CHAPTER TWO DASH

CHAPTER TWO

DASH

I stand in a jail cell with my hands still cuffed behind my back as I look around. "Where is the girl who was with me?" I ask the officer who sits behind the only desk down here eating a Twinkie with his coffee. They placed us in separate cop cars when they hauled us in. I was immediately thrown into a cell alone, but I don't know where she was taken to.

He looks up at me for a few seconds with his brown eyes before he turns his attention back to his afternoon snack, ignoring me.

I huff as I sit down on the hard bench. I try rolling my shoulders but can't due to the cuffs. "Isn't this illegal?" I ask, referring to the cuffs.

"Let's talk about illegal…" a man's voice I don't recognize says.

I look up and just then a man comes around the corner of the cell into view. His silver hair is combed back and his dark brown eyes almost look black, but the smile on his face is friendly and my eyes widen.

I know exactly who this man is. He's Mr. Knight. He used to be one of the world's biggest Formula One race car drivers. He retired and started his own racing team.

"I'm sorry?" I question, confused as to what he's doing here and what he means by let's talk about illegal?

His eyes drop down to the papers sitting in his hands. "Erik Dashling." He says my name with a smirk as he skims over the information on it. "Seems you have a need to break the law, son. Wanna explain to me why you were clocked by an officer doing a hundred and thirty on the interstate today?"

One thirty? That's all? My 1,000 will do every bit of two hundred. Easily! But I also had a passenger who I needed to think about. "It was a nice day for a ride," I decide to say with a smile.

He lets out a chuckle at my sarcasm. "Yes, I guess it was." He places the papers behind his back and straightens his stance in front of my jail cell. "I've been watching you for a while," he announces, and my eyebrows shoot up. "And I have come to a decision."

"A decision?" I ask standing up from my bench.

He nods. He then lifts a hand and the officer behind his desk drops his Twinkie and jumps up. He walks over to the cell and opens it up. I stay grounded to my spot, wondering what in the hell is going on when the cop finally walks over to me. He spins me around and takes my cuffs off.

I rub my sore wrists as I turn back around to face them both.

"I'm giving you a spot on my team," Mr. Knight says with a friendly smile.

I look back and forth between the two of them in confusion. He wants to make me an errand boy… "Community service?" Wouldn't be the first time I have had to do some sort of community service for my endeavors. It will definitely be the first time it's something I will enjoy though.

He shakes his head. "No. I'm offering you a job," he clarifies before he straightens the jacket to his Armani three-piece suit. "Like I said. I've been watching you for a while. And you are exactly what I need. I'm starting a new race team. A motorcycle race team. And I want you."

This can't be happening. There's no way Johnny Knight is offering me a position on his race team. I'm the kind of guy who would be a liability. I'm dangerous and sometimes out of control. People have a hard time with my sarcasm and say I'm hard to work with due to my inability to follow rules. "I have a record," I say in all honesty.

He shakes his head. "Had. It's clean. As of now."

"How did you…?" There's no way! Even my father can't get shit off my record. And believe me, he's tried. Not because of me, but because of how it makes him look to his friends. Like I give a fuck how they see him.

He smiles. "Son, I have a lot of pull in this town." I watch the officer nod his head, and he looks over at me. "And I promise you. If you produce half of what I know you're capable of, I will take care of you. This isn't a handout. I will work you hard to produce the results I want."

I run my hand through my hair as I release a deep breath. "I don't understand. Why take the chance with me?" I ask in all seriousness. He has to know more about me than just my record.

"You think I got where I am today without taking risks?" he asks with a smile.

I shake my head as I look away and a thought comes to my mind. "Where's Valerie?" His brows crease. "The girl who was with me?" I need to know where she is at before this conversation goes any further.

"Oh, your girlfriend? I had a car take her home. She was not in trouble for your joyride today."

I don't correct him on Valerie being my ex. I just nod once again before speaking. "Thank you, sir."

"So. Do we have a deal?" he asks, already reaching out his right hand to shake.

A deal? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I mean, I'm twenty-two with a rap sheet longer than my left arm and a very powerful and rich man is standing in front of me offering me the chance at my dream job. "What's the catch?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest, refusing to shake just yet.

"Don't push your luck, boy," the officer growls.

Mr. Knight lifts his hand to silence the officer as he smirks. "I like a man who wants to know all of his options before he takes a deal," he says to the officer, but his dark brown eyes stay trained on mine. "The catch is that whenever you are on the streets—whether it be in your car or on your bike—you abide by the law. I don't want you arrested or to get even so much as a speeding ticket. No drugs and no alcohol. I don't want you showing up for a race or practice runs hungover or exhausted or fucked-up. You are no use to me in a hospital or jail."

"That's it?"

He nods. "That's it. Do we have a deal?" he asks once again.

The alcohol might be a problem. I like to party. But the drugs? Never done them. And don't plan on it. This'll be easy. I give him a big smile as I uncross my arms and reach my right hand out. "Deal."

He smiles as he firmly shakes my hand. He then reaches into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a card. "I will send a car for you tomorrow afternoon. Be ready for it by two o'clock," he says before turning around.

"Be ready for what?" I ask, placing it in my back pocket of my shorts.

He turns back around and gives me a smirk. "To sign your life away," he says jokingly, but I have a feeling he's being serious.

I look up at the officer once Mr. Knight is out of the room. "He owns you, boy," is all he says before he goes back to his desk, opens up his drawer, and sets my wallet and cell on top of it next to my helmet. "Here you go. And your bike is sitting out front for you."

I take my stuff and hightail it out of there. But before I get on my bike, I make a call to my best friend, Blake.

"Holy shit, man. I heard what happened. Valerie called me crying," is how he answers his phone.

I roll my eyes. I bet she called him. Anytime she can play the victim, she does. "No big deal," I respond. "Hey," I say before he can say anything else. "I'm having a party tonight," I say with a smile. I was just given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm not gonna fuck it up. But I haven't signed anything yet. So tonight I'm gonna live it up one last time.

"Your place?" he asks.

"Hell, no. I'm not throwing a party at my house." During the last party we had at my house, a fight broke out and the neighbors called the police. Guess I shouldn't have beat the shit out of the guy on the front lawn for everyone to see. But, in my defense, the drunk bastard started it.

"Okay. Your parents' house," he suggests, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "They're out of town. And I can call this girl I've been seeing. Jackie. She has this hot friend who I know you would love to hit."

Bingo! "Great idea." Even though nothing is written in stone with Mr. Knight, I want to celebrate. And I know just how to celebrate. Some alcohol and a woman underneath me who is anyone but Valerie.