Page 230 of Heart So Hollow

I guess that’s what happens when you insult the wrong girl…

???

The route is a half-loop that begins at Leland’s driveway and ends at the ramshackle motorcycle shop. Technically, it crosses into Grayson County at the bridge over Hellbranch Creek and then back again as the road circles around Wyandot. I’ve never raced the southern route, only the north, and just once.

Bowen grins over at me from the left lane, revving his Lancer as he pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. As soon as we peel away from Leland’s house and explode out of the pines lining the road, it starts veering east and the sun is low enough that it’s not blinding anymore.

Not surprisingly, my Civic is faster than Bowen’s Lancer—if only slightly. I’m also a fucking amazing driver. It’s enough that I can pull away after drifting around the curve at Becker Road, just missing Bowen as he nearly fishtails into me. We slingshot down the straightaway and gun our engines, heading for Hellbranch Creek.

It only takes a split-second, but I catch a glint of blue off to the right side of my windshield, further up the road.

“Fuck!” I roar into the dashboard as my eyes dart back and forth across the road.

Catching the reflective street sign for Arvin Road, I slam on my brakes just in time to skid around the corner and still stay on the pavement. Bowen doesn’t follow, shooting past me and flying toward the bridge. I glance in my mirrors in enough time to see the lights flash to life and a Canaan Police Explorer dart out from behind a catalpa tree and take off after Bowen’s car.

Then the realization hits.

“Mother—” I bring my fist down so hard on the wheel, I’m shocked it doesn’t snap the steering column, “fucker!”

They’ll chase Bowen to the bridge at Hellbranch, but they won’t pursue him further. And he knows it. And with that bit of knowledge, he’s already won and we’re not even at the halfway point.

I have to circle around even further west to make it back to the route and continue on to Grisham Road. By the time I get there and roll into the parking lot at Grumpy’s, it’s just as crowded as it was at Leland’s and Bowen’s car is parked next to the blown-out garage door. I come squealing to a halt, throw open my door, and storm across the asphalt without bothering to shut it.

Ignoring everyone around me, my eyes are trained on Bowen as I march across the lot. When Mason jogs over to my side, he quickly realizes what’s about to happen and grabs my shoulder, but I shove him away before he can stop me. As soon as Bowen turns around, and I see that shit-eating grin of his, I want to smash his fucking teeth into his throat.

I seize him by the front of his shirt and slam him up against his car, triggering an eruption of shouts around us.

“You think I don’t know what that was, motherfucker?” I snarl in his face.

Amidst the chaos, I can hear Evie somewhere over my shoulder yelling my name. Then Hildy’s shrill screams drown out Evie as she bellows in my ear like a fucking banshee.

“How was I to know?” Bowen drawls, that stupid fucking grin still on his face, “You never know where those assholes are hanging out.”

I pull him forward and slam his back against the passenger side door again, “But you know where they hang out…”

Everyone goes quiet.

“Oh, shit,” Mason murmurs.

“You know they won’t stop you,” I growl, just inches from his nose.

“Be a mistake if they did,” Bowen looks me up and down, studying my face for a few seconds, “just like it’d be a mistake if you don’t calm the fuck down,” he winks.

He fucking winks.

Suddenly a shout cuts through the air from the back of the crowd, “Cops!”

As the red and blue lights get closer in the distance, the parking lot bursts to life and everyone scatters. Mason shouts in my ear, pleading with me to forget Bowen before we all get hauled off to jail. I finally release Bowen and let him and a few others drag me off toward our cars.

I spin around, looking for Evie. She’s gone. I need to find her.

Three Jackson County Sherriff SUVs whip into the lot on the other side of the building, lights flashing. Mason’s right, the Canaan police might not care about Bowen, but the county doesn’t give a shit who any of us are. My head on a swivel, I scan the tree line where people are darting around and jumping in and out of cars before tearing out of the lot.

Then I see her.

She’s standing at Jay’s car and Hildy’s grasping her arm through the passenger window. Evie looks over her shoulder and then turns to say something to Hildy. Hildy is protesting, tugging at Evie, but Evie pulls her arm away. Jay yells something at both of them before Evie backs away and waves her arm at them. My eyes round as Jay guns the engine and peels out of the lot, leaving Evie behind in a spray of gravel.

A second later, I finally realize what the hell she’s doing.

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