LainaMason came into the bathroom on Saturday morning as I was blow-drying my hair. He gave me a pat on the ass and looked me up and down before brushing his teeth. I finished drying my hair and brushed it out as toothpaste gathered in the corners of his mouth. He made the okay symbol with his fingers as he checked me out again. I laughed at his approval of my outfit, just skinny jeans and a gray tee. I had on a gold necklace and bracelets to spruce it up a bit, but it was pretty simple. He spat and rinsed. “Where are you off to?” “Ginny and I have plans for brunch. And I need the distraction before the race tonight.” He came and rested his hands on my hips. “I could distract you all day if that’s what you want.” I pushed lightly at his chest. “Ginny wouldn’t appreciate being ditched just so I could fuck.” “I think she’d understand,” he said as he leaned in and kissed all up the side of my neck with his soft, war
Laina I bit my bottom lip as a smile stretched my cheeks. “Yeah. If he’ll let me, I’d like to.” “He’ll let you. He’s super into you, Laina. I can tell. I’ve caught him looking at you the same way I look at wine. It’s a match made in heaven.” “I’m glad you can compare our chemistry to your relationship with wine.” “And cheese. I don’t discriminate.” I shook my head and laughed at her. “Thanks, Gin. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re always there to talk me down from the ledge.” “And I always will be.” “Cheers to that,” I said, lifting my glass. Ginny and I tapped the edges of our glasses together, and by the time we’d set them back down, our food had been delivered. I busied myself with cutting up the vegetables in my skillet, and as I lifted my first bite to my mouth, I froze. My vision blurred for a second, and nausea rolled through my gut. “Are you okay?”
MasonBenji’s face looked a hell of a lot better than it had just days ago. He stepped into the shade of my garage and joined me and Rick, who were standing and admiring the Boxster while we sipped our beers. I grabbed one for Benji and tossed it to him. He cracked it open, took a swig, and nodded at the car. “She good to go?” “Yep,” I said. Benji nodded. “And you? You’re ready?” I smirked. “Look who you’re talking to. Of course I’m ready.” Benji and Rick shared a look. “Don’t be a pair of wussies,” I said. “It’s one more race. We can’t back down now. I won’t. This is my chance to—” “We know,” Rick said. “Take back your title. Believe me, we know. It’s all we’ve heard about for the last few weeks. I’ll be happy to put this shit behind us for good.” I shrugged. “Suit yourself.” My phone started buzzing in my pocket as Benji and my brother chatted about the Boxster. It was an unkn
Laina“Laina!” The voice was familiar. Comforting. Safe. But it sounded so far away like I was under water. Like they would never reach me in time. In time for what? It was dark wherever I was. No. My eyes were closed, and my head was pounding as if someone had clocked me with something heavy. The voice came again. It was my name they were calling. I tried to open my mouth and make my voice work, but no sound came out. My tongue was thick and dry and oh so heavy. Where the hell was I? Why did I feel like this? So useless? Another voice cut through the silence. “Hello, Laina. You’ve been out for quite a while. I was starting to think we gave you too much.” I groaned and forced my eyes open. I found myself staring at a gorgeous woman with dark hair and features. She was truly beautiful, but the smile she wore was all menace and no kindness. She was sitting in a chair in front of me with her l
Laina “No,” I said. “Stop this! This is madness!” Mason lifted his hand to silence me. I started shaking. I couldn’t control it. I watched, terrified, as Mason moved toward Evelyn. He kept advancing on her, even as her hands began to shake, and the gun trembled in her grip. The safety was off. All she had to do was pull the trigger. “Stay where you are, Mason,” Evelyn demanded. He didn’t listen. He kept moving closer. She slipped out from between him and the nightstand and backed away into the corner. She had nowhere else to go, and he was still closing the space between them. “I said stay where you are!” she screamed. “No,” Mason said. His voice was calm and low. Evelyn gritted her teeth, and he boxed her in. Soon he was so close, the barrel of the gun was resting against his chest. I wanted to close my eyes, but I didn’t dare look away. Mason leaned in close to Evelyn, and she
MasonThe final race of The Streets was held at the same place as the first one, the docks. When Laina and I arrived, the place was spilling over with people. They were set up all the way down the street to get as good of a spot as they possibly could before the race started in four minutes. We had made it in the nick of time. Laina’s eyes were closed as we rolled through the crowd. I rested a hand on her knee, and she looked over at me. She was tired. I could see it in her eyes. “I’m okay,” she assured me. I had called Benji after picking up Laina. He would have been a mess of nerves waiting to hear if his sister was well, and when he answered the phone, he sounded like a man waiting on a bad diagnosis from his doctor. After finding out Laina was okay, he breathed a sigh of relief and told me that he and Rick and Ginny were standing guard by my Boxster on the track. Harley had postponed the race an extra fifteen minutes to make sure we got there in
Mason “Harley,” I said, catching her arm as she turned from me. She stopped and looked up at me. Her eyebrow arched, and she waited. “I mean it. Thank you.” She smiled and rolled her eyes at me. “All this groveling is sort of a turn-off, Mason. You’d better get your act together, or I might get over this crush I have on you.” I laughed, and she winked at me before she marched to the red X she had painted at the front of the line. “Gentlemen,” she cried, commanding the attention of everyone on the street. “You have sixty seconds before the final race in The Streets begins. Start your engines.” I jogged over to Rick’s Jeep as the crowd around my car dispersed. Rick grabbed my hand as I extended it to him, and we bumped shoulders. “Good luck, brother. Don’t fuck up.” “I won’t,” I said. “Good luck,” Ginny chimed. “Murder them,” Benji growled. Laina shook her head at her brother and then wrapped
Laina“He’s got it,” Benji said beside me. We were all crowded at the end of the track. The cars were flying toward us. Mason was in the lead. He was so close. My heart raced, and my whole body strained against the anticipation. Then his car blew over the finish line. The crowd erupted in cheers, and people leaped into the air, throwing their fists up to celebrate Mason’s victory. I let out a shrill scream of joy that made me a little dizzy. Benji steadied me where I stood on the side step of Rick’s Jeep. I hadn’t been tall enough to see over the crowd. I watched Mason’s car slow to a stop. Mark and Sid’s cars came up behind him. I was about to hop down and go to the edge of the track so that when the last cars passed the line, I could rush to meet Mason, but something caught my eye. Movement near Mason’s car. He was getting out. “Uh-oh,” Rick breathed. “What’s happening?” Ginny asked. She