“Can I ride with you?” he asks. There’s a hint of excitement in his deep green eyes.
“Of course,” I answer, sliding the seat forward. Noah ducks in and settles in the back seat.
“Wow,” Nolan says again as he runs his hands across the sleek dash. He has a shit eating grin on his face. “Wait until Xavier sees this car. He’s going to bust a nut.” My hands freeze on the ignition. A realization of dread hits my stomach.
“Where are Izzy and Xavier?” I ask.
“Fuck. I knew I was forgetting something.” The smile drains from Nolan’s face. “When Ashton found my phone, he said Xavier sent me a text. With everything going on I forgot to check it.”
Nolan pulls his phone out of his pocket and opens his text messages. There’s one from Xavier. It was sent about eight hours ago. I quickly think back to that time. That was after we were rammed off the side of the road.
“He says, ‘Nolan, I’m sorry, but we had to leave. I can’t put Izzy in danger. I hope you understand and this doesn’t affect our friendship. Tell Ashley I wish her the best, but Izzy’s safety is my first concern.’” Nolan’s eyes have a hint of sadness in them.
“Hey, it’s OK. I didn’t want Izzy here in the first place. She needs to stay far away from this mess. I never wanted to put her in this situation. Do you think you should call him, let him know it’s OK?”
“No, it’s fine. I just thought he would tell me in person. Something feels off.” Nolan says. The worry lines deepen on his forehead. I grab his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. My instincts are telling me something isn’t right either.
“We'll check it out when this is done. How does that sound?” I ask Nolan, trying to reassure him.
“That works for me. We need to focus on getting to your family first and ending Shaun once and for all. Then we can figure out why Xavier and Izzy took off.”
I start the car and the engine roars to life, vibrating under my hands, sending tingles through my body. I close my eyes for a moment, enjoying the purr of the motor. It’s soothing and relaxing my soul.
“Ash, I really don’t want to hear those noises,” Noah says from the back seat.
“What noises?” I ask.
“The ones you have while I’m pleasuring you,” Nolan says, giving me a smirk.
“I wasn’t making any noises.”
“Yes, you were.” Both Nolan and Noah say at the same time.
“Whatever,” I grumble under my breath.
I put the car in first and slowly drive out of the garage. The rising sun is casting beautiful reds and purples across the sky. I follow Ashton and Hotflash down the road. Ashton is driving Hotflash’s silver Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Rush and Harris are in Quickshift’s dark green Porsche Cayman GT-4 behind me, Rush is driving. Then bringing up the rear is Marks and Ramirez, with Ramirez driving a BMW M-3.
It’s been about twenty minutes since we left. We’ve been driving up some side roads and towards the winding mountains, the silence is killing me.
“I’m actually surprised Hotflash is letting Ashton drive her car. What’s up with that?” I ask. I glance over at Nolan, his head is leaning against the window. He’s staring out into the passing trees. Something is on his mind.
“I’m not sure. I asked him about it, but he’s being tight lipped.” Nolan says with a shrug.
“Is that what your argument was about earlier?” I ask him, watching for a reaction. His shoulders stiffen a little, then he releases a breath and relaxes in the seat.
“No. It was about a case we’ve just been assigned.” Nolan says.
There’s something he’s not telling me. Something is different between us right now and I don’t like it. He’s holding back, something is weighing on his mind.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.
“Not right now. Later.” Nolan answers.
We drive up into the mountains, the sun is rising, creating a fireball in the sky. This is my favorite time of year. The way the sun reflects off the clouds, coloring them with reds and pinks, always makes me want to stop and sketch. Ashton puts on his turn signal to turn into the overlook up ahead. I follow suit, then Rush and Ramirez do the same behind me.
Once we all come to a complete stop, I turn off the engine and get out. I let Noah out of the back seat and he rests his hand on my shoulder, giving me reassurance. He walks off towards the picnic area. Everyone else follows, leaving Nolan and I standing here in front of my car. I have to figure out how to fix whatever is creating a distance between us.
“Nolan,” I say, drawing his attention. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting weird since we left. It’s like a switch has been flipped and you’re holding something back.”
He takes a deep breath and turns away. That hurts a lot. I watch his muscles tighten and he runs his hands through his brown hair. He grabs the back of his neck with both hands and walks towards the overlook, away from everyone. His movements are stiff and unnatural. I follow him, not giving up yet.
“Nolan, talk to me. Please.” I practically beg him to explain what’s going on.
“I…” he hesitates to continue.
I can see the stress radiating off him. I rest my hands on his back, rubbing his broad shoulders, trying to ease the tension, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I push him a little more.
“Nolan, it’s me you’re talking too, no one else. Tell me about it.” I tell him quietly.
“There’s so much more here to worry about, I don’t want to burden you with my issues right now. I don’t want you to lose focus on getting Redline and Quickshift back.” Nolan whispers.
“But you’re losing focus, Nolan. You’re distracted by something. Talk to me, I promise it won’t interfere with what we’re doing now. Besides, it might help.”
Nolan takes a deep breath and finally turns to look at me. The sun is behind him, surrounding him in a golden haze. His eyes are holding mine when he brings his hand up to rest on the side of my face.
“My team and I have to leave for New York City, once we’re done here.”
Chapter 35
Nolan
I watch as Ashley takes a stuttering breath. She’s shocked at what I told her, but she had to have realized I couldn’t stay here forever. I have a business to run and the news Ashton received earlier, we need to leave for New York City. I don’t want to go, but I have to. My past is coming back full force and I need to take care of it before the demons take care of me.
“That’s why I didn’t want to mention it right now. You’re bothered about something you have no control over.” I tell her quietly.
“When will you be back?” she asks.
“I don’t know. You must understand, I need to go. I need to get this new case cleared up before I can move forward.”
“Are you planning on moving forward towards me or away from me?” Ashley asks quietly.
I run my thumb over her pink lips, outlining them. She shivers even though the humidity is high. It’s my touch that causes her to do that. Her brown eyes are searching mine, seeking the truth. My hands settle on her waist, gripping her tight. I see the fight and determination set in her eyes. She’s not letting me go without a fight. I can’t stand the distance between us, so I pull her against me and wrap my arms securely around her. I inhale her essence and close my eyes. Ashley rests her head on my chest and brings her arms around my waist, holding on tight. We stay like this for a few minutes.
“I’m planning on moving forward with you Ash, but I need to take care of this before I can.” All the emotions from the last few months are in my voice and it cracks a little.
I’m terrified I won’t be capable of making it back. I’m thankful that I found her when I didn’t realize I needed her. I’m worried that she’ll move on while I’m gone. I’m frustrated that I’ve gone all this time without my past affecting me, and now it’s nipping at my heels. I’m embarrassed that I let it go this long with her, knowing I’d have to leave her.
&n
bsp; “Nolan,” Ashley says picking her head up from my chest. She leans her forehead against mine, her breath fanning across my lips. “I’m here for you. I will always be wherever you are. If you need me in New York, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, I’m in here.” She rests her palm on my heart. “One phone call is all I need, and I’ll be there for you like you are for me. We’re a team, a partnership. We stick together.”
I can’t take the distance anymore. I lean in and kiss her with all the passion I can give her. My mind is on the issues I to need deal with, but once Ashley’s tongue enters my mouth and I appreciate the love she has for me, all that worry floats away in the breeze. I deepen the kiss, relaying how much I love her with my actions. She releases a whimper from the back of her throat and it pumps blood through my veins, hard and fast. I break the kiss breathing rapidly, my breath fanning across her lips. Ashley opens her eyes and looks at me. There’s isn’t an ounce of pity or sadness, only love, and trust.
“I’m trusting you, Nolan,” she whispers. “I’m trusting that you’ll call me when you need me. I’m trusting that you’ll come back. I’m hoping that you’ll have faith in us, even when things get complicated.”
“I promise to call, I will come back, and I do have faith,” I reply quietly.
“Nolan," Ashton shouts from across the park.
“We have to get back there,” Ashley says. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yeah, actually I do. Thank you.” I answer.
“Remember no matter what situation you find yourself in, good or bad, I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Ashley says. I drag her tight against me and breathe her in one last time before we face the dangers ahead of us.
“I know, and I will,” I answer.
We walk hand in hand back to everyone sitting around a picnic table. Ashton has his laptop set up in the middle. His program is running, making sure Redlines car is staying put, and he has files open. Harris, Ramirez, and Marks are reading police files when we walk up.
“What do you have?” Ashley asks. Harris closes the file and his face turns red like he just got caught stealing.
“Uh…” Harris trails off.
Ashley glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest and he swallows hard. I’ve never seen him afraid of someone, but then again, he’s never gone up against someone like Ashley. One look from her can have a grown man shaking in the knees.
“You can tell her Harris, it’s not a secret. They need to know what we’re getting into.” I reassure him.
“It’s your parents’ case file,” Harris says softly.
“You could get that? How?” Ashley asks, shocked.
“I called in a few favors,” Ashton says with a shrug. He actually hacked into the police’s mainframe and stole them, but we don’t need to get into that.
“I’ve been trying for years to get those and the detectives wouldn’t budge.” Ashley says. “Let me look at them.”
Harris hands the file he has over, and Ashley begins flipping through the reports. I watch as the color drains from her face and she sits down on the edge of the picnic table. Rush is next to her, reading it over her shoulder. They both needed to see those files. He rests a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from flying off the handle. She looks up at me and I’ve seen that determination in her eyes before. This won’t end well for someone and I hope that someone isn’t her.
“Mother fucker,” Ashley whispers and swallows hard.
I glance at Rush, waiting for his reaction. He’s the one I’ve been the most worried about. He grabs the file from Ashley’s trembling hands and reads it repeatedly.
“This isn’t possible.” Rush responds quietly. He sits down hard on the ground, staring off into another place, far away from us.
“Rush, tell me you didn’t know about this.” Ashley demands.
“I had no idea. I was with you when it happened and never heard a word about it.” Rush answers.
A clue they’ve been searching for has finally surfaced. It wasn’t the police that kept Ashley and Rush in the dark. It’s not who they thought was responsible for her family’s death all these years. It was their own.
Chapter 36
Ashley
This whole time, I’ve thought I was responsible for my family’s death. All the lies and secrets come surging back to me as I remain here numb to everything around me. People are talking around me, I can hear their muffled voices, but I have one thing on my mind. Revenge.
All the years, I’ve blamed myself for them dying, when reality is hitting me in the face. I peer at Rush and his body is shaking with rage. His black eyes are brimmed with fury and revenge, just like how I feel. His eyes finally meet mine and I grant him a short nod. He stands up and I do the same. We need to get out of here and take care of this.
I run to my car, Rush is right on my heels. Nolan is yelling at me, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. If I do, then they win. I won’t let them win anymore. Rush is just closing the passenger side door when I reverse out of the parking spot. Nolan is running right behind us, but I throw the car in first, flinging dirt and rocks up behind me. I glance in my rearview mirror and see him screaming, but I can’t hear what he’s saying anymore. Once we’re out of sight, Rush’s phone starts ringing in his pocket. He pulls it out and checks to see who it is.
“It’s Nolan. Do you want me to answer it?” Rush asks.
“Not right now,” I answer, shaking my head. “How did we not see this?” I ask.
“I don’t know. They kept us in the dark for so long, I took their word at what they said. Why wouldn’t I? They’ve never lied to me before.” Rush answers.
“Where are they?” I ask.
Rush pulls out his phone from his pocket again and brings up a location app. I raise an eyebrow at him as he clicks a few buttons and a green dot appears. My mouth turns dry when I see where the blinking light is.
“No fucking way,” I whisper.
“Yeah, that’s where they are.” Rush answers.
“Then we have the element of surprise on our side. They think we don’t know what happened, and now we do. We will take them down for the last time.”
About an hour later, Rush and I pull up to the chain linked fence, closing off the Palisades Del Rey community from the rest of the world. I survey our surrounding and there’s no one in sight. I leave my car idling in the quiet morning and get out. Rush follows, and we walk the perimeter of the fence. Nothing appears to be out of place. The wind picks up, creating a dust storm. I cover my face from the assaulting dirt stinging my eyes and nose. Rush does the same.
“Have they moved?” I ask into the wind.
“No,” Rush shouts back. “It’s saying they’re right inside.”
I walk further down the fence until I find a good spot to climb over. I just want to take a peek around first, then come back later. I start to climb when I feel a hand on my boot. I look down and Rush is shaking his head at me. The wind is still whipping, and I can’t hear what he’s saying. I jump back down and face him.
“Ashley, this doesn’t feel right. Let’s call Nolan and return when we have back up.” he shouts into the wind.
“Rush, you can do whatever you want. I’m going in and doing some recon. I don’t fucking need anyone to back me up. Those assholes stole my life, they stole my family. I’m not waiting around anymore.” I yell back.
I turn back around facing the fence and start to climb again. Once I reach the top, I pause and look down. Rush is contemplating if he wants to go with me. He looks torn at doing things the safe way or my way. Eventually, my way wins out, and he starts climbing. I go down the other side and wait for him to join me.
“Rush, you don’t have to go with me. I can manage this on my own.” I tell him.
“Fuck too, I’m not letting you go into this alone. Let’s take a quick look around, then go and make a plan.”
We move quickly and quietly through the houses. The night Shaun kidnapped me come
s flashing back and I slow down. The wind has finally died down and my stomach's tightening with dread the further we get away from the fence. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.
“They’re close.” Rush whispers, looking at his phone.
I look over his shoulder at the app and sure enough, the green dot is about three hundred yards away. I look up to see what we’re close by when I spot the area my family was killed in. There are no cars around.
“What the hell?” I demand.
I jog toward the track and memories flash in my mind. Once I reach the path, I can’t keep the sorrow at bay. I pause at the turn my mom and Austin were standing in on that fateful night. The smell of gasoline and dirt invade my nose and I lose myself in the memory. Everything and everyone fade away.
Chapter 37
Ashley-age 14
I’m standing with Rush, behind my dad’s lime green nineteen sixty-eight Ford Mustang GT/SC fastback. We’re all at the Palisades Del Ray, my dad has a big race tonight, and the abandoned community is crammed full of spectators, excited for a great race. My mom and Austin are next to my dad as he prepares for the race, checking his car over, and making sure everything is in working order. They’re talking in hushed voices, something’s off with them. My mom is whispering to him, her body is shaking. My dad stops what he’s doing and pulls her in for a hug, rubbing her back gently. She tucks a few pieces of blonde hair behind her ears and gives him a small smile.
“Everything will be OK. I promise.” he says to her. He runs his hands through his dark hair and proceeds to check his car. She gives him a small nod and puts her arms around Austin, watching the crowd. There’s fear in her green eyes when she sees who dad’s racing against. My mom fears no one, she’s one of the strongest, most dangerous people I know.
Austin is two years younger than me and his shaggy blonde hair is falling into his brown eyes that match mine. He spots me standing next to Rush and comes over, leaving my mom and dad alone.
“Hey kiddo,” Rush says, messing up his hair.
“Rush, stop. There are girls around, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m almost thirteen and I have to play it cool for the ladies to notice me.” Austin states, with a serious look in his eyes. I laugh at his comment, he will be such a ladies man when he gets older.
Racing Dirty, L.A. Page 24
