Page 39 of Feint

To anyone else, it might look like just a funny father-daughter moment, but I knew better. He was making sure the helmet was secure. Something he made sure was on tight more often but especially when we were at events like this after I had been in accidents in the past.

“Don’t worry! I’ve got this, Dad!” I bobbed my head excitedly and turned my attention back to the course as he stepped away from the car.

I pulled up to the starting line. The entire drift course lay before me, a new challenge of twists and turns. I revved theengine, the vibrations resonating through the steering wheel, making my soul come alive.

Dad stepped barely in view, his arm raised. I kept him in my peripheral vision but turned my attention down the track. Moments ticked by slowly, the signal was given, and I accelerated.

The first turn approached, and I felt the g-force pull me slightly to the side, but my five-point harness kept me from moving too much in my seat. With a swift flick of my steering wheel, I initiated the drift, the tires screaming in protest against the asphalt. The crowd erupted in cheers as I maneuvered through the course, my car sliding through these warm-up turns with ease.

Then, it was time for the feint maneuver. This one really required perfect split-second timing to execute. As I approached the tight corner, I shifted the weight of the car to the outside, tricking the onlookers into thinking I would drift that way. In the blink of an eye, I snapped the steering wheel into the opposite direction, the car responding with a breathtaking slide that left the crowd gasping in shock. What they didn’t know was I felt like I’d barely pulled that off. I knew my back end had almost knocked the cones out of place, and that would have been a major fail for points. No pressure, being the daughter of the best of the best—that was for sure.

But I smiled to myself as I continued navigating the rest of the course. It might have been some time since our last Flywheels event, but I thought I’d made it look like it was just yesterday! As I approached the final stretch, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. This love I had for cars and racing, instilled in me by my dad, had brought me to this exact moment, and I couldn’t be more grateful. The finish line loomed ahead, and I slammed my foot down on the accelerator, pushing it to thelimit. The tires gripped the pavement as I crossed the line, the cheers of my friends, family, and fellow racers hitting a high.

I let out a joyful whoop, the sense of accomplishment and exhilaration I got from racing hitting me right in the heart. It was overwhelming for a minute, but then I unbuckled and hopped out of my car, my friends coming over and giving me big hugs before moving out of the way for my dad, who also pulled me in for a hug.

“I’m so proud of you, Rosalie. My girl, showing that track what’s what,” he said as he squeezed me.

Then, he held me at arm’s length, and I swear his eyes were even a little glossy.

“It’s all because of you, Dad. Seriously, there is nothing more I love than being your daughter! I mean it!” I was beaming with pride. Getting praised by my dad was like the ultimate thing anyone in this world could ever hope to get. Dad had remained undefeated for twenty years in drifting and drag racing. He was the racing champion to beat here and worked hard to keep that title.

I walked over to chill with Mom as Dad went to go start the next race. As the night continued, the drifting competitions ended, and we moved on over to the drag strip. I could hardly contain my excitement. I had never done an official drag race like this before. Racing friends is one thing; doing it in such a professional setting was completely different.

The younger crowd was up first, and while I didn’t take home the victory here, it was such a crazy, fun experience to take my new car down the strip. I finished a bit in the upper middle of the pack, and while I wasn’t sure if it would ever be something like drifting to me, I totally wanted to get better at it!

Now, it was time to watch Dad. He pulled his gorgeous yellow Hellcat up to the starting line and got out, and Mom walked over. He smiled as she hugged him, and they parted ways. Hewaved to everyone and then made his way back into his car. He and the other racer’s car rumbled as the entire crowd silenced. I held my breath, watching as the lights ticked down. Dad’s car launched forward, the engine roaring cutting through the night.

We all gasped as my dad’s car popped a wheelie as it left the line. It was a fierce neck and neck at first. Then, halfway, my dad’s car hit another gear, and it pulled away as he crossed the finish line first. The cheers erupted in the stands, and I jumped up and down in my seat as Dad drove back down to the starting line. I watched as my mom ran over to him as he got out of his car. Tossing his helmet into the driver’s seat, he caught her mid-stride and pulled her in for a passionate kiss in front of everyone.

Like, whoooa, okay, Mom and Dad. Get a room, you two!

I giggled as I watched them part, and Mom’s cheeks lit up as she scolded him teasingly for that kiss. But Dad threw his head back and laughed as he hugged her tight. We all went back to the hangar, where I could have sworn I had seen Jayden from the corner of my eye, but when I really looked for him, he was gone. Mom said he just swung by to watch Dad and me drag race but went home before we came back from the track. But at least he had shown up even if it was for just a few moments.

This had to be one of the best nights of the whole year, and I got to spend it surrounded by almost everyone I loved. Almost.

CHAPTER 17

KORDELL

I’d been feelingoff since the day my girl had told me about her ex. Mix that with the fucking fact that the Suns had literally stolen my one chance at becoming vice president of the clubhouse by stealing our finished delivery for the Kkangpae, I’d been in a really shitty mood.

Going back and forth from her place to the clubhouse wasn’t really an option right now. Trying to salvage my new business deal with the Kkangpae was something I had to fix. And I had been spending all of this time racking my brain, trying to figure it out.

I hated being at the clubhouse right now. The looks everyone kept giving me since our storehouse had gotten hit by the Suns made my skin crawl.

Someone had said it was because I was too caught up in my girl that I wasn’t paying enough attention to the delivery. That I didn’t have enough men guarding the place and that was why the Suns were able to walk right in, take out the two guys there, and get away with the biggest weapons haul the BLVDs had ever put together in one place.

None of that was true, but no one really wanted to hear anything different, except Damien. She was the only one whobelieved me when I said no one should have even known about the location or the deal but myself, the two guards, and Mack. So, someone must have followed one of the other three without them knowing. But even though she was the president, she couldn’t go against an entire clubhouse without there being some severe backlash on her as well. That wasn’t something she could really afford at this moment either.

She knew how important this deal was to me, the fact that it made my bid for VP hang on the line with the elder members. The risks I had taken to secure it. But no matter what, at the end of the day, two of our members were dead, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were gone.

I had gotten in touch with Fortune and asked for another week. That a shipment had been damaged on its way to us and I wanted to get his entire order right. I said I’d throw in some extras and give him an additional five percent discount for his troubles and that this wouldn’t happen again. He’d told me that while it was disappointing to hear, he understood, wanting to complete the job in full.

But here we were four days away from that deadline, and the sergeant of arms just told us there was no way we were going to be able to get all the original supplies together in time. And the smug look he had, knowing this basically threw the VP position in his hands, pissed me the fuck off.

I was completely fucked.

Not only would this cost me my VP spot in the club, but it might also put a target on my back and any other BLVD Rider who enters the city. The Kkangpae was known to hold what they called a blood bounty. So, until the entire top members who were present during an incident gone wrong were all dead, they would have a death hit on them.

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