I unzip my jacket and grab Zamara’s left hand as the car idles. We’re a minute until the go-ahead. I place her hand between my breasts and say, “What do you feel?”
Zamara turns her head toward me, eyes wide. “You’re heart’s beating so fast.”
“Keep your hand there until we reach the country road, do you understand me?” My gaze focuses on the marshal tasked to give me the signal. In my periphery, Zamara nods. When the marshal raises both red and green flags, I place one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shift stick. Once the red flag drops, I rev the engine. Its melodic call reaches inside my chest.
“You and me,” I whisper, and my GT roars, sending calming vibrations up my arms and legs. The nerves my stomach harbors dissolve into tiny adrenaline-laced particles. I put my foot down on the accelerator. The raw power of the engine lends me strength and gives me control over 540 horsepower. I grin. “Better than sex, baby.”
The green flag drops. I release the break way before the green hits the ground. The GT zooms forward. The rear tires have enough traction that I don’t fishtail out of there. In my ear comes Mac’s voice.
“We’re right behind you,” he says.
“We have time to make up, boys,” comes my reply.
“See you at the first refueling station. Mac and Screw, over and out.”
We’re about halfway through the orange cones when I notice Zamara’s hand is no longer on my chest. My grip tightens on the wheel. “Why did you let go?”
Keeping her eyes forward, Zamara answers, “I got what you wanted me to know.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“That you’re at your calmest when racing. That you’re one with your machine. That the adrenaline of all this is obviously what you live for.” Her words quickly turn into barbs.
“Where is the hostility coming from?” A valley forms between my brows as they come together. I shift into third gear upon entering the country road. I’m five minutes away from the first car I have to pass to get one step closer to Ace.
A small sigh leaves Zamara’s plump lips. “I don’t think I’m cut out for all this after all.”
“You’re quitting.”
“What am I supposed to do?” She turns her head away as a sniff escapes her. “Your heart. The moment you revved that engine, you went from nervous to calm, taking total control of your GT. How am I supposed to compete with that?”
“Who said anything about competing?” I reach over and tuck her bouncy curls behind her ear.
“Wouldn’t my quitting make your life a whole lot easier?”
“It definitely would.”
Zamara’s breath hitches.
“But,” I add, “if being my navigator is really something you want to do, then who am I to stop you?”
She shifts in her seat so she’s facing me. I briefly take my eyes off the road and the tunnel of trees we’re about to enter so I can look at her. The combination of the bags under her eyes and the pout on her lips is strangely adorable.
“Then why didn’t you kiss me last night?” she asks between hiccups.
I shake my head. “This isn’t the time or place for this discussion, Zamara.” I dry her tears with the pad of my thumb. I should have known she wouldn’t have let things go so easily by the determination that flares in her jade eyes. This princess will be the death of me if the killer doesn’t get to me first.
“Well, I’m making this the time and place.” She makes fists on her lap. “It’s not like we have anywhere else to go. At least this way you can’t escape.”
She set things up so nicely that I can’t avoid teasing her. “You know Screw added an eject button to the GT, right?” I reach for the dashboard. Zamara immediately grabs my hand, wide-eyed. I laugh as more tears well in her determined eyes. Taking pity on her after I regain my control, I say, “I’m not ejecting you.” Then I get serious as spikes of sunlight fall from between the leaves of the trees we zoom past. “Take this as a warning. You won’t like the answer to where this conversation is headed.”
Her chest puffs up like she’s ready for anything. “I’m willing to risk it.”
“All right, but can we pause this for until after I pass that guy?” I gesture at the bumper of the car that comes into view.
“Have at it.” She waves at me dismissively.
Not that I needed her permission, but I still can’t help the smile stretching my lips. “Yes, Princess.” I shift and the GT pounces, sending Zamara back into her seat with a squeak.
The small roadster I’m about to pass skids to the left. My grin gets bigger. Oh, he sees me. Good. All the better for me when I crush him. I feint right, then left, then shift to fifth gear and slingshot along his right side. His reaction is too slow in response to my attack. On engine sound alone it’s clear I have more power. Normally I don’t judge by how big your engine is. It’s how you use it. In this case, talent and power come together in a perfect package. Why this guy even arrived at the first stop before me is ludicrous. Zamara and I give him a small wave as we pass him.
To her credit, Zamara waits until we leave the roadster behind and exit the tunnel of trees before she speaks again. “Took you longer than I thought to pass that guy.”
I squint at the sudden brightness even through my sunglasses. “Ten seconds not fast enough for you, Princess?”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” I raise my eyebrow, and she snorts. “I honestly don’t get why everyone is so intimidated by this second stage of the race. It’s not like we have killer lightning bolts crashing from the sky or anything.”
I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything. I spot the bend in the road.
