9. Cruz

9

CRUZ

T here was a high.

Then there was an adrenaline rush.

This was a mixture of both.

My blood was still singing from the race earlier. You'd think it would have gone down with the little showdown back there, but the only thing it did was fuel the fire that was coursing through me.

My lip stung, and when I licked my lips the taste of copper coated my tastebuds. I should have expected Grayson to know how to throw a punch. Everyone knew hockey players were an aggressive bunch. My saving grace was that the streets had beaten my ass more than once, so shit like this wasn't new to me.

I didn't want to think too hard on the fact that I should have expected this outcome. Wasn't that how it had always been? Me against the world. I didn't know why I thought this time it would be different. It was clear that the little figure skater, the brute, and the camera boy were a unit. Must be nice to have someone to share your problems with. If anything, it made the pressure from this fucking secret more bearable.

Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air. Not even in my dreams did that night evade me.

Now here I sat in silence with Ava Hayes. I held on to the steering wheel a little tighter as I maneuvered us out of the way of people and weaved through the cars.

"If your friends are smart, they'll get out of here," I told her.

Her only acknowledgment was to tilt her head as she held on to the strap of the seat belt, as if that would make her somewhat safer.

The tracks were rarely busted. Shit like this didn't happen because of a happy coincidence. Clean races relied on money—a shit ton of money. From incentives to paying off those in power to avoid chaos.

I let that tidbit go for a moment and put it to the back of my mind.

"Where are you going!" Ava shouted when I veered off from the people who were trying to get out of the main entrance.

All of us who came to the tracks had this drill down to a pat. The moment I turned on my car, I didn't bother with the headlights. At times like this, they were like a beacon begging for me to get arrested.

The cars taking the same path as I was all knew the drill. No lights as we took the makeshift dirt road that ran alongside the main one, with the added benefit of being hidden by the corn that was still in harvest.

Part of the cut Big Dog took went to the owners of the land. They left enough room for us to drive through and they got paid for what would have been a good harvest.

It was a win-win for everyone.

"Calm down, princess," I drawled as I entered the corn field.

"Don't call me that," she demanded through gritted teeth, and I almost smiled.

She had sass, and you had to admire that. Not many people talked back to me—especially not girls. They were too busy trying to ride my dick because they liked the thrill of fucking a ‘bad boy.'

"Where are we going?"

I rolled my eyes.

"We are obviously getting away," I deadpanned.

Her gaze burned into my skin. If looks could maim, we would have crashed already.

"What if the cops follow us?"

At that, I couldn't help but grin. We were nearing the first curve and from there we could really take off.

"That's fine," I stated calmly as I took the curve, my foot adding more pressure to the pedal. "As long as they don't catch us."

I turned my lights on and off really quick. And then a few seconds later, I saw a car do the same. They were already ahead by a few seconds, which meant I could really make my girl purr.

Ava let out a shriek as I sped off. The darkness only added to the thrill. My breathing was steady, while hers was not. I quickly glanced at her, and her chest rose and fell quickly.

The shirt she wore was formfitting, cupping her gorgeous rack perfectly.

She shifted in her seat, and the action alone I would have ignored, but she let out a strangled cry. A mix between amusement and fear—and fuck if that didn't make me hard.

"Addicting, right?" My tone was low and gravelly.

I'd never had anyone riding bitch when I drove. It had always been me by myself. Every race, every win, had always been something I did alone.

Having someone—having her here was one hell of a distraction. One I wasn't sure I minded.

Before she could say anything, her phone rang, causing her to jump as it disrupted the silence.

"I'm okay," she said hurriedly. Probably easing the other two's minds. "You guys can't get caught."

I got a wicked satisfaction knowing those two dipshits were probably beating themselves over losing sight of her. Whenever the cops showed up, it was a fucking nightmare.

"Yeah, he got me out. No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

She ended the call and let out a relieved sigh, but her posture was still strung out. I had ideas of how to take care of it, but I bet she wouldn't be down for that. Only once she saw the campus lights did she finally let herself relax.

Without thinking too much, I made my way over to the hockey building. Figured that was where her boys would be killing time waiting for her—that's if they didn't get caught.

"All safe and sound, princess," I told her as I put the car in park.

She turned to look at me. Ava had a hoity-toity look on her face, and normally stuck-up bitches got on my nerves, but there was something about this one that I didn't mind.

I took off my seat belt and her eyes went wide with caution.

"It's just my cell phone. Don't worry, I don't whip my dick out on the first date."

She let out a cute snort.

"Aren't you the picture of purity?"

"Want to test my restraint?" I winked at her and she glared at me.

"I'd rather be dead."

"Be careful what you wish for, chiquita , ‘cause I'm sure that's where we are headed." My words were stern, but my voice was gentle.

I threw her my phone, open already to the text I wanted her to look at.

"I'm assuming that's what you and your little boyfriends were referring to?"

Fear now gleamed in those doe eyes. She looked down at the screen and I could see how her hands shook as she brought it up to see better.

She didn't read it aloud. There was no need. I had already memorized what that stupid message said.

1…2…3…4

Do you know whose body is decaying on the lake floor?