“Shut up!” Colby threw an oil rag at him as she laughed too. “This hanger-on is about to use what she’s learned from the man you said had mad skills, and put her aerospace and mechanical engineering degrees from MIT to use by building a custom-made state-of-the-art 850-hp 358-cubic-inch V8 engine that will get you 0 to 100 in 1.6 seconds.”
Gonzo’s mouth dropped open. “Stop playin’. Are you serious? Can you really do that?”
“Like I said, I’m not the jokester in this outfit. So, settle in and go get us those drinks. Then we’ll get my stuff.”
Chapter 5
The palms of Colby’s hands were sweating as she stood in the garage, admiring her baby. The white, black, and yellow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was a beauty.
She was nervous, but it was good energy almost as good as sex, and in some cases better. She hadn’t felt either in a long time and figured it was probably the same kind of feeling Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, or even Tom Brady had when it was time to perform. Slowly, Colby began to walk around the car.
This was her moment.
Colby couldn’t say that she came to it willingly because this life had almost driven her crazy. It was why she had left town in the first place but also the reason she had returned. Racing was in her blood. Nothing made her come alive like the thrill of being in a garage or behind the wheel of a car. The people closest to her already knew that. What they didn’t know was that she wasn’t just fueled by her love of cars. Colby was also driven by a deep simmering rage that had only gotten stronger over the years. It was all-consuming and probably how the Incredible Hulk’s Bruce Banner must have felt. No one had ever paid the price for what happened all those years ago. It was the monkey on her back that she hadn’t been able to shake. The thing that had been sitting there since she was fifteen.
Before Colby moved back to town, she decided to deal with the ghosts of her past once and for all. Her life couldn’t move forward until someone paid for the pain they had caused. In order to put her plan into motion, Daughtry Racing couldn’t go under. They had to handle their business, impress the new buyers, and convince them to keep their team intact.
“You nervous?” Gonzo stepped up beside her and folded his arms across his chest. Colby was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear him come into the garage.
In just a few hours, everything Colby had ever learned about mechanics, engineering, cars, and racing would be put to the test. “Nope,” she said confidently. “I’m ready.”
Gonzo had no doubt. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad do you think your dad is going to blow?” He laughed nervously.
Initially, her dad would be pissed, but she hoped it would give way to pride. He also loved Gonzo like a son. There was no way he would fire him. Then again, if they didn’t convince the new buyers, it probably wouldn’t matter anyway.
Her father may have lost his will to fight after years of dealing with Tom’s shit, but Colby refused to go down without making it a full-on brawl. Also, she didn’t want Gonzo to be in the doghouse. “If things go south, I’ll take the heat.”
“What? No way!” Gonzo shook his head. “We are in this together, just like always. We didn’t stay up all night building that engine and getting this car together for me to punk out. I’m in it to win it.” He rubbed his hands together. “And I must say, you designed a helluva an engine.” His admiration for his childhood friend was through the roof. “Still, it’s natural to be nervous. Everything is riding on this. Not just for you but for all of us.”
“I know,” Colby said quietly. Then a wide grin began to creep across her face. “But we did build one hell of an engine. She drove like a dream last night. She’s going to kill it today.”
They gripped hands in a bro handshake. “I know. I was so excited I could barely sleep.”
“Me either. I only got a couple restless hours.” Colby’s head tilted slightly as she looked at the body of the car. “It’s way past time to introduce to some and remind a few others of a couple of things.”
“If the car drives like it did last night, that won’t be a problem.”
“Thanks, Gonzo.” Determination was written all over Colby’s face.
“We’ll be on par with some of the most elite teams on the circuit.”
“It’s time for Daughtry to get back to our former glory. Hell, maybe even surpass it. I won’t even mention that my dad invested his life’s savings into this team. Aside from that, our name . . . it means something, you know? My family has taken more bullshit and given more to this circus than it’s ever given us. My dad has worked his ass off over these past twenty-five years only to be treated like the help by Tom. You know that doesn’t sit well with me.” Colby’s jaw clenched. The thought of it stirred the anger already sitting in the pit of her stomach. “Cyrus James has worked on cars for almost every legend in NASCAR—past and present. When someone can’t figure something out, who do they call?”
“Cyrus James,” Gonzo answered.
“When someone wants a second opinion?”
“Cyrus James,” he said again.
“He’s a legend. He has remained loyal to Daughtry even though Daughtry hasn’t always been loyal to him. It’s wrong that Tom doesn’t give my dad the respect that he’s earned!”
“No one ever said Tom was a smart man.”
“He’s a grade A idiot. Tom may have driven my dad to want to retire, but I want him to go out on his own terms.”
