His smile is downright wicked as he steps back. “They don’t have a clue what’s coming for them.”
I meet Skylar’s eyes for the last time, and we both nod. Noah gave us a pep talk before today’s race. He wants us to play it safe again. Conan does too, who is watching from the stands.
They don’t know about my and Skylar’s deal and determination.
“Okay, remember, be safe. We can regain rankings,” Noah lectures as we wait for the race to begin. “You hear me?”
“We hear you,” I reply, my gloved hand tightening on the wheel as the lights start flashing. Taking a deep breath, I feel adrenaline fill me. One heartbeat to the next, then we are off. Skylar and I fall into line. Blizzard is behind us, and Nos is in front of us. We let them stay like that for the first lap, as they try to put distance between us, but we are on them, and during the second lap, I signal Skylar and he chuckles.
“What are you doing?” Noah asks as we speed up and start swerving around them.
“Sorry, old man, we have our own plan,” I respond as I yank the wheel.
“Dammit, Mackie! Skylar, stop him!”
“Sorry, I’m with him on this. You can punish us later.” Skylar laughs, making us grin. “After we win.”
We get around them, and then we put our feet down, creating some distance between us, or at least trying to. Glancing in the mirror, I see Blizzard trying to do the same, but Orson is blocking them something fierce, until he takes it too far and one of Blizzard’s cars has to swerve to avoid hitting him. It’s on a bend, though, and the car slips from the track, the driver unable to recover.
In one second, one blink, it becomes airborne, flipping off the track into the sand and crashing into the barrier.
“Crash! Crash!” Noah yells.
I’m already turning the wheel, uncaring about winning. Others racepast me, but I stop my car on the side and run toward Blizzard’s crashed vehicle. Memories of Sky’s accident fill my head, and then he’s at my side. The car is smoking and on its side, but we manage to get the door open and the driver out.
By the time we are safe, the race is over. We’ll retain our positions, but we didn’t win. Winning wouldn’t mean anything, however, if it cost a life to obtain.
Clearly, that’s not something Orson believes in.
He’ll kill us to get that title. What am I willing to do?
FIFTY-NINE
The last three races have been a shit show. Nos and my boys have been trading places, flipping between first, second, third, and fourth. Orson is dangerous on the track, and it bothers me. Luckily, Jordan, Blizzard’s driver, is okay, but it was a clear message. Skylar and Mackie are worried too, but they are unable to let it go.
They want to win no matter what, but me?
I just want them to be safe, but I also won’t hold them back. I was the same when I raced. I don’t know if I was worth it, taking my current issues into account, but I also can’t pretend I don’t understand. As their boss, their friend, and lover, I can make sure all their equipment is in top shape. The rest is up to them, and I won’t ask them to stop, not with the biggest race of their career next week. It will determine who gets the title, and they have been practicing nonstop. Nothing else matters to them right now. They barely do anything but eat, sleep, and race. It’s put me and everyone else on edge, so tonight is important. I want to show Mackie that there is more to life than that, but also to show him my confidence and belief in him so he enters the next race with his full support system.
Mood affects driving, after all.
He’s watching his previous races on my living room TV, sitting forward on the couch. Grabbing the remote, I hit the power button. He leaps up and glares at me. “I was watching that.”
“Not right now. Come with me,” I order, giving him no other choice. He sighs but follows me, knowing I won’t give up if he doesn’t. I walk past the kitchen and stop at my display case. Inside are photos covering my careers, medals, and trophies, but in the middle, where my last champion trophy was, is an empty space.
“Wait, what happened?” he asks, forgetting his irritation.
“I moved it somewhere safe.” Wrapping my arms around him, I prop my head on his shoulder. “That space is yours. It belongs to you, no matter when it’s filled. I know you are going to win, and I’m ready and so proud.”
He melts into my arms. “I thought you were worried.”
“I am, because I love you, and as a boss, I want you safe, but I also know you will never give up. You’re just like me. I won’t ask you to change, baby, so instead, I’m going to support you in every way I can, like cooking your meals and making sure you sleep and eat and are ready. I’ll be the best boss and biggest cheerleader, just like Conan will be.”
Mackie hasn’t seen him in the last few days, so focused at work, and Conan understands, but I also know they miss each other. It’s exactly why we planned this.
Letting go, I step back into the living room, and Mackie turns, his eyes widening when he finds Conan standing by my side.
I smile at Mackie. “Baby, I want you to move in with me. That way, I can take better care of you and we never have to be apart. I don’t want space. I don’t want to miss you. Move in with me?”
