Huge Working Hero (Hard Working Hero 3)

Besides, what does kicking his ass do? It doesn't solve anything. It doesn't fix this mess we're in. Kicking the shit out of him won't teach him a lesson.

“Get in,” I demand. Seth doesn't hesitate. He climbs in the backseat, and I slam the door shut. I get in the driver's seat and wait for Kelsie to climb in last.

“What the hell are we going to do?” she asks. “How do we explain any of this?”

“Don't worry. I'll fix it.”

I know what has to happen. It's not an easy decision, but it's the right decision.

And sometimes doing what's right hurts.

7

Kelsie

I can't stop staring at the tow truck behind us in the side mirror. Every turn we take fully exposes the mangled mess I've found myself in. I have no idea how the hell I'm going to explain this to my father. And I have no idea how he's going to take it.

With my arms crossed, I keep my head facing out the window. I have nothing to say. I'm so fucking angry at my brother for doing this, for all of this. And the fact he thinks he can just get away with it if he tells my father about Brand and me is making me sick.

What kind of brother does that?

How dare he think that's the answer to saving his own ass?

We had a deal, and that deal didn't have any clauses. The fine print was obviously too small for me to read, because had I known he was going to crash the car and use our secret against me, I would have told him to get bent.

The closer we get to the car show, the heavier my stomach feels. It's like my gut is being stabbed over and over. I swallow hard as the sign for the drag strip comes into view, but the lump in my throat doesn't move.

Brand looks over at me. I can feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, but I don't look over at him. I don't want to. The anger I feel is too much, and the sad thing is it's not even his fault.

I can't blame him for any of this. I made my own bed, now I just have to lay in it.

The blinker clicks on. It clicks and clacks loud as a grandfather clock. He turns the wheel and my stomach flips upside down. Dirt pebbles spit up, popping against the undercarriage.

Oh god, this is it. There's no turning back now. I want to jump out of the vehicle. My legs twitch and my toes are nervously tapping against the floor.

“Get ready, Kel,” my brother says. I can hear the sliver of a smile on his face as he taunts me. “If I go down, you go down. Remember that.”

Brand reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it softly. “Don't listen to him. This isn't the end of the world. I promise you that.”

I pull my hand free, refusing to let him see how vulnerable and sad I feel right now. I'm about to lose everything. Whatever Brand's thinking, whatever he's trying to do to make me feel better, it doesn't change the fact that everything is about to change. His life and mine.

My heart speeds up, beating like a drum in my chest. I'm sweating. My hands are damp, and I can feel the sweat as it beads on the back of my neck. Acid bubbles up in the back of my throat, burning my tongue.

Ugh. I'm going to throw up.

My hand moves to my stomach, clutching it gently as everything in my belly swooshes and swirls inside. As we drive through the crowd, everyone around us gawks at the smashed up car on the bed of the truck.

And then I see my father.

His face turns beat red as he throws his hands on top of his head. There's a look of shock and pure unbridled anger on his face. He's trying to figure out what's going on, and within that confusion his rage bubbles up. It looks like his head is going to pop clear off his neck, like a soda bottle that's been shaken and the cap is hanging on to the threads for dear life.

Brand parks the car, and the tow truck pulls in behind us. I'm breathing heavy, and my heart is pumping blood through my body so hard I can hear it whoosh in my ears.

The world around me is silent. A small crowd is starting to form. People are pointing at the car and whispering to each other, but I can't hear anything.

I know I should get out of the car, but fear is holding me back. My fingers dig into the seat, and my legs are heavy as lead. I can't move.

“Kelsie,” Brand says, causing me to finally look over at him. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise.”