I grimaced at the idea of Beck catching me out before the race. His temper ran hot most of the time but something like this, I could imagine him finally making good on that promise to turn me over his knee and smack my ass right there in the street in front of his friends.
Ugh, why did that idea turn me on so hard?
I clicked the key fob and the gull wing doors lifted to allow Eddy and me into the car. From the glove compartment, she pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to me.
“Keep that in your lap,” she suggested, “I don’t want anyone seeing me give you money when we get there. Jimmy gets really worked up about people paying their own entry to race.”
“Got it,” I said, glancing at the wad and estimating it was a similar amount to the last buy-in. Two hundred thousand at least. So much money it made me ill, but then again I was driving a car worth more than double that.
“Let’s do this.” I grinned at Eddy and gunned the engine as the automatic doors opened. Evan was lurking near the gates in his own car—a Porsche 918 Spyder this time—and he smoothly pulled out into the road behind us. The Lambo had such darkly tinted windows that I knew Eddy was right, Evan would assume it was her driving, so I kept my speed checked and didn’t show off. Not yet, anyway.
Eddy directed me to the race start point, and instructed me on the course as we drove. It all sounded pretty straight forward, and we’d driven over it casually during our lunch break, so I wasn’t too worried. Nope, the deranged butterflies that were flapping around madly inside of me were all for Beck.
We pulled up directly beside Jimmy, and I rolled down my window.
“New girl,” he said, tilting his ball cap up in surprise. “Driving Jasper’s car. What ... uh ... what am I to make of this?”
Smiling, I took the cash from my lap and held it out to him. “Jasper’s still in the hospital, I’m his proxy.”
Jimmy hesitated, glancing around him. Probably looking for Beck.
“Hey,” I said, bringing his attention back to me, “You’re in charge, right?” Jimmy nodded slowly. “So what’s the issue? No one even needs to know they’re racing a girl if that’s what you’re worried about.”
The race coordinator rubbed the back of his neck, then sighed and took my wad of cash. “Fine, you’re in. But if you total this car, I wantnothingto do with the fall out. Understood?”
Beaming, I nodded. “I absolve you of all responsibility.”
Jimmy grumbled something under his breath but tucked the money in his pocket and walked away while I hit the button to wind the window back up.
Eddy waited with me, right up to the point that the racers—just four of us this time—needed to line up. Then she popped her gull wing door and stepped out.
“Kill them all, babe,” she encouraged me with a sassy wink. “I’ve got money on you for the win.”
As her door closed and she walked away, I spotted Evan’s horrified face in the crowd.
Shit. Beck was about to find out in about five ... four ... three ... two...
Sebastian Roman Beckett’s furious glare was the last thing I saw before the flag fell and my foot slammed down on the gas pedal. He could curse me out later because right now, I had a race to win and a reputation to repair.
* * *
Jasper’syellow Lambo didn’t let me down. We flew across the finish line several car lengths ahead of the next driver, and I gently eased down my speed until I could safely loop around and return to Eddy. She was standing beside Jimmy, jumping up and down and screaming like a lunatic. I could hear her even through the closed windows of Jasper’s car.
Crazy bitch.
It was the three scowling, scary as fuck dudes waiting behind her that made me hesitate on exiting my vehicle though.
Crap. They lookedreallypissed off. So much for Jasper’s idea that Beck would be fine if it’s “all in good fun.” Little bastard set me up!
Grabbing my phone out, I shot him a quick text.
I won your race, but I think Beck’s about to murder me. Say nice things at my funeral.
His reply came almost immediately.
Hah! Murder you with his dick, more like.
Classy.I replied with a deadpan emoji face. Fucking Jasper.
