Furious Rush

by S. C. Stephens

  Hayden sighed as he studied his cast. “It took me a while to put it together myself. I haven’t confronted Hookup yet…but I know he’s the one doing all this. Him and Grunts. I’ve seen them before, sneaking around the track during ARRC events, then one day, I watched Hookup put a device on a bike. I wasn’t sure what it did or why he was touching stuff, but during the race that bike had problems, and I knew he’d somehow messed with it. Probably some remote trigger that affected something small enough that it didn’t get noticed. And then, once it was triggered, it was gone, so no proof.”

  His face suddenly turned somber. “I should have said something to someone…should have done something to stop it once I was sure it was Hookup, but Hookup…he’s my ticket into street racing. I need him to help Antonia, so I had to keep my mouth shut. But even without that…we’re so tightly bound together, if he goes down, I go down. He’ll make sure of that.” Clearing his throat, Hayden tried to give me a reassuring smile. It didn’t reassure me; my gut felt like he’d punched a hole in it. “I started searching bikes after that, though, trying to minimize the damage he was doing, but I never knew which ones he was going to hit, so most of the time I didn’t find anything.”

  I instantly recalled the thing Hayden had showed me. “Until today…when you found something on my bike.” Shit. Hookup had targeted me, and if it weren’t for Hayden’s diligence, I would have been at the epicenter of today’s wreck.

  Hayden’s face reflected my realization. “Yeah…that son of a bitch. He’s been complaining ever since you stopped racing for him. I didn’t think he’d do anything to you out of respect for me, but apparently he doesn’t respect me as much as I thought.”

  “Why would he tamper with bikes?” I asked. It made no sense to me.

  With a sigh, Hayden said, “He’s a compulsive gambler, always has been, always will be. He was affecting the outcome so he could make money. And I’m the one who invited him into this world. God, I feel so stupid. I never questioned why I always won on the streets. Never questioned the malfunctions during close races…the odd things that seemed to always give me the edge I needed. I should have known something was up back then, but I needed the money, so I turned a blind eye.”

  I put a soothing hand on his arm. “Hey, I did the exact same thing, Hayden. I knew I shouldn’t have won some of those events, but I wanted the money so badly…I just accepted it.” A small smile curved my lips. “But then again, I thought it might be you doing it, and I was really torn for a while. In the end, I decided it wasn’t you, so I didn’t say anything. Or…I hoped it wasn’t you, so I didn’t say anything.”

  A matching smile brightened Hayden’s expression. “It wasn’t me.” He frowned. “Well, I guess that’s only partly true. I am the one who brought Hookup into this world. Into your life…and now he’s gunning for you.”

  “He didn’t get me, though. You stopped him. And saved my life,” I added, squeezing his arm.

  Hayden’s expression didn’t change. “He got someone else instead, and look how many people were hurt this time. No, I ignored the lucky coincidences because I didn’t want to deal with the truth. And then, when I couldn’t deny what Hookup was doing anymore…I didn’t do everything in my power to put a stop to it, because I still needed him.” He shook his head in anger. “But he’s gone too far, and I’m done with him, done with him and Grunts. You were right, I can’t straddle the line anymore. I love my friends, but they aren’t worth dying for…not like you.”

  My entire body flushed with heat, and leaning over, I pressed my lips against his and kissed him with all my might. I poured every ounce of emotion I felt for him into that kiss—the heat, the fire, the love. Somehow, over the course of the last several months, he’d become my entire world, and it filled me with such relief to know he hadn’t been the one behind the multiple wrecks, accidents, and incidents. He hadn’t been behind anything sordid, except the street racing, and he was letting that go. I wasn’t sure what that meant for Izzy and Antonia, but I knew it only meant good things for Hayden. He was free. And so was I.

  Hayden looked unsure when we pulled apart, though. Stroking his cheek, I asked him, “What is it?”

  He cringed, like he was in pain again. “It’s killing me that you’re giving up racing.” Sighing, he shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I can’t let you quit for me, Kenzie. I know what it means to me, so I know what it means to you…and I can’t let you give it up.”

  Pulling back from him, I frowned. “I don’t want to live on the East Coast, and that’s the only choice my father has left me with, so I’m not just giving it up for you. It wouldn’t be the same racing for another team anyway.” A long exhale left my lips. “I wanted to save the family business, but I couldn’t. My father was right…it’s time to move on.”

  My words didn’t alleviate his worry. “You’ll end up hating me,” he quietly stated.

  Throwing on my brightest smile, I shook my head. “No, I won’t.”

  His brows drew together, and he didn’t say anything else, but I could clearly hear the words Yes…you will echoing around the room. Not liking that ominous imaginary voice, I ravaged him with my lips again. He couldn’t tell me we were doomed if we were actively making out.

  After a few long, lingering, perfect kisses, I moved my mouth to his ear. “I can’t wait to get you back in my bed.”

  Hayden groaned, then hissed in a sharp breath. “This is going to be the longest recovery period ever. When can I go home again?”

  I laughed, then shrugged, because I really had no idea. The only thing I knew for certain was that when he did go home, he’d be going home with me.

  * * *

  It was difficult to leave Hayden’s room, but with Keith hovering nearby, I knew I couldn’t stay long. And besides, I knew we’d be together again soon. Nothing was keeping us apart anymore.

  A soft smile was on my face as I quietly left his room. My good mood vanished the second I stepped into the hallway outside. My father was standing there, looking angrier than I’d ever seen him; even his altercation with Keith seemed calm compared to the heat in his eyes now. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

  My father clenched his hands tight; his entire body was shaking with restraint. “Myles and Nikki. They wouldn’t tell me where you were at first, but I eventually got it out of them.”

  Knowing he’d probably threatened them in some way, I cringed, then sighed. “What did you say to them?”

  Stepping forward, Dad ignored my question. “Are you testing me, Kenzie? Is that what this is? Because I meant everything I said. I will ruin your career before I let you be with him.” He pointed toward Hayden’s room; his finger was shaking with barely controlled rage.

  “He saved me, Dad. He pushed me out of the way, he took the hit for me.” I pointed back to his room as well; my finger was a lot steadier. “Hayden is the reason I'm not in that room.”

  A mixture of emotions rippled across Dad’s features—anger, uncertainty, hate, and, surprisingly enough, gratitude. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to say. Hayden doing something positive for me was probably beyond the realm of possibility for Dad. I might as well have told him a superhero had swooped down and lifted me to safety. “Mackenzie…everything happened so fast, you can’t be sure—”

  I cut off his argument with an icy glare. “He saved me, Dad.”

  Dad’s expression shifted into rigid disapproval. “He might have…helped you…for some reason…but that doesn’t change anything. He doesn’t get a pass for one good deed. You still can’t date him.”

  I inhaled a deep breath. Might as well get this over with. “Yes, I can. I’m an adult, and I’ll make my own decision about who I spend my life with. I love him, and he loves me. We’re going to be together, whether you like it or not.”

  As I stared at Dad, I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. Then he closed his eyes, and exhaustion swept over him; he suddenly seemed old and frail, like life h
ad smacked him down one too many times. “Please…don’t make me do this, Mackenzie.”

  “You’re not doing it, Dad. I am. I’m done. I quit.” Walking past him, I murmured, “As you once told me, racing isn’t everything.”

  Chapter 24

  My heart was pounding against my rib cage as I drove back to the track. I’d done it. I’d cut ties with my father, my family, and my career. I’d thrown away everything I’d ever wanted for a boy I’d known less than a year. It made absolutely no sense, and yet I didn’t regret my choice. I had to live my life my way, and not how my father wanted me to live it.

  The track was still chaotic when I got there, and everywhere I turned people were rippling with emotion. Most wanted answers, some wanted blood. Of the twenty-four riders entered in the event, ten had been involved with the wreck in some way, and four were in no condition to return to the track today. No one had died, from what I could tell, but at least one rider probably wouldn’t ever race again. It was heartbreaking; Hookup’s greed had hurt so many people.

  Since so many bikes and riders were injured, the officials decided to call the race as complete. Everyone’s positions were logged at the time of the wreck, which made even more people angry. The officials were determined to get to the bottom of what happened, and consequently they were all over the riders and crew. I was hustled into a meeting with them almost the second I stepped foot on the track, and when I left the interrogation, I was drained, and not entirely sure that I’d done the right thing.

  I’d kept quiet about everything I knew, everything Hayden had told me at the hospital. I hadn’t been sure that telling the officials about Hookup wouldn’t somehow come back to hurt Hayden—he was the one who’d given him access into this world, after all. Would he be punished for his small part in Hookup’s crime? I didn’t know, and that had kept me silent.

  Later that evening, the officials released their final statement on the wreck. They said that multiple overheated engines were at the root of the problem; a pair of bikes had gone down at almost the exact same time, and in almost the exact same way. Many people felt that it was too similar to be a coincidence, but no one had any clue who would be stupid enough to do such a thing. No one knew anything for certain, except Hayden and me.

  When I got back to the hotel after a long afternoon of shuffling between the track and the hospital, I saw Myles and Nikki sitting at the hotel bar. They both seemed subdued as they sat silently at a circular table, staring into drinks that looked untouched. I thought about ignoring them and going to my room, but honestly, I was tired of fighting with people. And I could use a drink; today had been one long, emotional roller coaster.

  Myles gave me a tentative smile when I sat between him and Nikki. “Hey, Kenzie…did you see where you ended up in the scoring?”

  I shook my head. I’d been too absorbed in other things to find out. And really, I think I’d subconsciously been avoiding the results. Since racing wasn’t going to be a part of my life anymore, my final standing didn’t really matter. Or at least, it wasn’t supposed to matter. God, I was going to miss racing.

  Myles’s grin grew wider as he leaned forward. “With the race being called early, you ended up in third place. Fifth overall. That’s a record for a female finish…and for Cox Racing. You know how long your dad has been trying to get into the top five. Not bad for your first year, Kenzie.” He held up his drink in a toast.

  “A record? Top five…? No one at Cox Racing has done that since Dad retired. Not you, not Jimmy…I never thought…Oh my God…” I hadn’t realized how well I’d done. My focus had shifted from winning races to winning money halfway through the year, and I’d lost a bit of that drive to succeed. It struck me now, full force, and tears of joyful sorrow pricked my eyes. Now that it was over, now that it was too late…it finally meant something to me again.

  Seeing that I was getting emotional, Nikki rubbed my back. “Hey, it’s okay, Kenzie. This is the first of many records for you. In fact, I bet you blast this one out of the water next year.”

  Sniffing, I wiped my eyes dry. “There is no next year. I quit racing. Today was my last day.” I supposed my glorious finish was a hollow victory anyway. Hookup had dinked around with the standings so much…who knows where I would have finished if this year had been a typical year. But still…I was in the record books. I’d done it. And now it was over. The reality of it all was crushing.

  Both Myles and Nikki looked like I’d socked them in the gut. “Quit? You can’t…” Myles’s voice trailed off, then he let out a low curse. “Is this because of us? Because we told your dad you went to the hospital to see Hayden? Was he mad when he found you?”

  “Mad” didn’t seem like a big enough word to cover it. “Furious,” more like. “No, it’s not because of you guys. I quit because I want to be with Hayden, and Dad won’t let me do that and race. I had to make a choice between the two…so I did.” And no matter what Hayden said, I wouldn’t let it tear us apart. It was my decision, and I stood by it.

  Nikki looked like she was about to cry. “Are you mad at us for telling your dad? Did we fuck up again?”

  I smiled as the melancholy began to lift. I was gonna be okay. “No, I’m not mad at anyone anymore. I’m done with rules and bans and fear. I’m through with hiding how I really feel, and…I love Hayden. We’re going to be together…hopefully you guys will be okay with that.”

  Feeling worried that they’d reject me like Dad had, I anxiously looked between the two of them. Nikki seemed okay with everything, but Myles frowned. “And what about what he did to me, Kenzie?”

  “It wasn’t him, Myles. It was—” I stopped myself before I said anything about Hookup. It was safer for Hayden if I kept that information to myself. “Hayden’s guilty of a lot of things, but in this, he’s innocent. He didn’t touch your bike. He was actually trying to help stop what was happening. And you’ll just have to take my word on that.”

  Myles narrowed his eyes at me. “You know something.”

  I flicked a glace around the bar to make sure no one was within earshot. “Nothing I can freely talk about, and I’ll deny knowing anything if anyone asks. You’ll just have to trust me on this one,” I said, raising an eyebrow pointedly at him.

  Myles sighed, then nodded. “I trust you. I don’t know if I trust him yet…but I do trust you.”

  “Good,” I said, slinging an arm around each of them. “Because I don’t think I could handle losing my two best friends on top of everything else. I’d go nuts for sure.”

  Nikki laughed, then sighed. “I can’t believe it’s all really ending…The three of us at Cox. Your dad closing shop. Myles and I moving on. You…retiring. It all seems so surreal. This wasn’t how I pictured your rookie season.”

  Me either.

  “Hey,” I said, turning to face her. “Not everything is changing. I’ll still be in Oceanside, and the three of us will still go out. Even if we’re not all working together, we’ll stay close. Deal?” I asked, holding a pinkie out to each of them.

  They both clasped fingers with me and we all shook on it. “Deal,” they said in unison.

  The remainder of the night was peaceful for me. Even though my future was hazy, I felt secure in the fact that I wasn’t alone. I had Nikki, I had Myles, and I had Hayden. And that was enough. It had to be.

  When my friends headed to the airport to go home the next morning, I went to the hospital to see how Hayden was doing. When I walked into his room, I immediately spun on my heel and made to leave. It was too late, though—I’d been spotted. “Cox? What the hell are you doing here?”

  Keith Benneti was standing beside Hayden’s bed, leaning on his crutch, looking shocked and pissed. He swung his gaze to Hayden and scowled; I swear, both Keith and my father had mastered the disapproving glare. “Care to explain to me what a member of Cox Racing is doing in your hospital room, Hayden? I thought I explained the rules clearly and concisely. No fraternization, period.”

  All the blood drained from Hayd
en’s face as he stared at his mentor. “Keith…I can explain…”

  Realizing that Hayden was in danger of losing his job too, I immediately stepped forward to try and defuse the situation. “I’m not a member of Cox Racing anymore. I quit.”

  Keith snapped his gaze back to me, and an amused fire danced behind his eyes. It sickened me to see him happy—this man had caused my family so much pain—but I ignored the bile rising up the back of my throat. It was Hayden’s happiness that mattered to me right now, and I wasn’t going to let this stupid ban burn us both. “You…quit?” he asked, his mouth widening in a smug smile.

  Swallowing the indignation, I straightened my shoulders. “Yes, I quit. I’m no longer a member of Cox Racing, and really, Cox Racing is dissolving as a company in a few weeks…so either way, the ban no longer applies to me. I’m free to be here, same as you.”

  Darkness swirled in his eyes after I said that, but it quickly evaporated into glee. A curt laugh escaped him. “You quit your father’s team right at the end of its pitiful existence? Wow, and people say I’m an asshole. Damn…that must have killed him. And if it didn’t…well, I have no doubt that seeing his daughter screwing a Benneti will put him one step closer to the grave.” He swung his meaty hand in Hayden’s direction. “Sure. If you really want to fool around with my best rider, then go ahead. I’ve got no problems with you, so long as you’re an ex-Cox.” Laughing, he limped over to me and put his hand on my arm; it took a lot of willpower to not pull away. “Just be gentle with him for a little while. I need him in tip-top shape next season. Top five next year, Hayes. You mark my words.”

  With that, he walked out of the room, leaving us alone. It was almost incomprehensible to me that Keith was okay with Hayden and I being together. Although, this wasn’t truly acceptance on Keith’s part, more like retaliation. I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it. In a daze, I walked over to Hayden’s bed and sat beside him. “Did he give us permission to date…just to piss off my dad?”