“Tayia?” I called out and started to follow her when Harley appeared in front of me.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi,” I replied and looked away.
“How’s your head?”
“Fine.”
“Good. The bruise on your cheek doesn’t look that bad.”
I shrugged.
“So you and Mack, huh?”
I twisted my mouth and looked at the ground.
“Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t think the whole situation was weird.”
“Harley, I had no idea that you and he used to—”
“I know that.” She cut me off. “You drove me to his place and you had no idea that he was my ex-boyfriend. So I guess you and he were already . . .?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know why I care, but I have to ask, did he know?”
“No, not the first time. After I told him Drew was my brother, he’d gotten angry. He said he didn’t need the trouble, but things still kept on between us. Maybe he thought I knew about his connection to you, but I swear I didn’t know until that night at his house.”
“God, I
wonder what you must have been thinking when you saw it was him. I’d noticed you were quiet on the ride back, but I thought it was because you were freaked out about witnessing some of the drama that has been a part of my life for so long. Sometimes I forget that it’s not the norm for most people.”
“No, I just didn’t know what to say to you. I knew you would try to convince me to not see him anymore, and I guess I wasn’t ready to hear it.”
“There are so many reasons I needed to steer clear of Mack, but it was a result of my history with him. Not yours. The craziest thing about all of this is, the old me would have been trying to rip your hair out, but now that I have Drew, I don’t feel that way. It’s like any sort of jealousy I would have felt over the situation is gone. I guess being in love changes the balance of emotions we keep stored in our heart.”
I thought about the jealousy I’d felt after seeing pictures of my ex-boyfriend Dylan with his new girlfriend and how it ate at me. Now those feelings didn’t exist anymore, because all I cared about was Mack. When I met Harley’s gaze again, she knew I understood her point.
When Mack and Drew were pulling their cars up to the starting line, she put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
“We’d better get over there. Where are you going to stand, Jonna?” Harley raised an eyebrow. I glanced in both directions, feeling unsure. “Look, for what it’s worth Mack is a good guy, he’s just lost. I had my own problems to deal with, which didn’t make us very good for each other. He made a mistake with me a long time ago, and I never let him forget it. I did things to push him away just because I could, yet he never turned his back on me. I was careless with his heart, and it took me falling in love with someone else to figure that out. I saw the way he looked at you last night and I never thought I’d see that on his face. It’s the way Drew looks at me. There is so much more to him than racing, or all of the trouble that follows him around. Who knows, maybe you’re the girl to help him figure things out.”
“Harley, I . . .”
“No, don’t make it difficult. Go with your heart. I wasted a lot of time being stubborn when I should have done the same thing the moment I knew that Drew was the one for me.”
Jungle Jim had just finished lining up the Viper and Ford GT. Both engines were revving and the smell of melted rubber from the burnouts filled the air. The best racers in the Carolinas were about to have a showdown.
My palms were sweaty, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe with the way my heart was slamming in my chest. I already knew what I wanted. No matter the outcome of the race, I wanted Mack, and I wouldn’t let him walk away from me, but, which would he choose? The title or me?
As soon as the light flashed on, both cars roared off in a trail of white smoke, and Harley grabbed my hand. The Ford Mustang GT was first over the starting line with the Viper right on its tail. Both cars controlled themselves flawlessly down the road, perfectly handling their lane. Eight seconds later, it was over and the race was too close to call. There was no cheering between crews, only bright brake lights and the sound of engines downshifting in the distance.
“Who won?” Harley whispered, and I shrugged.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t tell.” My voice wobbled nervously. Harley clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer.
“Blake!” she shouted. “Who won?” Blake had a walkie-talkie up to his ear as he listened. He turned his head to us as he lowered his arm.
“King by a nose.”
“Aw, fuck.” Harley stomped her foot and crossed her arms as Mack’s crew started cheering. I didn’t know what to feel. On one hand, Mack earned back the right to claim he was the King of the Carolinas, but according to his bet with Drew, he had agreed to walk away from me.
When both cars returned to the starting area, a crowd gathered around Mack’s car to congratulate him. Harley was the first to reach the Viper and had already thrown half of her body through the window of the car, and Drew was pulling her in the rest of the way.
My feet were frozen. I felt like if I saw Mack’s face I would know what to do. Would he be celebrating? Would he be devastated? Would he have regrets? If I only knew how he felt, then maybe I would know how to feel too. Then I saw him as he moved past the crowd with his eyes fixed on me. He wasn’t smiling and celebrating with the rest of the group. My eyes shifted to Drew. His brows were furrowed and his lips were drawn together with disapproval, and when I returned my gaze to Mack, the look he gave me said, Come here, Jonna.
So I went.
No, I ran straight into his arms.
“Why, Mack?” I asked against the side of his neck. “You didn’t choose me.”
“I needed you to choose me.”
“But you bet that . . .”
“I don’t give a fuck about that bet. You took off for four days, Jonna, and I have no idea why. I’ve been down that road already. I needed you to want this.”
“This?”
“Yeah. This.” He pointed a finger from me to him. “Us.”
Then he grabbed the sides of my face.
“Because I do. So much,” he whispered before he placed his lips on mine and kissed me tenderly. Our tongues met with soft strokes, and I let my body melt into his as he pulled me tightly against him.
“So what’s your choice, Firefly?” He pulled back slightly and stared into my eyes. When I looked into those dark depths, I felt he was really seeing me.
“You. I choose you.” My words came out breathy, and he squeezed me tighter as he placed a kiss on my bruised cheek. Movement in my peripheral caught my attention, and I instantly recognized the tan jacket. Detective Rollins was standing in the trees just out of the light from the race, but close enough to see the glare in his glasses. He pointed to his left wrist with his index finger before he backed away.
Time was running out. I had to tell Mack what was happening, even though it meant betraying Woody. Maybe there was something Mack could do about it, and I owed it to myself and him to at least find out.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, closed my eyes and held on tightly. And I would for as long as I had with him.
The race crowd was dispersing when Mack grabbed my hand and pulled me into the direction of his car.
“King,” I heard my brother’s voice call from behind us. Mack and I both turned around.
“Drew, don’t . . .” I began.
“No, Jonna. Please let me say this,” Drew interrupted. I looked over to Harley for any indication of my brother’s intentions, and she gave me a small smile.
“This is my baby sister, and I only want what’s best for her.” Mack crossed his arms over his chest and nodded and Drew continued. “You have a history that is hard to ignore, not just with my girl, but things I know would only bring trouble to my sister’s life.”
“Because you mean something to her”—Mack looked down at me then back at Drew—“I’m not going to smash your face in for implying I’d ever let any of that shit get near her.”
Drew smirked and crossed his arms, mirroring Mack’s stance. “That doesn’t worry me, although I think we both made our points last night.” I noticed that there was slight discoloration and swelling around Drew’s left eye, and Mack had a bruise on the side of his jaw. “It’s no secret that I’m not sold on the idea of you and my sister, but I respect her choice. So I’m willing to give it a rest for now, but you’d better not fuck things up. You only get one chance.” He shifted his eyes over to me and gave me a small smile. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him.
“Thank you, Drew,” I whispered.
“I should have known the lucky bastard would take the title and the girl,” he said against my ear before pulling away. I turned back to Mack, and he pulled me close to him after Drew walked away.
“Hey, do you want to get lost with me for a little while?”
The thought of going anywhere with him made my toes curl, so I nodded and let him guide me away from the race and the worry of things yet to come.
Chapter Seventeen
Mack took me back to my place to pack a bag. He didn’t tell me where we were going, and I didn’t care, I just wanted to be alone with him. I was confused when we reached the empty Sea Whisper Island ferry dock.
“It’s past midnight. We can’t get off the island tonight.”
“I’ve got it covered.” Then he got out of the car and motioned his head for me to follow. We walked to the area where private boats were docked. I immediately recognized Mack’s cabin cruiser. I’d forgotten that he’d had it. He hopped on, took my bag, and then helped me onto the boat.
“Mack, you can drive this thing in the dark?”
“Yeah, how do you think I was getting over here at night to see you?”
“Oh.” I guess I hadn’t thought much about how he got here late at night. He started the engine, and soon we were moving across the water to the mainland. The silence and the breeze from the water felt soothing as we sailed through the darkness.
Once we reached the bay of Key City, I could see the light from illuminated windows that dotted the coastline. I thought our destination was Mack’s house, but when we pulled up to his little dock he told me to stay in the boat. Several minutes later he returned with a bag with his things in it, then took us out into the bay.
I didn’t ask any questions, and I didn’t care. We could’ve been sailing to China, and it would have been fine with me. I was happy to leave all of the trouble that followed Mack on the shore. With a sigh, I rested back in the seat and stared up at the sky. We were untouchable out here, and I allowed myself to enjoy the feeling, even if it was only for a short time.
I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes Mack was tugging on my hand, so I stood and followed him down the small staircase to the lower level of the boat. There was a bed that took up most of the tiny space on one side with a few wooden panels for overhead storage, and a galley area with a small refrigerator and microwave. On the other side, there was a small enclosed bathroom. It was a very basic space, but it was cozy and perfect for two people.
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