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“No one died or anything. But our dad got wind of it and made us stop racing. Or at least he thought he did. I still race on occasion. Never as a competition or anything like that, just driving for fun.”
She smiles and my heart melts. “Okay, Mr. Car Racer, show me your moves. I’ll watch you from the stands,” she says, pointing in the general area.
I chuckle. “Actually, Sunshine, you’ll be inside the car with me.”
The way her face blanches at that is pretty fucking comical.
CHAPTER 16
Isabella
My hands curl into fists and I pull my bottom lip between my lip as apprehension rolls through me. I woke up pretty excited about whatever it was Graham had planned, but that excitement fizzled out when Enzo informed me that there was going to be a business meeting at the house.
He’s always been pretty good at keeping mafia business out of the house that our little cousins live in. But apparently, the location of the meeting is non-negotiable. It’s with an important person or something like that. I don’t really care. I tried to tell him to take it out of the house, he said no. We fought and I left, coming to see Graham.
Now I’m starting to think that was a bad idea. I stare at the maze of sleek curves winding gracefully into the distance and disappearing in a daunting endless expanse of track. My stomach rolls with nerves. I turn around just as Graham reappears.
He strolls towards me at a leisure pace, looking completely at ease. His hair gleams thick and glossy in the sunlight. He’s wearing a blue jacket over a gray T-shirt and jeans that mold to his body like they were made for him. His biceps flex with every movement as he approaches. I notice he’s wearing gloves. Thick black ones.
“I’ve thought about it,” I start to say, “and it would be awful if I died today.”
His lips twitch as he stands in front of me. “And why is that?”
I scramble for an excuse. “Because there’s so much I haven’t done. I’ve never been to Bhutan and Taiwan and so many other countries. I’ve never seen an aurora. Aurora’s are so pretty, Gray. I can’t die without seeing one.”
“An aurora, huh?” Graham asks, deeply amused. His green eyes damn near twinkle and I get the sudden urge to punch his jaw. “Stop being so dramatic, Sunshine. I promise you’ll get to do all those things before you die. You can get started on them after this ride.”
“Graham,” I sigh, “I don’t do well in these kinds of situations.”
I’ve never been that person chasing adrenaline or living life in the fast lane. The most adventurous thing I’ve done in the past year was going to that party in Boulder. And that turned out awful.
“That’s because you’ve never tried, Isa,” he says soothingly. “Come on, trust me. I promise nothing bad is going to happen. They wouldn’t let me on to that track if they didn’t think I could handle it. Plus, I’ve done this lot of times.”
I swear there must be something wrong with me because why does one look at him have me nodding my head in agreement? He’s an incredibly terrible influence. Graham grins.
“You’ll love it, I promise.”
I don’t speak as the feeling of apprehension intensifies in my gut. Graham leads me toward the edge of the track where a sleek red car is waiting for us. One of the workers holds the passenger door open for me.
I slide in, feeling like cattle being led to slaughter. The door shuts and it’s just me and Graham. In a convertible luxury car with the open air surrounding us.
Graham offers me a soft, reassuring look. His eyes trail over my face before shifting lower. He smiles before leaning out of his seat. I hold my breath as he reaches for my seatbelt, sliding it over my body and clicking it firmly in place.
“Safety first, Sunshine. We should also probably be wearing helmets,” he informs me.
“Then why aren’t we?” I question, feeling a flutter in my chest.
Although I’m not sure if it’s due to nerves or his proximity.
He smirks as he leans away and I finally inhale. He puts on his own seatbelt before answering my question.
“Because I want you to feel all of it, Isabella.”
He doesn’t clarify the statement. After one last look at me, he starts the car. The purr of the engine as he does so hints at the power within.
“Ready, baby?” he asks, his voice filled with anticipation.
I can only imagine the smile playing on his lips. I can’t look at him right now. My eyes trail the long winding track in front of us.
