Page 47 of Cruel Savior

That whole excuse was BS. I might have wanted to prove something with this race, but I didn't have to. I would leave the compound with or without their permission. An image of them locking me away in some cage popped into my head again. I had no idea why that image haunted me. I'd seen no cage or anything like it to make me believe they might actually do something like that. But they did keep the layout and contents of their clubhouse on the down low. There were many rooms and even levels I'd seen none of thus far.

We slid into the next curve and this time I was able to get farther along before I had to hit the brakes to finish the turn. My heartbeat raced as I ended up right on the bumper of Axel's rig. I could see why they'd told me no bar banging. On that last turn I'd gained the upper hand, but Axel maintained his position in front of me by blocking my ability to pass.

This race wasn't just about speed. Track position and maintaining control were every bit as important as how fast the vehicle drove. We approached the start/finish line of the first lap, and I could see more people had gathered to watch. As we raced by the crowd, I thought I heard some woops and keep goings from the group.

This was it. There was only one more lap, so I had no more than a few minutes to make a play and get my way around Axel. Sliding into another turn, I maintained my speed and started to gain ground. Unfortunately, at the last minute he swerved left, cutting me off and ensuring I had to slow down and stay behind him.

Gah.

Sweat trickled down my back as I strong armed the wheel to keep the vehicle on the track and myself in the race. If this kept up, I was going to lose this whole thing. With my mind going a mile a minute trying to keep up, I didn't see the latest hill until both Axel and I caught air above it.

My heart jumped into my throat and I let out a whoop of excitement as I sailed through the air and then landed with a hard bounce. There was another turn coming up and this might be my last chance to take the lead. I leaned into the start of the curve kicking up a thicker layer of dust in Axel's direction.

Whether my actions caused it or something else had happened, Axel braked sooner than expected entering the turn. Oh my God, this was it. I could see the option to get ahead in front of me. I dive bombed the vehicle underneath him to cut the corner. Unfortunately, he recovered quickly and was this close to taking back the little ground I had gained and was closing the gap I'd created to get by him.

I glanced quickly to the side to look for options. There was only one, and if I wanted to win, I had to take it. I grinned wildly. They could argue later I’d cheated, but sometimes you had to do whatever it takes. I jerked the wheel to the right, bumping hard but quick against his vehicle. It was just enough to make some room.

Yes!I stomped on the gas and squeezed through by what felt like the skin of my teeth.Oh. My. God. I was in the lead!

And about to pee my fucking pants I was so excited. Laughter bubbled up from my chest and burst free. What the hell was happening? First mind blowing sex with the man I couldn’t stop thinking about and now this?

Who the hell was I and where had the real Amanda Turner gone?

I couldn't see Axel behind me, but I could practically feel him breathing down my neck. I could also imagine how pissed he was about me giving him a little bump out of the way.

Either way, I strong armed the steering wheel with everything I had, maneuvering myself into the middle of the road to keep him from passing me again. That would also create a lot of extra dust that would make it a little bit harder for him to see and maybe not catch me.

By the time we hit the last straightaway, and I could see the finish line, I caught sight of his vehicle in my peripheral vision. He was already past my back bumper bar thingy and moving up. I could try nudging him again, but I had a feeling if I pushed my luck too hard, I'd end up flipping this thing.

So, I did the only thing I could. I prayed and pushed the gas petal to the floor. The engine screamed. Hell, I screamed. The big tires bounced over the uneven terrain, and by the time we reached the last hill that would launch us over the finish line we were locked in a dead heat.

“Come on, baby!” I screamed as the rig hit air. At this point, I wasn't sure if I cared whether I won or lost anymore. This was the best moment of my life. It tasted like freedom and fun. When I landed with a hard bounce, I stomped on the brakes and skidded to a halt. I ripped the helmet off and threw back my head as the sound of my glee filled the air around me.

It didn't matter that I probably sounded like a cackling witch.

"Holy shit!" I vaguely heard someone exclaim. It was difficult to hear anything with the ringing in my ears and my entire body still vibrating from the rough, but exhilarating ride.

"I think she won."

My heart leapt into my throat.What?

Seconds later the vehicle was surrounded by hulking men in black leather cuts and some of their women too. They were all talking at once, but I couldn't hear a word they said. I was in shock. I had to admit, despite my confidence, it sounded crazy. I'd known I could hold my own but beating Axel hadn't been easy.

"Congratulations," Bear said, taking my helmet so I could climb out of the rig. "I don't know how you did that, but I'm impressed."

"Don't be. She cheated." I heard Axel's angry voice behind me and I turned to face him.

"Cheating is a strong word. I did what I had to in order to get the job done. It was harmless. Anyone would have done it."

"She's right about that," Tel interjected. "You banged the hell out of me last week."

Axel glared at his club brother for a moment before both men broke into huge grins. "You're right. No one likes a sore loser. I guess I owe the winner my congratulations."

While I didn't know exactly what that entailed, I did not expect it to be him hauling me against him and fusing his mouth to mine in front of the entire crowd.

Cheers and catcalls erupted and more than a few "get a rooms" were called out. All I knew was that by the time he released me I wasn't sure my legs were going to hold me up. My lips tingled, my everything else throbbed, and the happiest moment of my life had gotten impossibly better.

Chapter Twenty-Four

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