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She shook her head, her conscience stinging.
“It’s the most important unwritten rule for underground racing clubs. No inter-club fights over civs.”
“Civs?” MJ echoed blankly.
“Civilians. Like you and me. Non-bikers. Anything that has to do with a club and a civ has to be handled by the police.”
“But what if it’s too late?” Katya burst out.
“He’s ex-Afxisi,” MJ said desperately. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
The boy shrugged uneasily. “I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t want to get his club into trouble?”
No, MJ realized a second later. It wasn’t that. Helios didn’t want to get his club involved because he wanted to remain a civ. A non-biker. For her.
“D-did you happen to see where they were headed?”
The boy nodded and pointed. “I think they’re going to their old hunting ground—”
“At the old ghost town,” she finished numbly. Of course it would go back to that. Everything tended to come full circle.
Once, Helios had saved her life. Now, it was her turn to save his back. But first, she had to conquer her fear.
Closing her eyes, she told herself to breathe.
Breathe. Breathe, MJ. Breathe.
You can do this.
In the back of her mind, James’ voice came to her like a familiar, terrifying taunt.Are you ready, MJ? Reeeeeeaaaady?
VROOM, VROOM.
Her heart sped up, but she willed herself to face the sound head on.
She was ready.
Because now, she knew.
Someone loved her, truly loved her, enough to have his life dependent on her.
She would not let him down.
When she opened her eyes, she was as calm as she could be. She honed in on the things she needed to do with single-minded focus. “Katya, could you do me a favor? Can you find a way to contact any of the Afxisi and let them know where the others have...taken Helios?”
Other more horrifying words tried to make their way into her mind, but MJ doggedly pushed them away. They had taken Helios. That was all she was going to permit herself to think.
“All right, but what are you going to do? You’re not going to do anything foolish, right?”
“No. I’m going to do what I’ve always been meant to do.” She looked at the boy. “I need one last favor from you. Do you know of any bike I can borrow—” All her hopes crashed when he started to shake his head.
“I don’t know anyone who rides a bike. It’s dangerous, you know. But...” He pointed to somewhere behind MJ, and she whirled around to find a big, bad-ass Ducati parked at the curb. “Maybe you can borrow that?”
Her heart swelled. “Perfect.”
She ran to it, knowing she was about to square off with her old nemesis. Her heartbeat had tripled its rate by the time she reached the Ducati, and her entire body shook as she lifted a hand to touch the bike. It seemed to bristle into life under her hands, but she knew it was only her imagination.
Or was it?
