I get back into the car and he leans in. “You’re in the fourth row, best spot to be. You’re not on the ends, or dead center. Watch out because Sheyenne is always on the end and she’ll try to push you in. You get scared, you pull off. That simple. This is fun, okay?”

I nod, but we both know as soon as Sheyenne challenged me, it became about more than fun.

“Now, get over there and show me what you’re made of.”

He presses a kiss to my lips and then steps back. I wind up the window and pull the car to the starting spot. My palms are sweating and my stomach is twisting as I watch the girl walk out into the middle of the road. She’s got the flags in her hands. She looks around, smiles, and then holds them up in the air. I get the car ready, holding the steering wheel like it’s my lifeline.

When she lowers them, I put my foot down. The car roars forward and the sounds of the other cars zooming off makes it damned loud in here. I bound towards the first corner, with three cars beside me and two in front. We take it easily and I study my opponents. The two cars in front of me are quite close. If I can edge to my right I might be able to get around them.

Deciding that’s my plan of attack, I start edging to my right and picking up speed. I hit the gas when I see a gap, and soar right past them. Pride and desperation compete in my chest as I come up against the car in first place. The two I just passed are close behind me and could make it past me at any second. I study the track and try to remember where the next corner lies. I recall it being a sharp one, so I pull in to my left slightly.

I’m right, and the drivers behind me are forced to slow down because they hit at the wrong angle. This gives me the jerk forward I need. I close in on the car currently in first, excitement building high. It’s then I realize that car belongs to Sheyenne. Great. I don’t focus on that, but instead on the plan of attack.

Another corner is coming up that’s sharp, I need to get around her just after it for me to be able to win this thing. As we approach the corner, I tuck myself in the inner lane and come up beside her. Apparently she does not like this because she swerves her car towards mine, making me jerk my hand and therefore my car to the left. I have to quickly correct it before I spin out of control.

By this time another car has passed me. Anger flares and I hit the gas and bring the car back up near the two at the front. I’ll bring her down for that. I pass the first one and am faced with Sheyenne again. I anticipate her move because I’ve watched her race before, and brake right as she jerks her car towards mine. She pulls too hard and ends up turning the front of the car too much towards the middle. I take this chance to get around her.

Suddenly, I’m in the lead.

My heartbeat picks up and my palms become sweaty as I see the finish line. I glance behind me. There’s a different car coming up close, and any second he’s going to get around me. This is my chance to give it all I’ve got. I drop the car down a gear and I put my foot flat to the ground. She roars and growls, speeding up and screaming towards the finish line.

I cross it two car spaces in front of the other one.

I screech to a stop and am screaming with joy when Tazen opens my door. He’s screaming something too, but I launch out of the car. He lifts me up and my legs wrap around his waist. He holds me tight, yelling something in my ear but I can’t hear it past the roaring of the crowd.

I won.

I fucking won.

“Holy fucking shit,” Tazen yells, putting me down. “Baby, you won!”

“I won!” I scream.

His smile is so big it’s infectious. People are around me, patting my back and congratulating me. The announcer tells the crowd I’ve won, and they erupt into cheers. I’m new, but they know who Tazen Watts is, so therefore, they put their money on his car. They made the right choice.

So did I.

A moment later, I’m being handed a thick bundle of cash. “Your winnings.”

My … winnings?

I stare down at it. There has to be ten thousand dollars here. I stop breathing.

“Baby,” Tazen says into my ear. “You fucking won!”

“Th-th-th-this money is mine?”

“Fuck yeah, it’s yours, and well earned. You little firecracker.”

This money will change my life.

Holy shit.

“You fucking cheated!”

I turn to see Sheyenne storming towards me. She’s furious, enough for Tazen to put his arm at my belly and push me around behind him.

“She fucking cheated, running me off the track. I could have been killed.”

I lean around Tazen. “If I recall, you pushed me first. Don’t be a sore loser, Sheyenne.”

Her body jerks and she roars, “I’ll kick your ass! Let’s do it again, right here, right now.”

I snort. “No thanks, I already won. You go and stroke your pride, it’ll make you feel better.”

Tazen laughs just as Murray approaches Sheyenne.

“It was luck,” Sheyenne spits at me. “Luck!”

“Or,” I say, grinning. “You just suck.”

She lunges forward, skidding to the side to try and get around Tazen and get to me. Tazen puts his foot out and she trips over it, toppling down. She glares up at him when she hits the ground and he leans down, staring her right in the eyes. “No one touches my girl, Sheyenne. If you want to see a bad side of me, try it again.”

“That stupid slut cheated.”

“And,” Tazen growls. “No one calls her names.”

“Sheyenne,” Murray says and for the first time I notice he looks exhausted, like he’s just had enough. He reaches down and lifts her. “Let’s go.”

“This isn’t over!” She screeches at Tazen. “I will destroy you, I know what you’ve done and I am going to take you and your stupid little girlfriend down, Tazen Watts! You’ll pay for all of this.”

Tazen grinds his jaw and flicks his eyes to Murray. “I’m done with this, Murray. Done with her destroying my cars, done with her threats and her bullshit. I swear to you now, if she goes to the cops, I will destroy everything you’ve worked for and take you down with me.”

Murray flinches.

Sheyenne keeps yelling, “You know nothing about him, but I have everything on you, Tazen. I am going to destroy you.”

Murray’s jaw clenches and he spins Sheyenne towards him. “We’re done here, Sheyenne. You won’t be opening your mouth and you won’t be saying a damned word, because if you do I am going to take you down with me.”

She blinks and then screeches, “You won’t do anything of the sort. You’re all crazy!”

She throws her hands up into her hair and screams loudly. For the first time, I see it. What Tazen was talking about. She’s lost it. There’s something clearly wrong with her. Murray watches her, and something flashes across his face. Then he takes her wrist and tugs her hands from her hair. “We’re done here. You’re at the end of the rope, Sheyenne. You need help.”

“Don’t you tell me what I need,” she bellows. Everyone is staring at us now.

“You do as I say,” Murray grunts. “Or I will cut you off. Without me, you will have none of this!”

She stops screaming and blinks at him. “You wouldn’t do that to me, Murray.”