Speed.

“Come on, put your foot on it,” Tazen encourages.

I take a deep breath. Then I press the gas pedal to the floor. The engine sparks to life and the car lunges forward. With a happy squeal, I press down further. The loud rumbling fills my ears as the car starts getting faster and faster.

“You know how to take a corner, Quinn,” Tazen yells over the sound. “Slight brake in, but always accelerate out.”

I do as he says, and take my first corner beautifully.

“Fuck yeah, baby!” he shouts.

My adrenaline builds and I pick up speed, taking the corners like a pro. Tazen is laughing beside me and my chest is full of excitement. I’m pumped up and happier than I’ve been in such a long time. When we reach the start, we go around again. This time I get faster. I’m concentrating hard now, trying to memorize the corners as best I can.

When we complete the second round, I pull up and turn to Tazen. “Oh my god!” I scream. “That was amazing.”

“It’s about to get better. The race is starting.”

Suddenly, I feel sick. Tazen must notice because he leans over and makes me look at him. “You’re a natural, baby, give it all you’ve got.”

Then he gets out of the car.

Wait, he’s not coming with me?

He walks around to my side and I lower the window. He’s about to lean in when we hear a familiar voice. “What the hell are they doing here?”

Tazen turns and I look past him to see Sheyenne storming over. Great. Just great. I push the car door open and get out. We don’t have long before the race starts. Sheyenne gives me a once-over, and then stops in front of Tazen with her hands firmly planted on her hips. “You’re going to let this,” she waves a hand at me, “amateur drive one of your cars, but you won’t give me a damned new one!”

Tazen steps up in her face. “That girl right there has more respect and talent in her pinkie finger than you do in your whole body, Sheyenne. I’d give her a thousand cars before I’d ever give you one again.”

Her eyes flare with anger. “You will be giving me one, Tazen. I’ll make sure of it.”

She has the nerve to threaten him. She has no scruples.

“We’ll see about that,” he growls.

She opens her mouth to say something else but the beginning of the race is announced. She glares at me and hisses, “I’ll have the time of my life smashing your little girlfriend here off the track.”

Anger bubbles inside me. I really don’t like this woman. “I’d love to see what you’ve got,” I say.

She laughs, flicking her hair back. “Oh, you’ll see what I’ve got. I have a new car, and it’s amazing. Nothing like that piece of shit you’re driving.”

She did not just insult Tazen’s car.

“Funny,” I say, my voice smooth. “It’s these pieces of shit that you’ve been begging for since Tazen flicked you off his shoe.”

Her chest puffs out. “You better watch yourself out there, bitch.”

I smirk at her and she turns, storming off. Tazen turns to me, his eyes suddenly worried. “I don’t trust her, Quinn.”

I take his hand, squeezing. “You have to let me do this now, Tazen.”

He sighs. “Fuck, yeah, I know I do.”

I lean forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ve got this.”

God, I hope I’ve got this.

I get back into the car and he leans in. “You’re in the fourth row, best spot to be. You’re not on the ends, or dead center. Watch out because Sheyenne is always on the end and she’ll try to push you in. You get scared, you pull off. That simple. This is fun, okay?”

I nod, but we both know as soon as Sheyenne challenged me, it became about more than fun.

“Now, get over there and show me what you’re made of.”

He presses a kiss to my lips and then steps back. I wind up the window and pull the car to the starting spot. My palms are sweating and my stomach is twisting as I watch the girl walk out into the middle of the road. She’s got the flags in her hands. She looks around, smiles, and then holds them up in the air. I get the car ready, holding the steering wheel like it’s my lifeline.

When she lowers them, I put my foot down. The car roars forward and the sounds of the other cars zooming off makes it damned loud in here. I bound towards the first corner, with three cars beside me and two in front. We take it easily and I study my opponents. The two cars in front of me are quite close. If I can edge to my right I might be able to get around them.

Deciding that’s my plan of attack, I start edging to my right and picking up speed. I hit the gas when I see a gap, and soar right past them. Pride and desperation compete in my chest as I come up against the car in first place. The two I just passed are close behind me and could make it past me at any second. I study the track and try to remember where the next corner lies. I recall it being a sharp one, so I pull in to my left slightly.

I’m right, and the drivers behind me are forced to slow down because they hit at the wrong angle. This gives me the jerk forward I need. I close in on the car currently in first, excitement building high. It’s then I realize that car belongs to Sheyenne. Great. I don’t focus on that, but instead on the plan of attack.

Another corner is coming up that’s sharp, I need to get around her just after it for me to be able to win this thing. As we approach the corner, I tuck myself in the inner lane and come up beside her. Apparently she does not like this because she swerves her car towards mine, making me jerk my hand and therefore my car to the left. I have to quickly correct it before I spin out of control.

By this time another car has passed me. Anger flares and I hit the gas and bring the car back up near the two at the front. I’ll bring her down for that. I pass the first one and am faced with Sheyenne again. I anticipate her move because I’ve watched her race before, and brake right as she jerks her car towards mine. She pulls too hard and ends up turning the front of the car too much towards the middle. I take this chance to get around her.

Suddenly, I’m in the lead.

My heartbeat picks up and my palms become sweaty as I see the finish line. I glance behind me. There’s a different car coming up close, and any second he’s going to get around me. This is my chance to give it all I’ve got. I drop the car down a gear and I put my foot flat to the ground. She roars and growls, speeding up and screaming towards the finish line.

I cross it two car spaces in front of the other one.

I screech to a stop and am screaming with joy when Tazen opens my door. He’s screaming something too, but I launch out of the car. He lifts me up and my legs wrap around his waist. He holds me tight, yelling something in my ear but I can’t hear it past the roaring of the crowd.

I won.

I fucking won.

“Holy fucking shit,” Tazen yells, putting me down. “Baby, you won!”

“I won!” I scream.

His smile is so big it’s infectious. People are around me, patting my back and congratulating me. The announcer tells the crowd I’ve won, and they erupt into cheers. I’m new, but they know who Tazen Watts is, so therefore, they put their money on his car. They made the right choice.

So did I.

A moment later, I’m being handed a thick bundle of cash. “Your winnings.”

My … winnings?

I stare down at it. There has to be ten thousand dollars here. I stop breathing.

“Baby,” Tazen says into my ear. “You fucking won!”

“Th-th-th-this money is mine?”

“Fuck yeah, it’s yours, and well earned. You little firecracker.”

This money will change my life.

Holy shit.

“You fucking cheated!”

I turn to see Sheyenne storming towards me. She’s furious, enough for Tazen to put his arm at my belly and push me around behind him.

“She fucking cheated, running me off the track. I could have been killed.”

I lean around Tazen. “If I recall, you pushed me first. Don’t be a sore loser, Sheyenne.”