“You’re on,” River accepts, “Just know the moment that pink slip is mine, I’ll be breaking it down and using it for parts. Ain’t worth shit, Ricky and quite frankly, neither are you.”
Ricky laughs, “We’ll see.”
“Let’s go, princess,” River starts to move us both back toward the Plymouth.
“Are you nice and tight, sugar?” Ricky calls after us, “Pussy must be lined with gold with the way River is feral over it. Can’t wait to get a taste.”
A muscle ticks in River’s jaw.
“Ignore him,” I cling to his arm, “But please don’t lose.”
His dark eyes flick to me, softening, “He won’t come anywhere near you, Marly,” He says gently.
He stops us just before the car and curls his finger beneath my chin, tilting up my face before he presses a light kiss to my lips. “You trust me?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation.
He grins, “Then let’s race, princess.”
Chapter Thirty-seven
Anger is a living breathing thing inside of me.
You’d think I’d be used to it by now, I’ve been living with this demon inside of me for months. It’s been growing, burning, twisting and writhing and only grows stronger with every day that passes. It’s so constant, it’s become a comfort, but the type of fury rolling through me is new.
It’s coiling tight, like a snake ready to strike.
I’m about to make that little shit pay.
He disrespected me, he disrespected Marly…
I keep her close and walk the rest of the way to the car and open her door for her. I don’t like that he’s used her in the bet, in fact I fucking hate it and even though I want to fucking end him, I never would have accepted the challenge. But she trusts me, she believes in me and knows I will not let the assholes near her. I claim her mouth in another kiss, my tongue stealing entrance with her shocked gasp. She melts against me, and Ihope with every second that passes with our bodies joined, she understands her trust in this is not misplaced.
I’m about to show her, prove to her that I have her back in this.
Slowing the kiss and pulling away, I can’t help but smile when she follows my retreat before her eyes snap open, and a blush steals across her cheeks.
“Get in the car, Marly,” I order gently, “Let me show you what it means to be mine.”
Her wide blue eyes meet mine and after a moment of hesitation, she climbs into the passenger seat and the door slams behind her. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my key and unknot her ribbon and then I wrap it around my wrist, tucking the ends in on itself so it stays in place. Once inside, I reach for her helmet, handing it to her before I grab my own.
“That’s my ribbon,” She gasps, staring at the blue strip of silk wrapped around my wrist.
“It’s been mine the moment it came out of your hair in my truck,” I place my helmet in my lap.
Her eyes flick between the ribbon and my face before a soft smile curves up her lips, “My grandmother gave me that.”
I instantly reach for it, “You want it back?”
Her hand settles over mine, “No you keep it,” She says, “She’d have loved you, so it seems only right.”
“It was my good luck charm before you were,” I admit to her.
“And what was your luck before the ribbon?”
“I didn’t have any,” I admit, lifting the helmet to slide it onto my head, “I didn’t believe in luck until I found you.”
I start the engine, cutting off anything else she may say to those words and silently, she slips her own helmet into place, but I don’t miss the way her whole body softens.
