Wind whips through my hair as the car rushes by.

I pull my fingers through my thick, black curls and try to focus on the task at hand: getting this car to the finish line faster than any of Braden's tricks.

I need this to work. I have an ever-present desire to beat Braden. I owe it to myself and to him to show him that a woman can win, and that maybe he shouldn't be too cocky.

While I'm very proud of our speed, it's almost an impossible feat to beat Braden's supersonic speed. This is likely what the FBI is after. They don't want Braden having access to secret technology that they can't equal. It would look bad for the government.

Hell, it looks bad for me.

I'm the best in my field, and it irks me that I can't see what Braden's done to make his car nearly fly.

I need to understand his methods. It's my new mission in life. And if he won't reveal them, then I'll find out another way. Whether I'll reveal my findings to the FBI is a different story.

It's something I can't even consider yet at this point, but when I look around at my teams, my people, and I think about how they all have families…I think about what a wretched position the FBI has put me in, making me choose between my honor and having people's lives on the line.

We're almost up to Braden's super standard. He's always setting the bar for our industry, our underground club. And I'm always trying to beat him.

I'm worried about Braden, though. What kind of technology could he be using that's illegal? I need to get my hands on it, for my own safety and for his.

My car whizzes by at top speed, and I'm proud. I did this. I'm the brains behind this car that's nearly making sparks off the track for its power.

A day spent at the racetrack is my favorite thing. I've grown up around it, and it certainly feels like home. I have to pinch myself to remind myself of the fact that, yes, this is my job, this is what I get to come do every single day.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I'm reaching a high that comes from being inside my fast-moving car.

The only other time I've felt like this is when I'm around Braden, and that scares me.

I'm not supposed to let a guy get to me like that. I'm a one-woman show, a class act. I pride myself on separating work from pleasure and for being totally independent―and yet here I am pining for a guy.

I tell myself that I've had a crush on Braden for years and that I could give myself some slack. Don't I deserve some fun?

I picture those crystal blue eyes and how they turn an overcast shade of gray when he's serious. I picture the way he holds me, and the feel of his body clutching mine. He's charismatic and gorgeous, and yes, fine, I'm obsessing. Who wouldn't?

He's my dream guy, and it practically stops my heart to think of him―or at least makes it skip a beat.

I'm up in my head, fantasizing about him.

"Jenna, hello? Earth to Jenna?"

I snap to. "Oh, what?"

"Um, you're supposed to be timing the runs and watching the car specs? Remember?"

"Oh yeah, right." I've completely spaced out, and now we're behind. Great work, Jenna.

It's Neil who's interrupted my reverie about everything Braden. And as I look at him, I'm reminded of the grave responsibility I have to this team. Their livelihoods are essentially in my hands, and I'm not sure how to handle that.

Screw the FBI for putting me in this position. I can't see myself turning against Braden, but I can't hurt my team either. The agents have set this up perfectly so that I'm presented with an impossible choice.

"I'm sorry, Neil, I'm having one of those days. Can you catch me up?"

"It's fine. We'll just start the race over. But pay attention for God's sake, yes?"

"Yes. I promise."

Damn. I've just wasted everybody's time. But if they only knew what was on my mind, things would be different. If they knew I was thinking of them and their futures, maybe they'd understand why I'm not so present today.

I can't do anything to jeopardize my team, and yet Braden deserves that same respect. He's the reason this circuit is so successful, and it wouldn't be right to turn him in...

And well, I care about him. I'm discovering the man behind the mystery, and it turns out he's really great. It's funny how you fantasize about someone, but it turns out that reality is way better than the idea.

And yet I've put my whole life into this team. We're like family. And there's nothing I can do to betray that. The problem is that in this instance, I'm not sure where the betrayal lies.

Should I protect them or protect the league as a whole?

What if the FBI agents were lying, and they're planning to lock us all up with my information? It's a formidable situation to be in, and once again, I curse my luck, having to be the one to deal with it.

Why, above anybody else, did the FBI have to choose me to be the snitch? They must've been tracking Braden for a while.

And then I remember what they said about Braden moving fast with me. Is it wrong that I feel that that thought is comforting? Knowing that Braden might be treating me differently than all the other women makes me feel so good and warm inside.

And then I remember that it's this fact that's led me to my precarious position.

I need to clear my mind. I need to find my answer.

Neil pages the driver and has him come back to restart.

"Hey, what's going on with you, Jenna? You're normally so on point. Is it something you'd like to talk about?"

Yeah, I wish. If I could confide in somebody about this, I'd feel so much better. But as it is that's not an option, I need to figure this out on my own.

I'm trying to hear my internal voice, my intuition, and to see where it's guiding me, but when it comes to betraying Braden or my team, I guess my inner voice is as silent as I am on the matter.

The driver comes back to restart, and we time him properly. I see the specs, and I see where we can improve.

Neil's standing with me, and we discuss the improvements that can be made.

"Hey," he says, "So do you have any new information on Braden's car and how he got it to go so fast?"

"No. I wish. He's keeping his secrets very close. It's gonna be hard to penetrate his fortress of information."

"Yeah, well, that's Braden. Part of his success comes from the fact that he's so private."

"I know." I agree. "We need to maintain that level of privacy with our team, too." I think of how we can keep any industry secrets out of the hands of the FBI. The closer we can pull things in, the better.

"I know we can beat him even without his new tech. We just have to invent our own. And once we do, we'll be filthy rich."

I laugh, "We're already rich, Neil."

"But more is always better."

"You're right," I laugh. He always cracks me up.

There is quite a bit of money in this league, and that's why it's caught the eye of the FBI. With this much money and tech at hand, it's no wonder they want to shut us down. That, and the fact that we have a bunch of dirty cops on our side.

Our car races by, and everything looks good. I think we may even have a chance at winning this thing. I just need to implement some minor details, and we should be all set.

Our car will at least be a force for Braden to reckon with. He won't win so easily like the last time.

I do, however, need to get my hands on his secret. Only then can I determine how dangerous it would be to reveal.

I wish I could tell Braden all of this.

Once again, my heart is heavy with threats about the future. I don't see a way out of this yet, and even the racetrack can't bring me an answer.

What has been normally so rewarding has become a thorn in my side. This track just reminds me of how it could all be gone in a second. Usually, I'm the most focused out here, but not today.

Just then, my phone buzzes and I hand Neil the timer so I can take the call.

"Jenna?"

"Oh, hi, Braden. I was just thinking about you."