Page 54 of Going for Gold (Sweet Cravings 3)

"I'm just that good. Now...do you think we can get the guys to agree to be backup dancers for it? Or at least, get Tim to agree and have Bryce be his understudy?"

"Is that even a question? I'm pretty sure ballroom dancing is one of Tim's favorite hobbies."

"Really? I've never heard him mention it."

"Neither have I. But I'd be shocked if he didn't love it."

"Well, I hope you're right. We can talk to them about it after Bryce's race."

Chapter 23

Wednesday

Bryce

Alex lifted up one of the earphones of my noise canceling headphones. "Your woman is here," he said and let the headphone slap back against my head.

I left DMX blasting in my ears as I scanned the crowd. His music took me right back to growing up, reminding me of why I ran in the first place. It was always about survival. Today is no different.

My eyes fell on a sign in the crowd. "If You Race Against Bryce, Be Prepared to Pay the Price...Of Losing."

I laughed. Alina had tied in the fact that I was all about the money. Well, the sign was accurate. There was only going to be one winner, and it was definitely going to be me.

Tim pulled off my headphones. "You're up, sweet cakes."

I shook my head. Why did he always call me that?

"Bring home our gold," Alex said and slapped my back. He had won a bronze earlier today and Tim had won a silver. All together we'd have a sweep. Not that I needed any more motivation.

"Done." I walked onto the track.

This was the most important race of my life. It was a race for my life. But I had always run for my life. Despite what I told myself, this race was different. Because it wasn't just about me, it was about Em too. Losing wasn't an option. I jumped up and down before leaning down and putting my feet in the starting blocks. I was on the inside track. Ervan Cook was directly to my right. Eat my dust, Cook.

"Runners on your marks!" The announcer said.

I looked down the track. I had no backup plan. All I was relying on was my own speed. I had briefly thought of tackling Cook at the last second if I needed to. But that would just result in me getting disqualified. Rodrigo said I had to win. Winning was the only option. I took a deep breath and pressed my fingertips into the track. I could almost hear my blood bumping.

The horn sounded, signaling the start of the race. My feet flew off the starting blocks. That's how I always liked to think. I wasn't running. I was fucking flying. And never in my life had I flown this fast.

I didn't look toward my right. I focused on the finish line and the cheers in the crowd. Cheers for me. The hot Brazilian breeze rushed past me, somehow heightening the roar from

the stands, somehow making me feel even more alive.

I could see Cook in my peripheral vision. Only Cook. I knew why he was favored to win. He was damn fast. I had studied his tapes. And I knew exactly how to beat him. He was used to winning. He was used to always being ahead. He didn't know how to come from behind, because he never had to. And there was no way in hell I was letting him pass me.

It felt like my feet were barely touching the ground as I ran through the finish. I didn't bother reducing my speed slowly. I skidded to a stop and turned back to the stands. Alina was screaming, jumping up and down, waving the sign in the air. The next moment, Alex, Tim, and a bunch of my teammates were lifting me in the air, carrying me toward the podium where they were going to hand out the medals.

I did it. I fucking did it. This was everything I had ever worked toward. And more. This medal meant so much more. I wasn't ashamed of the tears that ran down my cheeks. I beat Ervan Cook, the fastest sprinter in the world. Which meant I was the fastest sprinter in the world. At least the fastest at the 100 meter dash.

The next few minutes were a blur. I stood on the top tier of the podium and bent my head as the gold medal was placed around my neck. I put my hand on my chest as they played the national anthem. My eyes teared up again. I was safe. Em was safe. I knew that I still had more to do in order to get us out of this mess. But I wasn't going to think about that right now. Right now, I had just won gold and that was all that fucking mattered.

"You're fast as lightening, man," Cook said in a very Jamaican accent. He was sporting the silver medal. He had already won several golds in other events. I shook hands with Cook and the guy who won bronze.

All the while, my eyes scanned the crowd. There was only one thing I wanted. And then I saw her, running toward the crowd that had formed in front of the podium.

Chapter 24

Wednesday

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