Millionaire Boss (Freeman Brothers 1)

When we got to the track, Minnie gave me a quick overview of everything, and then we parted ways. She was going straight for the team, but I needed some general pictures and wanted to talk to the organizers a bit. This was much more of an undertaking than I expected. When Minnie described the track and surrounding facilities, she didn’t give me an accurate perspective of scale, so what I thought was a quaint little event space turned out to be a sprawling complex that rivaled Freeman Racing but had none of the grass or trees. That meant by the time I found the private booth where I was going to sit, my feet were aching. Sighing with relief, I sat down and relaxed for a few moments, enjoying the cool of the shade and not being on my feet.

Finally, I pulled out my phone and posted some of the pictures I’d taken, along with a video I’d made and some of the written content I’d prepared. I did it as fast as I could, not wanting to miss any of the race. A few minutes later, Minnie joined me in the box, squeezing my hand and giving a slight squeal of excitement as she pointed over toward where the riders were readying themselves. Darren waved at us with a bright smile, and I waved back, laughing at the sheer excitement on his face.

The race itself was insane, more than I ever could have imagined. I wasn’t prepared for the sound or the smell or the intensity. But I also wasn’t prepared for how much I’d love the way it felt running through my veins and pumping in my heart. Not long into the race, I was on my feet, and when Darren came in first, Minnie and I were screaming and jumping up and down, clutching at each other as we cheered.

It was incredible, and I did my best to get as much of it as I could on camera. I looked forward to reviewing everything and pulling out the perfect moments to share.

11

Quentin

I was beyond pumped, already jumping up and down and screaming when the bikes were taking their last bank around the curve of the track. Darren was up at the front of the pack, his incredible performance keeping him ahead through the majority of the race. He was nothing short of driven. It was obvious how much energy and time he had put not only into improving his bike, practicing and increasing his focus before the first race. It had paid off in a major way, and I shouted out an excited celebratory as he pulled across the finish line first. I couldn’t have asked for a better performance from him. It was inspiring to see his dedication and performance, pulling in the first win of the season. That set the precedent and the tone for us. Now the other racers not only saw his impressive skill and newly redesigned and improved bike but already felt a step behind him. It was a psychological element that could be highly beneficial in the races to come.

The thrill of seeing Darren come in first was so high I almost forgot Greg was in the race as well and stopped paying attention. I was so accustomed to only having my brother representing the company, I was just about to turn around to the rest of the team when I caught sight of Greg’s bike dart over the line just a fraction of an instant after the second bike. My cheering became even louder, and I grabbed onto the crew member beside me, shaking him and thumping him on the back. He laughed and returned the pat, joining me in celebrating the tremendous showing for the company.

“Can you believe that?” I shouted over the chaos of the crowd erupting at the end of the race.

“Yes,” he shouted back. “This team is badass.”

“Hell yeah, it is!”

I couldn’t have asked for a better night. We placed ridiculously well in the race, the team was in tremendous spirits, and I knew Merry was there. Even though I didn’t see her during the race, knowing she was there watching gave me a boost. It was her first race, and she’d expressed how excited she was to experience it. I couldn’t wait to find out what she thought and see if she got any good pictures. This was definitely something I wanted to share with anyone who might happen by our social media.

We took off toward the finish line, and my heart warmed when my baby brother came running toward me to jump into my arms. I grabbed him in a tight hug, and we jumped up and down a few times, laughing and cheering. It wasn’t his first win, but every win was exciting, and to land the first of the season was especially thrilling. The season was already off to an amazing start, and I was more revved up than ever for the rest of it.