Page 48 of Disorder (Elite of Elmwood 2)

I was theirs. And no one was to mess with me unless they wanted a problem with the Elite.

“I told you the guys would be all over her,” Mads murmured to Brock. “What are you going to do about it, Taylor? Let them hit on your girl?”

I poked her in the side as I hissed through my teeth, “Stop trying to stir up trouble.”

Her lips curved at the corners. “I can’t help myself. He makes it so easy.”

Stitch smiled at me in slow appreciation. “Josie James. Heard you moved up in the world. Don’t tell me you’re running with these four.”

“Hey, Stitch. When did you start racing?” I said, quickly changing the subject.

“I don’t. I just organize them.”

How did I not know about this? I’d lived in these parts of Elmwood my entire life. I went to school with most of these guys. I’d been to races on the track with my dad, but never any on the streets. Ainsley would eat this shit up. It seemed like one of those exclusive pop-up events you needed to know someone to get an invite to.

Ainsley and I were never that cool.

But the Elite were.

I glanced around the abandoned parking lot stuffed with cars of every make and model. Neon lights lit up from underneath many of the cars as music bumped. “Interesting little side hustle you have.”

He shrugged. “It beats working a part-time job. Harvey’s here.”

“Harvey,” I choked. Like my ex-boyfriend Harvey? Fuck. I hadn’t seen him in months. After the asshole cheated on me, I’d be good with never seeing his face again.

“Who’s Harvey?” Mads crooned beside me.

“You look good, James,” Stitch purred before I could answer Mads, thank God, not that his comment was any better.

Stitch had balls to eye me like he was in front of the Elite. Brock’s expression looked as if he was two seconds away from giving Stitch a bloody nose, race or not.

My cheeks warmed, and I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Thanks.”

Stitch didn’t seem to be intimidated by the four guys surrounding me. Did that make him brave or just stupid? “Please tell me one of these assholes is not your boyfriend.”

“She’s dating them all,” Mads spoke up, a fast grin on her lips.

The hell I was. “That is so not true.”

“Well, except for that one,” she added, her gaze shifting to Grayson as she bulldozed right over my denial.

Stitched lifted his brows.

Mads pulled out a cigarette. “It’s complicated.”

Brock rolled his eyes as Micah slung an arm around my shoulder. “Sorry, she’s taken, dude.”

Grayson shot Micah a WTF look but didn’t say anything as he leaned against the most beautiful piece of machinery I’d ever laid eyes on. His ride tonight was sleek, shiny, and looked fast as fuck. That was enough for me. I was in love.

I wiggled out of Micah’s arms and strolled over to the car. “This is yours?” I said in awe, running a finger over the smooth midnight blue paint. “My dad would go apeshit over this.” I liked to pretend I knew shit about cars. Thanks to my gearhead dad, I knew more about cars than I cared to.

“’67 Dodge Challenger. My dad helped me build it,” Grayson said, coming to stand beside me as I petted the hood.

His dad. My biological father. I knew nothing about him… except that he liked to build cars. How strange that both my fathers had something common.

Weirdness hung in the air. Would things ever be normal between us?

Luckily the race was about to start. More cars started to line up on a long stretch of road. Grayson paid the entrance fee. Brock and Mads were preoccupied talking with the guys while Grayson and I admired his car.

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