I wonder if it could work? Hmm, maybe we should test that theory.
Mind meet gutter.
The crowd is dead silent, the only noise I hear is their audible gasps when the cars hit the first corner. Nate instantly takes the lead.
Their cars are deafening as they race around the track and it seems like every second is drawn out as though I’m watching it in slow motion, but at the same time, if I was to blink, I’d miss it. “This is nuts,” I tell Noah, so damn pleased he doesn’t have some ridiculous rivalry with the Broken Hill guys.
“Uh huh,” he agrees.
Nate gets a whole car length in front of Jackson and I feel a slight pang rip through me. I’m so used to rooting for Jackson that the thought of him being behind right now sits kind of funny within me.
They hit a bend and Nate sails around it effortlessly just moments before Jackson hurries around behind him which is when he speeds the hell up or Nate ridiculously finds his brake as somehow, they’re now side by side. “Oh, shit,” Noah chuckles beside me, sounding way too happy about this.
“What?”
“Nate’s playing with him.”
“Huh? What the hell are you talking about?”
Noah watches eagerly. “He’s letting Jackson think he has a shot,” he laughs. “You watch, as soon as they hit the final straight, he’ll smoke him.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
A grin lifts the corner of his lips. “Because I would have done the exact same thing.”
I roll my eyes and despite the fact that Noah thinks we already have a clear winner, I still can’t look away.
A screeching noise sounds behind us before red and blue flashing lights light up the darkened track. “Fuck,” Noah yells, holding onto my hand a little tighter. It takes me a moment to catch up with what the fuck is going on, but after gaping at the cop cars behind me, I quickly realize the place is being raided. “We have to go. NOW.”
Shit hits the fan.
Kids start running for cars, people crash into one another, and cops try to round people up like a heard of sheep. But they should know better. It’s every man for themselves. It’s nothing but fucking chaos.
Noah holds onto me a little tighter, terrified of losing me in this crowd. If I go down, that’s where I’ll stay as I can guarantee that nobody is sparing a second to save me from getting trampled.
Panic seeps into me and I quickly start looking around. “Where’s Tully?” I yell over the chaos, distantly noticing that Nate and Jackson haven’t let up on their race. They should be leaving. What the fuck are they doing?
Noah pauses a second and a tightness appears in his back as he searches for his sister. “There,” he yells back over his shoulder. I follow his gaze and let out a sigh as I see her. She’s all but stumbling behind Rivers, desperately trying to keep up with his long strides as he clutches her hand in his.
Knowing she’s safe, Noah makes a break for it.
We bolt for his Camaro, pleased to see that the cops seem to be heading for Nate and Jackson seeing as though in this situation, they’re the only ones being caught red-handed. Thank God Noah’s race was already over and done with. Though, I guess it sucks to be Nate and Jackson. They’re on their own now.
I struggle to keep up with Noah as he hauls me through the mess of bodies. People crash into me and I don’t doubt that I’ll be covered in bruises afterward.
A girl’s high-pitched scream rips past my ear and my head whips around, searching out the noise. I see her almost instantly. A small brunette girl fumbles to the ground, her body being jostled around in every direction.
“Shit,” I screech, pulling back on Noah’s hand, desperate to help the girl as if I don’t, she’s not going to come out of this very well.
“Come on,” Noah says, tugging back on my hand.
I squeeze my fingers free of his tight grasp and double back for her. People smack into me on their way past as I head in the opposite direction of the crowd. Handbags and elbows connect against me, but determination gets the better of me.
By the time I reach the girl, she’s curled up on the ground with her arms protectively hovering over her head. I reach for her, but she’s too terrified, she can’t even feel me pulling on her arm. Something crashes into my back and I stumble forward, only able to keep on my feet as Noah grabs me with his strong hands and steadies me before I make this situation so much worse.
“Help me,” I beg him, still clawing at the girl’s arm, trying to pull her up.