Chapter 22
Nolan
It’s now or never. Ashley’s heart beats hard against my own, in sync with each other. She has her arms around my waist holding onto me tight. When she said I made her feel loved, I panicked. I handled that all wrong. She just let Redline go and her emotions were all over the place. I should have told her I did right away, but I froze. Afraid of not being good enough and that my past will push her away.
Then she walked away from me and it was one of the hardest things I had to watch in my entire life. I thought I had to give her and myself time. That was a mistake. She shut down on me and pushed me away. Now I have to tell her something to prove that I really do love her.
My fingers caress her silky blond hair tickling my nose in her signature messy bun she put it up in. Ashley takes a deep breath and looks up at me. The sun has completely set across the horizon, plunging us into darkness but I can see the worry and pain in her eyes from the glow of the lights on in her house.
“Do you really love me?” she asks.
“Yes,” I answer. No hesitation. No regrets. “Before I met Xavier and Izzy, I lived in New York City. I was mixed up with some wrong people. I had to do things I’m not proud of. These hands have stains I can’t get rid of. One night I was alone walking home when three thugs jumped me. They thought they stood a chance. One pulled a knife and before I could take them all down, he stabbed me just under my collarbone.”
Ashley sucks in a deep breath and gently caresses the side of my cheek. I close my eyes as electricity flows from her fingertips onto my heated skin. Every time she touches me, my stomach flips and my heart accelerates. My body has never reacted this way before and I never want it to go away
“Thank you, Nolan, for trusting me and letting me in. I know that’s not all, but I’ll take it for now,” she says softly.
I lean down to kiss her, but Rush comes running out the back glass sliding door, interrupting us. He's pissed about something as he hurries around the side of the house, drawing our attention. Voices drift towards us. I keep my arm around Ashley, but my other hand goes to my side arm. We walk quietly towards the driveway and I push Ashley behind me as I peer around the corner. Rush is standing toe to toe with someone and it’s hard to see who it is in the dark until I hear the deep rumble of laughter.
“Rush, it’s OK,” I approach him from behind. He whips his head around in confusion.
“Who the fuck is it?” Rush asks, agitated.
“Rush, meet Ashton Iverson, my partner. Behind him is Harris, Marks, and Ramirez. This is my team.”
“Nolan, sorry we took so long to get here. We had issues with another case when we landed and had to take care of it.” Ashton says giving me a passive look.
I got the message loud and clear. Someone from my past is snooping around looking for me. Keeping myself composed, I nod my head in understanding.
“Let’s move inside and get on with the game plan then,” Ashley suggests, breaking the tension. We walk towards the back deck and Iverson lets out a low whistle.
“Love the digs, Ash. Wasn’t sure if I had the right address when we pulled in.”
“This is one of my homes. Business is good. C’mon I’ll introduce you to my crew. Well, some of my crew. There’s one missing right now.” A sadness in her voice talking about Redline. If I didn’t hear their conversation, I would think she’s sad because she loves him, and he walked out, not because a piece of her family is missing. I tighten my arm around her shoulders as we walk and kiss her on the head for comfort.
“It will all work out Ash,” I tell her quietly.
“I appreciate that, Nolan. It’s just hard being separated from family.”
We enter the house and Ashley flips a switch on the wall. The glass changes over to an opaque cover, preventing any unwanted eyes from the outside to see in and my jaw drops in shock. Ashley lets out a little giggle and closes my mouth.
“Can’t be having anyone see what we’re up to,” Ashley says giving me a wink. I grin at her flirty tone. I think we’re in a good place again. “Ok, let’s get down to business.” Ashley crosses her arms over her chest. “Noah is everything all set up for tonight?”
“Yes. Everything’s in place. Izzy now that you’re here, you can be the fourth driver. I was going to have Redline do it but he’s not here. We’re meeting at Mason Park in Northridge.”
“What? Oh, hell the fuck no," Xavier shouts. He stands up from the couch running his hands through his jet-black hair. His muscles are trembling with rage.
“X, calm down. I got this,” Izzy says, approaching him slowly.
“I won’t have you do this Izz. No fucking way. I’m just now getting used to you doing this before. I don’t want you to get sucked back in again.” Xavier says shaking his head.
“Xavier, she knows what she’s doing.” Ashley snaps. “You should be proud of the way she handles herself out there and trust her.” He looks over at her like she’s out of her fucking mind.
“Krimson is right, Xavier,” Quickshift speaks up for the first time today. His deep voice rumbles through the tension penetrating the air. Xavier shakes his head.
“I can’t do this, Izzy. I can’t let you put yourself in danger.” Xavier pleads with her.
Ashley's fed up with him right now and steps between Xavier and Izzy. Her posture strong, her head held high and a hint of menace in her light brown eyes as she narrows them on Xavier. “Then run home. You don’t want her to race, then hop on a plane and go home. I don’t need you here anyway,” she spits out.
Xavier’s jaw drops, and his blue eyes widen from the anger in her voice. She's never spoken to him that way and if the look on his face is any indication, he's shocked and surprised. “You don’t mean that,” he whispers.
“If you can’t trust us to do what we need to do then yes, I mean it. I don’t need you here. I can handle this mess on my own. That goes for all of you. Get out now if you don’t want to back me on this.” Ashley repeats looking everyone in the eye. Rush, Quickshift, Hotflash, and Noah all flank behind her waiting and watching. Her authority is hot right now and my jeans tighten watching her in her element. The strong-willed woman I fell in love with is back with a vengeance.
“I’m staying,” Izzy says with finality. Xavier hangs his head in defeat as she continues. “She’s my family X, I’m not leaving. You once told me that family sticks together. So, whatever’s up your ass, you need to get it out right now. I’m. Not. Leaving.” She crosses her arms over her chest and waits. After a few minutes, Xavier releases a sigh and gives in.
“OK, you’re right. Ashley was there for you when you needed her. Family sticks together, but I’ll be pissed if something happens to you.” Xavier says to Izzy.
“Nothing will happen. Trust me,” Izzy tells him. “Besides, you’ll be riding shotgun.”
“I trust you, Izzy. I want nothing to happen to you. I’d be lost if you were hurt again.” Xavier whispers. His piercing blue eyes search her green ones as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her close, holding tight.
“You might get a little turned on watching. It’s different from dirt racing. Who knows, you might like it.” Izzy says seductively.
Before they can finish that conversation, Ashley continues. “OK now that’s settled,” she says turning toward Rush. “Is the meet all set up with Ian?"
“Yes, we’re meeting him at the abandoned railway just next to the race. He only wants the two of us there, so I was thinking we can have Nolan and his team set up on the perimeter, watching for Ian’s father or Reiser. The race is good coverage and will keep wandering eyes off us.”
“Good.” Ashley turns towards me. “Nolan, I know you don’t want to be apart from me, but we can’t tip our hand with the extra people we have. We need to keep you and your crew a surprise. Shaun won’t expect you and that’s what we need. We need extra eyes on us and the element of surprise.”
“I don’t like it Ash, but you’re right. I won’t be that far away. I’ll be so close you won’t see me, but you’ll know I’m there.” I reassure her.
“OK guys,” Ashley says to Rush, Hotflash, Noah, and Quickshift. “These muscle-bound men behind me are Nolan’s crew. This is Ramirez, Harris, Marks, and Iverson." She says pointing to each of my guys. "Guys, this is Rush, who you met outside, Noah, Quickshift, and Hotflash. We’re missing one family member right now but hopefully, he’ll join us sooner rather than later.” Greif is in all their eyes with Redline missing.
Natalia's voice breaks their heartache, spewing Spanish so fast, I can’t catch any of it. Her brown eyes are locked onto Ashton and he shifts uncomfortably under her stare. Izzy and Ashley are struggling to suppress their laughter but failing miserably. I nudge Ashley, so she can put Ashton out of his misery.
“Natalia," Ashley yells. She stops speaking Spanish and turns her attention to Ashley.
“Dios Mios. You’ve been holding out on me." Natalia scowls at her.
“Focus woman. We need to leave in two hours to get set up.” Ashley commands.
The seriousness of everything weighs heavily in the room. No one says anything else as we observe each other. I can tell what the others think about my team, but they’re the best and that’s why they're here. Ashley walks over to me and rests her hand on my chest.
“We still need to talk.”
“We do. Give me a minute. I’ll get these guys set up and then we can go somewhere.”
“They can have the spare rooms upstairs if they want,” Ashley suggests, surprising me.
“You don’t need to do that Ashley. We can bunker down outside, keep watch. We’ve all slept in worse conditions,” Ashton argues.
“Don’t be stupid, Ashton. Take the rooms upstairs. You’ll have to share though since I have four extra rooms and Izzy and Xavier are taking one. Noah, will you show these men to their rooms?” She responds, dismissing Ashton’s argument.
Noah gets up from his spot on the couch and approaches us cautiously. I don’t blame the kid. They all look like they could eat him for breakfast. I wait as he studies each of them.
Anthony Ramirez is the shortest one of all of us at five feet, ten inches. His Mexican heritage matching Natalia’s. He served a tour as a green beret and his posture is ridged, not trusting his surrounding yet. He has his arms crossed over his chest. His brown eyes scanning the room over and over, searching for a threat.
Keanu Marks is the second shortest at six feet, three inches tall. He served two terms in the Marines as a Gunnery Sergeant, before retiring. He battles every day to chase his own demons away from the things he had to do overseas. Tattoos wrap around his arms and he doesn’t say much. His blonde hair and blue eyes attract the women, but with his silent manner, they don’t stick around.
Duane Harris is the tallest of them all at six feet, six inches tall. His brown hair is cut in a short military fade and black eyes are cold and deadly. Harris was in the special forces for three terms and can extract someone in the worst conditions. He possesses a skill for locating people even when they don’t want to be found. He’s also marked with tattoos, but unlike everyone else, his covers his past, like mine.
I did a lot of research with Ashton before we hired these guys. They all have their own demons they fight with each day, with the things they went through, but when it comes down to it, we all work well together and trust each other.
“Right this way guys,” Noah says, giving them a trusting smile.
He walks out of the living room and up the open staircase. All four men follow with their black duffle bags in their hands. Once they’re out of sight, Ashley turns toward me, a small, hesitant smile darts across her face. I grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.
“Ash, Xavier and I are going to take a break. We need to have a talk before this all happens,” Izzy says.
“Go take whatever time you need,” Ashley tells her.
They disappear up the stairs into the room Izzy already claimed. Noah comes back downstairs. Rush and Quickshift pass a knowing glance at each other.
“Rush, Quickshift, go. See how he’s doing, please,” Ashley tells them. She’s talking about Redline.
“Are you sure?” Rush asks.
“Yes. I need to know he’s OK and if you can, bring him back. Our family isn’t complete without him. Be back here in two hours.”
“I want to go with you,” Noah says.
“OK, c’mon guys, let’s go,” Rush acknowledges.
The three of them leave the house and get into their cars. The motors vibrate the windows as they speed off down the dark street. That leaves us with Natalia. She takes a seat on the couch and kicks her feet up on the glass coffee table. Her tiny body is swallowed up by the cushions as she settles in. Ashley raises an eyebrow at her.
“Oh, I’m not leaving, Chica. With all these hombres Calientes, my fine ass is staying right here. You never know I might get lucky and get rid of this tension,” Natalia says with a shrug.
I can’t help but let out a laugh. She’s feisty and tells it like she sees it. Natalia cuts her brown eyes in my direction, throwing me a menacing look.
“Hey, Nolan. You have issues to work out with my girl. So, I think you better get that taken care of.”
“Yeah, I do. Come on Ash, let’s go for a walk, please.”
I hold out my hand and wait for Ashley to take it. My heart is beating hard in my chest and my palms are sweaty. I’m hoping she gives me a chance to talk and tell her more. I want to give her more of my past before this whole thing goes down. I need her to realize how much I love her, how important she is, and need to make my reaction from before right again. Ashley carefully places her hand in mine and I lead us out the back door.
We walk hand in hand down the sandy beach. A light, salty breeze crosses my skin. The moon is shining off the ocean, creating shadows around us. Apprehension is trying to claw its way through my body coming out here, but I shove it aside. I need to get through this before Ashley thinks I’m holding back again.
We find a little spot at the curve of the beach tucked away from wandering eyes, hiding us in the shadows. Her house is like a glowing beacon on the dark night behind us. We sit on the warm sand. The waves of the ocean doesn’t reach this far up the beach and I move so I’m sitting behind Ashley, pulling her back against my chest. My legs are on each side of her and I wrap my arms around her stomach.
She resists at first but finally settles back against me. I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding when Ashley’s fingers draw shapes on my jeans, creating a shiver to run through my body.
“Tell me why this is hard for you,” Ashley says quietly.
“I’ve never had someone like you in my life, Ash. Someone who actually cares about me and makes the effort to be here with me. It terrifies me because I’m afraid I’ll screw up. I’ve been with other women, yes but in the past, they all were either using me for my money or to gain the attention of someone else, manipulating me in the process.”
“I take it there’s one person you trusted, and they used you?” she asks. She hit the nail on the head with that question. Swallowing hard, I nod my head.
“Yes. That’s how I got the scars on my back and chest. Are you sure you want to hear this? It isn’t pretty,” I whisper.
“Yes, Nolan. I want to learn all about you.” She moves her head off my chest so she’s looking into my eyes. She stops making shapes with her fingers on my jeans and raises a hand up to my hair, caressing it. I close my eyes from her gentle touch, soothing and full of love. “Phone calls and texts were great while we were apart, kept us connected. I want to relate to you on an intimate level, to see if what my heart is telling me is real or just in my head.”
“Do you feel the same as me?” I ask.
“Yes, Nolan. I know it seems like it’s quick, but I love you from the tip of my toes to the end of my hair. You have my heart.”
I lean down and press my lips to hers. The shivers wracking my body carries my heart and soul to paradise, so right, so perfect. Ashley opens her mouth, allowing me access. Our tongues battling back and forth. She whimpers from the back of her throat and my cock grows hard in my jeans. Ashley tugs on my hair bringing me closer to her, deepening the kiss. Tightening my arms around her body and running my palms over her breasts, she arches her back to my touch. I need to get her soft skin against mine, I need to savor her before I divulge into my past and it drives her away.
I break our kiss and trail my lips down the back of her neck, causing her skin to break out with goosebumps. She tilts her head to the side and gives me better access. I nip and suck on the sensitive area just below her ear. Ashley turns around so she’s straddling me, looking at me in the eyes. A small smile plays across her face, lighting up with the moonlight.
She raises her arms above her head and I drag her tank top up and over, tossing it behind me somewhere. My eyes drop to her lace covered chest as she removes her bra. Her nipples are hard, and I lick my lips, dying for a taste. I tease one nipple with my mouth as I caress the other with my hand. Ashley pushes my head against her, letting out soft moans.
I tear my mouth away from her perfect tits, breathing rapidly, and take my shirt off so we’re skin against heated skin. We both quickly remove our boots, our toes making foot prints in the warm sand. I stand her up with me and unbutton her jeans. I slide them down her legs slowly along with her panties, so she’s naked in front of me. I reach for my jeans and Ashley stops me covering my fingers with her hand.
“No, let me do it,” her seductive voice sends a shiver down my spine. She slowly approaches me, and her long fingers unbutton my jeans and slide them down my legs, taking my boxers with her. When she removes my jeans, she’s still on her knees and licks her lips while her eyes gaze at my massive erection.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding against my chest. She doesn’t break eye contact with me and grabs my hard shaft, pulling it into her hot mouth. She hollows out her cheeks and takes me as deep as she can, creating a groan from my throat and my eyes to roll back of my head. When my cock hits the back of her throat, I lose all control, tightening my grip on her hair, moving my hips back and forth to the rhythm of her bobbing head. Her hot, wet mouth keeps working me over making my knees turn weak. The waves crash against the shore, but they sound far away, my focus is on Ashley, everything else is blocked from my mind. A light, salty breeze blows over my heated skin and I need to stop her before I make a fool of myself. Ashley lets out a groan, and it vibrates through my cock all the way up my spine.
“Fuck, Ash, you have to stop,” I growl.
I remove her mouth from my cock and she licks her lips, smirking at me. The thin thread holding my patience together snaps. The sudden urge to sink myself deep inside of her tight pussy overpowers me and I pick her up. She wraps her long legs around my waist, locking her ankles behind my back. My cock’s standing at full attention, seeking her heat. I kiss her hard and fast, my fingers digging into her ass.
“I need you now, Nolan,” she whimpers against my mouth.
Running a finger from the crack of her ass down to her dripping wet pussy, I thrust it inside her entrance, stretching her, making her ready for me. She lets out another whimper as I pump in and out of her tight heat. I withdraw my fingers, slide her down my body, and set her on her feet.
“On your hands and knees,” I demand.
Ashley’s hooded brown eyes light up at my tone, she likes me taking control. I find my t-shirt and spread it out on the sand behind her. She gets on all fours, her ass sticking up in the air as she looks at me over her shoulder. A come-hither look crosses her face. The fear of being caught at any second floods my mind and kick starts my heart as I approach Ashley from behind. I sink down to my knees behind her and lean over her back, nipping and kissing my way up her spine to her neck. Ashley’s soft curves fit perfectly against my lean muscles. She pushes her ass back against my throbbing cock, seeking relief. I pull her up, so her body is against mine and spread her legs wide. The warm sand and my shirt giving a soft cushion to our knees. I run my hand down her stomach and rub circles around her clit. Soft moans escape her throat as my other hand squeezes and rubs her tits.
“Fuck me, Nolan,” Ashley growls deep in her throat.
I bend her over on all fours again, grab my cock and rub it down her ass until I reach the heat of her tight pussy. I let out a deep growl as I plunge deep inside, she releases a moan, feeling at home and at peace being this intimate with each other again. I readjust our position, with my dick still deep inside her pussy so I’m sitting on my shirt, pulling her up again so her back is against my chest, her legs spread wide on either side of mine. I move her up and down my thick cock, my fingers digging into her hips. Ashley lets out moans of pleasure riding me like there’s no tomorrow. A layer of sweat beads on our skin, making it slick. The light breeze creates goosebumps as our heated bodies grind against each other. Her pussy clenches around my cock and I know she’s close.
“Play with your tits,” I demand.
Ashley moves her hands from my thighs and covers her tits with her fingers squeezing and pinching her nipples, making them hard peaks. Moans and groans fill the air as I lick and suck on her neck, marking her as mine. Thrusting deep inside of her at a fast pace, tingles lick their way down my spine and into my shaft. I’m getting close as her heat wraps around me.
“Fuck, Ash, I can’t hang on much longer,” I moan against her neck.
Ashley lets out a whimper as her inner walls squeeze me tight. I keep pumping up into her hard and fast. I move one hand down her body and rub her clit, her slick juices coating my fingers. The moans coming deep from inside of her pushes me over the edge as I thrust harder, pulling her up and down on me. Her slick juices are coating my cock, making it easier to slide in and out.
The want and need clear in the air around us as the waves crash against the shore, drowning out our moans of pleasure. Ashley picks up her pace and slides with ease up and down my hard cock our bodies slapping together making a sweet melody in my ears.
“Nolan,” Ashley whimpers.
The moment she finds her release, she explodes around me, her pussy squeezing my cock in a vice-like grip. Fire moves from my spine making its way down to my balls, my breathing hard and ragged. I black out for a moment, stars detonate behind my eyes as I fill Ashley with my come. My pace slows as I empty everything I have into her tight, warm pussy.
“Fuck,” I pant against her slick, sweat-soaked skin.
I kiss Ashley gently on her shoulder, creating a shiver through her body. My cock is softening inside of her heated pussy. I remove her from my shaft and immediately miss her wrapped around me. I remain sitting on my shirt, not ready to move just yet as I spread my legs for her to sit between them. She leans her back against my chest and lets out a satisfied breath.
Deciding to tell her everything I can in the limited time we have left, I begin to speak of the past and the demons haunting me.