Chapter 2
Ashley-present
I'm startled awake with cold sweat dripping down my forehead. My heart is beating erratically, and I can't catch my breath. The moon is shining brightly in my loft's bedroom window. The sun went down hours ago and it’s almost time to get going. The noisy streets of Los Angeles coming through the warehouse walls below, comfort me from my nightmare. I get up and take a shower, hoping to rid myself of my past.
Why does my mind want to go back there?
Why do I need to remember?
I dry myself off and put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a tight fitting black tank top under a plaid black and white button down light flannel. I leave the buttons of my flannel undone and put my blonde hair up in a tight ponytail. I apply mascara and lip gloss and look at myself in the mirror. The purplish bruising is almost gone on the side of my face from when I was kidnapped when my roommate Izzy's life was in danger.
Some psychos tried to kill her and took Mia and myself as hostages, trying to draw her out. Her fiancé, Xavier, saved her, and we later found out that the guy who hit me was stalking Izzy out here in L.A., where we went to college together. It’s a good thing he didn’t get caught out here or the death he would've had would have been worse than what Nolan gave him.
Nolan.
That man hasn’t left my head since I met him. His shaggy brown hair, toned, tight muscled body, broad shoulders, and brown eyes, leave me breathless. He radiates power and authority. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that one incredible night we had together right before I left to come back to L.A. a couple of weeks ago.
His lips worshiping my body, made me feel things I haven’t felt in a very long time. He made me want to confess all my sins and secrets.
We video chat and text a lot. With the time differences, he doesn’t know what I’m up to, what I’m involved in. The more I talk to him, the more I get to know him, the more it freaks me out. I can’t afford to let my guard down, it would be dangerous for both of us. If the enemies I’m involved with knew about my weakness, they would do what they could to bring me down.
My phone chirps on the counter next to me, signaling that I have a text. I swipe the screen and open my messages. Hoping it’s from Nolan, disappointment fills me when I see it’s from Noah Del Marco. Noah is like my kid brother. We met on the racing circuit back a few years ago and I took him under my wing. He reminds me a lot of my little brother, Austin, who died the night my parents did.
Noah sets up all our meets through social media. He updates many ghost accounts and gives various locations through them to throw the cops off our trail. The ones who are involved with the racing circuit knows which the correct places are to go to with a different code word each week. So that way if any cops try to nose their way in, they will be thrown off the trail and would be chasing a wrong lead. Some of the leads are dead ends, the way we set them up, but others send them to arrest the ones who are dangerous to the rest of us. The ones who put themselves in danger and have no code they live by. They’re just in it to make a quick buck and don’t have a care in the world who they hurt or how.
My phone chimes again and I read the message.
Noah: 1223 Industrial Drive
1 a.m.
Word has it new racers are joining. Watch your back.
Noah is always letting me know when we have new recruits. I smile to myself as I open my bathroom door. One of my homes is a warehouse in the heart of L.A.
I turned the top floor into a loft apartment. There's an open kitchen and living room, and one bedroom with an attached bathroom. The ground floor is my garage where I keep my cars and my crew and I meet here for business. I use this location when I want to stay in the city. It’s a seedy neighborhood, but it suits me just fine. I can come and go as I please and no one pays attention.
I put on a pair of black racing boots and lace them up. My phone chimes again and I swipe open my text messages, my heart's in my throat when I see who it's from.
Nolan: I can’t stop thinking about you.
When can I see you again?
xx-N
I hit reply and type out a response.
Me: I can’t stop thinking about you either. There is no way I can make it back anytime soon. I have a lot of business to take care of. I’ll let you know when you can come out here.
I want to show you my world
xo-A
I really do want to show him my world, but I need to make sure it’s safe. There’s a lot of shit going down right now and the last thing I want to do is drag Nolan into it. I’m already neck deep in a lot of illegal shit and I’m trying to move us out of it but keep the racing circuit open. I’ve inherited my dad’s spot the night my ex, Shaun, brought me back to the racing world. He had no idea who I was and when word got around, he didn’t take it very well.