Page 42 of Born to Scar

Everyone starts crowding in, with grid girls all over the racers. I’m the odd woman out. I never got any action from the men in racing. And while they think that it’s hot for women to race, in reality, they are either emasculated or intimidated.

The men get pussy in droves, while I have been left unsatisfied, up until my boys, anyway. Un. Fair. I speak it for all the women of the world.

Cam and Jared come through the door, and Jay looks much happier. I smile and wink when they meet my gaze. “You’re next,” Cam shouts over to me, and I wiggle my eyebrows.

Things are going more smoothly than it has in months after a race. Mik isn’t working tonight. He keeps his race nights off, and I don’t blame him. It’s exhausting going from a race to work, but until I’m allowed to hire another bartender, here I am.

We don’t have—hell, even need—another bouncer because these people are good. For the most part. Mik mostly makes sure people don’t leave drunk. Very rarely do we have to break up a fight or deal with anything worse.

The door opens and a cop in uniform steps through. I recognize him immediately. Ducking down, I crouch behind the bar. He has gray in his black hair but looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him. Both Cam and Jared notice because their heads tilt around toward the bar.

“What are you doing, Indy?” Lain whisper-yells at me.

“Get that fucking cop out of here. There is no Indy here—do you understand?”

She nods.

I crawl to the back, thanking whatever deity is listening that Lainy is working tonight. She’s sweet; the cop will listen to her. Everyone at the tables in the line of sight of the hall can see me. Cam jolts up, and I can see Jared heading to the bar in my peripheral vision.

“Who is that?” Cam whispers when we are in the back.

“That is”—I take a shuddered breath—“Ricky Halloway. My father. Cam…” I have tears welling in my eyes. “I can’t.” That’s all I can manage as I spiral into panic. I can’t breathe. I’m shaking. I can’t focus. He walks to the front, leaving me on the floor.

Unfamiliar arms wrap around me as Kia lifts me and puts me in a chair at the table, forcing my eye contact. “I don’t know who the fuck that is, but Indy, this is not you. No, Indy, look at me. Don’t look away.”

My tears fall. He shifts to hold me, my body trembling in his arms. I focus on him to stay here, or I’ll lose myself.

CHAPTER 18

JARED

Something’s wrong.

She doesn’t do that. Ever. She never shrinks away from anyone and has never crawled to the back. Not in all the time I’ve known her. It doesn’t matter who walks through that door, cop or not. I play along with Lainy when she tells him there isn’t an Indy here tonight. Everyone in here would do the same, no questions asked.

When I make eye contact with him, her eyes stare back at me. Her emerald irises. Her almond shape. Her dark lashes. I tear mine away. Dread washes over me. I know what this means. It’s going to send her into a tailspin. How can it not? How the fuck did he find her? Why would he still be looking?

Cam comes out of the back as Kia goes in. There’s rage burning in his eyes. I need to stop him before he does something stupid—something he can’t take back. I grab his wrist, stopping him beside me.

“Not now,” I grit out.

“Do you know who that is?” he snaps back.

“Yes, she has his fucking eyes, man,” I hiss. “Follow Lain’s lead, Cam. Don’t be stupid.” He grunts, jerking his wrist from my grasp, but he doesn’t move from my side.

Luckily, Mik’s attention is on a grid girl, or he could be a problem. Not that he would ever purposely put Indy in danger. But this falls outside his capabilities. He doesn’t follow anyone’s lead. He says what he says and does what he does, without much forethought—not great in this situation.

“I understand and am sorry, Officer Halloway, but there really isn’t an Indy here tonight,” Lainy lies again after more questioning.

“Okay. If there is an Indy Halloway or Rhodes that shows up here again, please let her know that Ricky Halloway is looking for her.”

Lainy nods as she takes his card. “Of course.”

He knows she’s been here before, but how? How the fuck does he know? He turns toward the door. But before leaving, he turns back and looks. He scans every person here, making sure he didn’t miss her.

The second his car is out of the parking lot, Lain drops the card in the trash, and the three of us rush to the back. Indy’s holding on to Kia for her life. She’s breathing too hard and trembling. Her eyes are distant but open.

“Indy,” I whisper. She blinks tears down her face, but her eyes never find mine. She just stares into nothing.