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He told me not to worry about it. That today he was just another person in the crowd who just so happen to have the ability to make arrests if and when he saw fit.
That was good enough for me.
The passenger window of Mateo’s car slides down, and while I don’t turn my head to acknowledge him, he still calls out over the rumble of the engines.
“Damn, Güero. I didn’t expect to see your face here,” he says, and I keep my eyes forward.
“I was really hoping your girl would make an appearance,” he continues, and I clench my jaw, wishing I could just call him out now and get this over with.
“She get my flowers?” he asks, and when I don’t respond, his laughter rings out from inside his car. “Yeah, I know she did. I’ll make sure to send her some real nice once when I offer her my condolences after today.”
This motherfucker.
When the coordinator walks out to the front of the group, I tune Mateo out the best I can.
Everyone revs their engines, signaling they’re ready to go, and when the green flag drops, I punch the gas with zero hesitation.
The roar of engines echoes throughout the entire street, bouncing off the red rocks surrounding us. Smoke rises from the wheels of the cars in front of me, and I can feel the heat from their exhaust as I follow closely behind.
As we pick up speed, wind whips through my open window, carrying the sounds of the other drivers with it. I shift gears, maneuvering my car with precision.
As we approach the first turn, I can see the hesitancy in the way some of the other drivers move. We’re pretty high up, and the road thins out the higher we get. I pity anyone afraid of heights out here.
The driver in front of me steps on the brakes, causing me to swerve to the side to avoid hitting him. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turn white as I swerve back onto the road in front of him.
My heart beats faster as adrenaline courses through my body. I slide up alongside another driver in a red car, taking the inside and easily passing him. That puts me in seventh place, and one look in my rearview mirror shows me that Mateo isn’t far behind.
The car in front of me, a blue Supra, slows as we round another turn, and I take advantage of the moment and pull up next to him. I glance over just in time to see him sizing me up. He’s good, but he doesn’t have my skills.
I see it the second he makes the decision. He grips the wheel in his hand and jerks it in my direction. An attempt to pin me to the rocks and wipe me out. But I’m faster than him. I tap the brakes just as his car jerks to the right, and I floor it, pulling up around his right side, followed directly by Mateo.
He’s on my ass like glue, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, this race is going to end with the two of us up front.
Maneuvering around the next turn, I can just make out Dead Man’s Curve up the ridge. Drawing in a deep breath, I steady myself and pray that no one does anything stupid today.
I promised my girl I’d come home to her, and I have every intention of doing so.
Keaton
I’m on the edge of my seat watching the live footage of this race.
When Milo forwarded me the website, I immediately pulled it up on my phone and had Sander on speaker on my mom’s phone.
She’s sitting beside me, watching as everything unfolds, and I’m ready to pull my hair out with all of this anxiety.
Mateo’s car never leaves Bodhi’s behind. With every turn and car he passes, Mateo is right there with him.
If they weren’t on completely different sides of the moral compass, they’d actually be a pretty good team. But seeing as that isn’t the case, it’s frustrating to watch.
The camera zooms out slightly, and that’s when I recognize the area approaching.
My heart sinks in my stomach and I clutch Ma’s hands in mine.
Bodhi has just moved up to the sixth position, following closely behind a yellow Maserati. They weave in and around the corners seamlessly, but when the car in the lead approaches Dead man’s Curve and doesn’t seem to hit the brakes, I hold my breath and lean in closer.
“Come on… brake. Brake… brake brake BRAKE!” I shout at the screen.
But it’s no use.
