Page 42 of Played

Mal took a step past River. Looking right, she saw what her friend was talking about. “I got our back covered. They needed to walk away before things got stupid.”

“River.”

Too late.

River leaned against the pit opening, looking bored as Laurel walked into her space. “Can help you with something?”

“Yes, stay away from Riot, he’s mine.”

“Are you sure? Because you don’t sound sure.”

“He fucked me last night, bitch.”

River didn’t flinch. Smiling as another racer walked past, she nodded her head in response. “I don’t think he was, Laurel.” River turned her head just enough to make eye contact with the bitch. “Sweetheart, I was all over that dick last night.” She hadn’t been, but she was calling Laurel’s bluff. Problem with Laurel was that she had a hardcore poker face, never giving anything away. Watching Laurel laugh as she walked away frustrated River.Bitch, you better laugh now because one day you won’t.“Mal, have Dan check the bikes again please.” Why the sight of Laurel and Archer there made her twitchy she couldn’t explain.

“Do not let them get under your skin. Archer isn’t racing today, no need to worry about them.”

“You think I’m fucking scared of Archer Morgan and his bitch? Do you?” Cocking her head to the side, River waited for Mal to answer. What the fuck, now her team doubted her. She watched Mal hold up her hands in surrender. Yeah, she was being a bitch. The simple fact was she hadn’t heard from Riot in days. He sent her the damn song response, which told her he missed her damn body. Did he miss all of her? That is what she wanted to know. Or did it mean he thought all she wanted was his body?Damn him for throwing a wrench in her well laid out plan.

Laughter from behind her made River turn to see who was there. Fucking Laurel again, waltzing by with other racers. Shaking her head, River walked away as her phone went off. Thinking it may be Riot, she glanced at the message… it wasn’t exactly him, but it was him and Laurel. Picture after picture popped up on the screen. Very explicit images of the two of them tangled up in the sheets. River stumbled as her heart hit her stomach. She’d been a fool to think he really wanted to be back with her.Stupid foolish girl is what she was.

“Hey! You good?” Mal called after her. Waving her off, River shut down the phone before she threw up from the reality of it all.

***

River rolled through turn seven, twisting the throttle as she came out of it into the straightaway. Nine more turns and the race would be behind her.

She felt it when the rear tire broke loose, and the bike went into a wobble. She relaxed her grip, hoping the bike would right itself. Then the world was upside down and River was tossed like a ragdoll, flipping through the air. Her body met the gravel much faster than she would have thought. She slid across the ground. When she looked up, the bike was flying through the air straight at her. Tucking her head deeper into herself, she felt the air rush past her as the bike crashed twenty feet from her.

River could do nothing but lay there as her body protested against her urgency to get up and move as the bike caught fire. Everything rushed in like someone had pulled a rubber band tight and released it. Closing her eyes, her mind tried relaxing as she told her body to respond to her commands. The pain rushed in a second later and she saw stars as her brain’s receptors recognized what happened.

Riot.

Waking up in the back of an ambulance was a bitch. River tried not freaking out. She knew for a fact that wherever Mal and Dan were, they were stressed out enough for all of them. For fuck’s sake, what was her deal with crashing lately?

***

Don’t do it, the little voice in Mal’s head screamed. Yet she ignored it as she called Riot.He’s gonna be so pissed.

Riot walked out of the meeting with the Pennzoil people, loosening his tie. One more small win for River. Securing a small sponsorship from those guys meant things like oil, gaskets, etcetera. Maintenance on bikes got expensive, even in the offseason. He wondered what River was doing.

Grabbing his phone to answer an incoming call, he climbed into the driver seat of his car. He was ready for a hot shower and an early dinner. “Hello?”

“Riot, it’s Mal.”

His hand trembled as he heard Mal. She would not be calling if everything were good. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s River.”

“What about River? Mal?”

“She ran that race you set up.”

“What race? Where is she?”

“The one you and Ben set up in Sonoma. You didn’t show up for her. She’s in Sonoma Valley Hospital. We aren’t sure what’s going on yet.”

“Don’t bullshit me, what the fuck happened?”

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