The first driver stepped out of his car, waving to the crowd. He wore jeans and a black sweater. I also noticed his buzzed hair when he took off his helmet. There were loud cheers as well as booing sounds. Since Lexy was clapping and whistling, I did the same. When the next driver stepped out, I heard the same sounds echo around us, but Lexy didn’t clap.

“That’s Nolan,” she said, booing loudly.

“Nolan?” I repeated and stood still. I had no idea. Great. I was here to watch that ass-grabbing jerk. Just as I said his name, he spotted me and winked. I looked away. He had taken off his helmet to greet the crowd. After waving his hand, he blew kisses at the audience. Gross! I turned my head away to spot a girl swaying seductively and standing a distance away from the cars. That got all the males’ attention and the wolf whistles sounded from every direction.

She was wearing high heels, a short skirt, and a tight red sweater. Wasn’t she cold? When she held up a white scarf, the engines roared louder. I had to cover my ears because of the dreadfully thunderous sound. The crowd was watching and waiting. The air was still and so was my heart. Wondering what she was doing there, I watched intensely. When the scarf came down with a flash, the cars zoomed away. Dirt kicked up, producing clouds of dust that blanketed the area. When it cleared, that’s when I realized it was Heather. How could I have missed her? She was almost perfect with that killer body.

The dust from the race started covering over the area where we stood, so Lexy and I headed to higher ground. Everyone was cheering or cursing, since the money they had bet was at stake. You could see the tension in their eyes, their bodies, and their gestures. The crowd seemed possessed with the excitement, the rush, and the desperation for the money they could win or lose.

Watching the cars pass with great speed was exhilarating. I could feel my heart thump faster, wondering who would win. They were neck and neck throughout the race so far.

“Look,” Lexy pointed. “See those guys holding the flashing number signs? When they hold up number ten, that’s the indication that the race is about to end.”

“I see,” I nodded. “So they go 10 laps around the track?”

“It depends. Sometimes more.”

Standing there watching the racecars zip by and seeing the number cards reaching closer to ten, I was sure I was going to have an anxiety attack. The cards changed again…7…8…9…. Then ten flashed endlessly, like an SOS sign. Everyone started cheering louder. This was it.

I didn’t know why I was holding my breath. Maybe it was because I wanted the other guy to win, but it was not going in his favor. It got worse when Nolan skidded to his right, almost hitting his opponent, causing the gap to widen. Damn, Nolan was crazy. There was no doubt now who had won. Nolan’s car crossed the finish line first.

“Crap. That means….” Lexy never finished her words. Her eyes grew wide. The cheers that erupted were very short lived. “Shit! The cops.”

Before I could say a word or even spot them, Lexy grabbed my arm and pulled me up the hill. “Run, Alex!” she said out loud.

It was chaos. I never heard the sirens, but I saw the crowd. They scrambled like ants on a hill. Everyone was screaming and running as if the place was on fire. Someone bumped my shoulder, almost knocking me over, and then another and another, causing me to stumble. It was as if people suddenly lost their motor coordination when all hell broke loose. What was wrong with these people? We were almost at the top when I had the wind knocked out of me. I lost Lexy’s link.

“Alex!” I heard Lexy scream. I was stumbling downhill. Luckily, the hill wasn’t steep, but I had to use my hands to break my fall. Burning pain shot out from the cut on my palm. I just hoped it wasn’t too deep, but seeing no blood was a good thing. Feeling dazed, I panicked after losing my balance and trying to figure out which way to go as the people around me bumped into me again.

I heard someone call my name, and I was suddenly lifted off the ground. Too busy feeling dizzy, I hadn’t realized until a second later that I was slumped over someone’s shoulder. I didn’t fight the guy who was holding me. I just wanted to be out of there. When I was lowered to the ground, I knew then who it was.

“What the f**k, Lexy? Why did you bring her here?” Elijah was mad. I hadn’t seen him mad like this before. Did he not want me here? Why couldn’t I be here if it was okay for Lexy?

“I…I—” Lexy started to say, but her words were caught in her throat. She was caught off guard by Elijah’s wrath.

“Never mind. Just get her home. I need to find Seth. You made me lose Seth.” His tone was accusatory and angry.

When we got home, I thought Lexy would have left, but she stayed. I headed straight for the bathroom to take care of my wound. Lexy followed behind me and leaned against the door.

“Sorry, Alex. I shouldn’t have brought you there. I thought it would help get your mind off your dad.” Her tone was apologetic at first, and then it became filled with excitement. “But wasn’t it fun?”

“I did have fun, Lexy,” I confirmed. I didn’t want her to feel bad for doing something thoughtful. “I’m glad you took me. I’ve never been to one of those before. It was exciting. But do the cops come every time?”

“No. Sometimes we get lucky. They change the location every time. The guys who were taking the money are the ones who arrange it all. Either someone ratted the location or the cops played a hunch this time. If you get caught, they’ll throw you in jail and let you out the next day.”