“Of course.” The twins drew closer, their smiles telling me they knew something I didn’t. Brock blinked and then closed my hands around the car keys. “It’s your car.”
“Mine…?” I didn’t begrudge a girl for wanting jewellery or fine perfumes, but Brock knew the key to my heart. Probably anticipated that it was thudding so hard in my chest I felt like it would break out of my ribcage and roll around on the floor, bleeding everywhere. “You can’t mean it.” I started handing the keys back, but his grip tightened.
“Jamie—”
“Here we go.” Hunter rolled his eyes at Hayden. “You know we’re never going to top this. Like never ever.”
“Shut up, idiot.”
Hayden shoved his elbow into his brother’s ribs as he stared at me.
“But it’s your car.” I tried to force him to take it back, but Brock didn’t move an inch. “You got that tattoo?—”
“Tattoo?” Hunter scrubbed his face. “Jesus, we are freaking doomed.”
“That tattoo isn’t about the car.” I moved forward at Brock’s words, my hands going to his shirt. I had one button popped before I could think twice about it. “It was never about the car.” The twins drew closer to peer at the body art revealed.
“So why did you…?”
I ran my fingers over the shape of the car inked onto his skin, feeling the smattering of chest hair shift. His hand slapped down over mine, holding me in place. I could feel his heart beating then, just as fast as mine.
“Because I wanted you, loved you for so damn long, Jamie. I couldn’t say anything because you worked for me, because you were Millie’s best friend.” He sighed as I looked up at him. “Because I was too gutless to say anything, so instead I focussed on finding the right parts, stripping the car down to the bare shell and rebuilding it.” He pressed the keys into my palm. “For you.”
I needed to say thank you. I needed to explain how much this meant to me, but when I looked around wildly, all I saw was them. The men who loved me all this time. The men who had waited patiently for me to see them. Well, I did right now, up until the point my eyes filled with tears, and that had me grinning like an idiot.
“Oh my god, I’ve cried more in the past week than I have in my whole life,” I spluttered, trying to wipe them away.
“Because you’re happy,” Brock said, snaking an arm around my shoulders.
“Because you feel safe enough to show how you actually feel.” Hayden’s hand landed on my shoulder, rubbing in reassuring circles.
“Because we’re fucking awesome.”
Hunter’s cocky response had me snorting, then laughing in earnest, but I knew the truth. It was because when I was feeling vulnerable, they clustered around me, forming a wall between me and the world. Hayden was right, I did feel safe, because I knew they’d do anything to protect me. That’s why I pressed my forehead to Brock’s chest and just breathed. I couldn’t work out how I’d gotten this lucky, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t take full advantage of that. I pulled away finally and shook the keys.
“Better get in the car then, passenger princess.”
“Passenger princess…”
Brock’s growl had me jerking free, grabbing my bag from the table as I made for the door, him hot on my heels.
“You’re gonna kill it on the track,” Hayden said, standing in the doorway of my place as we went to the stairs.
“Take some photos of your brothers spewing up.” Hunter threw me a thumbs up. “We did that to Millie and managed to blackmail her for ages.”
I just smiled, feeling in my guts that this was going to be a perfect day. The sun was shining, my heart was light and full all at the same time, and I had one burly, beautiful man at my side, while two others stood watching us go. Right now I had everything I’d ever needed.
Well, as well as this.
I would’ve always slid into the driver’s seat with an air of reverence, but now? My hands shook for just a moment as I slid the key into the ignition. Once the engine fired up, I gave it a rev, no doubt pissing off the neighbours, but I couldn’t seem to care. This car was a freaking beast, throbbing with power, and when I was behind the wheel, I felt the same way.
“Ready?” I asked Brock as he pulled his seat belt on.
“I’ve been ready for you for years, Jamie.” He winked then. “Just waiting for you to catch up.”
I let out a little growl, then grinned through the windshield before taking off down the road.
Every part of me wanted to go and trawl through the aisles of cars at the car show, but once we arrived we were instructed to take the HQ to the pit area at the back. Waivers were signed, payments made, and then I was pulling on a helmet and a racing suit. My features were hidden by the helmet and the loose racing suit, turning me from Jamie into someone completely anonymous.