Page 71 of Taken By the Biker Daddies

I wished Lauren was here, too. I could just imagine her excitedly cheering me on and then jumping up and down with pride when I won. Maybe I could get to see that next time.

For now, I would just do my best to win for all three of them, and for Black Storm.

At the sound of the starting pistol, I propelled my bike forward. I could hear my engine roaring, and I had the usual urge to go as fast as I could, but dirt bike racing wasn’t just about speed. It was also about navigating the obstacles as smoothly as possible to reach the finish line first.

The race was in a forest so the track itself was an obstacle—narrow, uneven, bumpy, muddy. It was very easy to tip over, so I occasionally put my foot out, trying to maintain my balance. At other times, I stood up, gripping the bike with my knees and ankles while keeping the balls of my feet on the pegs.

I did that as I saw an upward slope in front of me, shifting my weight accordingly as I powered myself to the top and down on the other side.

So far, so good.

I was slightly ahead, too, though I knew if I let off the gas, Red would easily overtake me.

I wasn’t going to let that happen.

I kicked my bike into a higher gear, speeding up and allowing my bike to fly over some rocks and branches on the path. When I landed in a puddle, some of the mud splattered around me, but that was fine. It was called dirt biking for a reason.

And it was just as hard as I remembered, not just on the bike, but on the body as well. It had only been a few minutes, but I could already feel the layer of sweat forming between my skin and my tight jersey. I could feel the physical strain from controlling my bike as well, my core muscles burning. It was like a rigorous workout at the gym.

I loved it.

I had already hit my stride when suddenly, a branch fell in front of me. Thankfully, I managed not to fly off my bike as I hit the brakes, but I had to stop. Afterward, I looked up, catching a glimpse of maroon in the trees.

I frowned. I should have known the Devils would play dirty.

There was no time for me to complain about that, though. After Red flew past me, I quickly chased after him, hoping to regain the lead. It was difficult, though. He was better than I thought. Too good, in fact, like he had been doing this for a while. Did the Devils ever have an expert dirt bike racer among their ranks?

I decided to focus on the race, navigating the long stretch of rocky terrain ahead, which was followed by a ravine. Again, an obstacle dropped in my path. It was a bunch of rocks this time, just rolling out from nowhere like in a video game. It was a good thing I was able to go around them, riding sideways on the wall of the ravine.

It was a dangerous move, but after I pulled it off, I was neck and neck with Red. Now, I just had to pull ahead, but as I sped up, he slowed down, matching my speed so that we were side by side. I predicted his next move—trying to crash into me and force me off the track, maybe make me tumble down the slope to my left—so I evaded in time, but I had to keep my distance.

For now.

If I was going to win the race, I would have to find a way to overtake Red. And soon.

When we reached the bridge, I found my chance. All I had to do was just get across the ravine faster. As Red started to cross, I quickly looked around for something I could use as a ramp, finding an old, moss-covered log atop a boulder. I kicked into another gear as I traversed the ramp then stood up, pressing against my bike as I launched myself up and forward into the air. Mid-air, I shifted my weight, keeping the throttle under control as I prepared for landing. I managed to land on a flat area on the other side of the ravine nose first, then I kept my bike steady as I carried the momentum from my jump forward, using it to propel me to the finish line.

As soon as I passed it, the crowd of black jackets cheered triumphantly. As for me, it took a few seconds after I stopped my bike, took off my helmet, and caught my breath for the victory to sink in. When it finally did, I felt amazing.

I’d done it. I won the race.

I looked over at Harry, the leader of the Devils who now stood beside Red, who had also taken off his helmet. My eyebrows furrowed as I finally had a chance to see the face of my opponent. Hadn’t I seen him somewhere before on the internet? Wasn’t he a famous dirt bike racer?

I’d won, though, so I decided not to raise the issue. I just turned my attention to Harry.

“You better keep your word,” I told him. “No more bothering Black Storm or Lauren.”

“You mean your girlfriend?” Harry put his hands on his waist as he looked around. “Where is she, by the way?”

I frowned. “None of your business.”

“What? Did she break up with you?”

I knew what he was doing, but I decided to ignore his taunting.

“I won fair and square, so you better keep your end of the bargain,” I told him. “No weaseling out of it.”

Then I turned my back on him, walking to the other Black Storm members. But the head honcho of the Devils just wouldn’t shut up.

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