“I’ll consider it.”
That was the best he was getting.
It seemed to be enough.
Lai relaxed a little after that. “You know,” he said, glancing at me sideways, “if you did decide to kill me, your new owner wouldn’t like it.”
I stilled. Interesting; this man might be useful after all. “What do you know about what Al likes?”
Lai’s smile shifted. Less nervous now, more knowing. “I know a lot about him,” he said. “We used to be engaged.”
Engaged?
The word hit like a misfire. An ex I could handle, but a fiancée?
Something in me snapped, clean and immediate. My shadow form vanished, my brakes released with a sharp jerk, and my tires screeched against concrete as my body lunged forward before I could stop myself, instinct overriding reason.
I was going to crush him.
I didn’t even question it.
Didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t think.
All I knew was that he was yours once, and that was unacceptable.
Lai moved fast. Faster than he had any right to move. He vaulted up onto my hood, his hands slamming against my windshield, his face inches from mine.
“Now, now,” he purred, breath slightly uneven but voice steady. “I thought we were getting to know each other.”
I snarled, suspension tightening beneath him.
“This is going to be difficult,” he continued, “if you keep trying to kill me.”
“You only need to stand still,” I shot back.
Lai smirked. “Don’t make me wheel clamp you.”
I froze. A threat! That was bold of him. Stupid, too, but effective. I couldn’t risk tearing my wheel well to shreds with a clamp; the potential damage to my struts and suspension was enough to get me written off.
“Look,” Lai hissed. “I know you’re possessive of him, but trust me; I’m not your enemy, or your competition. I canhelp you. Teach you. Tell you everything he likes. You’ve known him for a day. I’ve known him for decades.”
“Fine,” I said at last, cutting my engine, letting the silence settle heavily around us. My shadow slipped free again, forming beside him on the hood. “But I have conditions.”
He stifled a laugh, which I decided to ignore for the sake of our truce. “You will repair your car,” I ordered. “Properly. No shortcuts. She gets everything she wants.”
“Repair her?” Lai looked over at the Corolla. “She’s—“
“She wants a wide-body kit,” I continued. “A new engine. Custom interior. She wants to be a track car.”
“That’s—” he started.
“You will also learn how to drive.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible.”
“I will teach you.”
