“I don’t need it. I know how to drive and adjust to the car.” There wasn’t a word invented to describe how disrespected Colby felt. “Just gas me up.” Her instincts were to storm off just like Asher, but she didn’t get the luxury of being angry. Instead, she calmly walked off in the opposite direction. The mere fact that she had to dress in the bathroom instead of the locker-room added even more fuel to her fire.
Cyrus, who had missed all the fireworks, walked back into the garage at the same time that Colby was leaving to get changed. She had a look on her face that he knew all too well. Cyrus didn’t get a chance to speak with her because she was focused. He posed his question to the group. “What’s going on?”
“It looks like we’re about to race,” Ben informed him. “I’ll fill you in while we get the cars ready.”
Cyrus nodded.
Brian and Liam exchanged glances as they looked down onto the floor. Brian murmured so only Liam could hear him. “This should be interesting.”
Liam was impressed with Colby. She was all fire, but it was a controlled rage unlike he’d ever seen. It was right there in her eyes and by the set of her shoulders as she walked away. He couldn’t help but wonder if that same energy translated to all areas of her life.
Don’t go there, Liam chastised himself. It was bad enough he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Liam had to remind himself to see Colby simply as a driver, no different than the others.
Liam complimented Brian. “Great move using Asher’s emotions against him. You know if he loses that he won’t hold up his end.”
Brian nodded. “I know. Asher’s a complete dick. I was ready to fire him on the spot. Then I thought, what would Liam do?”
Liam was humbled that Brian respected him enough to feel that way.
As they walked back into Brian’s office, he asked, “Think Colby can win?”
Liam wasn’t sure, but he hoped so. “We’ll find out in a little bit.”
“I want her to bury his ass.”
Liam did too.
Chapter 13
Three cars were at the lineup, each having had the opportunity to warm up the tires and were now waiting for the flag to drop.
Cyrus came through the headphones. “Listen up! This is for all the marbles. You want to be Lockwood’s number one, prove it. Ten laps. Fastest time wins. Where you finish will determine your place.”
Engines revved.
Asher glanced over into Colby’s car. She was focused. All she saw was the track and a chance to prove herself.
“Conditions are not ideal. Winds blowing from the SW at ten mph,” Ben said into their headsets.
Colby squeezed the wheel of Chris’s car. She remembered her father saying the clutch would stick at around sixty mph. Asher was going to beat her out of the gate, but he had no idea how to handle curves two and three. That’s where she would adjust and take him.
The go flag was flying high as it blew in the wind.
Colby inhaled, then slowly released the air from her lungs as she waited.
Finally, as if in slow motion, the flag dropped.
Asher shot out like a bullet, followed by Jordan and then Colby.
He was ahead by at least three-tenths of a second. As expected, the clutch began to stick as soon as she hit sixty. Colby downshifted to fourth, which loosened the clutch, then quickly shifted into fifth as she gunned it. Her car gave her the speed she needed.
Asher took curve two just as Colby expected. Jordan didn’t even round it as well as Asher. He lost speed in the process. Still, they were ahead.
Asher took curve three better than Colby thought he would.
She took curves two and three better than both Asher and Jordan.
Liam watched intently from the booth with his arms folded across his chest.
“Lap one is in the books,” Cyrus said. Colby came in third.
The race appeared to be the same going into laps four and five, with Colby coming in third in all of them.
“Looks like I might have to rip up Asher’s contract,” Brian whispered to Liam, sounding somewhat disappointed.
Ben heard Brian and muted his headset before responding. “Asher has the better car, but Colby hasn’t made her move yet.”
Cyrus was pretty damned proud of Colby’s skills. He’d never seen her in full-on competition mode before. He muted his mic too. “If she’s learned anything from her old man, she’ll be doing that soon. My guess is she’ll make it in the next lap right around curve two.”
Cyrus unmuted his mic. “Lap six is in the books,” Cyrus said.
Asher was still in the lead.
Jordan sensed something was coming. He began to zigzag in a way to prevent Colby from pulling alongside his car. Just as they entered curve two, she outmaneuvered him and skillfully came up right next to his car, then sped around Jordan and overtook him. She was now in the number two position.
It was subtle, but Liam pumped his fist.
Brian saw it and smirked. “You’re pretty intense.”
Liam ignored Brian and continued to watch intently while pretending to be unimpressed.
All three drivers whizzed past the booth. An almost deafening whistle rushed past the spectators. They were moving so fast they looked like blurs. The race had the energy of a real qualifying event.
“Asher’s psi is dropping in the right tire,” Ben said. Cyrus wasted no time informing him.
“What does that mean?” Brian asked.
“His tire pressure dropping is going to affect his speed.” Ben shook his head. “He’ll have to adjust. If it gets too low, he’s going to have to bring her in.”
“Asher seems to have made the decision to go all out since there are only four laps left,” Cyrus said.
Ben leaned over toward Cyrus. “She hasn’t topped out yet.”
He grinned. “I know.” Cyrus turned to Liam and Brian to explain further. “I think she might be letting Asher wear
