Page 119 of Little Psycho

"Nah, I'll be here with the majority of these fuckers streaming the race on my phone," he laughs, graciously helping me off the shiny hood of his car."Ah, there they are," he says, raising his hand in the air, waving the guys over.

"Well, I'll be riding with Dom, and I can't wait.But I need you to do me a favor," I tell him, feeling slightly worried about Ash and Kill.

"Sure, Little Mystery...anything."He smirks, a flirtatious gleam swirling in his eyes.

"I need you to keep an eye on Killian and Ash for me," I sigh, speaking in a whisper."A lot happened earlier, and I just want to make sure they're okay."

As they get closer, Five notices their appearances—the cuts all over their faces, their bloody, busted lips, and of course their swollen, black eyes—and his jaw drops slightly, a look of shock etched onto his face.

"What the fuck happened?"

Quickly, I try to think of something to tell him, not wanting the truth about their fathers to be broadcast."They got jumped by like four guys, I think they said."

The guys walk up to us before anything else can be said, and I'm fucking grateful, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Man, you three are looking rough," he states sympathetically."Are you sure you're alright to race, Dom?"

Dom nods, finally allowing a smile to grace his lips."Yeah, I'm good.I need this, Five."

"And you two are sitting it out, is that right?"Five looks between Killian and Ash, worried but keeping my secret.

"Yeah, I can't fucking see out of my eyes," Kill admits, hanging his head.

Ash just nods, clearly not in the talking mood, but subtly sneaking glances at me every chance he gets.

"No worries, man.I'm not racing either, so I'll be here if you all need anything."He offers them a smile before turning to Dom, his grin widening."Alright, if you'll excuse me," he murmurs, taking some paper out of his back pocket and waving it in the air."I've got to go put your tag on your car since the sprint is about to start."

Five walks off, leaving the four of us huddled in a close circle, embracing the cold and relishing the time we have alone.The frigid air wraps around us like a thick fog, magnifying the electric energy of the crowd, but I find solace in the warmth of the guys' presence.I glance over at Dom, who’s rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes scanning the street anxiously, clearly itching to get behind the wheel.

"What the fuck are we even doing here?"Ash finally speaks up, his voice low and laced with frustration."We just went through hell tonight, and now we’re supposed to cheer for a race?It feels wrong."

Kill nods in agreement, his features tight with concern."It's all a bit surreal, you know?Like we’re just fucking pretending everything’s fine."

I take in their expressions, weighing their words.Maybe this place isn’t the escape I thought it would be.

"It’s okay to feel that way," I murmur, reaching out to rest my hand over Ash's."We're still feeling the aftermath of everything that happened.Tonight, maybe we just need to find a moment where we can breathe."

"And where I can fucking breathe is behind the wheel of my car, doing what I love and do best," Dom chimes in, sounding positive."For me, racing is my therapy, and it's the only thing that I knew would make me forget about tonight...for now, anyway."

Ash’s gaze softens as he meets my eyes, the tension in his shoulders relaxing slightly."I just want to know we’re safe.It’s hard to shake off the fear when it’s so fresh."

"You will be," I reassure, squeezing his hand."You’re all going to be safe."

Dom catches my eye with a grateful yet strained smile, and just then, a loud cheer erupts from the crowd, signaling the beginning of the race.My heart thunders in tune with the rumbling engines roaring to life, and I can’t help but take a step closer to the center of the dead end street, drawn in by the thrill.

"Are you ready, Dom?"I ask, watching him closely as Five walks back over to us.

"More than ever," he replies, his resolve hardening.He shifts on the balls of his feet, the anticipation etched in every line of his body."I’ll win this for us—all of us—to give us something good to hold onto."

My heart swells at his determination, a light barely starting to fight through the shadows.I give him a soft nod, trusting in his ability to channel the chaos into something worthwhile.

"Alright, your tag is on and you're officially a driver, so it's go time, Dom," Five says excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

The sound of the engines creates a symphony of raw power that reverberates through my chest.I can feel the adrenaline pulsing in the air—intoxicating, liberating.In spite of everything weighing us down, the spirit of the night stirs a sense of hope within me.

“Let’s get going," I squeal, making sure to give the guys a hug and kiss before Dom and I head for his car.

We weave in and out of the crowd, laughter and shouts echoing around us, filling me with an infectious sense of freedom.As soon as we're in Dom's car and he starts the engine, listening to it purr beneath the hood, I reach over and grab his hand, anxious but ready to speed off into the night and leave our worries behind.

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