“Nolan, come back to me.” Ashley’s beautiful voice penetrates through the rage. The demon starts to calm down. I close my eyes and focus on her touch, breathing harshly. “That’s right, come back to me.” she says again.
Ashley repeats those words over and over in my mind until I have myself under control. She keeps her hands on my face, her body pressed against mine. Her lips skim over my throat, my nose, her fingers tightening on my cheeks.
“He can’t hurt me anymore.” She whispers in my ear. “It’s over. Come back and focus on me.”
I finally get the demon under control, locked back up in its cage, and open my eyes. I stare right into her warm brown ones, there is no judgment, no fear. Only acceptance and love staring back at me, sending a sharp pain straight to my heart. I bring a bloody hand up and touch her face, being careful of the bruising.
“Are you real?” I whisper.
“Yes, I’m here and I’m real.” She whispers back. A throat clears behind me, but I ignore it. I don’t want to take my eyes off her for a second, afraid she’ll disappear.
“Nolan, we have a problem.” Ashton says behind me.
Keeping Ashley against me I finally drag my eyes away from her and they land on Ashton. He has his gun pointed at Justin’s head and looks torn about what he is going to say.
“What?” I bark out.
“We have company coming in hard and fast. We need to get out of here before they arrive.” He responds through gritted teeth.
Justin lets out a laugh. “You’re all dead mother fuckers.” He glares at Ashley, “You will receive the worst fate. My boys don’t play nice when it comes to women who need to be knocked down a peg. I did it with your mother, and I’ll do the same to you.” Ashton hits him with the butt of his gun, sending him to his knees.
“Shut the fuck up,” Ashton seethes.
“Harris and Marks, get Rush up and out of here.” I bark at them. They quickly move to Rush and throw his limp form between the two of them.
“Is he still alive?” Ashley asks. She terrified of the answer but has the courage to ask anyway.
“Yes.” Marks answers her. “He needs a hospital though.”
“No. No hospitals, we take care of our own.” she responds.
“Get him out of here, now.” I demand.
Marks and Harris drag Rush out the door, moving slower than I would like. There are headlights in the distance, barreling right for us fast. I search around trying to find the best way to neutralize the threat coming at us.
“Ramirez, go low and take those cars out.” I bark at him.
“On it boss.” Ramirez ducks out the door and into the night.
“What about him?” Ashton asks, still pointing his gun at Justin’s head.
“Get rid of him.” Ashley speaks before I can.
“With pleasure.” Ashton cocks his gun. Justin is trembling from head to toe, staring down the barrel of the gun.
“Wait." Austin yells before Ashton can squeeze the trigger.
“Why? Why the fuck do you care what happens to him?” Ashton growls, not taking his eyes off Justin.
“We can’t just kill him. Look, I know you don’t understand, but if you do this, it will never stop. It will never end. He’s just a pawn in this fucked up world. I’ve learned things, things he doesn’t know I heard. Take him with us. Use him to make all of this stop.” Austin pleads.
“Who the fuck are you?” Ashley asks, peering around my body. She hasn’t seen him yet, only in the shadows.
Austin steps out of the shadows of the moonlight and a gasp leaves Ashley’s lips. She grips my arm tighter as she takes in her brother for the first time in over ten years. His blonde hair is cut short, his broad shoulders coiled with tension. His familiar brown eyes are pleading for her to know who he is, but his jaw is clenched tight.
“Austin?” Her lips tremble. “I thought you were dead.” Tears are streaming down her face.
“No, I’m not. They told me you left me behind. I’ve had revenge planned for you leaving me with that monster for the last ten years.” Austin informs her.
“I didn’t know, I saw you in all that blood. They said you were dead.” Ashley says remorsefully.
“They,” Austin uses finger quotes. “Are the ones who took me. They wanted our family to pay and pay dearly.”
A blast ricocheted across the night and vibrates around the cabin. I look out the door and see the cars that were heading our way are burning quickly. No one is getting out and heading towards us. Ramirez did his job, fast and effective.
“Who are they?” Ashley asks. A snort from the side catches Ashley’s attention. Her eyes narrow on Justin.
“You,” she seethes. “You were supposed to be our father’s best friend, his family. How could you?" she screams. Before I realize it, Ashley’s on him. She’s kicking the shit out of him, with her boots. Her fist rears back and she rains blow after blow onto his face.
“You fucking piece of shit. I’m going to fucking kill you myself." Justin is blocking some of her blows with his forearms, but she keeps on hitting him over and over. The crunching of bones and grunts of pain float through the night when her blows hit their mark.
“I did it to save your life. I took Austin away and had Marcus kill your parents to save your life." Justin screams at her. She stops punching him and steps back a little, breathing hard.
“To save my life? Is that how you sleep at night? Do you tell yourself lie after lie, so you can close your eyes? You sent a psycho after me, you sent thugs to fucking kill me and you tore my family apart. To save my life? You're one sick, twisted, mother fucker. Well, close your eyes now because sleep will come easily for you.” Ashley grabs Ashton’s gun out of his stunned hands and pulls the trigger. The bullet tears into Justin’s head, sending his lifeless body flying back to the ground from the impact.
“Sleep now, mother fucker.” She says, spitting on the ground next to him. Her nostrils are flaring, her chest is heaving, and she has a distant look in her brown eyes.
“Ash,” I speak low, approaching her carefully. Her eyes snap to mine and she drops the gun. Her body is trembling, ready to collapse. I pick her up and she puts her head on my chest, quietly sobbing.
“He ruined my family. He tore us apart. He tried to have me killed several times.” She chokes out. “I don’t even know who I am anymore. I don’t know Austin, I’ll never see my parents again.”
“I’ll help you, Ash. I’m here and not going anywhere.” I whisper in her hair, praying it’s a promise I can keep. She shudders in my arms, tears streaming down her face.
“But why? Why would they do this to us?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but we will find out. Come on, let’s get out of here and regroup.”
“I know.” Austin whispers, staring at Justin’s dead body with hatred in his eyes. We all turn to him. “But not here. Marcus knew we were here and we need to leave. Justin thought he was in charge, but he wasn’t. Marcus Dual is behind everything that’s happened.”
“Come on, let’s go.” I take the lead away from the cabin and radio in my mic. “Noah, get the cars ready we’re heading back.”
“Copy that.” Noah answers in my ear.
We make our way through the dark woods, no one saying a word. We’re all lost in our own thoughts, the actions of the night weighing heavily on our minds.
Chapter 42
Ashley
I’m lost in my own fucked up mind as we approach the edge of the woods. The moonlight shining brightly down upon us. Nolan's hand tightens around mine, lending me a reassuring squeeze. I’ve taken another life and didn’t hesitate to do it. The worst part? It was Rush’s father. What’s Rush going to think of me now? I killed his family. What kind of monster am I turning into?
My body is sore and achy, but my mind won’t stop replaying the events. I tighten my grip on Nolan, grateful he’s here to keep me grounded. When I saw him losing it on Shaun like that, I had no choice but to make him stop. Sh
aun wasn’t moving, and I don’t think he was breathing. I recognized the familiar rage in Nolan’s eyes, the same look I have when pushed too far.
Once we reach the cars, Nolan wraps his arms around me, pulling me flush against him. I can feel the hard ridges of his body through my tank top, the warmth of his skin against mine. There’s an aching desire racing through my body as my adrenaline wears off. He kisses the side of my neck, his hot breath fanning across my ear, creating a shiver to wrack through me.
“Ash,” Nolan's husky voice in my ear. “We have some bad news.”
“What is it?” I ask. I don’t really care what he has to tell me at this point, I just want to touch his skin against mine. I want him to make me forget even if it’s for just a little while.
“Shaun blew up your house. Trying to kill us all in the process. I’m really sorry.”
“Are you ok?” I ask turning in his arms. The moonlight behind him gives him a soft glow.
“Yes, we’re all Ok.”
“Then that’s all that matters. I don’t care about my house, I can always buy another one. But you,” I answer, placing my palms on his stubbled face. “Are irreplaceable.”
Nolan dips his head and moves his mouth to mine. His tongue skims across my bottom lip and I part them, allowing him access. There’s something special, something soul-shattering about this kiss as our tongues battle against each other. Nolan’s fingers dig into my hips, tugging me closer to him. His hard cock is straining through his jeans and a whimper leaves my throat, begging for more. Breaking the soul-stealing kiss, Nolan rests his forehead against mine, breathing hard.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you, too,” I whisper back.
“We’ve got to get out of here and get Rush the medical attention he needs,” Noah says from somewhere behind me, shattering our little bubble.
His remarks are like a bucket of ice to my desire. Straightening my spine, I turn to everyone watching us, waiting for directions. I walk to the car Harris and Marks put Rush in, on shaky legs, and check on him. He’s still breathing, out cold, but his body has taken a beating.
“I know where we can go.” Natalia says quietly.
She’s standing next to Ashton, and he has his hand resting on her hip. Something is off in her eyes as she watches Nolan carefully. I give her a questioning look, but she avoids eye contact with me. Natalia drops her eyes to the ground before speaking.
“Nolan, I know you don’t trust me right now, but I want what is best for Rush.” A sadness is in her voice.
“What happened?” I ask.
“I’ll explain later,” Nolan growls. There’s a cold, hard stare in his eyes as he watches Natalia. “Fine, but if you lie to me again, there will be consequences.”
“No more lies. I promise.” Natalia says, close to tears.
That girl never cries so whatever she did, it must be bad. Ashton gives her a comforting squeeze before we all load up in the three strange cars. I ride with Nolan in the Ford Mustang, sitting in the back with Rush. His sleeping form taking up the back seat. I rest his head on my lap and gently move his black hair off his forehead.
How will he ever forgive me?
Noah is sitting up front, and he keeps turning around to check on both Rush and I every few minutes.
Ashton, Natalia, Harris, and Austin ride in the Dodge Charger, leading the way. Marks and Ramirez bring up the rear in the Chevy Camaro. We drive into the dark night towards Hotflash’s warehouse on the East Side of L.A.
“Where are Redline and Quickshift and where did you get these cars?” I finally ask, breaking the silence.
“Well,” Noah starts with a smile on his face. “I got the cars. I called in a few favors and cashed in on being the best front man around. That was really fun, using that type of power.” The smile fades from his face as he continues. “Redline called me while you were, ah, indisposed. Apparently, someone drugged the two of them and left them behind. They were at the spot at the top of the mountain we were heading to, but it was a setup. Rush’s father was counting on us to find them, then they were going to ambush us all. When you didn’t take the bait, they left the two of them up there with no guards. I’ll let them explain it more when you see them. Anyway, Hotflash sent them to her place. We have a doctor there waiting to check Rush out.”
Nolan’s hands tighten on the steering wheel when Noah mentions Natalia’s name. His grip so strong, his knuckles are turning white. I reach up and rest my hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He reaches up with one hand and rests it on mine. His grip relaxes a little.
“Tell me what happened,” I say quietly.
“She lied to all of us. She knew Rush’s father was Shaun’s and didn’t tell anyone. Not even Rush. I could have been there sooner if she told me. That fucker wouldn’t have been able to lay a hand on you. That’s what happened.” Anger and hatred pouring from Nolan’s voice.
“But you made it there, and she told you. Let’s focus on that, not the mistakes made in the process. I realize it’s hard for you to forgive but I can see it in her eyes, she realizes the mistake she made. Don’t keep punishing her for it.” I reply softly.
“I’ll try, but only for you. You’re all that matters to me.” Nolan says squeezing my hand.
“Good enough for me. Shaun got what was coming to him. If it wasn’t you, I would have put a bullet in his head. So, thank you, Nolan, for being there and protecting me.” I turn to Noah, “Thank you, Noah, for all you did too.” He offers me a bright smile.
“You’re welcome. Now can I ask you a question?”
“What?”
“Who’s the guy that came out with you?”
“Oh, that’s Austin, my brother,” I respond, playing it casually. I’m thrilled but also scared we won’t connect like we used to.
“Your brother you thought was dead?” Noah asks.
“Yeah, I don’t know his story, but once we reach Natalia’s place we’ll find out what we can.”
The rest of the ride is quiet except for our breathing filling the space around us and the humming of the tires on the pavement. Rush grunts and groans in his sleep a few times and my heart swells with grief at what his mind is going through right now. He’s going to have the hardest time dealing with all of this. Fear fills my veins when he finds out I killed his father. Will he forgive me? Will he hate me forever?
These thoughts crowd my head with worry as we pull into Natalia’s warehouse. It’s still dark out and the sun won’t rise for a few more hours. We pull our cars into the huge parking garage inside. She has an enormous loft on the top floor and we all make our way quietly into the old elevator. Harris and Marks are carrying Rush between the two of them. Nolan has his arms wrapped around my waist and the rest of our crews remains silent as the cramped elevator ascends to the top.
Once we reach the top, Natalia lifts the cage and lets us out. Marks and Harris go first, carrying Rush into a bedroom off to the right. He’s starting to move more but still won’t wake up. We walk into Natalia’s loft and the first thing I notice is Redline and Quickshift, standing in the middle of the living room, waiting for us. I run to them and throw my arms around their necks.
“Thank God you’re OK.” I sob into their necks. Both of them wrap their arms around me, giving me a hug back.
“We’re OK.” Redline says. “Ash, I’m really sorry about the other day. I was thinking about it and you were right. There’s someone out there for me that I will want to tell everything too. I don’t know what's been going through my mind, but when Quickshift and I were taken, I had an ah-ha moment. What you and Nolan have, is right. We would never have been. Thank you for making me see that.” He leans in and kisses my cheek before letting me go.
“I’m so glad you two are here with me again. I’ve missed you both.”
“We’re happy to be back. Now go shower, you smell really bad.” Quickshift gives me a kiss on the cheek before releasing me too.
“I
need to check on Rush before I shower and change.” I turn to Nolan extending my hand, “Come on, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
We walk into the bedroom Marks and Harris took him too. There’s a doctor in there with him, checking over his injuries. She’s young and very attractive. She has long brown hair, pulled up in a bun at the nap of her neck and black glasses on. She’s sitting in the bed and has a stethoscope in her ears as she listens to his lungs. I stand in the doorway with Nolan’s body pressed against my back, his arms around my waist, waiting for her to finish. His warmth is keeping me grounded at the moment, when I feel like breaking down. She finishes her exam and stands up.
“He’s going to be fine. Some minor injuries, bruised ribs and a concussion, but I expect a full recovery. I’ll stick around for a little while with him, if you don’t mind.” Her voice is husky as she looks down at Rush.
“Thanks, Doc. I appreciate you coming out here so quickly and keeping this on the down low.” I tell her.
She looks up at me and gives me a gentle smile, her hazel eyes are kind as she looks me over. “You don’t remember me, do you?” she asks.
“No, should I?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Let’s just say our families ran in the same circle. It’s why I’m here. My father handed over his business to me, when he retired. I went on a few of his house calls when I was little.” Her soft voice has a bit of melancholy to it.
“Wait. Your father was our home doctor?” I ask.
“Yes, he was,” she says with a bright smile. “Dr. Spencer.”
“How is he doing? I haven’t seen him since before the accident.” Flashbacks of her father coming to our house to fix up Rush a few times flood my mind. A girl a few years younger than us are in the images, she was always watching Rush with affection. “Amber. You used to have a huge crush on Rush. I remember you now.” I say with a smile.
“Yes, you do remember me.” Amber responds, ignoring my remark about her crush on Rush. “My father is doing really well. He retired a few years ago, after I graduated from Med school, living it up in Mexico.”
“Well, I’m relieved Rush is in good hands. Thanks again Doc.” I say, walking into the room. I sit down on the bed and take Rush’s hand in mine. It’s cold to the touch.
Racing Dirty, L.A. Page 28
