Second Chance Rival

“Is it that obvious?”

“You’ve never been to one of these?”

I shook my head. “My parents would kill me if they knew where I was going.”

“You’re in for a wild ride, Belle. These races are crazy! I’ve been to a few, and I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Despite lying to my parents about where I was going, it didn’t stop my anticipation for what was to come. We couldn’t get there fast enough. When we pulled into what appeared to be a huge, abandoned parking lot that led to a long road that they raced down, it was jam-packed with people showing off their rides. From trucks to old classic cars, to street bikes.

“Holy crap!” I shouted. “You weren’t kidding!”

It took us over an hour to get into the place. Trying to find parking was insane. We were literally out in the middle of nowhere. As soon as we stepped out of her car, the sound of two street bikes came to life down the road, pulling everyone’s eyes toward them.

Including mine.

The chills down my spine should’ve been a sign, a warning for me to leave right then and there, but I didn’t. I was too busy, too consumed, too hypnotized by the sight in front of me. Two bikers with chromed-out helmets tore through the crowd on bright blue stunt bikes as they popped wheelies. Not just any wheelies, though. They were standing with one foot on the back of the jump seat handle, while their other foot slightly touched the ground beneath them, dragging their black combat boots as they held the bikes perfectly upright in two sharp, straight lines.

They continued on with their tricks, completely captivating me as they performed stunt after stunt.

“Wow,” I breathed out.

I’d never seen anything like it. Not even online. They flawlessly executed their tricks, driving the bikes like the pros they obviously were. The crowd was losing their minds.

Out of nowhere, the sound of police sirens blared in the distance. I immediately turned, looking for Erica, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Oh, no…”

Everyone started running, creating an immediate frenzy of panic and chaos. While the sirens drew closer, I couldn’t keep up with the stampede, and fell to the ground.

“Ouch! Please! Stop!” I screamed, getting trampled on the harsh concrete beneath me.

Nobody listened.

Nobody cared.

I was either going to get crushed and end up in the hospital, or worse—the police station. Suddenly, one of the blue stunt bikes was hightailing it in my direction until it abruptly stopped a few feet beside me, causing the tires to skid across the pavement.

I stared up at him with wide eyes, panting profusely as he reached out his hand for me to take. Now that he was closer, I could tell it was a guy who was driving the bike.

“Uhhh…” I stuttered. “I don’t…”

The cops were pulling into the parking lot. The last thing I wanted to do was ride off with some guy I didn’t know. However, there wasn’t another choice. I did what I had to do.

I gripped onto his hand and jumped onto the back of his bike.

Chapter 10

—Belle—

Once I straddled his seat, he tapped onto my leg and gestured for me to wrap my arms around his stomach. I did as I was told. In less than a second, he floored it. Speeding out of the parking lot at full throttle. All the blood drained from my face when one of the cops followed us.

“Oh, God…” I breathed out.

With one hand, he clutched onto my grip, holding me tighter against his stomach as the speedometer accelerated faster.

Eighty miles per hour.

Ninety-five.