‘What do they say?’ He brushes his brassy blond mop back with his fingers.
‘They take after their owners.’
‘Right.’ He clears his throat dismissively. ‘Anyway, I’m glad I ran into you.’
‘Well, for starters, you didn’t run into me. You were annoying Chuckie.’
‘Chuckie and Gia, huh?’ I freeze, wondering how he knows my name. He notices my reaction and flashes a genuine grin. ‘It’s not hard to figure out the name of the number-one racer in town. I underestimated you, skirt. You’re on my radar now.’
I bite back a smile. ‘Is there something you actually have to say?’ Between Chuckie pulling my arms out of my sockets and his threatening barks, I’m not in the mood for this interaction.
‘Straight to the point. I like it.’ Landon rubs at the dark, patchy stubble along his chin, and I notice thick scar lines running vertically through three of his right fingers. ‘There’s another race and we’re looking for a fourth.’
‘Do youenjoylosing your money?’ I let the disdain drip from my words. ‘You remember you lost, right? To me.’
He lifts a shoulder. ‘The only way to be the best is to beat the best. So, you in?’
‘I haven’t got any text messages.’ There’s no way X wouldn’t have included me.
‘It’s …’ He pauses, considering his words. ‘Outside The Tropics.’
In other words, it’s dodgy as shit.
Could this be the race meet that Monz was talking about? Is Landon the organiser? Is this my invitation?
I shake my head. ‘No thanks.’ Chuckie gives another tug, and I squint through the window at Monique.Hurry up.
‘It’s forty grand,’ Landon says.
My attention snaps back to him. ‘Forty thousand dollars?’ Pretty sure my jaw might be on the floor.
‘Ifyou win.’ He enunciates the word pointedly.
A thrill zips through me, loving the challenge in his words. ‘What’s the buy-in?’
‘Eight.’
Shit.Yet the return would give me enough side hustle cash to finally buy the old speedway. Then I could really stick it to Ma.
I chew the side of my cheek, running the numbers in my head. I’d already ordered more NOS, but that won’t arrive till next week. Not that I’d need it – I could’ve smoked him without draining a single canister. I’ve replayed that race in my mind a hundred times and I’ll make sure my hands aren’t so trigger-happy next time. Or so distracted by a certain someone.
I’ve been saving up to buy the speedway for the past four years. Winning Landon’s race meet would finally secure that dream for me. But do I really want to race outside The Tropics?
Landon tilts his head. ‘So, you in?’
The door for Paradiso opens and Monique appears. Seeing my struggle with Chuckie, she hurries over and takes the records from under my arm. The scent of geranium wafts my way as her hair flips around. She gives Landon a cool look of appraisal before meeting my eyes. ‘You ready?’
‘Yeah.’ I pull on Chuckie’s leash. ‘Let’s go.’
‘I’ll be in touch with the details, skirt,’ Landon calls as we retreat, crossing the road toward the fountain.
When we’re on the other side of it, Monique leans in. ‘In touch about what?’
I stretch out my back as Chuckie finally relaxes. Across the road, a woman with a trench coat sits at a bus shelter, her matching fedora tipped low as she watches on suspiciously. I lower my voice so only Monique can hear. ‘You know those underground meets you were telling me about? I think it could be him running them.’
‘I don’t like the sound of that.’ Her brows pull together.
‘The winner takes home forty grand, Monz.’
