Full Throttle

by LaShawn Vasser

  “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.” Colby faced Gonzo. “Folks might think that the James legacy began with, and will end with my father, but I’ve got news for ‘em.” They’ve counted me out. In most minds, I’m a nonfactor. That changes today.

  “What are you two knuckleheads doing here this early?”

  Colby and Gonzo turned at the same time toward the sound of Ben’s voice.

  He appeared with Zander in tow. “The test run isn’t until this afternoon.”

  Gonzo glanced nervously at Colby. She touched the car a final time. “Just wanted to take one more look under the hood to make sure this baby is ready to go.”

  Ben narrowed his eyes. “That’s all, huh?”

  He didn’t believe her for a second, and Colby knew it. She shrugged sheepishly.

  “Welp,” Ben rocked on his heels, “you might as well go get dressed.”

  “What?” Confused, Colby looked down at her Daughtry coveralls. “I am dressed.”

  “Not to drive.” Ben smiled conspiratorially. “I can’t back you up if I don’t know what the hell you’ve done to Cyrus’ car. I don’t want no surprises when your daddy hands you your ass for messin’ around with it. So, again, go get dressed and put her on the track before everybody gets here.”

  *****

  Liam and Brian sat in the backseat of the black sedan in the parking lot across the street from Ace’s Motor Speedway. Daughtry’s garage sat opposite them but just across the street as well.

  “Why are we here so damn early?” Brian yawned. “They are not expecting us until later this afternoon. And why can’t we wait in that restaurant? I want a coffee or something.”

  Liam’s head was lowered as he reviewed the documents in his hands. “I want an unfiltered view of this team and the people who run it.”

  “Didn’t you get that last night when you went to visit? They didn’t know it was you, right?” Brian asked.

  Liam didn’t think the others recognized him, but he wasn’t so sure about the girl. The way she looked at him. Or better still, the way she didn’t wilt underneath his scrutiny was impressive. Many powerful men had wilted. There was something else too. Something that made him extremely uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure if it was her full bow-shaped lips or her lovely almond-shaped eyes. Eyes that were filled with such passion that they held him completely captive. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Liam was surprised at his reaction considering how different she was to the women he was usually attracted to. He was partial to blonde model types with delicate porcelain-like skin. That woman definitely wasn’t a blonde. Her dark curls were pulled back into a ponytail that hung out of her baseball cap like a giant afro-puff. She seemed very comfortable wearing just a pair of dirty coveralls too. They certainly weren’t designer. She also wasn’t wearing an ounce of make-up, yet that smooth brown skin was flawless. Bottom line, she was stunning without even trying.

  “Did you hit pay dirt?”

  “What?” Liam hadn’t heard a word Brian said.

  “Your incognito visit. What did you find out? Anything valuable?”

  “A few things. It should have been you. This is your project. I’m along for the assist.”

  “My flight got in late. I told you that. Anyway, I think you’re doing way too much.”

  “I’ve told you the only way to get the real deal is to watch them when they don’t know we’re looking. If you go into that restaurant, it would be like announcing our arrival with a full fireworks display.”

  “I still think you’re overthinking this just a bit.” Brian rested his head on the back of his seat. He felt as if both he and Liam had already dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s. Brian was anxious just to get the deal done.

  “Maybe, but it’s worked well for me over the years. As far as the restaurant, word travels fast in small towns like this one. Did you bring me here without doing your research?”

  “I gave you the dossier.” Irritated, Brian pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I think I did a fairly thorough job of gathering information.”

  Liam’s anger at being put in this situation hadn’t completely dissipated. “Then you should know that everybody knows everybody in places like this. The second you walk in that diner, someone is going to make a call, and we’ll lose our advantage.”

  Brian hadn’t thought of that. Slowly, he opened his eyes and exhaled. “No one can ever say you are not prepared,” Brian said, conceding. “Still, I don’t think you’re going to find anything new in there.” He pointed to the report Liam was reviewing. “You’ve been over it a million times. Like I said, it’s pretty thorough.” Brian began to recite the major bullet points. “The place is owned by Denise Daughtry-Foster. She turned overall day-to-
day operations to her husband, Tom Foster. Daughtry has a shit ton of bills because Tom likes the finer things in life but doesn’t have enough money to pay for them.”

  Liam agreed. “Mmmhmm. Looks like he’s also been playing games with the books.”

  “Yep. They also have a driver who wants to become the next . . . whoever the hell is the top in this field. It looks like he has the skills to do it too.”

  For the first time, Liam glanced up and looked over at his brother. “Why don’t you know who the number one driver in NASCAR is?”

  Brian shrugged. “Because it doesn’t matter. I just need to beat one person.”

  Liam pressed his lips into a firm line. Moments like this, he wanted to choke his brother out. Liam took a deep breath. He would revisit that later. “So, that’s all you got from the information you gathered?”

  “Yeah. What else is there?” Brian asked.

  “Let me tell you what I see.” It was time to take his little bro to school. “Denise Daughtry is the majority stakeholder in Daughtry Racing, not the sole owner. Her stake is seventy percent. However, the next owner of this outfit, with the largest number of shares, is Cyrus James. He owns ten percent and has the full respect of this team. The rest is spread out amongst the employees in one and two percentage points. They will follow Cyrus James’ lead.What if the minority stakeholders don’t want to sell? Hell, what if they get a better offer and decide to sell their percentage to somebody like the Luccesses?”

  The color drained from Brian’s face.

  “They have to know you’re looking for a car and a team. As far as Asher McKay? He is a skillful driver, but he hates it here. It’s obvious he has his sights set on a higher-profile team. The man has already talked to a couple of teams based out of California. He only owes Daughtry one more race. What are your plans to convince him to stay? What motivates him?”

  “I hadn’t thought about all of that,” Brian said.

  Liam had Brian’s full attention. “Look, the dossier you put together is good, really good. But in life and in business, you can’t only focus on the obvious or the things that suit your purpose. You must run every possible scenario around in your head, the good and the bad. That way, you can prepare for anything that is thrown at you. Chess Brian, we’re playing Chess. Not checkers.”

  Liam could see the wheels turning. Maybe Brian would learn something from this godforsaken situation, after all. Liam spoke to Markos. “We’ll walk over to the track but bring the car around in about an hour.” He turned to Brian. “Let’s go see if this team is worth your trust fund.”

  Chapter 6

  Colby placed both hands on the steering wheel and squeezed. She revved the engine. The vibration of the car and the smell of gas took over. Colby whispered more to herself than to anyone else, forgetting that she was mic’d. “She’s purring like a kitten.”

  Ben could hear the smile in her voice. “Yeah. She sounds aah’ight. I ain’t seen nothin’ yet, though. So, you gonna show me what she can do or just talk? It’s a balmy 73 degrees with SW winds at five mph.”

  Perfect, Colby thought. “What was Asher’s mph and time through lap three?”

  “He got up to 195 mph in five seconds.”

  “I’m going to hit 210 in three and 223 in four and a half.”

  “Bullshit!” Ben exclaimed.

  Zander was listening in on their conversation through his headphones as he stood on the platform of the track. He looked over at the booth toward Ben. “Can she do that?”

  He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “We’ll see.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith, boys.” Colby revved up the engine one more time and waited for Zander to drop the practice flag.

  Ben spoke into the mic again. “It’s been a while since you’ve been out there at these speeds, so watch out for the two hard banks on turn one and two.”

  Colby remembered those turns from her runs with her dad as well as her unauthorized run just a few short hours ago. She decided not to share that bit of information. Instead, Colby glanced over at Gonzo, who was waiting in the pit. He gave her the thumbs up.

  Colby refocused her attention on the practice flag.

  As if in slow motion, Zander’s raised arm dropped, signaling the beginning of the practice lap. She pressed her foot on the accelerator, and the car began to move. Colby took one easy lap around the course just to warm up the tires.

  After one full lap around, Colby made it back to the starting line and slowed the car to zero mph as she waited for Zander to drop the black flag, signaling the end of the practice lap.

  The moment he lowered his arm, Colby shot out of the straightaway like a bullet. She took turn one and two easy.

  Ben’s mouth dropped as he viewed his monitors. Colby hit 103 mph in 1.67 seconds. By the time Colby rounded curve four, she had already hit 196 mph in 3.2 seconds.

  Cyrus managed to waltz into the booth without anyone noticing, during Colby’s run. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the car speeding around the track.

  3.8 seconds in, and Colby registered 211 mph and 223 in 4.1. Ben whispered, “Holy shit.”

  Cyrus was in shock too. “What the hell? That boy finally listened to me. He’s handling those curves.”

  Ben didn’t correct him.

  Colby felt like she was flying. She downshifted to fourth gear as she rounded the final curve, quickly shifting to fifth as soon as she came out of it.

  Colby took laps two and three like a dream. Her final lap was no different.

  Unbeknownst to anyone, Brian and Liam had been sitting high up in the stands, quietly watching whom they thought was Asher McKay. After the first full lap, they both realized they were watching something special.

  In awe, Liam sat up on the edge of his seat. Brian was unable to contain his excitement. He spoke in terms he knew Liam would understand. “Jackpot!”

  “Damn.” Liam was speechless. “I guess Asher McKay is every bit the driver they say he is.”

  “See, I told you! We’ve found something that everyone else has ignored. Whatever it takes, we need to close this deal.”

  Liam agreed. They needed to get it done.

  Chapter 7

  Colby pulled the car up to the pit. She was pumped. Her heart beat even faster when she saw her father standing in the crowd, along with Ben, Zander, and Gonzo.

  Slowly, she slid out the window. There was an extra pep in her step. She wanted to jump up and down like a child on Christmas morning but didn’t want to be accused of being all emotional. Women didn’t get that luxury. On the outside, Colby had to remain calm, but on the inside, she was anything but. As she walked over to her Daughtry family, Colby removed her helmet, revealing a massive afro of springy black curls.

  “Colby?” her dad said, surprised.

  She wasn’t sure if her face could contain her smile. “Did you see my run?” Colby twisted around toward Ben. “What was my time? I know it was better than Asher’s.”

  He responded to Colby but looked directly at Cyrus. “223.2 mph in 4.1 seconds.”

  “That’s faster than I predicted!” Colby swung around to her dad and held her breath, waiting for his reaction.

  If Cyrus hadn’t seen it for himself, he wouldn’t have believed it. “Where the hell did you steal that car because that is not the one I left in the garage last night?”

  “I made a few modifications.” Colby’s dark eyes sparkled. “That’s why I didn’t come home last night.”

  “Gonzo!” Cyrus’ voice was as stern as his face when he yelled out his name.

  Her father didn’t appear to be taking Colby’s accomplishment the way she hoped. She began to explain. “Look, Dad—”

  Cyrus held up his hand to silence her.

  Gonzo made his way over, stood before him, and swallowed hard. “Y-yes, sir.”

  Cyrus’ face was unreadable. “You have something to do with an unauthorized person making modifications to Daughtry property?”

  Was he for real? Was her dad pissed when C
olby had just given Daughtry Racing a fighting chance?

  The air surrounding the entire group was tense.

  Initially, Gonzo began to stammer. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “Yes, sir. I did. Colby knows more about the inside of a car than anyone I know—except for you, sir. She said she could make her run faster, and I believed her.”

  Colby didn’t know if she could contain her building frustration. Her dad should be happy, excited, proud even, but she didn’t think he was any of the above until the stern look on his face gave way to the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. “I should have known you were in cahoots with my daughter. Frick and goddamned Frack,” Cyrus said a little more quietly. “You did good to believe in her. I should have too.”

  Cyrus turned to Colby. “I’m sorry. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. But in spite of me, you just might have given us the miracle we’ve all been prayin’ for.” Cyrus pulled Colby into his arms. She sagged against him as relief washed over her entire body.

  “I don’t know how you got that car to move like that, but you did better than good.” He whispered, for her ears only, “I don’t even think he could have taken those curves like you did.”

  Colby’s heart tightened. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to overflow. Instead, Colby rested her head on her father’s shoulder. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel such a heavyweight on her chest. “That’s high praise coming from you.”

  The gang was in full celebration mode just as Tom arrived.

  He always had the worst timing. His face was pulled tight. “I don’t know what the hell everyone is celebrating for? Our last hope of saving this sinking ship just went up in smoke.”

  Cyrus stepped away from Colby. “What are you talking about? Did the buyer pull out?” Cyrus glanced over Tom’s shoulder. “I guess that answers my question. I thought the suits were coming this afternoon?”

  Everyone followed Cyrus’ line of sight as several men approached.