AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sounds delicious. Do y’all mind if we continue this discussion over a piece of cake?” Harley suggested, and I knew she was trying to help me change the focus of the conversation, so I smiled at her.
“Great idea,” Daddy said and turned with Mama and walked inside.
“Listen, I’m gonna go, but I’ll come back later tonight.” Mack kissed me quickly and was turning away before I grabbed his hand.
“Don’t leave,” I pleaded. He stared down at me and shook his head, but before he could speak Mama called out.
“Don’t you even think about runnin’ away, Mack King. You get in here, too.”
Mack looked over with uncertainty as everyone started walking inside.
“I don’t know. It just seems weird.”
“Just for a minute, for my birthday.” Then I stood up on my tiptoes until my lips were level with his. “For me.”
“I’d do anything for you.” Then he kissed me softly. The sound of a throat clearing behind us interrupted our little moment. I turned to see Daddy holding the door open with his arms crossed and his lips drawn tightly together. Just because I was an adult didn’t mean that he wanted to see his daughter kiss her boyfriend. Wait, was Mack my boyfriend?
It felt like he was mine, and I knew I was his. When he grabbed my hand and pulled me with him into the restaurant, I also knew he was doing that for me. So I beamed up at him and let him lead the way.
Mack was right, it was weird. Mama brought my cake to one of the large tables in the dining room, and they all gathered around and sang “Happy Birthday” to me. Mack even mumbled the words. Everyone talked and ate cake. Daddy made small talk with Mack, and he gave simple short answers but remained polite. Drew and Harley seemed to be in their own bubble again as they only focused on each other. Woody and Blake were having a conversation about something, and Tayia was talking to me. It was just strange to see every important person in my life in the same room.
Mama had just taken the cake into the back to put away when the double doors to the restaurant opened suddenly, and we all shifted our eyes in that direction. I instantly recognized a group of matching shiny gray race jackets walking our way. It was Knight.
“It seems like we weren’t invited to the race the other night, King. I thought the rules were that all spot holders had to be informed about races that were taking place for ranking?”
Mack’s chest rumbled with a growl as he stood. “A message went out. Guess you didn’t get it. Call your cell phone provider and bitch about it to them and not me.” Knight’s face remained impassive, but his eyes grew dark with anger.
“I might just do that,” he replied. “But I have a few other items of business I need to take care of. First of which is claiming your title. Seems to me I should have had a chance to race you seeing as you were number two and I’m number three, but I didn’t get the chance.”
“What do you want, Knight?” Drew cut in. “To race me? ’Cause I’m good with that. I schooled your ass once, and I have no problem doing it again.”
“No, I’m here to race for the title, but it seems like motherfuckers keep changing the rules.”
“Well, I’m the motherfucker who makes the rules, and I also have the title right now so you’ll race me.” Mack’s chest expanded as he widened his stance.
“What’s the wager?” Knight nodded.
“Fifteen grand.”
“What?”
“You heard me, fifteen grand, or I want you the fuck off my list. What’s it going to be?”
Knight stared at Mack for a long moment before his
eyes shifted to his left. I turned my head to see a petite blonde who looked to be in her late forties standing in the back of the crowd. Her face looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen her before. She glanced at Knight, then subtly nodded her head.
“If we race tonight then you have a deal,” Knight said.
Mack sneered at him. “Fine, get your shit ready and up to The Spot now.” He pulled out his phone to start making arrangements for the guards to secure the area.
While we waited for Knight’s crew to show, I had an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Knight was devious enough and never played fair. On the way up to The Spot, Mack had made several calls. He had his crew bring his car and equipment over to the island, but wasn’t able to find security to cover both ends of the road, so they’d have to make the race a quick one.
Mack was standing next to the GT while his crew was checking under the hood. Even Drew and Blake were nearby observing the activity and occasionally nodding their agreements.
“Mack.”
He spun around and his face immediately softened as he reached out and pulled me to him.
