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I grab Scooter, jump on my bike, and head straight to the racetrack. Traffic is insane, so it feels like it takes forever to get there. When we pull up next to the ambulance and a couple of cop cars, I jump off and ignore the shouts for me to stop. I can see smoke but no fire, at least not from this vantage point, but I don’t let my guard down. I turn to the prospect following me. “Keep your eyes peeled. I don’t trust that someone isn’t lying in wait to jump us.”

“I’ve got your back, Powers. No worries.”

I nod and keep going, heading for Midas’s office first, which is at the back of the lot. The closer I get, the more smoke I can see. I reach out to touch the door handle, half expecting it to burn my hand, but it’s cool to the touch. Shoving the door open, I search the room and curse when I find it empty. I jog to the next room and keep going until we get to the viewing port. I look down onto the track and see a car and a couple of garages on fire.

I squint, trying to see through the smoke, and catch a glimpse of a Ravens Soul cut. “There! We need to get down to the track.”

We run out of the room just as firefighters run in. “It looks like the explosion came from the track. I think the smoke is coming through the vents,” I tell them.

A couple of the firefighters split off to follow us, but the others remain—their job is to verify my claims, and I don’t blame them for that. It’s purely a guess on my part.

It’s chaos when we make it downstairs. I can hear crying and moaning. Some people are injured and are being helped by others. I run over to where I last saw Midas and spot him leaning into the passenger seat of a mangled car. I reach him and yank on his cut. He whirls around but relaxes a fraction when he sees me. I take in his soot-covered face and the large gash above his eye. But his eyes themselves look clear and responsive, so I doubt he has a head injury.

“What the fuck happened?”

“One of the cars exploded as it pulled into the garage. We’d just had the safety car out, so the pit lane was full of people wanting to change tires.”

“Whose car exploded?”

“The safety car.”

“What the fuck?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve got a driver trapped behind the wheel. Some debris fell onto the hood and is crushing him. I’ve got a couple of dead mechanics and a dozen more injured. Help where you can, yeah?”

“I’m on it. The fire department is here, as are the paramedics.”

“Thank fuck. I lost my phone somewhere, but people were having trouble getting calls out anyway.”

I frown, looking around, feeling the pieces shift and move in my head. “Shit, shit, shit.” I jerk out my cell phone and dial Kruger.

“I’m ten minutes out,” he answers.

“No, don’t bother. Midas is fine. All the emergency services are here. There’s nothing else you can do.”

I’ve stepped away. Midas swaps places with the prospect, telling him to keep the driver talking, and walks toward me.

“Look, the safety car exploded. Right when it could have caused the most damage,” I tell Kruger.

“You’re thinking it’s not an accident.”

“No. I’m thinking it was planned and that someone likely had a camera in here and knew exactly when to blow it.”

Kruger sighs. “That tracks. We were waiting for the next hit. Midas must be pissed.”

I look at the man who is so far beyond pissed it’s not even funny. “He lost people today,” I say quietly.

Kruger curses. “Fuck this asshole. What is the point in all of this? Huh? I mean, he’s never gonna get to Lil this way, not unless he’s hoping we’ll all blame her and kick her out, leaving her vulnerable.”

“That will never happen. If I have to chain her to the bed, so be it. She’s safe at the clubhouse.” A wave of nausea washes over me as more puzzle pieces move and shift. “Kruger. There was an issue at Star’s school. Some guy tried to collect her. Havoc and Tink were heading there as I was leaving.”

“You want me to meet them? He knows better than to not take a man with him.”

Is that what I’m feeling? Worry for the club president?

“Hold on, Kruger, I’m calling him now. I’ll patch you in.”

“Put it on speaker,” Midas orders. I do as he asks and wait for Havoc to pick up.