Page 181 of Axis of Fire

The moment we stepped onto the lot, I spotted a crowd in the distance.

Mostly men.

And two vehicles parked farther behind them.

My gaze immediately began cataloging details.

Numbers.

Positions.

Possible exits.

There had to be at least twenty people here.

For one race.

I had expected a few spectators.

A starting line.

Sports cars.

I stopped the second I realized the vehicles parked nearby weren't racing cars.

They were trucks.

One of them was even blocking the exit.

No racing cars.

No starting line.

No race.

Ethan looked far too calm.

And the crowd wasn't waiting for a competition.

They were waiting for us.

“It’s a trap,” I said, making everyone stop completely.

Silence followed.

“So what do we do? Run?” Gwendolyn asked, though every line of her body clearly hated the suggestion.

I swallowed hard.

And at that exact moment, my eyes met Ethan’s.

And in his eyes, I found all the confirmation I needed.

He wasn’t smiling.

He looked at us like we were prey.

“We attack first.”