Panicked, I look to someone, anyone, for help. I have no idea what to do.
Someone yells, “Run!”
And so I do. I take off down the street, my sneakers slapping the pavement as I dart through the crowd. By the time the group rounds a corner, I don’t even bother to pay attention to the street signs, getting completely lost in the chaos.
Unable to see in front of me, I allow the sea of screaming people to carry me further away from the sound of sirens. Eventually breaking free from them, I run as fast as my feet will allow, out of breath and unsure of the direction I’m going.
It’s not until I hear the rumble of an engine alongside me that I look over my shoulder shocked to see the window of a blue Mustang rolling down.
Killian looks irritated. “Get in before you get us both arrested.”
Once I’m inside, I try to catch my breath. High on adrenaline and fear, my body is still humming with energy. “Be careful. The cops are probably still around.”
“Let me handle the driving.” He flashes a smirk, his hand resting on the shifter, and then we’re moving so fast, I have to hold on to the door handle for support.
The engine growls as we fly down the street. When I peek over at the speedometer, my mouth opens in shock as I see we’re doing ninety miles per hour on a residential street. I should be scared, or at least I think I should be afraid, but I’m so turned on by the sight of Killian behind the wheel of this car.
He glances at me for a split second and licks his lips as he changes gears, eventually taking the ramp to get onto I-95.
I turn in my seat to face him. “You left without me.”
He shrugs as if he could give a shit. I’m sure he doesn’t care. Not like he wanted me here to begin with.
“I didn’t think you were going to show, and my crew couldn’t wait around on you.”
“Is this what you do on the weekends?”
Eyes on the road, he says, “Yeah, pretty much.”
“So, you race for money?”
He nods.
“And you have to steal cars to do it?”
He laughs. “No.”
His answers are so short he leaves me wanting more. Killian looks incredibly sexy right now, the dim light from the streetlamps on the highway hitting his face just right.
“Then why did you steal my car?”
No answer.
“Did you steal this car?”
His laughter shakes through me. “No, Adrian is mine.”
“Adrian?”
He taps the wheel with his hand. “That’s her name.”
“Why would you name your car?”
“Why would you name your kid?”
“Not the same thing,” I challenge.
“To you, maybe. But Adrian is my baby.”
“You’re weird.”
“You’re a stuck-up brat.”
My jaw clenches. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”
He smirks, his eyes still fixed on the highway. “Let’s see…” he pauses then continues, “… your dad is an investment banker in New York. He runs the Westbrook Fund, one of the largest in the country. Your grandfather, Senator Thomas Caldwell, is still a congressman even though he should have retired years ago. You’ve attended private schools since you were three-years-old. Have never done anything your parents don’t approve of. And you’re blackmailing me because you’ve never done anything fun a day in your life.” This time his eyes meet mine, a delicious grin stretching across his handsome face. “How did I do, princess?”
He’s right, for the most part. Asshole.
“I see you’ve done your research on me.”
He smirks. “There’s this magical thing called Google. You type questions into the search bar, and it gives you answers. Ever hear of it?”
I roll my eyes at him. “I didn’t get to choose my family. You can’t hate me because I was born into money. It’s not mine.”
“You have a trust fund, do you not? As of this week, there’s well over twenty million dollars in it.”
Shocked he knows so much about me, I let out a sigh. “Yes, there is… but—”
How could he know the balance of someone else’s bank account? An account that’s not even mine.
“No buts. Try working for a living before you pass judgment on someone else.”
I cross my arms over my chest and stare out the window realizing this is a losing argument. No matter what I say, Killian will think of me as some spoiled rich girl. Everyone does. But my father’s money is not mine. It’s funny because my sorority sisters love me more and guys like Killian like me a whole lot less because of it.
“Where are we going?”
Hands gripping the wheel, he rolls his shoulders. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Are you racing again?”
“I’m considering it.”
“Do you think you can answer me in more than one word or a short sentence? You’re being intentionally obtuse.”
He chuckles. “Obtuse? Who talks like that? And no I’m not. I’m just not interested in talking to you.”