Throttled (Dirty Air 1)

29

Maya

I walk into the pit area to wish Santi good luck. Noah fucked my bad mood right out of me, curing me from Santi’s negative words.

“Where did you go?” He looks at me with soft eyes and a weak smile.

“I took a walk. I needed a break from our conversation.”

Can he tell Noah just fucked me? Post-sex afterglow tends to be a thing.

“You look like you’ve been crying. I’m sorry if I upset you. I just want to make sure you’ll be okay and find what you love to do.”

My cheeks heat. Not exactly the crying he’s thinking about. His apology makes my heart squeeze, guilt eating up any leftover lust.

“Mm, yeah. I appreciate it. But I am happy, and everything will be fine. I like following everyone and I’ve made good friends. You don’t need to worry about me anymore.”

He pulls me in for a hug, our previous conversation abandoned. “You know I love you, right?”

My eyes roll with the least amount of effort because his corny phrase always gets me. I can’t hold an argument against him for more than an hour anyway. “You tell me all the time. I love you too. Now go kick some ass. Preferably Slade’s.”

“Hey! I heard that. You both act like I’m not here.” Noah’s voice booms over the buzz of the pit crew and machines. My body warms in recognition. I’m so screwed with him, both literally and figuratively.

“You’ve won three World Championships already. Save some for the little guys.” Santi’s voice carries over the other noises.

“I’m glad you’re not ashamed of being little. That’s mature of you. You know what they say—it’s not about size but what you do with it that matters.” Noah smirks at my brother.

Santi groans while I bark out a laugh.

“You’re a piece of shit, Slade.” Santi’s words don’t have the same kick. “Speaking of dicks, what the hell was going on in your room? Changing up your pre-race routine? It’s usually silent but your couch kept hitting the wall, in a rhythm I might add.” Santi’s knowing smile says it all. My throat closes tight, my brain jumping to the worst kind of conclusions. I let out a breath when I find Santi not looking at me.

Noah returns a wicked smile and shrugs. “Sorry about that. I’ll be more quiet next time.”

If the world could swallow me up whole, now would be the perfect time.

But it doesn’t.

“Maybe I need to follow the same ritual. I wonder if that’s how you win so much.” My brother, the idiot, smiles at Noah.

If I had a drink, this would be the moment I’d spit the contents out all over my brother. Oh my God. You definitely don’t want to, Santi. Can you shut up already?

My eyes dart around the garage, avoiding eye contact at all costs with both of them. Santi gives me a quick peck on the head before hopping into his car.

Noah and Santi wish each other good luck before they take off for the grid. I stay behind in the pit area for this race, watching overhead on the TV monitors while Sophie hangs out with her dad. A pit crew member hands me a headset so I can hear what Santi says while he races.

Noah takes off in first place, no surprise there. Cameras switch between overhead shots and racer first-person cameos. Over the past few races, I’ve caught myself cheering for him as much as I do with Santi.

Noah drives swiftly as he cruises along the pavement. My brother keeps close behind, battling it out for second place with Liam. Noah holds a good distance ahead and avoids any major collisions with other racers. My brother sets a great pace, with Liam behind his rear wing. Aerodynamics of the car make it difficult for Liam to overtake my brother. Air becomes a vortex inside of the track, compromising the speed of any racer who tries to pass the leader.

Santi catches up to Noah, but he’s no match for Noah’s defensiveness on this track. Noah’s turns stay tight, falling right in the midd

le, making no racer able to surpass him. My heart races as Noah creates a comfortable distance between himself and my brother.

Commentators go crazy as drivers fight for second- and third-place spots. Jax flies by Liam, pulling in close behind my brother. A pit stop will decide who gets out on top between them. Jax overtakes Santi at a narrow turn, causing my brother to spin out before he regains control.

Cars go around and around, lap after lap, rankings switching amongst racers. Jax gains speed on Noah, not compromising a potential first-place win for McCoy. I like Jax’s style compared to the boys at Bandini. He makes deliberate moves rivaling Noah’s, willing to do anything to get leverage on the first-place racer.

Noah’s dad interrupts me, his voice pulling me away from the TV. I withhold my sneer. Noah opened up to me about his dad’s anger management issues, telling me all about the unknown side of Nicholas Slade.